Heart of the High King (D'Vaire, Book 19)

by Jessamyn Kingley

  Chapter 52

  When Rafe woke up, he was not only cocooned in the covers but had half of Aleksander draped over him. While it was nice to be cuddled close, even in sleep, if asked to guess, Rafe would swear it had to be at least three hundred degrees in the room, and he had an urgent need to pee. Attempting to be subtle, he tried to wiggle his way out to no avail. With a purse of his lips, he gave his best effort to push his way out of the blankets wrapped snuggly around him, which only resulted in causing movement behind him.

  “Is it time to get up?” Aleksander murmured. His arm lifted and a big hand tangled in Rafe’s curls.

  “It is if you don’t want me to piss on the sheets.”

  Aleksander chuckled and, in Rafe’s opinion, very meanly reached around and pushed on his straining bladder.

  “Jerk.”

  “Give me a kiss before you get up.”

  “My breath stinks.”

  “Who cares? So does mine.”

  Rafe huffed, but he rolled so he faced the High King of D’Vaire, who even at six something in the morning looked like he could get up and pose for a magazine. “Come on, you don’t even have a pillow crease on your face.”

  Aleksander started to grin; then it faded. His fingers pushed down the sheet still around Rafe. “There’s some discoloration on your neck.”

  Instinctively, Rafe lifted a hand to touch it. “Nothing hurts.”

  “I think this is where I bit you. Could you have an allergy to my dragon bite?”

  “I better fucking not. You bit me in the hospital. Don’t you think they would’ve noticed if I was allergic or intolerant or whatever they call my issues with magic?”

  “They were healing you. It might not have had the chance to react before anyone saw it.”

  “Don’t get all upset. I’m going to the doctor today. We’ll have her look at it. Do you think I can cover it in the meantime? I don’t want to alarm anyone.”

  “Yeah, do you have a shirt with a collar? It’s almost to your shoulder, just above the line of your shirt.”

  “No, I’ll just borrow one of yours.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry, babe.”

  Rafe scooted forward, and Aleksander’s arms automatically went around him. Kissing his chin, he hoped his mate didn’t get a whiff of his breath. “Don’t apologize for something you have to do instinctively. I enjoyed it and have no complaints. If I’ve got some issue, we’ll work it out. I don’t know how humans deal with allergies, intolerances, illnesses, etcetera. As shifters and magickind, we have it so damn easy. Stuff is rare in our populations and is often relegated to old folks or young babies born with defects.”

  “I don’t want to respect humans after what they did to Drystan and Conley, but I can’t help it. I’ve learned in the last couple of years that we take our good health for granted.”

  “We do and we shouldn’t,” Rafe said. “But if I don’t get up, I’m seriously going to wet myself, so we’re going to have to talk about it later if you want to continue this discussion.”

  “What was the rule?”

  “I kissed you. Right on the chin.”

  “Your aim was off.”

  “Fine, enjoy my stank,” Rafe retorted, pressing his lips firmly to Aleksander’s. A tongue flicked his lip, but he pulled away. Without giving Aleksander a chance to react, he shoved the blankets away and stood up on the mattress. Running the two steps to the foot of it, he stepped down first to the covered bench, then to the floor while Aleksander laughed. After dashing into the bathroom, Rafe pleased his poor bladder and as he washed his hands, angled his head to the side so he could see the reddish-purple spot that was clearly visible on his neck.

  Aleksander sauntered in just as Rafe was leaning closer and trailed a fingertip across the mark, causing his entire body to shiver.

  “Stop that.”

  “It really doesn’t hurt, does it?”

  “I mean it,” Rafe said with a scowl, stepping away from the man with magic hands. “We don’t have time to fool around this morning.”

  “That facial expression isn’t helping matters, but you’re right.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’ll explain when I have an opportunity to demonstrate my point.” Aleksander strode to him and lifted Rafe’s chin to drop a kiss on his mouth, making him smile. “I’m going to grab a shower.”

  “Okay, I’m going to go raid your closet.”

  “Have fun. Say hi to my skeletons.”

  With a roll of his eyes, Rafe left his mate to bathe and wandered back into their suite. Picking up the pajamas from the floor, he tugged them on and then made the bed as Mortis padded in.

  “Good morning, buddy.”

  “Outside?”

  “Yep. Give me a minute to steal one of Sander’s shirts and grab a hoody. I got a weird-ass mark on my neck to cover up.”

  “Rafe hurt?”

  “Nah, I’m guessing you don’t sense anything either,” Rafe replied, ruffling Mortis’s fur while the pair strolled into Aleksander’s closet. Unlike Rafe’s, which had next to nothing inside since he’d yet to shop for anything, Aleksander’s was filled with all kinds of shirts, pants, and suits as well as several pairs of shoes. Smiling as Aleksander’s scent hit his nose—Rafe was shit at describing it but thought of it as woodsy. “I need a button-down. He’s got like a million.”

  “Aleksander always look nice.”

  “While my style has been described as ‘deranged holiday tree,’ ” Rafe snarked. “Okay, I like this white one with the thin blue and black stripes.”

  “It make Rafe look nice.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” Rafe grabbed the hanger and carried it into his closet. Hanging it up to change into after breakfast, he pulled his hoody on, careful to conceal the weird-ass spot on his neck. “Of course, he’s taller and broader than me, so it’s not going to fit right, but what can I do, right?”

  “Gain weight.”

  “You’re a wolf, what the hell do you know about my right weight?” Rafe asked as they left the bedroom to head outdoors. “You’ve been listening to Sander. Don’t do that.”

  “Rafe funny.”

  Kendrick’s stare was intense as Rafe walked through the kitchen, but he ignored his brother and took his wolf outside. Although Rafe was genuinely sorry for the decisions he’d made, he wasn’t sure he was ready to take on the task of trying to apologize to the entire D’Vaire clan. Rafe needed more time to adjust to his new life, and he had ghosts from his past that still needed to be put to rest, but someday he would find a way to make amends.

  ∞∞∞

  Being in a hospital was nothing new for Rafe, but that didn’t mean he liked it. Sitting on an examination table while five D’Vaires sat in the room with him, they waited for Dr. Suricata and her human friend Dr. Park to show up. Rafe’s blood had already been drawn for his tests.

  “Is that Aleksander’s shirt?” Brogan asked.

  “Yeah,” Rafe replied.

  “I only ask because it’s kind of big on you. If you ask Larissa, I bet she could help you figure out your right size.”

  “Dear, he can wear what he wants,” Saura chided.

  “I’m just trying to help a guy out,” Brogan argued.

  “You do need to buy new clothes,” Aleksander told him. “You don’t have many.”

  “I know, but they’re already tight. No sense in buying a bunch of shit when my weight’s going to go up.”

  “He’s never worn Aleksander’s stuff before,” Brogan muttered.

  Rafe’s eyes met Aleksander’s, and his mate just shrugged. Brogan would find out soon enough the strange spot the collar of Aleksander’s shirt was concealing. The door opened, the two doctors walked in, and Rafe let out a mental sigh of relief when he saw their smiles. Familiar with Dr. Suricata, it was obvious to him that it was a genuine one and not the type she wore when she was trying to remain upbeat when she gave him shitty news.

  Everyone greeted her and Dr. Park. Then she turned to Rafe and once again flash
ed a grin. “So, things are looking great. There’s still some magic in your cells, but it’s nearly gone. I think those Cwylld stones were instrumental in moving this along so fast. If you keep it to a single round-trip, I’m okay with you teleporting daily.”

  “What about his aging?” Aleksander asked.

  “At this point, there’s nothing to suggest he’s got any age-related problems. I’m going to ask that you continue coming back to see me every six weeks until we can either relax and say that your mate’s dragon is holding it at bay or until we can measure it to set up an appropriate treatment plan.”

  “I really want to apologize to all of you for my behavior at our last meeting. I underestimated not only your magical abilities but Rafe’s endurance. I’m finding the more I learn about the Council, the less I know,” Dr. Park offered.

  “I wasn’t angry with you. I kind of thought there was a chance you were right,” Rafe told him. “As far as I’m concerned, you didn’t owe me anything.”

  “So, let’s talk about long-term issues,” Dr. Suricata said as she took a seat. “You’re not a dragon. I know you’re working with a trainer, and I truly think if it’s possible to regain a beast you’re the one who can do it, but you aren’t a dragon right now. You’re also not quite human, but you are susceptible to illnesses, viruses, and other things that people in the Council typically don’t have to even think about. So, be careful and if you have any new symptoms, whether big or small, call me. We know we can use magic if we handle the situation carefully, so I’m confident we can conquer it, but there’s no sense in putting yourself through an ordeal if we can easily mend it, so don’t wait until it gets bad, okay?”

  “Yeah, Sander’s not going to let me ignore anything.”

  “What about his weight?” Aleksander asked.

  “I was just getting to that,” Dr. Suricata responded. “While in the past we’ve used weight, we now prefer to measure BMI, or body mass index. You’re about halfway between five foot nine and five foot ten, so we’re going to round up. Right now, your weight as of this morning is one hundred and twenty-six pounds, making your BMI eighteen-point-one, which is underweight. We’re going to use the human BMI range, so you want between eighteen-point-five and twenty-four-point-nine. Dragons are generally higher than that because of their larger muscle mass, so you’ve got a long way to go after you get your beast back too. I’m not even going to give you a goal weight, I just want you to start gaining.”

  “Yeah, I get that, but I also don’t want to be fat,” Rafe responded.

  “Like I said, you don’t need to worry about that. If you want to get stronger, I might suggest some exercise. You don’t have a dragon to keep your body toned, but no going crazy with cardio stuff. You’re not trying to lose or maintain your weight yet.”

  “What kind of exercising should I do?”

  “Find things you like to keep it fun and to help stay motivated,” Dr. Suricata suggested.

  “I’ll have to think about it,” Rafe muttered. There were a couple of things that came to mind including jogging, which he’d started to do not long before he was hurt. It helped clear his mind, and Aleksander had plenty of land for him to stretch his legs. Rafe was determined to find other activities he might like as well.

  “Show her the mark on your neck,” Aleksander stated.

  “I was getting to it,” Rafe told him as Dr. Suricata got to her feet. “We noticed it this morning.”

  With Rafe’s help, Dr. Suricata pushed down the collar of his shirt and she tsked. “Dr. Park, I’ve heard of these and seen them on television, but we generally heal too fast to have them for more than a few minutes. Is this what I think it is?”

  Her voice gave nothing away as the other doctor joined him, leaving Rafe wondering if it was bad or good. When Dr. Park grinned wildly, Rafe scowled.

  “You have an erythema. It’s an area of the skin reddened by expanded blood vessels. In this case I’m going to attribute the cause to love play. Rafe, you have a hickey.”

  Brogan’s laughter filled the room, and Dra’Kaedan elbowed him. “Hush.”

  “Your Highness, if you don’t want marks to show, perhaps you should go a little easier on Rafe’s nearly human skin,” Dr. Suricata teased Aleksander, who was, in Rafe’s opinion, grinning like an idiot. “The good news is that it should resolve itself in a few days. Let’s avoid magic for these kinds of things. We don’t know yet if you’re going to grow increasingly sensitive to it with time.”

  “I don’t know what’s so funny,” Rafe griped.

  “Amateurs,” Brogan said, giving his attention to the ceiling, no doubt to contain his chuckles.

  “While we’re on the topic, that leads us to a rather sensitive issue we need to discuss,” Dr. Park said. “You are vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and I’m aware that shifters can have relationships outside their matebond. Even if you aren’t with a human, one of your partners might’ve been and may be able to carry it even if they’re unable to contract it. There have been zero studies done on that, so we are working in the dark. Use condoms Rafe, to prevent catching anything.”

  Rafe shook his head. “I appreciate your concern, but I won’t be going outside my matebond.”

  Dr. Park’s smile was rather condescending. “I know you two have a new romance, but sometimes after that first bloom dies things might change. Please, just be careful.”

  Growing annoyed, Rafe’s mouth flattened in a line as he contemplated how not to tell the kindly doctor to fuck off. The more he thought about it, the more pissed off he got at the implication that he’d ever hurt Aleksander, so he refused to measure his words. “I will never cheat on Sander. Not only did I survive some fucking horrible shit just to be with him, that’s not the kind of person I am. And, although it’s none of your fucking business what I do—”

  “Rafe, it’s okay,” Aleksander said, no doubt to soothe him, but Rafe wasn’t having it.

  “No, it’s not. I’m not going to go running around fucking anyone. He’s the only one I’ve ever wanted to be with. I mean shit, I’m demisexual anyway. I’m not the type of person who can just run into a bar and find someone I’m interested in like that,” Rafe retorted. His brain readily supplied ugly images and filled his brain of it working the other way. “And you better not cheat on me, Sander. I’m not going to stick around and be fine with it. I’ll pack up my shit and walk right out.”

  Aleksander threw his hands up in frustration as his brow furrowed. “Of course I wouldn’t do that. I’ve got agoraphobia. How the fuck would I even meet anyone if I somehow lost my mind and didn’t want to be with you?”

  Rafe stared at Aleksander and from out of nowhere, a bubble of laughter surfaced. Giving in to impulse, Rafe chuckled and seconds later, his mate joined him. They were sitting in a room full of people in a damn hospital, fighting over nothing. Aleksander had never given Rafe any reason not to have faith in him. “Oh, so glad your inability to meet someone is the reason you wouldn’t cheat on me,” Rafe teased. “You’re supposed to say shit about the love and trust between us.”

  Aleksander’s grin was full of mischief. “Oh yeah, that stuff too.” Standing, he carefully fixed Rafe’s collar, then kissed him softly. “Dr. Park, while physically, shifters can cheat, that doesn’t mean they all do. When you wait centuries to find the man who is the best part of your soul, you don’t even consider the idea that there’s anything you could ever be missing. Everything I need is in the man holding my heart, and there’s simply no room in my thoughts or mind for anything beyond my mate.”

  The dragon’s eyes had never left Rafe’s, and he gave in to instinct. Placing a hand on Aleksander’s jaw, accepted his kiss. “I love you too,” Rafe said softly.

  “And if anyone is interested in statistics, it may ease your minds to know that it’s a much smaller percentage of going outside our matebonds than our detractors would have you believe,” Dr. Suricata supplied.

  “Rafe and Aleksander hump now?”


  Mortis’s voice in Rafe’s head broke the beautiful spell surrounding him and Aleksander. “For Fate’s sake, Mortis, we’re in a damn hospital. No,” Rafe retorted, hopping off the table and grabbing Aleksander’s hand. When everyone assumed Mortis had to go outside, Rafe didn’t correct them. With enough embarrassment for one day, it was necessary to double-check to make sure his hickey was covered.

  “Sorry about that,” Aleksander whispered to him as they walked out into the hall.

  “We didn’t know but hey, not anywhere people can see next time, yeah?”

  Brogan stalked past them and coughed the word “amateurs” into his hand. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t fooling anyone, and Saura fixed a stern glare on the man who’d mated with her eldest son. Rafe grinned as she proceeded to lecture him while Dra’Kaedan did nothing to intervene on Brogan’s behalf.

  “Want me to buy you some condoms?” Aleksander teased once they were outside and getting into the car and putting on their seat belts.

  “Oh, you’re real hilarious,” Rafe told him, then kissed him just because he could. Laying his head against his shoulder as Brogan eased the vehicle out of the parking spot, the idea that his life was a dream was fading away, and Rafe planned on cherishing every minute spent with Aleksander.

  Chapter 53

  Aleksander relaxed in his chair on the deck with a beer. His entire extended family was gathered for their first weekend with Rafe, and he was feeling smug about his matebond as he watched the craziest game of kickball he’d ever seen. It was Rafe’s idea, and plenty of people had volunteered to join in the fun, including eight-year-old Pyxlevir, who had his game face on as he took his job as shortstop seriously. The little elf was part of Team Tiri that was captained by a sprite determined to win. Tiri had a pretty good group too, but Aleksander’s money was on Team Rafe, even if they did have a catcher who was a wolf.

  “Everybody yell ‘teal and black,’ ” a set of three cheerleaders screamed as Blodwen, Saura, and Larissa waved around their pom-poms.