Page 72 of Witchblood

Whatever power I had, it was enough. For once I was enough.

I opened my eyes to seeApa’sblood-stained hair while he clung to me. The wolves began to rise, healing enough to move. Liam pressed into my hip, steadying himself against me. I looked down, first seeing all the blood that still covered him. Then realizing my own hands were covered in it.

Felix’s blood. I blinked at the light of the day which had illuminated everything with its return. Far too much. Felix’s lifeless body separated from his head looked like a rotten thing, dead already on the inside, green rot creeping to the outside. His blank eye-sockets stared sightless at me, mouth open in a snarl of hideous teeth. It was all I could take. I shovedApaaway, stumbled two feet away, then dropped to my knees and vomited.

It lasted so long I was almost sure I’d purge an intestine or two.Apastood at my back, holding up my hair, and Liam pressed into my side. Comforting. I collapsed backward, letting Liam’s warm bulk cradle me to the ground.Aparan his hands over my face and whispered things I couldn’t understand. My vision went a little dark on one side, and I blinked hard at them. I didn’t remember anything else before I blacked out.

Chapter 32

Iawoke in an unfamiliar bed. If it hadn’t smelled like Liam, I might have panicked a little. He wasn’t in the bed with me, but I could feel him moving around the house with the same sort of radar ping I’d used to track Dylan. Which meant I was in the pack house.

The whole pack seemed to be in the house. All of them echoed with tiny blips on my psychic scanner as they moved. A swirl of bees buzzing around the colony. Toby, Dylan, Marlow, Stacey, Leigh, and even Carl. There were more I couldn’t really put names too. And distantly, I felt two others, not part of the pack, but something similar.Apaand Oberon.

Everyone had survived. Except Felix who I had killed rather icky-like. My stomach rebelled again, and I bolted across the room to the open door that I could see was a bathroom.

Nothing came up but bile. My stomach didn’t stop trying for a while though, so I admired Liam’s clean, large bathroom. He had a nice cushy mat at the base of the toilet. The bathroom attached to the safe room had been nice, with the big stand shower and double vanity. This was more spa like. Was that a jetted tub in the corner?

My tiny camper bathroom shower was hardly large enough for one person to stand up in. Liam’s shower could probably fit a half dozen people. Yet he’d chosen my little camper to sleep in after a month away. I sighed at the implications of that. A lifetime of betrayal and being an outcast didn’t lead easily to trust or affection. But man, did I want to be everything I could with Liam. All I could do was give him me, and pray it was enough. I’d been enough to bringApaback. I could keep Liam’s interest, couldn’t I? Not like Felix…

Another wave of nausea rolled through me. I dry-heaved a bit longer. Someone had seen fit to dress me in a cozy, if a bit oversized, jammies-top. They smelled heavenly, like Liam. It was the button-up shirt type and large enough to fall past my knees. Warm and fuzzy socks were on my feet, and someone, Liam I hoped, had put a pair of undies on me. I was going to have to break it to him that I was a boxer-brief guy, not bikinis. Though I’d have liked to see him in a pair. Bikinis did have a nice way of hugging a butt. Liam had a fine ass worth framing. Maybe a g-string would be better.

I got up, found a spare toothbrush and some paste, and began to wash away the nastiness. It took some work to keep pushing the memories of the house and of Felix aside. Wolves weren’t bothered by gore. It was just meat to them. The violence became ingrained into their lives by the end of the first year after their change, desensitizing them to it, or else they died.

I’d never been the apex predator. And as an omega, blood always bothered me. Violence held no interest at all. I didn’t crave that battle to reach the next level of bullshit. I preferred to make my own way on a road of less resistance.

Half a bottle of mouthwash and four brushings later, my mouth tasted about as minty fresh as it was going to get. A hairbrush had been set out next to the sink. One identical to the one in my camper, and hair-free, so I picked it up and began to run it through the mess that was my red mop. Surprisingly, the brush slid through like a warm knife through butter. My hair was clean and untangled. Had Liam done that? I must have slept like the dead for it to still be untangled after sleep.

I heard the door in the other room open and close. Did I smell bread? A pause, then footsteps headed my way. Since I could feel him, it didn’t alarm me at all that Liam stepped into the bathroom. He was dressed in fitted jeans and a blue t-shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes, and a slim cut to it that accented his nicely toned arms. His hair looked lighter, almost as though it were touched by gray instead of the blond kisses he’d had when I’d met him at the bakery.

If he was still injured I couldn’t tell. He moved fluidly, swiftly wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and hugging me close enough to rest his chin on the top of my head.

He let out a long, happy sigh. “I’m so happy you’re awake.”

“Hmm,” I grumbled at him. I needed coffee before I could hold coherent conversations. Maybe a decent scone or two as soon as my stomach stopped flopping around like a dying fish. Did he have to be so hot every second of his existence? Would anyone notice if I just ripped his clothes off and dragged him into the ginormous shower stall?

His smile was radiant. “There’s my prickly mate. How’s your stomach?”

“Wriggling.” I shuddered at the idea of meat of any kind right that minute. Memories of the gore still dancing through my head.

“I brought you a peanut butter sandwich on fresh baked bread, and coffee.”

I gaped at him. “You seriouslyarein my head.”

He put his hand over my heart. “I’d rather be here.”

My cheeks heated because I knew what he wanted. I just wasn’t sure if I could say it yet. He was something to me, practically everything I’d placed my hope on, but I was terrified if I said the words it would all shatter. A lifetime of learning couldn’t be changed in a handful of days. “Liam…”

He shook his head. “No strings. But no, our bonds have settled now that the pack has settled. Having Dylan back helped a lot. I feel you wrapped around me, in every pore, but I’m not getting all that’s in your head. Just guessing at something to ease a troubled tummy and waking up after a long sleep.”

“Thank you,” I told him and put my hand over his on my heart. “I feel you too, wrapped around me. When you tried to cut our bond it was like you were cutting me apart.”

Liam looked stricken.

“It’s okay. I know why you did it. But hey, let’s not do that again, okay? We did this mate thing and I’m committed. Even if we want to play it up like we’re both a little crazy, ‘cause I sort of think we are. Just know we’re a partnership in this.”

Liam nodded. His arms around me tightened and it felt so fucking amazing to be held. I looked at the two of us in the mirror. Him breathtaking, suave, and sexy, and me…

“You’re beautiful,” Liam said. “Handsome if you prefer.” He smirked at me.