49. Chapter 47 Zorvan

Chapter forty-nine

Chapter 47: Zorvan

I 'm finally getting my office put back together when there's a knock at my door. Rolling my eyes, I set down the books I was organizing to go answer it. Now that Arden's back, unless I have to talk to people, I want to be left alone.

The time I spent talking to my subjects while I was searching for her wore me out on conversation. There's only one person that I want to be talking to these days, and she wants nothing to do with me.

I pull the door open and Livarius is standing there with Tavin. "Arden—"

Her scent hits me. "She's in heat?" I growl.

"No. Not yet. Almost. Airen gave her an emergency supplement to try to stop it. We have a couple of hours until we know whether or not it worked, but she's not doing so great. Airen suggested—"

I don't need to hear anything else. I push past them and into the hall, not bothering to put on my shoes. As I burst into her room, Livarius and Tavin run up behind me.

"Where is she?"

"Bathroom, but you should know—"

I throw the door to the bathroom open and find Arden sitting in her bathtub, sweating and shaking.

"Where are the others?" I demand, and she jumps.

Her eyes find mine, and she frowns. "Get out, Zorvan."

Her voice lacks any real command, as she wraps her arms around herself, trying to shrink away and hide from me. I strip out of my jacket, but don't bother with the rest of my clothes as I crawl into the tub with her.

I take her face in my hands. "I'm not leaving until I know you're safe. Where are the others?"

"Emyth and Lysander were worried about being with me in-in case my heat came on. They were going to stay anyway, but I c-can't risk getting pregnant right now. Camus went to the kitchen to get me some ginger a-and tea."

"Come here," I whisper.

"Zorv—"

"I said 'come here ,'" I say and pull her by her hand into my lap.

Livarius and Tavin watch from the doorway, standing awkwardly like they're unsure what to do with themselves. The door to her bedroom opens and closes, and Camus pushes past the other two. If he's surprised to see me here, he doesn't show it.

"Ginger," Camus says and hands Arden a small piece of candied ginger. "And tea. I'll set it over here for when you're done in the bath?"

"It's in an enchanted cup?" I ask.

"Yes. It'll be warm as long as she wants it to be."

"Thank you," Arden whispers, pushing away and looking up at me. "I think Camus has got it from here."

"Yes...of course," I mutter, fighting the urge to shake her and beg her to let me stay.

"Actually," Camus says, "I need to go get my bed clothes. You should stay a little longer."

Arden frowns at him. "You sleep naked."

A growl rumbles in my chest before I can stop it, and her gaze snaps back to me. She places a palm to my chest, brow furrowed as she stares at where it rests on me. Slowly, her eyes work their way up to mine.

"Zorvan?"

"It's okay. My dragon just doesn't understand that I severed the bond. He gets a little testy from time to time when it comes to you."

Arden goes to say something to Camus, but he holds up his hand. "I think it's best that the three of us wait in the bedroom for right now. Once you're back in bed, we'll wait in the hall. Cause the way you smell right now…"

"But—"

"I won't have you arguing with me, love. Stay with the big bad dragon until you're better."

"Camus," Arden says in a warning tone.

"I love you," he says and he steps into the bedroom, ushering Tavin and Livarius with him.

"I'm going to kill him," Arden says, her mouth hanging open. Then her face goes pale. "Bucket!" she says, reaching for a bucket at my end of the tub.

I slide it across the floor to where she can reach it and she pulls it to her face just in time to catch her vomit as she wretches. She sets it back on the floor and gasps out a sob as she leans against the edge of the bath. Her teeth begin to chatter together as she shivers violently.

"Do you want me to warm the water?" I ask, rubbing small circles on her bare back.

She nods slowly, and I light the coals. Then I pull her back against me. She's laying on her side between my legs, resting her head on my chest. My arms are holding her tight to me.

Where my palms are pressed to her skin, the light buzz of the bond is there. Or is it because she nearly went into heat? No. It's definitely the bond . But I don't understand how it could possibly be there.

"This is now the third bath I've taken with you, but this is the first time it's been warm," I say with a laugh.

"What are you talking about?" she croaks, her throat strained from the vomiting. "I hardly consider the night you...This is only the first bath we've taken together."

"Well if you're not counting that night," I start, not wanting to say the words either, "then this is the second."

She tips her head back to look at me, still confused.

"When you were working the Talix venom out—"

"Oh my god! I thought that was a dream!" she says.

"You called me gorgeous," I say with a chuckle.

"I think I also called you my 'knight in shining armor.'" She laughs a breathless laugh, then tips her chin back down to rest against me.

The smile on my face falters. "You were wrong about that, though. If that were true, I would have figured out a way to save you weeks ago."

"I didn't expect you to even look for me," she admits. "I thought you'd be happy to be rid of me."

I gently take her chin in my hand and tip her head back once more. "I'm so fucking sorry I ever made you feel that way."

"What exactly..." she starts her question, but seems to think better of it. "Why are you here?"

"Because I swore to myself, the keepers—and Helena—that if I managed to get you back, I would do everything I could to make sure you stayed safe and happy."

We stare at each other for a few seconds before she pushes away from me, clears he throat and says, "You can't be comfortable in those clothes. Why don't we get out of the tub. I think I'll be okay in my bed now."

Her shivering seems to be under control, and her scent seems to have returned to normal for now.

"How's your stomach?"

"Better," she says with a small smile.

I stand and grab a towel for her. She allows me to wrap her in it while I desperately try—and fail—to not ogle her. Then I help her out of the tub and across the now slick floor. Once she's in the bedroom, I strip off my soggy clothes and wrap my own towel around my waist. I clean out her bucket and bring it with me to the bedroom.

The others have moved to the hall and Arden is sitting on the edge of her bed, her face pale again. I set the bucket in front of her and poke my head out the door.

"Bring me some pajama bottoms?" I ask Tavin.

"Of course. I'll be right back."

As he walks away, I glance at Arden who looks like she's trying to will herself to not throw up.

"Just lay naked with her, Zorvan. She'll feel better," Camus says.

"Stop it!" I snap in a harsh whisper. "Stop trying to act like everything is fine with me and Arden when it isn't."

"I'm just trying to help," he says with a shrug.

"Why would you bother trying to help me?" I ask, returning my attention to Arden. I want to make sure she's not going to pass out and hurt herself.

"I'm not you, you idiot. I'm trying to help her. She's the only one that matters. And I think that some skin-to-skin contact with her would be good."

"Mate or not, if I go anywhere near her while she's in heat and naked, I will put a baby in her. Is that what you really want?"

"Only if that's what she wants."

"Stop acting like she's got your balls in her hands," I snap.

"Stop acting like she doesn't have yours."

Tavin returns, and since I don't want to leave her alone any longer, I take them and shut the door, wishing I'd had a good comeback for Camus' comment. But I can't think of one, because he's right.

I go into her closet and pull my pants on then grab a soft nightgown for her. When I return to the bedroom, she's given up keeping the towel wrapped around her and is resting her elbows on her knees, pressing her palms to her eyes.

I clear my throat softly in an attempt to not startle her. She looks up at me, her face riddled with defeat.

"Here," I say, holding out the nightgown. "This should stay on you better than the towel.

I turn my back to offer her some modicum of privacy, but when I don't hear her move, I turn back around. She's just sitting there, staring at the nightgown with a confused look on her face.

"Do you...need help?"

"Not with the nightgown, but I do need help understanding why you're being so nice to me." She looks up at me, and chews the inside of her lip. "Before I left, you would have forced me to change in front of you. You actually did that once when you came to change my bandages..."

"But I also have always taken care of you when you were hurt or sick while you were in my castle. I will always take care of you from this point forward. I know that you have your mates, and Airen, and Rupert, and hell even Walden would probably take better care of you than me. But if for some reason they can't be there—like right now—I will be. You will never be forced to go through anything alone again."

She frowns, and opens her mouth to say something, but tosses her nightgown to the side, and grabs the bucket just in time to throw up again. Eventually, she is able to stop long enough to pull the thin nightie over her head.

"You should take a drink of the tea Camus brought," I say, grabbing it from the bathroom and handing it to her. "And as soon as you can keep it down, I want you drinking plenty of water."

"Yes, sir," she mutters.

"Do you..." I start, and consider whether I should even give her a choice. "Do you want me to stay in the bed with you, or would you rather I stay in a chair or on the settee?"

"Um..." She looks at me, eyes pleading. She doesn't want to ask me.

"I'll stay in the bed."

She nods her head and stands to pull back the covers. I slide in behind her and hold her to me, helping her through the ups and downs of the night. Finally, after several hours of vomiting, and chills, she passes out. The threat is past. Her heat cycle was stopped. And everything can go back to the way it was.

I kiss her softly on the temple and sneak out of her room and down the hall to Livarius' room. I quietly let myself inside, and shake Camus awake.

"She's asleep. The danger has passed. You should go be with her. Livarius and the others too."

"You should have stayed with her."

"It'll be more of a comfort for her to have you there," I say, and leave without another word.

Then I head for the training field to shift and let my dragon take over for a while.