I do not own any part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. All of that greatness is the work of the amazing J R Ward.
As of 5-22-12 the wonderful GothicBelle has beta'ed this for me. Hopefully this is now easier to read.
I hope everyone enjoys.
Chapter Twenty
The trip to his room had been hard on Blay. Rhage and John had to actually carry him up the stairs and the rest of the way to his room. Mary had come up ahead in time and made his bed back.
"Thanks, guys," he said after they had settled him in bed. "Hate you had to do that."
"Not a problem," Rhage said. "About time I returned the favor. Can't tell you how many times someone's lugged my big ass up those stairs."
"Okay boys," Mary said. "I had a ton of food brought up. There's enough for both of you, so Qhuinn you eat too."
"Rest up my man," Rhage said grabbing Mary's hand and heading for the door. "I'll get her out of here before she decides to spoon feed you. We'll check you later. You need anything call."
"I'm out of here too," John signed. Heading for the door.
"John you can stay," Blay called to him.
"Nah, man. You need to rest. I'll be by later tonight." He closed the door behind him.
"Baby, you want something to eat?" Qhuinn asked on his way to the trays.
"I'm too tired to eat. And would you please not call me that?"
"Sure," he sounded hurt. "You don't like it?"
"It's not that," Blay sighed. "We're not there yet, okay?"
"That's fine. I can do that for you," Qhuinn grinned. "But other than that, you like it?"
He couldn't help himself. "Yeah I like it," he said blushing.
"Good cause when you decide the time is right that's who you're gonna be. My baby." He smiled as he moved the sitting chair to the bed side. "That trip was hard on you. Why don't you get a little sleep?"
"Sure, umm. . ." Blay blushed.
Qhuinn looked at him and laughed. "What's that look for?"
"I, umm, could . . . " he stammered.
"Spit it out."
"Never mind."
"What?"
"Nothing, good night."
Qhuinn got out of the chair and sat on the side of the bed. "I love it when you blush. Now look at me and tell me what you wanted."
"I, umm, I. . . I can't sleep in these stupid sweat pants," he finally sputtered turning even redder.
"Then we'll just take them off," Qhuinn said standing and pulling the covers down.
"Can you get me a pair of boxers? I normally sleep in them."
"Sure," Qhuinn headed for the dresser, seeming a little disappointed. "Second drawer right?"
"Yeah, silk ones if you don't mind?"
Qhuinn carried a black pair over. "Here we go, now let's see." He helped Blay stand. "Here steady yourself with my shoulders." He moved one of Blay's hands to one shoulder and Blay put his other hand on the other shoulder.
Blay's face was burning. He'd never felt so helpless. "Thanks."
"Now I'm going to slide these pants off and then the boxers on. All you have to do is lift your feet."
They were face to face and all Blay could do was stare at that beautiful green/blue gaze and nod. 'Damn me," he thought. All he wanted to do was pull Qhuinn closer and kiss him until he couldn't breath. "So not happening," he told himself.
Qhuinn quickly had his pants off and slowly pulled his boxers on. Taking his time with his return trip up Blay's body. "You really are perfect, Blay," he grinned when their eyes met again. "We better tuck you in before I lose all control."
Blay fell back hard on the bed. He was having a hard time processing everything going on with Qhuinn.
"Bab-Blay, careful, you don't want to hurt yourself." Qhuinn helped him lie back down and tucked the covers back around him.
"Thank you," he whispered. He closed his eyes to try and sleep. Minutes passed and sleep didn't come. Qhuinn kept shifting around in the chair making all kinds of noise. Blay looked over at his friend. He felt guilty that Qhuinn was so tired and uncomfortable. "Qhuinn you're tired too. Go to your room and rest. I'll be fine here."
"This is good," Qhuinn said looking back at him.
"You can't sleep in that chair," Blay argued starting to sit up.
"Lay down," Qhuinn ordered sitting up straight.
Blay did, but he wasn't happy with the order. "You're not my boss, Qhuinn."
"Right and you're not mine. I slept just fine in the chair by your bed down stairs, so I can sleep in this one too."
"No you're not," Blay snapped.
"I'm not leaving," Qhuinn growled.
"Fine, then get in bed. I can't sleep with you making all of that damn noise."
"What?"
"You heard me. Get in the damn bed and get some sleep. I'm not stupid. you're about dead on your feet."
"You really okay with this?" Qhuinn asked circling the bed. He pulled his muscle shirt off.
"It won't be the first time we slept in the same bed," Blay snapped then turned red as his notice Qhuinn taking his pants off. "Umm…"
"Don't get your knickers twisted, I got underwear on. Shocking as that may be. I can't sleep in those fucking pants any more that you can and you know it."
"It's just," Blay didn't finish. He wasn't sure what to say. 'Take me I'm yours' or 'Don't even think about touching me asshole.' Either would work right now.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to try anything. First off you're hurt and you're nowheres up to that and second we're taking things slow. So we are just sleeping together. Nothing more." Qhuinn slid into bed. He settled in and turned his head to face Blay. "I swear."
"Thank you," Blay said relaxing. Blay laid his hand out on top of the cover between them.
Qhuinn smiled and laced their fingers together. "Thank you," he raised Blay's hand to his mouth and kissed it. "I need this connection to you."
Blay smiled back, "Me too," Damn his heart for its eternal hopefulness. "But it doesn't mean the same to me as you."
"If it means you still love me, then yeah, Baby, it does. I love you and I'm never giving up on us." Then Qhuinn closed his eyes.
"Damn him," Blay thought as he closed his eyes. He was asleep instantly.
…
Tohr and Saxton waited by the bed while Jane turned off the anesthesia and pulled the tube from Syhren's throat. "We need to let her breath for a minute or two then Tohr you can go first."
Jane had waited for Mary and Rhage to return in case she needed medical help with Syhren. Mary and Beth both had been training with Ehlena so they could help with the nursing. Turns out after last night that had been on of the shellans' best idea yet.
The two minutes of waiting and watching took forever. Finally Jane stepped back up to the bed. "Tohr let's go ahead and give it a try."
Tohr stepped up and put his wrist to her lips. Not really expecting her to respond without help he was surprised when her fangs pierced him. He looked down at her in wonder. She had taken three long drawls when she opened her eyes and stared up at him. Amazing, she was simply amazing.
"She's got one hell of a will to live," Rhage said.
"And look at those eyes," Mary said. "I thought yours and Rehv's were beyond compare, but wow hers are something else. They're pale and milky, so unlike any others I've seen."
"I've never seen lavender and your right they are kind of cloudy. But you vampires always find a way to surprise me," Jane added.
"They are beautiful," Saxton commented. "I've have never seen the likes."
"Amazing," Tohr whispered. She kept drinking. The look on her face told him she was hungry, but also sorry. Her eyes seemed to plead with him to understand she didn't want to do this. That she didn't want to hurt him. He'd never fed another female, just his Wellsie. Wellsie had never fed so hard from him, never needed so much. "It's okay little one," he heard himself say. "Take all you need. Let me do this for you. I am honored." A tear spilled on to her cheek. Tohr raised his hand and wiped it away. "Shh, it's okay I promise," He realized she must also be worried about her family. "They're all fine. You saved them. We got there in time and everyone is just fine."
Tohr noticed that Jane had stepped forward and grabbed Syhren's nose. "You have to stop," he heard her say. "We have another for you to feed on. Let Tohr go before you drain him."
…
Syhren knew she needed to let go, but she had never tasted anything so good in her life. She was so hungry her whole body was on fire.
He was so gentle. He kept talking to her, soothing her. She felt him start to sway but couldn't let go. She just kept drinking. Finally a female stepped forward and held her nose shut. After a few moments she had to breathe and let go. A huge male pulled the gentle one away from her and a familiar soul took his place. She quickly sunk her fangs into him. She was starving. She drew hard from him as well. When he spoke to her she remembered his name was Saxton. He had been the one that had helped her adopt her young. She drank from him, but he didn't taste nearly as nice as the one they were now calling Tohr.
Suddenly there was a loud crash and she jerked her head up. Tohr was fighting against two other males trying to get to her.
"Jane hurry up with that needle," one shout. Vishous the one she had met first. The one that had carried her at the house. He had helped save her, so had Tohr. Tohr had been the leader.
"Mary, get the hell back," The other one shouted. She remembered him from the house too.
Syhren took a deep breath. Her lungs burned with the scent of his blood. She needed it. She tried to move from the bed. There were wires and tubes holding her back, but she didn't care. She moved to step off the bed.
"Sax, Mary hold her down, damn it," Vishous yelled again.
She felt Saxton's arms wrap around her and then a female came up beside her. She felt a sting in her thigh and then she felt so tired, she collapsed back. They laid her back on the bed.
The last thing she remembered was hearing a female voice say, "Good thing you showed up, Babe. I never thought that would have happened."
…
"What the hell just happened down here?" Wrath voice boomed through the P.T. room.
"Well," Jane spoke first. "To start with she wouldn't let go of Tohr, even when he started to collapse. So we got him lose and she started in on Saxton. Then when Tohr came to his senses, he growled and started to head for Sax. That's when all hell broke lose. Rhage was wrestling with Tohr and then V showed up and it took me a minute to sedate Tohr. By that time Miss Thing had stopped feeding on Saxton and I'm just guessing, was trying to get to Tohr. So I sedated her too."
"Wrath, I never saw anything like it," Rhage said. "V, help me get Tohr upstairs."
"Lock him in his room until we know what happened," Wrath ordered.
"Wrath," Jane said. "She is going to need to feed some more when she wakes back up."
"I'll talk to Qhuinn. Is she okay?" He asked.
Jane was thoroughly checking the patient over. "She seems fine. She's already healing faster. Better talk to Qhuinn fast. I really was hoping he'd get some sleep."
"I don't have a lot of choices Jane. Most of us are bonded males now." He headed for the door.
"Rhage and I talked it over, sir, and we volunteer him to feed her," Mary said looking up from where she was wrapping Saxton wrist. "I'm human and I don't have the same urges the females do. I don't like the idea but I won't try to kill her either. Let us help?"
"Fine, if she needs more after that send for Qhuinn. He volunteered too." Wrath left the room, ever faithful George at the lead.
"I'll ask V first," Jane said to Mary. "It won't kill me either. Might not like it but she's safe with me too."
The two gave each other knowing smiles and went back to work.