Fated Mate

She felt a sharp pain in her inner lip, and then she could taste fresh blood on her tongue. Ash flicked his tongue on the spot, and then he sucked deeply. It hurt but she didn’t move neither did she stop him. He was hungry and for some insane reason she didn’t mind him feeding off her.

She heard Billy and Joe hiss behind her. She opened the hand behind her back, cautioning them not to come near them. A deep angry growl rocked the room. It startled everyone, even Ash. That had to be Billy.

Ash pulled away, for a moment she saw his eyes flash golden yellow and his face had desire all over it then they were back to brown and he had disgust in his face. “I’m so sorry.” He pulled at her legs, trying to unwind them around his waist but she only tightened the lock.

“Stop that. I was just stuffing myself with some steak, would you like some? There is only one left.” Her lips throbbed. She passed her tongue over the long cut he had made with his teeth, it was still bleeding and it hurt but she hid the pain in her smile.

He looked like he was about to argue, but Ann spoke before he could.

“She ate them all raw!” Ann said sickened. “Lee you get weirder every day!”

Joe handed Lee a chipped ice cube then wiped her lip with a cloth. It had blood on it. Put it on the cut. It will stop the bleeding.

His lips didn’t move, she heard him in her head. She took the chip and put it in her mouth baffled. Ann was right she was getting weirder by the day.

Ash walked into the room with his arms now comfortably rubbing her back, his face amused but he still seemed strained. He bent his knees and put his hands around her waist. “You keep eating. You look a lot better now than the last time I saw you.”

“Yeah. She even looks like she’s gained a couple of pounds over the last few hours of stuffing herself with raw meat.” Ann spoke, more to herself than anyone else.

Lee stayed where she was. “What will you eat?”

“Don’t worry about me. Down.” He smiled her smile. She felt a warmth rush through her, making her weak. She shook her head at him, her voice caught in her throat. She wasn’t going to let go so easily, she hadn’t been this close to him in a while and she wasn’t about to let go any time soon.

He spread his fingers over her waist, his thumbs resting on her belly. He was about to pull her down but he stopped then started laughing. “How much have you been eating?”

“What, why?” she said feeling self-conscious. He pressed his thumbs down and she jumped, a dull pain stung her.

“Did I hurt you?” He stood up straight, leaned her back and pulled her shirt up. “What is that? What happened to you?” He spoke fast, his fingers moving all over her belly.

“What?” Lee panicked, bending to see what he was looking at.

“She got that bruise and bump when Sabrina tackled her. I put some ice on it but it’s still swollen.” Maria spoke calmly behind them. “I thought it might be the reason you were out for so long.”

“Doctor Maria is at it again, seeing a sickness where there is none.” Ann had a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“You’ve been very annoying today. That blow should have been on your mouth and not your forehead.” Maria spoke to her. Lee stifled a laugh, the panic washed away. She wasn’t the only one who had noticed Ann’s intolerable attitude.

Her attention was drawn from the big purple bruised bump on her belly to the exchange behind her. Billy and Joe were watching too, they didn’t attempt to hide their amusement. Ash’s attention however, stayed on Lee’s belly.

“Hey, at least I wanted to have her checked out by a qualified doctor, we can’t always depend on a quack-not you Joe.”

“Are you talking about the same quack that helped treat your forehead? You know you had your eyes closed the whole time; I might have put something in your wound. Watch out for some sprouting branches.”

Ann’s hand shot up to her bandaged head. “Maria, what do you mean by that?”

Maria shrugged her shoulders and went back to what she was doing. “Don’t bite the hand that cares for you.”

Ann’s eyes slit at her. She was fuming. She turned her lethal look at Billy who was laughing behind her. He stopped; worried he had drawn her attention to himself. He was most certainly going to be the one suffering her rage.

“Do you think she is okay?” Ash was the only worried one in the room. There was something about that bump that didn’t sit right with him. Her scent was the same but stronger and sweeter. Her blood tasted close to human, but then again he’d never drunk from whatever she was becoming before. But the thing was, there was something very different about her, and he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“I don’t know. We should still get her checked out, just to be sure,” Maria answered.

“How about we just wait and see,” Joe said concealing his true opinion. “She seems perfectly fine, exempting the bruise.”

“I feel great. Stop worrying.” Lee turned to look at him. His gaze was still fixed on her belly, his fingers lightly tracing the bruised bump that was barely visible to her.

“That will never happen.” Ash spoke under his breath, his voice serious.

Lee pulled his hand away and pulled her shirt down, forcing him to look at her. “Worry if you like, but I’m fine. Now put me down and go eat.” He put her on the stool and kissed her on the forehead.

“She ate everything meaty in the fridge, but I’m sure there is something else we can make for you.” Maria stood up and went to the fridge. Joe was next to her, opening the doors for her. “I’m not handicapped. I am quite capable of doing things myself.” She looked up at Joe who had both doors wide open for her.

Joe looked down at her impatient face with a heart-breaking smile on his. “Of course you are, honey. So what is it you were looking for?”

Maria’s face relaxed, she was putty in his hands. “Anything we can cook for supper. First we have to find what’s rotten in here, because I can’t smell whatever it was Lee did.” Her voice was softer.

Joe reached up and pulled a number of things out the fridge.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Eat. I’m going out for a while I’ll be back in a few hours.” Ash turned Lee to her plate and walked toward the door. Billy stood and followed him. “I’ll come with you. Joe will stay until Dave gets back.”

Ash stopped his face grave. “Sabrina?” Billy shook his head. Ash’s face tightened and he clutched his fists at his sides.

Lee knew the minute he fed he would go after her, but she didn’t want that, they’d barely been together. “Don’t think about that now. Just go and come back to me. I’ve missed you.”

He nodded and left. Joe and Maria kept busy with the food, Ann walked out of the kitchen through a different door. Lee went back to her meal, feeling more at ease with the two left in the kitchen.