My gut tightened. I had to pee. Now. I touched his hair, the blue strands gliding between my fingers. “Kal,” I said, my voice like sandpaper. I coughed. My throat was bone dry. I needed water, but my bladder squeezed uncomfortably. Water would have to wait.
“Babe.”
He grunted, nuzzling me.
A tidal wave of memories crashed over me. The tavern, flying, rain, mud, afterward. We’d started to… and I puked, right in front of him.
Stomach clenching, I had to get up or there would be a problem. “Babe.”
Kal rocked against me, arm tightening. His eyes met mine. “Seth!”
“Babe.”
His forehead creased as a strong emotion crossed his face. I opened my mouth to say something, but his lips smashed into mine, stopping me.
“Seth,” he whispered. His movements were desperate. Needy whimpers escaped him as he pressed into me, shoving me back on the bed.
I pulled my mouth away from his. His lips trailed over me, placing firm kisses along my jaw, brow, eyes, and nose, sending dull pulses down my spine. Kal kept kissing me, anywhere he could reach.
I was too tired. I wanted to piss, then sleep.
“My Seth,” he whispered.
I lifted my trembling arms to draw him close. “Kal, I need—”
“What?” Kal interrupted. “What do you need?”
Hand over his mouth so he couldn’t interrupt me again, I said, “I need to go to the bathroom.”
He stood before drawing the blanket back, and I blinked. I was naked. What the hell was going on?
“You’ve been sick. For days,” Kal said.
Studying him, I could see the exhaustion in the way his wings hung against his back as well as his lifeless tail. How sick had I been? And what exactly had Kal had to do to take care of me?
Kal caught my chin. “I love you.”
For some reason, those words made the backs of my eyes burn. “I’m sorry,” I said when the first tear escaped.
He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “Don’t apologize.”
“It’s all so…” I trailed off, waving my hand. Everything was too much.
Kal put his arms under mine and helped me stand. My knees knocked together and the world tilted.
“Hold onto me. I have you,” he said.
Kal placed my arms around his neck and grabbed the machine connected to me, pulling it along next to us. My steps were halted and small, and my breath turned jagged. It took forever to make it to the bathroom. After I peed, I didn’t bother to put on any clothes, and Kal helped me back to bed.
My eyes started to close. Lucy head-butted me, but I didn’t have the energy to pet her. Kal moved her away to drape the blanket over me.
“Please don’t go to sleep yet,” Kal said, his voice tight.
It was a struggle, but I opened my eyes. “I need to sleep.”
“Not yet.”
“I’m tired,” I said, my voice weak.
