Andreu and Javier moved into the corner, both males leaning against the wall beyond Payne, their black shirts and trousers causing them to blend into it.
Javier sighed, tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Andreu flicked him a look of concern. Javier had taken some serious blows but he would live. Andreu didn’t need to worry about him.
Snow could sense that it was fatigue causing his brother to look as though he was about to fall asleep on his feet. Both males had battled valiantly to protect their females. There had been only a few patches of blood on Lilah’s pale blue summer dress and her bare arms. Javier must have fought like a wild thing to protect her.
Snow smiled across at them. Javier opened his eyes, met Snow’s gaze, and then smiled too. He yawned, scrubbed a hand over his face and talked to Andreu about the fight, discussing how many angels they had taken down. Chica fussed over Andreu, muttering about all the cuts on him and that she liked scars but she preferred his sexy body perfect and lickable.
Snow tuned them out before he retched from the information overload and switched his focus back to Antoine, tempted to tell him that Aurora’s blood was already healing him from the inside and that he didn’t need to worry or fuss over him. He didn’t have the heart when he saw the tears shining in Antoine’s eyes and felt the underlying current of hurt and fear that ran through his blood. Antoine needed to feel he was helping him mend and Snow would happily go along with it to make him feel better and alleviate his fears.
Antoine gathered bandages, cotton wool, antiseptic and various other medical supplies from the cupboard near Snow’s bed and set them out on his ebony nightstand. Snow winced when his brother tore open a pack containing a surgical needle and took up some thread. He hated needles. He steeled himself and focused on everyone else in the room as Antoine began to sew the wound on his chest, trying not to tense too much.
Elissa finished with Payne and moved straight to Callum and Kristina as they entered. Kristina was wearing Callum’s shirt, her legs bare beneath it. Blood covered most of her skin and it was hard to tell how badly she was injured.
Werewolves fought violently and their methods meant they often ended up bathed in the blood of their foes. Snow hoped she looked worse than she was. Elissa healed her first and then rubbed the back of her hand across her brow, fatigue beginning to shine in her silver-grey eyes.
The witch stepped away from Kristina and Payne moved over to her, his arm settling around her waist, slipping beneath the hem of her midnight blue halter-top to rest on the belt of her black jeans.
Elissa leaned against his chest, closing her eyes, and remained there for long minutes while Payne tenderly caressed her long silver-streaked dark hair. When she emerged and nodded, he brushed a kiss across her brow and then released her, concern in his dark grey eyes. She smiled, touched his hand and then turned to Callum.
Payne took the twins from Callum and the black-haired elite male slumped into the nearest chair, the life draining out of him.
Snow could sense it was relief draining him rather than any injury. With the exception of Chica, who had been healing her wounds on the fly by kissing and stealing energy, he was the least injured. There wasn’t a scratch on his bare chest. Not even a bruise.
The babies wriggled in Payne’s arms, giving him hell.
Snow amended his observation. With the exception of Chica, Alistair and Abby. The twins were in perfect health, not a scratch on either of them. Even Luca had picked up a cut or two.
Callum and Kristina were perfect parents. They had protected their young.
Everyone had protected them.
Snow wriggled his fingers at Abby when she looked across at him, her big baby blues filled with tears. She giggled.
Luca joined Payne and peered up at the babies. Payne crouched so the young incubus boy could see them and they squirmed harder, writhing in his arms.
“Be nice to your godfather,” Payne muttered and frowned as he struggled to keep hold of the twins.
Luca petted Alistair on the head very carefully. “I want a baby.”
Payne swallowed hard, his grey eyes wide and full of alarm. “Careful what you wish for, Kiddo. Wait until you’re a few centuries old, okay? They’re a lot of responsibility and with an incubus’s appetite… well… you might want to find your mate first and settle down.”
Luca smiled up at him. “Like you did with Elissa.”
Payne nodded and glanced at her, affection warming his eyes. She smiled down at him and then focused on checking over Callum.
“Make me a sister or a brother then.”
Payne choked this time and Callum yelped as Elissa tensed. A black scorch mark on his shoulder told Snow that demand leaving Luca’s lips had shocked her as much as it had her mate.
“Sorry,” Elissa muttered and used her magic to heal the wound.
“Er… um…” Payne glanced at Elissa again, looking like a man desperate for a lifeline.
Elissa finished with Callum, squatted next to Luca, and brushed his wild hair from his brow. “Maybe when you’re older.”
Luca looked as though he might demand they make him a brother or sister right that minute but then he looked back at the twins, and then up at Callum and Kristina. “Can I be their big brother?”
Kristina smiled and settled her hand on Callum’s shoulder. “Of course. You did a wonderful job protecting them today. You have to keep them safe with the rest of us. That’s what big brothers do. They make sure their siblings are protected and safe.”
Snow looked away from them, his gaze falling on his younger brother.
Antoine smiled at him before he could say anything and gently squeezed his shoulder, showing him that he knew what was on his mind and it was all in the past now.
Snow would make it up to him. He would be the big brother he always should have been, had always tried to be for Antoine. He would protect him and ensure he was safe, and would never allow anyone to harm him or those he cared about.
His gaze drifted across the black apartment to the bathroom door, his senses reaching for Aurora, needing to feel her and feel she was safe. He felt terrible for doubting her and believing she would want to harm those at the theatre. He wanted to see her again and apologise, and tell her that he would make it up to her somehow.
Antoine finished with the deepest wounds on his chest and back, and then stitched the already healing stab wounds in his side. He cut the thread, set the infernal needle down and picked up cotton wool and antiseptic, and cleaned all of the lacerations. Snow bit his tongue to stop himself from wincing as each cut stung. Antoine’s pale eyes kept flickering to Snow’s face, the guilt surfacing in them telling Snow that Antoine could sense his pain. Snow gave him a tight smile that grew even tighter when his younger brother wrapped enough bandages around his chest and stomach to make several mummies in Ancient Egyptian times. Antoine pulled them so tightly that Snow could barely breathe.
Snow tried to take it as a sign of Antoine’s deep love for him and his need to ensure he recovered quickly.
He would slightly amend the bandages later when his brother had gone, removing half of them so his ribs no longer felt as though they were being mercilessly shoved inwards.
Antoine cupped his cheek and Snow looked at him, and caught the deep pain in his pale blue eyes before he masked it. He had scared his brother again. Snow caught him around the nape of his neck and pulled his brother down into a brief embrace.
“Oh, are you two going to start kissing or something… because I think that’s illegal… but kinky.” Chica sounded far too interested in seeing him kiss Antoine.
“Not going to happen.” Andreu steered her away from them. “Like you haven’t fed enough already tonight anyway.”
Elissa finished with Callum and came to Andreu, healing the few cuts he had picked up, and then healed Javier. She took another break before approaching Antoine, and Snow was grateful for her distracting his brother.
He didn’t think he could take much more of Antoin
e’s mollycoddling and there would be a world shortage of bandages if his brother continued, wrapping them around even the most minor of Snow’s wounds.
Sera and Lilah came out of the bathroom, followed by Aurora, and Snow’s gaze instantly sought her.
She wore his black silk robe around her slender frame and it pooled around her feet, far too long for her. Someone had tied her beautiful hair back and it was damp. The females must have washed her too, cleaning all the blood away. She looked pale still.
Elissa healed Sera and then Lilah, and then came to Snow. She looked tired, dark crescents beneath her sparkling silver eyes.
Snow held his hands up and smiled at her. “Call it a day. Payne looks itchy to get you back to your apartment and I don’t want to see what happens to a hungry incubus when he watches his mate lay her hands on a man ten times better-looking than he is.”
Payne shot him a dour look. “Very fucking funny.”
“Thank you.” Elissa shakily smiled, the twinkle in her silver-grey eyes backing up her words and letting him know that she truly appreciated him letting her rest now.
Payne handed the babies back to Callum, took Luca’s hand and walked across the room to Elissa. The moment she was within his reach, he grabbed her, tugged her against him, gathered Luca closer and teleported.
Chica nibbled her lower lip, looking as though she really wanted to follow Payne’s lead and get her mate back to bed so she could have some dessert. Snow shot her a smile and she winked at him, a blush staining her cheeks, and kissed Andreu as they both disappeared.
Javier rolled his eyes. He stood near the door with Lilah tucked against his side, his arm around her. “There is far too much victory sex happening in this place tonight.”
Lilah pouted and looked up at her lover. “I’ll just have to shower alone to get all this blood off me then.”
Javier’s dark brown gaze slid to her, lighting up with interest. Snow couldn’t blame the elite male when he turned, released Lilah’s shoulder and grabbed her hand, and pulled her from the room. It seemed Javier was no longer feeling tired.
Snow glanced at Aurora, catching the flush of colour on her cheeks as she watched the couple leave, sensing that her thoughts were following the same lines as his were. He wanted to kiss her and hold her in his arms. He wanted to make love with her.
He was beginning to regret not letting Elissa heal him now.
He ran his gaze over her and frowned at the bandages that poked out above the robe, wrapping around her chest. He should have told Elissa to heal Aurora at the very least. He wasn’t used to having to worry about another like this and it was going to take some getting used to. Aurora was his to take care of and protect. He would do better next time and would place her first. Not that he would ever let her end up injured like this again.
Antoine sighed as Callum and Kristina left the room too, leaving them alone with their females. “My money is on Lilah becoming pregnant next. Having the apartment next to Javier’s is becoming a nightmare. I swear they never sleep.”
Sera looped her arm around Antoine’s and smiled sweetly at him. “This from the man who puts his brother’s spare restraints to use each morning?”
Snow grimaced.
“I am in enough pain without that image branded on my mind.” He flicked a serious look at his younger brother, ignoring Sera’s scowl. “I want new restraints. I am not being chained by ones that have been used in sex play.”
Sera reached over and patted Snow’s cheek as she leaned down, bringing her mouth close to his ear.
“I guess you’ll need new restraints for your bed every day then… if you don’t want to use ones someone has used during sex?” she whispered and his cheeks heated, the thought of being chained to his bed gaining appeal for the first time in his life.
Sera laughed and led his brother towards the door. Antoine paused there and let her go on ahead. He looked back at Snow.
“You will be alright?” Antoine said, concern in his voice and his pale blue eyes.
Snow nodded to reassure him.
Antoine smiled. “Try to get some rest.”
He closed the door behind him. Snow felt suddenly very aware of Aurora where she stood near the bathroom, her wickedly curvy body wrapped in his black robe. He rose to his feet and faltered, unsure what to say to her. He had so much he needed to tell her, but he wasn’t sure where to begin.
“How are you doing?” Nothing had ever sounded as lame to his ears as those words leaving his lips. He clenched his fists but the action caused the cuts on his arms to sting. His fingers fell open again.
Aurora nibbled her lip and slowly approached him, the blush still burning her cheeks. Her scent of lilies and snow wrapped around him, comforting him. She settled against the thick steel post at the foot of his double bed, leaning the front of her right shoulder against it and holding onto it with both hands. Her gaze tentatively met his.
“Much better already… really,” she said, her soft voice warming him right down to his bones, soothing his tension away.
Snow sat back down on the bed and glanced at her, hoping she would join him. She shuffled away from the post and sat close to him, her thigh brushing his, burning him through his jeans. He ached to feel her hands on him again. Her lips on his.
“I am sorry I doubted you.” It was a weak apology and he knew it, and he would find a thousand ways to apologise to her until she forgave him for believing she had betrayed him.
She shrugged and leaned her head on his shoulder, and the feel of her there was bliss, reassuring him and calming his ragged feelings.
Snow looked down at the bandages around his chest and then at her. The sight of her bleeding, sharing the terrible wounds on his body, had driven him crazy with a need to protect her. It had torn him in two, pulling him between a need to fight to keep her safe and a need to stay his blade so he wouldn’t pick up another injury that she would share.
“I shouldn’t have done that.” He reached over and parted the top of the black robe she wore, his fingers shaking. The bandages around her chest had spots of blood marring the pale fabric already. “I am sorry, Aurora.”
“You scared me,” she whispered and then pulled away and stared up at him, her green-to-blue eyes overflowing with her fear and with tender affection. He stroked her chest and could feel her pain in the blood flowing in his veins. She caught his hand and squeezed it, clutching it tightly. “Why did you do that? I thought I had lost you.”
“You sound like Antoine. I was almost certain I would survive. It takes more than a few stab wounds to kill a two thousand year old vampire.” His words didn’t seem to reassure her. If anything, they only served to increase the hurt in her heart, until it showed in her beautiful eyes and hit him hard. He gathered her into his arms, gritting his teeth against the pain moving so swiftly caused him. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
She nestled close to him, her hands pressing against his chest, her cheek resting on his shoulder.
He leaned his cheek against her other one, savouring the feel of her in his arms, the knowledge she was safe now stripping away his strength. He had feared he would lose her too, had been bombarded by one emotion after another tonight, and all of them conspired to leave him shaken, desperately clinging to his female, needing to feel her in his arms.
Aurora drew out of those arms and surprised him by standing. She held her hand out to him and he slipped his into it, curious as to what she was up to. She made him stand and he raised an eyebrow when she stripped him down to his underwear and then removed her robe.
“Come,” she said and tugged the black covers on his bed back. She crawled onto it, took hold of his hand again, and lured him onto the bed with her. “You need to rest.”
He wanted to mention that she needed to rest too. She turned her back again as she moved across the bed to make room for him and he frowned at the thick twin vertical scars on her back, visible above the top of her bandages.
She had forsaken her wings for him, be
cause she had feared they would end up separated in the afterlife. It touched him deeply. She had made a great sacrifice for his sake, proving her love for him. She turned to face him and settled down in his bed.
Their bed.
Snow clambered onto it, lay beside her on his back, carefully coaxed her into his arms so he didn’t aggravate her injuries or his and drew the covers up over them both. Aurora settled her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest, and then pushed herself up and looked down at him.
She smiled and it hit him hard in the chest, and he wondered if her smile would ever stop doing that, or if there would ever come a day when he couldn’t help but stop and stare whenever she entered a room and he realised all over again just how beautiful his female was.
His female.
She leaned down and softly kissed him, showing him that their thoughts had been running along similar lines earlier and she wanted to indulge in victory sex too. It would have to wait, but he could definitely spend the time it took them both to heal doing this. He would never grow tired of kissing her.
Snow held her close to him, her soft body pressing into his and warming him, her lips dancing across his, teasing him. He kissed her until he felt as though he was floating, light enough inside that he might drift away, a feeling he had never experienced before he had met Aurora again and fallen in love with her.
She settled against him and he closed his eyes and held her, and found a new bliss in the act of falling asleep with her nestled against him, tucked safely in his arms where she belonged.
His beautiful angel.
He felt whole again, the empty space behind his sternum filled with light not darkness, with love not rage.
He felt normal.
And for the first time in forever, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come.
He was looking forwards, towards a future filled with hope and a new beginning, and he would never look backwards again.
Unleash (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series Book 6) Page 29
