Kiss of Midnight_ A Midnight Breed Novel - Lara Adrian [799]
Then he remembered… endless nothing.
It might have been days since he’d lost consciousness. Maybe a week or more.
How long had Claire been with him in the dream realm, neglecting her own well-being to comfort him through the darkness?
“Claire, please. Open your eyes. Tell me you can hear me.” He smoothed his hand over her face and hair, feeling his heart cracking open as he held her weakened body against him. “Let me know that you are still with me, that I haven’t lost you.”
God help him, but she did not respond at all. She was cold and unmoving, her breathing far too thready and shallow.
Reichen vaguely registered the sound of approaching footfalls outside the open door of the room, but all of his focus was rooted on bringing Claire around. Someone gasped from within the corridor, followed by more voices as a small crowd of warriors and their mates gathered outside the door.
“Holy hell,” Tegan muttered, a curse that was echoed by more than one person.
Reichen didn’t know if their stunned reaction was meant for the fact that he was awake and absent of the pyro or for the disturbing condition of Claire lying limply in his arms. He swung his head toward Lucan, Tegan, and several other members of the Order who stood outside the room with Tess and the rest of the Breedmates who lived in the compound. Tess and Savannah were holding IV tubes and bags of clear liquid. Behind them, Gideon had rolled up a gurney from the infirmary.
“Something is wrong with Claire,” he murmured, his throat dry. A cold gust seemed to blow through his body, settling behind his sternum.
“Let us help her,” Tess said gently, lifting the medical supplies she’d brought.
“No. It’s too late for that,” he murmured, knowing instinctively that she was beyond the need of any mortal intervention.
She needed blood.
As much as he had once feared that he would only bring her harm, that his love would not be strong enough to keep her safe from what the pyro had made him become, Reichen felt beyond any shadow of doubt that he was the only one who could save her now. He snarled when a couple of the warriors began to enter the room, as if they meant to pull Claire away from him.
She was his—now and always.
“Come back to me,” he whispered, then lifted his wrist to his mouth and sank his fangs deep into his flesh.
Blood surged from his veins as he carried the wound to her slack lips and pressed the punctures against her tongue.
“Drink, Claire,” he whispered softly, holding her head up and willing her to live. He didn’t care if he had to beg her. Didn’t care that they had an audience watching in solemn, uncertain silence just a few feet away. “Drink for me now. Please, Claire …”
The first sweep of her tongue against his skin made Reichen suck in a sharp breath. Then she began to swallow, fixing her lips more firmly to the source of warm, life-giving blood. His blood, which would flow within her and give her prolonged strength and life.
His blood, which would bind her to him as his mate, now and forever.
“Andre,” she murmured drowsily, lifting her dark-fringed gaze up to him. “I’ve been so afraid. I thought I’d lost you.”
“Never,” he replied. “Never again.”
Her mouth curved into a weak smile as she went back to suckling at his wrist.
“Take all that you need of me, love,” he encouraged her tenderly, his throat clogged with emotion. He didn’t care that his voice and hands shook as he brought her closer. He was thoroughly unashamed of the depth of his feeling for this woman.
His woman.
His mate.
His beloved, finally, and for all the rest of their lives.
When he glanced over to where his friends had been gathered, he was surprised to see that they were gone. The door to the room was closed, leaving Claire and him to the intimacy of their reunion alone.
Reichen didn