move, but the silver had cut into him deep and he was in pain. It did not stop him from trying.
“Your family is safe. As soon as I realized who you where, I had my men take them. The people in the kitchen, they are safe as well. Mrs. MacManus and the three children are there now.
I did not have her brought here, as I was not sure if you wanted the children to see this. I’m sorry about the silver, but it was there before I could act. Will you be all right, sire?”
Tess felt rather than saw Nathaniel move up behind her. She had turned her back to
Nathaniel to face the master and could not see him, but she could feel him. His anger was palatable. It touched her in ways the tainted blood did not. She was not afraid of him, but she was afraid of what she would see when she saw him.
“Don’t! You can’t touch me. It’s poison. I need to…I have to wash it off before it’s safe.
“Yes,” the master finally answered. “Once I feed I would like an explanation of what has happened, but I believe you need to go with your mate. We will meet here in one hour.
Nathaniel, take her to your lair and heal her, please.”
“I cannot, sire. The Fates will be here…” Tess started to argue. She was not used to giving someone the reins over her, but she was falling fast now.
“I can handle the Fates for now. Go. And if I see either of you before the one hour, I will make the pain you are currently experiencing, young lady, seem like a paper cut. Do I make myself understood?”
She could not answer. Nathaniel had put his arms around her hips and pulled her close to him without touching her back. She wanted to lean into him, but knew that the blisters would be just as toxic as the blood that had caused them. Instead, she put her hands over his and nodded.
With her next breath she was in his lair. He still had not spoken a word.
~~~
Nathaniel turned on the shower as he moved them toward the bathroom. He had been burned once by demon blood so he knew how to care for the wounds. But he had never seen anyone who had been burned this badly and still lived, much less was still be upright.
There was not much left of the maille on the back so, moving around to the front of Tess, he peeled it off her shoulders and over her chest. He knew that he was hurting her, but she did not say a word and stood as still as she could while he worked. There were places where the chain was burned into her tender skin and some where the blisters had formed over it. He looked at her for a moment before he spoke.
“I need to get this off of you before I can heal you or the chain will heal into your skin. If I work at it slowly it won’t hurt as badly, but it will take a long time. If I do it quickly it will hurt like hell, but it will be over with. Which way do you prefer?”
He did not want to do it either way, if he was honest with himself. He would much prefer her not hurt at all, but he knew that if he left this to anyone else and she cried out or, worse, screamed he would probably kill them. No, he thought, he would kill them.
“The blisters, they’ll…you’ll get the pus on you. It’ll burn you. Maybe…maybe you should just let it go. The Fates will be able to…oh, Nathaniel, it hurts so badly.”
Her tears tore him up inside. His heart clenched tight and he knew that if the man who had done this to her was not already dead and beyond him he would go get him and kill him again and again. “I’m going to help you, Tess. I’m going to yank it off then put you in the shower. I’ll heal you there. Please don’t turn me down on this, baby. I need to make sure you are safe.”
“No, I won’t. I don’t know…I don’t think I’ll be able to stand once you do this. I may pass out. Please be careful that you aren’t hurt as well, all right?”
“I have you, sweetheart, and I’ll be careful.” Standing in front of her, he put both his hands on her cheeks and wiped away the tears then leaned down and kissed her gently on
“Your family is safe. As soon as I realized who you where, I had my men take them. The people in the kitchen, they are safe as well. Mrs. MacManus and the three children are there now.
I did not have her brought here, as I was not sure if you wanted the children to see this. I’m sorry about the silver, but it was there before I could act. Will you be all right, sire?”
Tess felt rather than saw Nathaniel move up behind her. She had turned her back to
Nathaniel to face the master and could not see him, but she could feel him. His anger was palatable. It touched her in ways the tainted blood did not. She was not afraid of him, but she was afraid of what she would see when she saw him.
“Don’t! You can’t touch me. It’s poison. I need to…I have to wash it off before it’s safe.
“Yes,” the master finally answered. “Once I feed I would like an explanation of what has happened, but I believe you need to go with your mate. We will meet here in one hour.
Nathaniel, take her to your lair and heal her, please.”
“I cannot, sire. The Fates will be here…” Tess started to argue. She was not used to giving someone the reins over her, but she was falling fast now.
“I can handle the Fates for now. Go. And if I see either of you before the one hour, I will make the pain you are currently experiencing, young lady, seem like a paper cut. Do I make myself understood?”
She could not answer. Nathaniel had put his arms around her hips and pulled her close to him without touching her back. She wanted to lean into him, but knew that the blisters would be just as toxic as the blood that had caused them. Instead, she put her hands over his and nodded.
With her next breath she was in his lair. He still had not spoken a word.
~~~
Nathaniel turned on the shower as he moved them toward the bathroom. He had been burned once by demon blood so he knew how to care for the wounds. But he had never seen anyone who had been burned this badly and still lived, much less was still be upright.
There was not much left of the maille on the back so, moving around to the front of Tess, he peeled it off her shoulders and over her chest. He knew that he was hurting her, but she did not say a word and stood as still as she could while he worked. There were places where the chain was burned into her tender skin and some where the blisters had formed over it. He looked at her for a moment before he spoke.
“I need to get this off of you before I can heal you or the chain will heal into your skin. If I work at it slowly it won’t hurt as badly, but it will take a long time. If I do it quickly it will hurt like hell, but it will be over with. Which way do you prefer?”
He did not want to do it either way, if he was honest with himself. He would much prefer her not hurt at all, but he knew that if he left this to anyone else and she cried out or, worse, screamed he would probably kill them. No, he thought, he would kill them.
“The blisters, they’ll…you’ll get the pus on you. It’ll burn you. Maybe…maybe you should just let it go. The Fates will be able to…oh, Nathaniel, it hurts so badly.”
Her tears tore him up inside. His heart clenched tight and he knew that if the man who had done this to her was not already dead and beyond him he would go get him and kill him again and again. “I’m going to help you, Tess. I’m going to yank it off then put you in the shower. I’ll heal you there. Please don’t turn me down on this, baby. I need to make sure you are safe.”
“No, I won’t. I don’t know…I don’t think I’ll be able to stand once you do this. I may pass out. Please be careful that you aren’t hurt as well, all right?”
“I have you, sweetheart, and I’ll be careful.” Standing in front of her, he put both his hands on her cheeks and wiped away the tears then leaned down and kissed her gently on
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