Torn Asunder

Chapter 5 Valentine

It's amazing how people seem to forget you exist merely because you're asleep. Here I am, minding my own buisness, asleep and in pain, and forced to eavesdrop on a conversation I truly did not want to be overhearing.

"You're awake." Caleb's Irish brogue rumbled. I only knew whom he was talking to through the process of elimination. It was male, so Ixchel was out, and the way he spoke sounded nothing like Luka. But it sure as heck didn't sound like Andros' usual husky voice. He croaked and rasped now. "I'm harder to kill than most." Andros shrugged off his near miss.

"You need to stop f*cking after Valentine." Caleb stated bluntly and I flushed even though neither man could see through the privacy screen.

"Are you staking a claim?" Andros countered. I realized I was holding my breath for the answer only when spots flashed before my eyes. And yet Caleb still didn't answer. I carefully released my breath, even more anxious to know the answer than Andros was. But I honestly could not say whether I wanted the answer to be yes or no. It's one thing to fantasize about having the leader of a biker gang wanting you to be his girl, and it's another thing entirely to face the possible reality of it. I would be in a lot more danger, though that was assuming I even lived through this little Euro-trip. Since I was now seriously doubting the likelihood of that happening, I guess it didn't matter what Caleb's answer was.

But just to piss me off some more, the jerk didn't even give an answer. Instead Caleb just growled out, "Leave her the f*ck alone/ She doesn't need this shite right now."

"Like you're any better?" Andros rasped back. Neither one of them noticed the door opening and Luka observing their little spat. "Like anyone believes you just danced with her on her birthday. We all know you threw a birthday hump into her." Andros' tone was harsh.

I felt like I'd been slapped across the face, but Luka broke the growing tension in the room by clearing his throat, drawing their attention to him. The screen around my bed kept Caleb and Andros from seeing me, but my best friend would spy me if he dropped the death glare he was levelling at his fellow bikers.

"You two are pathetic. First off my girl still has her V card, so you're lucky I don't stuff my fist down your throat for that disrespect Andros. Second off, she's a light sleeper abd has probably heard this entire thing." Luka looked over at me and smirked when he saw he was right, I was awake. Though I really wish he hadn't said that last part, I was still grateful he'd come in when he had. Things would just be more awkward than ever now. Wonderful.

"Why are you here Luka?" I asked instead, opting to act like the rest of it didn't amtter. And it didn't, really. I had way too much to worry about right now to be bothered by two stupid-head bikers, who just want a grapple! I was worth more than that and wouldn't giveeither one the satisfaction. Not now. Luka seemed to read all that in the look on my face and grinned at me, apparently relieved to see it.

"Time to change the bandages my dear." Luka held up a bag that must be full of new supplies. God this part was so demented. It hurt, no matter what, and one of the horrible ironies of my current condition seemed to include a resistance to drugs and toxins, but I didn't get the speed healing that was supposed to accompany that metabolism. So instead I got to learn a whole new definition of the words pain tolerance, one I never wanted to. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried every single time. I dare anyone else to go through that and not earn every friggin tear.

Changing my bandages explains why the room was turning into Union station; it took more than one person helping to get it all done. Ixchel slipped into the room, rounding things out and raised an eyebrow at the still palpable tension in the room. But she ignored it and instead came over to my bedside, smiling down at me. I never told her that the Hunger had made me lick her blood up as if it were ambrosia. Or that ever since I had, I've had a weird sense of whether she was nearby or farther away. I would have told her about it, but now I'm thinking it was just in my head, because I hadn't felt her coming towards us. I swear my sanity is being held together only by how hard I can ignore some of the weirder crap happening to me right now.