Heart of the High King (D'Vaire, Book 19)

by Jessamyn Kingley

  Moved to tears, Aleksander pressed his lips softly to Rafe’s and brushed the moisture from his cheek. “You damn well better wake up.”

  With a grin, his mate squeezed Aleksander’s hand. “That kiss felt like our first one.”

  “Beautiful and perfect.”

  There was a rap on the door, and it swung open to reveal two nurses. “Okay, Your Highness, give him a kiss good night. It’s time to get this show on the road.”

  Aleksander brushed their mouths together again. “See you soon.”

  “Yeah.”

  Rafe’s bed was wheeled out, and Brogan stomped in a second later. “Come on, I’ll show you where the waiting room is.”

  Following his best friend out, Aleksander made the trip down the hall, and Brogan opened a door, revealing a group of D’Vaires ready to keep him company while Rafe was in the operating room. Each one embraced him tightly; then they grabbed chairs. They didn’t know how long it would take, and the sorcerers were going to take things slow to make sure there weren’t major side effects, but they had to keep an eye on the clock given Rafe’s weakened state. Each hour was likely going to feel like a month to Aleksander, as he could do nothing but sit and think about all the ways it could go wrong.

  “He was okay before they took him?” Worth asked.

  “Oh yeah, trying to give me his last words in case he dies.”

  “How the fuck would he die?” Brogan asked.

  “Rafe’s worried about the anesthesia.”

  “Dr. Suricata isn’t going to let anything happen to him. He’s going to be fine,” Mac assured him.

  “I agree. I mean I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried, but I suppose that’s natural.”

  “I brought some cards,” Dravyn revealed. Pushing a table from the wall in front of Aleksander, he dealt from his deck.

  “What’re we playing?” Brogan asked.

  “I didn’t think to bring chips, so we’re going to start with Go Fish.”

  “Thank goodness Dra’Kaedan and Renny are part of the healing team,” Brogan murmured. “They’re too cutthroat for this game.”

  “Your mate takes everything to the next level,” Aleksander told him, picking up his cards and organizing them in his hand.

  “He is next level just like yours. When Rafe got to the house, I was surprised that he’d survived the attack when I saw the condition he was in, but man, I had no idea just how strong he is. I can’t get those pictures out of my mind,” Brogan replied.

  “Me neither, and trust me, my dragon is still pissed. Once we get Rafe back to normal, I intend to give more attention to the parties responsible for hurting him,” Aleksander vowed, careful not to reveal who the guilty were.

  The dragons played cards while other members of the D’Vaire family—extended and immediate—flowed in and out of the room. Unwilling to disturb the hospital or its other patients, and because Brogan would lose his mind if he had to protect them all, the ones that lived under Aleksander’s roof arrived in small groups with snacks, the missing poker chips, and smiling faces. By the time lunch rolled around, Aleksander was growing pensive. It was nearly three hours since Rafe had been put under anesthesia, and he was worried that they were pushing him beyond his limits. When the door opened to reveal a frowning Dr. Suricata, his heart clenched, and without realizing it Aleksander rose.

  “Your Highness, please sit,” Dr. Suricata invited. “We need to discuss your mate.”

  “Call me Aleksander. How’s he doing?”

  “He’s held up well under the anesthesia. His vitals have been stable, which is why I’ve allowed his healing to go on for so long but, the fact is, progress has been slow, and we’re starting to see some serious issues. The darkfallen are moving cautiously and we’ve managed to remove what we believe is the bulk of the skin grafts—even those that had remnants left behind after failing. What I’m trying to tell you is, that although we’re getting closer, he’s been bleeding steadily for hours. I don’t want to allow him to get into any kind of crisis, so I want your permission to give him a transfusion. It’s the only way I believe we’re going to be able to finish, and I’m concerned about him going into shock if we don’t act swiftly.”

  “Rafe was very specific about not wanting a blood transfusion.”

  “I understand that, and I respect that decision. However, he did sign a consent form stating that he agreed to it if it became medically necessary. We’re at that point.”

  Rather panicky about the idea of Rafe getting the transfusion he didn’t want, Aleksander wasn’t going to fight Dr. Suricata and keep his mate from getting what she felt was a medical necessity. “Okay, does that mean he’ll be out soon?”

  “My hope is that we can at least get these hip wounds completely closed. We’ve had Saura on one side and T’Eirick on the other, restoring muscle, tendon, bone, and vessels. If your blood boosts his system as I predict it will, we may be able to push a little further. I just can’t say yet.”

  “Do what you have to do.”

  Dr. Suricata rose after patting Aleksander’s knee. “We’re taking great care of him, I promise. We’re going to do the transfusion as soon as I return to the operating room. I will be back to give you an update when I can.”

  “Thanks so much.”

  “My pleasure. Rafe’s a fighter, which makes me push that much harder for him. I’ll see you soon.”

  Once she was gone, Aleksander rubbed a hand over his face. “He’s also going to shit a brick when he wakes up.”

  ∞∞∞

  Brogan was a man on the edge. For centuries, Aleksander had kept himself mostly confined to the house, and Brogan doubted anyone had been more shocked than he when his mate showed up at the gate. In his most honest moments, Brogan would also confess that it was still a surprise that Aleksander was gay, though he had zero doubt in his mind about the way the High King felt about his other half. Aleksander and Rafe had progressed cautiously from a friendship into the beginnings of something with great potential when, they now knew, the worst had happened.

  If Brogan had ever doubted the depth of emotion Aleksander had for Rafe, as they sat in a waiting room in a hospital while he underwent surgery, his anxiety was written plainly on his handsome face. Not only was Brogan worried that somehow Rafe might be hurt further, he had the unenviable task of seeing to the safety of both men. For Brogan, whose relationship with Aleksander had spanned nearly his entire life, it meant not only physically ensuring neither High King was harmed but seeing to their emotional distress as well. Although he wasn’t close to Rafe yet, he had every intention of building a bond with him as soon as Aleksander’s mate was able to heal from everything he’d suffered. In the meantime, just like Aleksander, Brogan was left with waiting and losing at cards to Worth.

  As a highly competitive person, Brogan frowned when Worth once again pulled the chips from the center of the table and added them to his enormous stack. While most people got stuck on how much he resembled his older brother, Worth was also crafty with numbers like Aleksander. Brogan’s gaze narrowed as he considered the possibility that Worth was counting cards to win so often.

  Lifting an elbow, he nudged Aleksander. “Your turn.”

  “Uh, Aleksander…you okay?” Mac asked, his voice wary. The High King was sitting absolutely still, which was concerning enough, but what made Brogan’s mind reel were his eyes.

  “Aleksander, you need to relax. Rafe’s going to be fine. Come on, it’s too dangerous for you to let your dragon have any control in here,” Brogan stated firmly and waited for his orbs to switch back to his human ones instead of the wise and determined stare of his beast.

  “Come along, Aleksander, listen to Brogan. Just relax,” Worth coaxed.

  Aleksander’s cards fluttered out of his hands and he got to his feet. The skin of his arms rippled for a few seconds into the black-blue scales of his mighty beast.

  Brogan hopped to his feet and seconds later, it took all four D’Vaire dukes in the room holding on to A
leksander to keep him from leaving the room. “Shit. Aleksander! Calm the fuck down.”

  “This isn’t going to work,” Mac growled, while they tried to get some control of Aleksander.

  Brogan pivoted and slammed his body in front of the door, preventing Aleksander’s escape. “Dray, get Chrys and Elf. They’re the only ones as strong as Aleksander. Have your mate go get them,” he ordered, while Aleksander shoved him. “Hurry up.”

  Much to Brogan’s relief, the emperors and their dukes popped into the room after what felt like hours of wrestling with Aleksander to keep him inside.

  “Aleksander!” Chrysander said sharply.

  Letting out a heavy breath as Aleksander instinctively obeyed his ruler, Brogan had never been so grateful to see Chrysander and Ellery in his life. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Calm yourself, and do not allow your dragon to have control,” Ellery stated. But as strong as the pair was, they were only able to stop Aleksander from leaving. They tried for anxious minutes to get him to shove his dragon back into submission but were unsuccessful.

  “We can keep him still, but that’s it,” Chrysander groused. “What the fuck happened?”

  When they explained the situation, Chrysander let out a sigh as he maintained full eye contact with Aleksander.

  “It’s his mate,” Damian said. “His matebond is partially completed. Obviously, his dragon wants it to be snapped into place.”

  “We’re going to need help. Rafe doesn’t want them to exchange blood,” Brogan said as he texted Dra’Kaedan to get there with Dr. Suricata.

  The door swung open to reveal a concerned meerkat and a frowning warlock. “Oh dear, we didn’t count on this, did we?” Dr. Suricata murmured. “We should have with a dragon this powerful and the shape of his mate. He seeks to protect, no doubt. Our options are to either tranquilize him or allow him to bite Rafe. If you want my medical opinion, the matebond should be allowed to move forward. Not only will it significantly help Rafe, but tranquilizing Aleksander will not solve the issue. Once he awakens, I fear he might be in the same state.”

  Brogan turned to the leaders of the dragons. “I think Aleksander would trust you both to make this call.”

  Chrysander smiled. “More like you don’t want the responsibility of going against the wishes of your new High King.”

  “That too.”

  “I believe he should complete his matebond. They both deserve happiness and a long life together. With Aleksander’s strong beast attached firmly to his soul, Rafe will have significant improvements to his health,” Ellery stated, running a hand down Aleksander’s rigid arm.

  “You heard His Majesty; let’s get Aleksander to Rafe,” Chrysander said.

  Chapter 41

  When Aleksander regained consciousness, he would’ve let out a yelp, but his fangs were still embedded in Rafe’s wrist. His eyes squeezed shut as he wondered how in the world he got into the operating room, and he panicked at how furious Rafe was going to be when he woke up. As carefully as he could, Aleksander pulled his teeth free and sealed the wound with his tongue, not that it was necessary since Saura sent a bolt of dark magic to heal him.

  “Fuck,” Aleksander spat out.

  Saura raced over and grabbed his hand. “It was your beast that wouldn’t be denied his mate. Rafe will understand. Look, T’Eirick’s got both of his hips already healed since the transfusion.”

  “Aleksander, his vitals are getting stronger since your blood was introduced. We’d like your permission to work on fixing his ankle and possibly removing the rod from his leg,” Dr. Suricata rushed out.

  “Okay, yeah, sure,” Aleksander breathed out. His mind was brimming with questions.

  “Come along, dear,” Saura coaxed, leading him to the double doors. Swinging one open, Aleksander found a bevy of dragons and a druid waiting for him. “That’s it. Don’t you worry. We’ll take good care of Rafe.”

  “We may need more blood,” Dr. Suricata called out. “If you could go downstairs and donate some, that would be great.”

  “We’ll take him,” Brogan said, grabbing Aleksander’s arm and hauling him out.

  Mechanically, Aleksander put one foot in front of the other as they traveled through the hospital. “How did I get in the operating room?”

  “Your dragon took control,” Chrysander said. “We had no choice but to let him go find his mate. He’s got some serious tracking abilities; you went straight to the right room.”

  “Rafe’s going to kill me,” Aleksander lamented.

  “He will understand and be happy,” Ellery corrected.

  They arrived at the same place where Aleksander had given blood before kissing Rafe good night, and the nurse got him onto a gurney. The needle was in his arm as dragons huddled around him. “How am I going to explain this to Rafe?” Aleksander asked.

  “Just tell him the truth,” Zane said. “He’ll be fine, just like Elf told you.”

  “He was adamant that he didn’t get a blood transfusion and even more so that our matebond not be sealed. And my damn dragon robbed me of even feeling our souls connect. It was over by the time I regained any control. I’ve never had my beast engulf me that way. I don’t remember any of it—it’s like I passed out or something. But, obviously, I was up and walking.”

  “Your beast is incredibly powerful, Aleksander. You’ve always known that. Ell and I could get you to stop fighting to get to him, but we weren’t able to convince your beast to relax. He left us with no choice but to allow you to seek out Rafe,” Chrysander explained.

  “Your Highness, this is your second blood donation today. It’s imperative that you shift to replenish your supply,” the nurse interjected.

  “We’ll take him straight to the roof once you get enough blood from him,” Brogan promised. “I’ll fly with you, Aleksander.”

  “Should I really be flying while Rafe’s in the operating room?”

  “Even if they finish up the hip wounds while you’re in the air, he will still need to go to the recovery room to let the drugs wear off,” Worth insisted.

  “Those wounds are fixed. They’re going to work on his ankle and maybe even the rod in his leg. His vitals have improved since they did the blood transfusion.”

  “You see? Your dragon is helping,” Mac remarked.

  “When you’re done flying, you’ll need to eat plenty of protein,” the nurse instructed.

  “What’s the food in the cafeteria like?” Worth asked.

  “It’s pretty good, Your Grace. I think you will enjoy it. The administration is mostly shifters, so we always have plenty of meat options.”

  Ellery patted Aleksander’s leg. “Chrys and I must return to work. Please call if you need us, and make sure we are kept up-to-date on Rafe’s condition.”

  “I really appreciate you guys showing up when my dragon seized control. I’m sorry you had to drop everything because I couldn’t handle my beast.”

  “You know very well there are times when we have no choice but to surrender. We will see you soon. Give our best to Rafe, and we will stop in and see him when he is out of surgery.”

  “Thanks, Elf. We’ll keep you posted,” Aleksander promised.

  “Come on, I can teleport you back,” Killian said.

  “I’ll meet you guys in the waiting room after you finish flying. We can go to the cafeteria together,” Dravyn commented; then the group exited, leaving Aleksander with Brogan, Mac, and Worth.

  “You’ve not calmed down at all about Rafe’s reaction, have you?” Worth asked.

  “No,” Aleksander retorted. “How can I? I know he’s going to be pissed, and it’s my fault. And I’m angry myself. We were both robbed of our matebond. I mean, what the fuck? We can’t get that back.”

  “Technically, your bond isn’t complete. He is or was a dragon. You still need a bite from him to fully snap it into place.”

  “Thanks, Brogan. That’s very helpful, especially since no one has survived losing their beast, so we don’t have the
first clue how to help him reconnect to his dragon,” Aleksander deadpanned.

  “We’ll figure it out whenever they finish these healing sessions.”

  “How in the world am I ever going to convince him to do this again? The only things he insisted we avoid are done with no way to undo them. That cancer is going to tear through him, making him miserable, and he’s not going to let us do shit about it.”

  “There’s a good chance his cancer is being cured right now by your dragon blood,” Worth reminded him. “I know you’re upset about how it happened, but you need to think about the important bits. He’s yours now, Aleksander.”

  Through the fury and terror inside him, Aleksander found a smile. “Yeah.”

  “Okay, Your Highness,” the nurse said, patting his arm. “Go on up to the roof and have a good flight.”

  “Thanks.”

  ∞∞∞

  Grand Warlock Dra’Kaedan D’Vaire was sitting on the floor, hurling magic at his mother while he quietly cried. His familiar was leaning against him, weeping, and they weren’t the only ones in the room fighting to keep their emotions from overwhelming them. Control was long lost, but he wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed. Since the moment he knocked on Aleksander’s door more than a decade ago, he’d wanted the now High King to find his mate. In his mind, he’d tried to picture the woman who would rule with him, and it had been easy to switch that dream to Rafe when Aleksander had revealed his sexuality. In Rafe’s brief visits, Dra’Kaedan hadn’t had enough opportunity to get to know him, but he’d ached for Aleksander when he’d disappeared from his life.

  What he’d endured in that time had broken Dra’Kaedan when he saw the pictures of his torture. Once beaten himself, the brutality of it dwarfed anything Dra’Kaedan had ever suffered despite six centuries with his abuser. The strength and fight inside this incredible man were why he was now sobbing so steadily. When they’d started working on healing Rafe, they were faced with obstinate tissues that were reluctant to mend.