the surgery. She'd looked so drawn, so distracted, but it wasn't as if she didn't have enough on her mind. Her brother's death was coming soon. Sooner still as Wrath recovered.
Butch wanted to go to her, but wasn't sure if she'd welcome his company. He just didn't know her well enough. They'd had so little time together.
Was he a curiosity? Some fresh blood she wanted to taste? Something more?
Butch looked down the hallway, as if he could call her into being.
God, he ached to see her. If only to know she was okay.
Chapter Fifty-two
A couple of days later, Wrath struggled to sit up before the brothers came in. He didn't want them to see him flat on his back. The IV running into his arm and all the machines behind him were bad enough.
But at least the catheter had been out since yesterday. And he'd managed to shave himself and take a shower. Having his hair clean was a beautiful thing.
"What are you doing?" Beth demanded as she caught him moving around.
"Sitting up - "
"Oh, no, you don't." She grabbed the bed's remote and tilted up the head.
"Ah, hell, leelan, now I'm just lying down while sitting up."
"You're fine." She bent over to tuck the sheets in, and he caught sight of the curve of her breast. His body swelled. In the right place.
But the rush made him think of the scene he'd walked in on at that barn. Of her latched down to that table. He didn't care that lessers couldn't get it up.
He caught her hand. "Leelan? "
"Yes?"
"Are you sure you're all right?" They'd talked about what had happened, but still he worried.
"I told you. My thigh's healing up - "
"Not just the physical stuff," he said, wanting to kill Billy Riddle all over again.
Her face clouded for an instant. "I told you, I'll be fine. Because I refuse to have it any other way."
"You're so brave. So resilient. You amaze me."
She smiled at him and leaned down for a quick kiss.
He held her in place, talking against her lips. "And thank you for saving my life. Not just back in that barn. But for all the rest of my days and nights."
He kissed her a little more deeply and was happy to hear her gasp of pleasure. The sound brought his erection back to life, and he brushed his fingertips over her collarbone.
"How 'bout you hop on up here with me?"
"I don't think you're quite ready for that yet."
"Wanna bet?" He took her hand and put it under the hospital sheets.
Her throaty laugh as she gripped him gently was yet another marvel. Just like her constant presence in his room, her fierce protection of him, her love, her strength.
"What do you say we give it another day?" she said.
"An hour."
"Until you can sit up on your own."
"Deal."
Thank God he was a fast healer.
Her hand left his body. "Should I let the brothers in?"
"Yeah." He took a deep breath. "Wait. I want you to know what I'm going to say."
He tugged her down, so she sat on the edge of the bed.
"I'm leaving the brotherhood."
She closed her eyes as if she didn't want him to see how relieved she was. "Truly?"
"Yeah. I've asked Tohr to be in charge. But I'm not taking a vacation. I have to start ruling our kind, Beth. And I need you to do it with me."
Her lids flipped open.
He touched her face. "We're talking king and queen time. And I'm going to be honest with you. I have no idea what I'm doing. I've got some ideas, but I'm going to need your help."
"Anything," she said. "Anything for you."
Wrath could only stare at her in wonder.
God, she really knocked him out. Here she was, ready to take on the world with him even though he was flat on his ass in a hospital bed. Her faith in him was astounding.
"Have I told you that I love you, leelan?"
"About five minutes ago. But I never get tired of hearing it."
He kissed her. "Get the brothers. Tell Butch to wait in the hall. But I want you to stay while I talk to them."
She let the warriors in and then came back to his side.
The brotherhood walked up to the bed cautiously. Although he'd had a brief meeting with Tohr that morning, this was the first time he'd