A Voice From the Night World Ch. 05

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LIEV

I came to sprawled flat on my stomach with a splitting headache, a case of the serious dries and the throbbing ache of bruises.

I managed to force my eyes open and realised I was in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. I had the uncomfortable feeling that time had passed, I wasn't sure how much, but I felt it in my lethargic, heavy muscles and the weakness that throbbed through me.

I felt the heavy sleeping weight and warmth of a naked body sprawled next to me, an arm and leg lying across me. The smell, flow of blue haze between us and feel of his skin against mine felt so familiar I relaxed, not even bothering to summon the energy to roll over and look to know it was him, my soulmate.

My search of the room brought me to Tien and Damien's concerned gazes as they both rose from a chairs next to the bed. Damien sat back down as Tien leaned down to touch my neck and forehead, checking my pulse and temperature.

I wondered why the hell they were so worried and weary looking, shadows and fear lined their faces. Tien looked as bruised up and dazed as I felt, clearly he'd been to war at some point in the evening.

At least you've found Tien and he's okay a mocking inner voice informed me. Tien offered me a glass of water and I accepted sitting up with his help to greedily swallow the sweet cool water.

My movements woke the body lying in the bed with me, I felt him scramble up as he ran gentle fingers over me, checking with touch that I was okay.

Dark dreams and images haunted me, mine and his, giving me the answer to what the hell had happened.

I saw a wraith and a black leopard tearing each other apart in a feral, vicious fight that left the leopard in a bleeding, dead heap.

Strong, warm arms scooped me up from the ground cradling me against a hard chest he carried me in a frantic search for help. Tien appearing from nowhere looking bleeding and bruised a second frantic sprint for this room.

The same fingers currently touching me had pressed against me as energy flowed between us. I heard a desperate voice pleading with me not to die on him and finally naked skin was pressing against me as he slid into bed with me, energy flowing more steadily between us, a tuneless hum from the soft lips pressing into the hollow of my throat conveying a curious mix of freedom, comfort, and protection.

"Do you know remember?" Tien wanted to know putting the empty glass I handed him on the bedside table.

"You've been out cold for two days." He went on as he and Damien watched me with dark worried eyes.

"I remember bits." I managed to respond shocked at the raw gritty quality of my voice.

My soulmate ignored us simply wrapping his arms around me in a tight relieved embrace. I felt his low shiver running through him, as if he was cold as he buried his face against my neck.

I managed a nod rubbing a soothing hand up and down his back, enjoying touching him and purring to comfort him as I let him clutch me. Somehow during the long hours where I lay unconscious and he'd sought to save my life, the soulmate bond had settled, gentling between us, as we'd settled into each other and accepted.

There was a long comfortable pause between us all. Tien and I exchanged a long stare his conveying his relief I was safe and alive, mine an apology for the harsh words that passed between us when we last met, a demand and promise for the story of his bruises and disappearance.

There was an even longer measuring look between Damien and I, this adopted brother of mine and I felt his own wordless relief I was okay.

A cheeky grin spread across Tien's face as he glanced from me to my soulmate.

"Damien owes me 20 quid and you owe me an apology. What'd I tell you? I'm always right." He commented with smug satisfaction violent eyes as Damien started to laugh.