Page 73 of Witchblood

“Jerk.” I said.

He kissed my hair and ran his fingers through it for a minute before taking the brush from me and combing it into a ponytail, then braiding it. “Eat, then maybe you can have a visitor?”

I looked down at my bare legs and the long nightshirt.

“There’s clothes for you in the left side of the dresser. I bought it with room for your stuff. Was going to get some of your stuff out of the camper, but then he appeared,” Liam said. He swept his arm up to motion at a large armoire. Robin sat on the top, tail waving like he didn’t have a care in the world. His kitty judgement face was gone and replaced with just sleepy cat. No wonder Liam hadn’t been in bed with me when I woke up. Apparently we had an audience.

“Your side of the dresser and closet is filled with clothes,” Liam said. “But eat first. You’ve been asleep a few days. You need the calories.”

“Days?” I squinted at him.

“A little over seventy-two hours. Dylan said you did a lot of changing back and forth to try to get him free. I think that plus the big cold-fire fox thing probably drained a bit of energy out of you.” His cheeks pinked. “Not to mention how many times you pushed energy into me to help me heal during the fight.”

My stomach began to grumble again as memories of the gore and terror cropped up. “Don’t remind me please. I’m trying to get my stomach to stop its spin-cycle impression.”

Liam turned me to face him and kissed me. Okay, I could live with that forever. His lips, his body against mine, his passion flowing over every cell of my body. I returned his kiss and thought briefly of closing the bathroom door to give us privacy. But I had questions forApa.

Reality had a way of throwing a bucket of ice water on excitement. I pulled away and sucked in a deep breath, savoring the lingering feel of him on my lips. “Raincheck?”

Liam glanced out the door to the cat, then back down at me. I could almost see him making the same deduction I had. He sighed. “Business before pleasure, right? Life 101.”

And, wasn’t that the truth. “Coffee, first. It’s been three days. I’m surprised I woke up at all and didn’t die from lack of caffeine in my veins.” I tugged free of his embrace and found my way to the sandwich and coffee. Okay, I don’t remember tasting the sandwich, or really the coffee, not until I’d had a second cup and Liam was handing me a set of clothes. “I thought you wanted me with my clothes off?” I teased him. The sweet nectar of java felt good flowing through my veins.

“For all your love of tea, I’ve never seen anyone need a coffee so desperately they drank an entire pot, black, in under five minutes,” Liam remarked. “And yes, naked is great,afterI get your father out the door. The sooner he leaves my territory the better.”

Or his monster at least. “He came back,” I reminded Liam. Felix hadn’t.

“This time,” Liam agreed.

I understood what he didn’t say. There may not be a next time.

“Is he first on the docket then? I get to pretend to be the royal prince, with lords of another nation visiting to curry my favor?” I asked with a total straight face as I tugged on a pair of soft black jeans, and a gray Mario Bros T-shirt. The clothes weren’t lord of the manor, but nothing I owned was.

“It is a bit like that,” Liam confessed. “Since you’re Alpha Mate now. You have always been a prince. Even if it was of the Volkov’s pack before. Now you’re the gem of the Northern Cascades pack.”

I squinted at him. Ready to rail against white glove coddling that would drive me nuts in sixty seconds flat.

“Does it help that you’re my prince?” Liam asked, sounding amused.

“Not if you’re going treat me like I’m incapable of taking care of myself.”

“I saw the big fox thing.” He grinned at me, “I know how sharp your claws are. I’d rather enjoy the brush of your lips than your fangs. Is it okay if I run interference?” Liam wanted to know. “To move things along?”

“God, yes.” Especially withApa. The Volkov sometimes made it a habit to linger even when I’d tried several times politely to kick his butt out the door. I was not a diplomat. Not when blunt worked just fine, even if it offended some. Hopefully Liam was a bit more careful with other’s feelings than I was. Most of the time I found it easier to say nothing. It was the option that got me into the least amount of trouble. “I can smile and nod with the best of them.”

“Good.” He swung the comforter over my legs after I’d settled back on the bed, and refilled my cup of coffee. “Sit there and look tired. I think it will get them moving faster.” He sighed. “Some of the pack want to see you also. Tradition mostly. Since you’re alpha mate now.”

I knew well of the tradition and thought it silly. But I just waved my hand. “I’ll survive a little awkward staring and glaring,” I promised. “Bring on the Volkov.”

Chapter 33

Liam took me at my word, leadingApain alone a few minutes later. I wondered where Oberon was.Apalooked okay. More like himself than I’d seen in a long while. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked me over. It was remarkable how ordinary he appeared. He could have been some visiting college kid. Still, the loneliness and pain emanated from him. He did his best to cover it with being unremarkable in appearance, but I could feel it like the lingering smell of burnt bread.

“You look good,” I told him. Better than the monster thing he’d become. I had a million questions I wanted to ask. But in reality, didn’t want the answers. If what he became happened to all werewolves when they got old, I didn’t want to know. I’d just pray that Liam left this world after I did, so I’d never have to see him eaten away by the darkness, feeding on any source of life he could reach. “How are you feeling?”

Apagave me a strained smile. “My head is clear, if that’s your worry. Oberon is waiting in the car. I wanted to stay, Oberon insisted we have matters at home to attend to.”

I’d need to send Oberon a thank-you letter. I lovedApa,but this was not the place for him. Everything here was new. Mostly untouched by memories of failures. I wanted to know if it was a place I could thrive in, and if Liam really was all he promised.Apawas not anywhere in that vision. “Like?”