Betrayal (The Forever Series) (13 page)

He lifts me up again and places me in the bath and I scream as the hot, bubbly water hits my lacerations. They both pull me back out again, unsure of what to do next. In hindsight, perhaps the bubbles were too much. “Too hot,” I say. Cole reaches down to run the cold tap and soon it is to my liking. I keep the bubbles though, as I stink, and after the initial sting I settle back, keeping my left arm dangling over the side. No way am I getting that in here. I am sore enough without that agony.

“No one thought to bathe me while I was lying comatose?” I have to ask because it does seem to have escaped both of them.

They look at each other and shrug. “We kind of had bigger things to worry about than your appearance, my sweet,” CK says.

I scowl at him, but I suppose I should be grateful that even in my stinky, sweaty, bloody, oozy, greasy, hair-tangled state, they both still love me.

“Where is everyone else? Where is Devon?” I want to ask about Cade, but I am not sure if they know of his betrayal, so I refrain for the moment.

“Devon is with Corinne trying to rework a spell to heal you,” Cole says. “He was due back by now, so hopefully he won’t be too long.”

I nod, as that is all I have the energy to do. After a few minutes of no one saying anything, I ask, “Can one of you please wash me?”

As expected they both leap forward and grab a sponge and washcloth. I am lathered up good and proper, hair to toes, and once rinsed off, I feel marginally better. Cleaner, if nothing else. I am helped out and wrapped in a towel and then accosted by Devon who comes hurtling into the bathroom, presumably as he saw the empty bed.

“Lizzie!” he yells and slams into me, crushing me in a bear hug.

“Oof.” My muffled cry goes unnoticed as he squeezes me even tighter.

“Let go of her!” CK snaps and drags him away.

“Oh thank god you’re awake. We were at a loss, we had no idea what to do. How did he take you? How did he manage to get to you? What did he do to you?” He is rambling and firing all these questions at me and I am exhausted just listening to him.

“Bed,” I say and he picks me up and carries me over, placing me gently down. I shiver in the breeze again and now realize why. It is September. I have lost three months by being unconscious.

“Cold,” I mutter.

“I’m here, my love. I’m not going anywhere,” Cole says, sitting down next to me.

“Huh?” I mumble.

“She said ‘cold,’ you idiot,” CK snaps at him. “Go and get her something to wear.”

“Not the frumps,” I say, meaning that hideous nightgown.

After some bustling about, I am dressed in a camisole top and loose pajama bottoms that they pulled out from who knows where, and tucked up under a nice warm blanket. I feel less sick now that I am lying down again, but then sit back up with a start, causing my head to spin.

“My hair,” I say to Devon and he understands immediately what I want from him. He grabs a comb and starts to work it through, getting rid of all the tangles.

Now I feel a hundred percent better. That’s not saying much though as I started off somewhere around minus a million on the scale of one to ten.

“Try and stay awake for a bit, my love,” CK says, edging Devon out of the way so he can sit next to me. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

I nod wearily and Devon says, “So what happened?”

“I am sure she doesn’t want to recount that tale just yet,” CK says.

“No,
it’s okay,” I say. Clearly they don’t know of Cade’s involvement so I can swing this any way I want. “First though, where is Cade?” I want to ask now about Lincoln and Xane and even Jess, but Cade is probably at death’s door with me being out of it for so long and I need to know. Disloyalty aside, he is still my charge and my responsibility.

“He is on one of his walkabouts,” Cole says grimly.
“Haven’t seen him for a few weeks.”

“He needs me,” I say. “Find him.”

They all nod at me, but none of them go to do as I ask. I sigh and say, “So I was in the library minding my own business and he just appeared behind me and clawed me before I could do anything about it. I was alone and he was prepared and quicker and that’s all there is to it.”

Three angry faces stare back at me.

“But why then?” Devon asks. “Why did he wait so long?”

“He couldn’t find his head,” I say to them and start to laugh again as it does just sound too funny.

The three angry faces turn into ones of complete un-amusement as I chuckle to myself.

“Explain,” CK snaps at me.

My laughter has drained me so I gather myself for a few moments and then tell them the story. Leaving out, of course, Cade’s involvement in getting his head back.

“So basically he resurrected himself,” Devon says.

“Yes, exactly that, my darling boy,” I say with a tired beam at him.

He glows under the endearment and asks, “Well where is he now?”

“Fucked if I know. Been in a coma for three months,” I reply weakly, trying to be sassy, but failing miserably.

They discuss amongst themselves for a few moments as to his possible whereabouts, but I don’t really give a damn and drift back off to sleep.

Chapter 8

Cole and I are staring into each other’s eyes just smiling at each other. We are nose to nose and he leans forward to kiss me.
Just a soft peck on my lips.

“I missed you so much,” he says.

“I know, baby,” I say. “Are you feeling okay?”

He sighs and says, “Don’t worry about me. You just concentrate on getting yourself strong again.”

“I can’t do much for you, but I will do what I can,” I tell him seriously and he shakes his head.

“I’m fine,” he says and I frown at him. “Fine” around here means the exact opposite.

I lift my arms to wrap them around him and he sighs again, but contented this time as I roll over onto my back and he rests his head on my chest, listening to my heartbeat.

“Can you take me outside?” I ask him. I need some proper fresh air.

“Of course,” he says, but doesn’t make any move to get up. He is happy where he is and I leave him, stroking my hand through his hair.

We lay like that for some time and then he gets up and takes my hand. “Do you want me to carry you down?”

“No,” I say with a smile. “I want to try and walk. Just help me.”

He helps me off the bed and I stand on shaky, aching legs and grimace. He whisks me up into his arms without another word and carries me downstairs. He pushes open the terrace doors and seats me on a sun lounger. It is mid-morning and bright as Hell so I close my eyes against the sun.

“Be right back,” he says and in a flash of Vampire speed he has left and come back with a pair of Ray-Bans and a blanket, which he wraps around me tightly. I feel like an old woman in a convalescent home. He sits next to me and takes my hand as CK arrives with Lincoln. We go through the whole crushing-hug process again and then he pulls up a sun lounger to sit next to me.

“Pack?”
I ask almost straight away.

He sighs. Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound good at all.

“Issues, but nothing I can’t sort out. You don’t worry about it,” he says, brushing it off, but I can see the strain on him.

“Linc,” I start, but he shakes his head.

“I said you don’t need to worry about it. You are back now and that is all that matters,” he interrupts me.

I ponder that response for a moment. It was filled with more than just an expression of him being happy because I am awake and alive because he missed me. There was a far darker meaning to his words and I start to worry about it. I pick at the blanket and he grabs my hand, stopping me. I look at him and ask him telepathically, “Dissension?
Because of my absence?”

He sighs at me in my head and says, “Yes. But I will handle it. Please don’t worry about it.”

Now I just feel plain awful. This situation not only resurrected a complete monster, it put me out of commission for three months causing my charges to slide downhill quicker than a sled down a snowy hill and also caused problems for Lincoln and our Pack. If they try to overthrow me, I am in no fit state to fight for my right to stay as Lincoln’s Alpha. I wonder briefly if I would be allowed a Champion? Someone to fight on my behalf?

“Stop it,” he chides me out loud and I grimace and throw my blocks back up. That in itself is exhausting and he sees the toll it takes.

Meanwhile Cole and CK are glaring at us in annoyance. Well, actually, resentment is probably more like it. They are obviously not big fans of the connection I have with my Alpha.

“I will leave you to rest,” he says. “I will come back later and spend a bit more time with you.”

I nod, not really wanting him to go, but not really wanting him poking through my thoughts either. I can tell he isn’t best pleased to be leaving either, but he goes knowing that I can’t hold my blocks up any longer.

“Where are Devon and Jess?” I ask, as CK takes Lincoln’s place and takes my other hand.

“Devon is trying to find Cade,” Cole says in a tone that suggests he wishes he wasn’t, “and Jess has been swamped trying to keep the Underworld from finding out too much about your, uh, absence, and is having a rest.”

“Oh,” I say, a bit surprised. “Good thinking,” I add.

“Yes, well the less everyone knows about your business the better,” CK says, taking responsibility for this foresight. “We have been holding steady, but the girl is still young. I told her she could have a few days off now that you are awake.”

“Okay,” I say, as I have nothing else to add. “Erm, could someone please tell me where Xane is?”

“Who cares?” I hear Cole mutter under his breath and I scowl at him. Not for very long though as Xane appears in front of me with a flourish.

“At your service,” he says with a smirk and a gallant bow.

I smile and hold my hand out for him, further pissing Cole off in the process. “One of these days, you are going to tell me how you do that,” I say as he bends down to kiss me.

“Maybe,” he says with a laugh. “I can’t reveal all of my secrets to you.”

Now I hear growling coming from both of my husbands, as they are no doubt wondering what secrets Xane has already been sharing with me. They should know, but I can’t tell them. They would go mental if they thought Hell was currently fighting over whose House I should be aligned with. Sadly, Xerxei’s word for it wasn’t quite enough for them and I don’t know how else I am supposed to prove I am a Dracul. Having said that, anything could have happened in the last three months. Xane did, however, say that Demon Trials can take years to resolve so I am not too worried.

“Anything I need to know?” I ask swiftly.

“Not yet,” he says conspiratorially.

I roll my eyes at him and he sits.

“Have you heard from or seen my mother?” I ask. “I am led to believe that She didn’t come to see me while I was laid up.” I am more than irked by that.

“No, sorry, Xerxei.
My mother hasn’t seen or heard from Her for quite some time.” His frown tells me that it is unusual and worrying him.

“Is
She still alive?” I blurt out into the sudden silence. “I mean what if Remiel’s first order of business was to exact his revenge?”

“I don’t think even he has the power to kill Tiamat,” CK says. “If he did, he may not have ended up in thirteen pieces in the first place.”

Well true, but still, we know She can die.

“Other Liv is Empress because Tiamat died. Other Lincoln said so on the jet,” I press. “CK, you were there, you heard it.”

All eyes go to CK who shifts uncomfortably, no doubt remembering how awful that situation was. “Mm, well yes,” he admits. “It does seem to be the case over there, but,” he adds forcefully, “as we know, everything is different over there. We simply cannot base anything that happens over there with what happens over here.”

Also true. I give up. If no one has anything insightful to offer, then the mystery of
Her whereabouts will have to wait.

“As soon as you are strong enough you need to come to me,” Xane says. “We still have things that need sorting out, that need you there.”

“I know,” I say. “I will let you know when I feel up to it.”

He nods and says, “I should get back. I abruptly left a rather important meeting to come to see you.” He winks at me as he leans over to kiss me again.

I snicker as I can picture the faces of the people he vanished from.

“Soon,” he says to me against my lips and now I know he isn’t talking about work stuff, but something of a far more intimate nature. I nod once and he chucks me under the chin and Astraports out.

“Well?” Cole says as I close my eyes and don’t say anything.

“What?” I ask innocently.

“What needs sorting out down there, Liv? What is so important that it requires your presence?” he asks in a proper snit now.

“Demon issues,” I say vaguely.

“Obviously,” he snaps at me, but I am keeping schtum. No one needs to know what is going on just yet. I don’t have the strength to deal with the backlash. I yawn and feign fatigue. Well actually, there is no feigning. I am tired and tell them both so.