"Stop it Adam," I lashed out not wanting it pointed out that I was vulnerable until I had slept.
"No Syn, you saved their fucking asses today and ours! No one else could have prevented it from killing all of us. You shouldn’t be swaying on your feet, you should be sleeping and you know it!" Oh hell, he was pissed.
"I'm fine," I whispered lacking the tone I had been aiming for by a long shot.
Fourteen sets of eyes looked in my direction. I felt the weight of every pair as they took in my pale skin and the blood that was still crusted to my nose. I felt on display and it burned through me making my spine a little straighter and my eyes a little brighter.
"Zahruk, show them to the rooms I've selected for each of them and see that Synthia is placed in the red room," Ryder said dismissing us.
"Oh. Hell. No. No red room of pain," I snapped angrily. I was big into reading and no way in hell was I entering no red room of pain in this place.
Ryder's lips twitched but otherwise he gave no sign that he knew of what I was talking about. Larissa on the other hand snorted with laughter until I turned my glare on her. I was bitchy when I was in pain and I was doing my best to stay upright at the moment.
"I assure you there is nothing inside the red room. It's a bedroom, we call it the red room because everything inside of it is, well, it's red," Zahruk said scratching his head in confusion over my dislike of red.
I nodded unable to care any longer. I needed to find a bed and throw myself in it before I turned into a pansy-ass and fainted again. I turned without giving the Fae around the table another thought. We walked through the halls and back towards the stairway.
I lifted my head and looked up with a grumble. Grinding my teeth I stepped forward to start up the steps but a hand at the small of my back stopped me cold. I turned coming face to chest with Ryder, knowing him instantly by his unique rich scent alone.
"Change your mind and decided to make me elaborate something else?" I mumbled feeling my eyes grow heavy.
"No," he replied softly picking me up as I cried out trying to bring my legs back down to the ground. "Hold still or I will drop you on your head. On second thought it might knock some sense into you."
I felt him moving up the steps and even with the fear arising, I couldn’t make my mind work. My body needed to heal and I'd been careless knowing what would happen all along. I settled further into his arms, resting my head on his shoulder as he curved his arm around my legs, keeping them far enough from my ass that I felt safe and not lusted after for the moment.
Or maybe it was just sleep talking. I inhaled deeply of his spicy scent before I opened my eyes to find him watching me do so. Great, that’s all I needed right now. Smell the Dark Prince who is carrying you up the damn stairs like Cinder-freaking-rella!
His lips turned up in the corners as if he'd heard my snappy internal comment. I was so stupid when I was tired. Luckily I hadn't sighed with bliss as I had wanted to.
"I could have walked," I mumbled not knowing if it had even come out since my mind was blanketed with the calm feeling of settling into sleep.
"My ass, you are not fine. You can hardly stand up. Admitting to weakness after doing what you did today is not the same as being weak."
I didn’t answer him. Couldn't. My mind gave in and sleep overtook me until I felt myself being lowered from his arms which caused me to automatically grab onto him and pull him with me—which was just another dumb thing I had done today. I should've started a list, but I was pretty sure the pen would have run out of ink by now.
Our faces touched slightly, cheek to cheek before he moved his face around until our lips were way too close for comfort. Mine shivered violently which caused him to cuss as he pulled away and brought the blankets up and over me.
"You need a healer, you are the most stubborn human I have ever met," he growled reaching for the phone.
"No Fae, call Larissa," I whispered through the chattering of my teeth.
"She left, Z took her to get some stuff from that shithole you call a home. Besides, she already tried to heal you," he mumbled before setting the phone back down. "I can heal you, won't be like she did but the only other alternative is we wait—or I get in bed with you to warm you up and stop the incessant chattering."
"I'm fine," I said barely audible past the chattering of my teeth.
"No, the word is stubborn as hell. Choose, either I can undress and climb in bed with you—for which I won't be responsible for what happens, or I can heal you enough that you can sleep. Decide," he growled showing his teeth set together.
"You are not getting in this bed," I mumbled trying to keep my eyes open.
"Fine, then close your eyes," he said already placing his hands on my shoulder which was bare. I felt his warmth pushing through his fingertips and into my system. It felt intimate and disturbing at the same time.