Other senses were coming back as the tension released. I tried to imagine that it was Aiden and not Lysander tending to my wounds and caressing my skin with his skillful tongue, though I had to admit, Lysander had quite a lot of skill. No wonder Alyssa was head over heels for him.
The two worked in unison. Alyssa would pour more of her healing blood over me and Lysander would eagerly lap it up. My other senses came back into focus. Not only could I feel the cold sticky blood coating my chest and shoulder, but now I could smell it. A rich, tangy, mineraly scent. It should have bothered me, but there was something appealing about it. It made me think of steak. Rare steak, hot off the grill, dripping with juices. My stomach, no longer churning, began growling. It occurred to me that I was hungry. Really hungry.
I certainly couldn’t be too bad off if I was feeling hunger pains. That thought was positive enough to bring a smile to my battered face.
I tested my muscles again, but they still refused to respond.
Alyssa must have noticed. She turned her head to me and I saw the ghost of a smile begin to spread her lips.
“Relax, Fallon. You’ve got a long way to go.” I still had to read her lips, but I wasn’t as bothered by it now. Deep down, I knew I would be okay.
***
I woke again, in Aiden’s bed, feeling almost back to my old self. Almost. My muscles were still tender, but at least this time they responded. I lifted my left hand, which was an amazing feat considering it had previously been rendered useless. I rubbed my head and groaned, more to test my voice than out of frustration. And, I was happy to know that was working too. Things were beginning to look up.
“There she is … Back from the dead.” Alyssa sounded chipper, though I could see the deeply trenched lines of worry creasing her forehead. She stood from where she’d been sitting at the end of the bed and walked to the dresser and grabbed a wet washcloth from a small basin of water.
“Someone get the number of that truck that hit me,” I grumbled.
“Don’t joke! Do you know how lucky you are to be alive?” The anxiety in her voice scared me. Alyssa sounded like she was on the verge of tears. She wrung out the small towel and walked it over, placing it on my forehead. “I thought we were too late.”
The cold rag felt nice and refreshing. “Thanks,” I said with a smile. “Seems to me that you and Lysander got here right in time.” Flashes back to images of Lysander licking my wounds had blood rushing to my face. “Not that I’m complaining, but do you want to tell me what the hell was happening with you and your boyfriend? Was that some kind of vampire foreplay or what?”
Now it was Alyssa’s turn to blush. The crimson rush was very pronounced against her pale skin. Her cheeks almost matched the red in her hair. She turned away from me and retook her seat at the end of the bed. “We had to do something. Your wounds were pretty bad. You were bleeding uncontrollably.”
“So you had a little snack while applying first aid,” I teased as I scooted up, leaning my back against the headboard.
“Not me—Lysander.” She stuck her tongue out like a child. It was nice to see the playfulness coming back. Worry did not suit my free-spirited friend. “Seriously though, Lysander was the only one who Aiden would let touch you … . like that.”
“I’m really surprised at that. Why not you?”
She looked away sheepishly. “I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough restraint. I hadn’t hunted in a while and there was no time, we broke every traffic law in the book to get here.”
“Got it.” I didn’t understand bloodlust, but I knew something of addiction, so I could empathize with how hard it might be. “So, did I turn?”
“Probably. I mean you didn’t die, so … maybe?” Alyssa shrugged.
“Well, that’s comforting … Maybe? I’d hate to think I went through all of that for nothing.”
“I doubt it was for nothing, but we won’t really know until you turn into a fluffy little wolf, right? How do you feel?”
“Like shit.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious. I mean, do you feel different?”
“Not really sure.” The soothing relief the cold rag had brought had faded, and now it was just a sopping wet annoyance on my head. I balled it up in my hands. “Everything hurts right now. But I guess that’s normal after getting the shit kicked out of you.”
“From what I heard, you took it like a champ. That she-wolf had you pinned and you were kicking and screaming like a banshee. You fought right to the end.”
I narrowed my eyes. “She-wolf?”
“Aiden said something about Diana.”
“That bitch. I’ve got a bone to pick with her.”
“Already making dog jokes? I guess you must be feeling better.”
“I guess so. Speaking of dogs, where’s Aiden? I’m surprised he’s not here scratching behind my ears.”
“Please, no more bad puns. You’re killing me over here.”
“Only if you promise to tell me where Aiden is.”