Zed's Dishonest Mate (6 page)

“Yes, sir,” Bishop said. He turned and walked out the door.

“Thank you,” Luka said. He just hoped it wasn’t too much trouble and Zed didn’t decide to get rid of him.

“Not so fast. What’s wrong with your leg?” Zed asked, focusing on his bad leg.

“My knee hurts.” Luka looked away. He felt weak and stupid. “The doctor will take care of it.”

Zed moved in. “I’m going to rip the fabric around your knee and pull it off your body. I want to look at it.”

“No, that’s okay. We can wait for the doctor.”

Luka tried to block Zed, but the vampire moved in. He ripped the pants just above the knee. Luka braced himself for the pain, but there wasn’t any. With Zed’s long nails and teeth, he cut through the material. When his naked leg was exposed, Zed gasped.

Luka moved a pillow trying to cover the damage. He knew the swollen knee and the deep, purple bruises that covered most of his leg looked hideous.

Zed pushed the pillow aside. “Who did this to you?”

Luka started laughing. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t help it. Was it because Zed looked like he might care? Luka knew the truth. Zed was probably worried about the chore list. The one he couldn’t even read. He wanted love from the man. How pathetic could he be? Before Luka knew it the laugh turned into sobs. He tried to stop the tears.

“It’s okay. I’ll get a doctor.” Zed moved in to wrap an arm around his shoulder and Luka flinched. He fought to control the sobs.

Slowly the tears stopped. He looked at the sadness and anger on Zed’s face. What did he do now? “I’m sorry. I won’t let that happen again.”

“Don’t be foolish. Cry when you want to cry. When I went to touch your shoulders, you flinched away. Does a vampire touch bother you that much?”

Luka looked at his mate. For the first time, he saw a little of the man from his visions, not the angry vampire that wanted nothing to do with him. “No, that’s not it. My shoulders are sore and I’m afraid the touch will hurt.” Zed deserved some honesty in return.

Zed started pulling at his shirt, the movements slow and gentle. “Let’s get your shirt off.”

“No!” Luka exclaimed. “I mean, that’s okay. Everything’s fine.” He pushed at Zed’s hands.

“Are you bruised?” Zed asked. “Don’t lie to me.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m fine.” Zed narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t convincingly lie. “Okay, maybe a little bruised,” Luka conceded.

“Then let’s take off your shirt. It’s going to happen after the doctor arrives. Let me see the damage.”

Luka looked at his hands. He really wanted to avoid Zed seeing him like this, but the determined look in his mate’s eyes showed there was no way around this. He slowly nodded. “You’ll be gentle, right?”

“Of course,” Zed said in a gentle tone that surprised him. His mate moved closer to remove Luka’s clothes. He just hoped that Zed didn’t go running from the room as every inch of bruised skin was revealed.

Luka stiffened and braced for pain. The stance formed easily with an expertise obtained from experience. Zed hated the bowed shoulders and the clenched teeth. The small elf expected pain and was ready to be beaten down.

Zed studied the high-necked shirt. Pulling it over his small mate’s head might hurt. He didn’t know the extent of the bruising. He leaned closer. “Luka, I’m going to slice the shirt down the middle.”

A hesitant nod informed Zed that his mate had heard and had reluctantly agreed. His nails grew. At this length, they were sharper than knives. He reached under the white material. His knuckle rubbed against Luka’s back. The elf hissed in pain. He clenched his eyes closed as if afraid to see Zed looking at his body. He would worry about that later. Now, Zed needed to assess the damage.

His nail sliced through the fabric like a knife cutting through soft cheese. The fabric fell open and he grabbed the ends and slid the material down Luka’s arms. The small elf grabbed the fabric and then pulled it into his chest. He then wrapped both arms around the pieces of the white shirt and held it close like a security blanket.

Zed slowly started to examine the smaller man’s back, lightly touching the dark bruises. He gently ran his fingers over the darkest spot on Luka’s left side right above the hip bone and then moved toward his ribs. The dark, angry marks covered the elf prince’s back. Zed reached the thin shoulders but Luka flinched, moving away from his extended hand. Zed’s blood boiled looking at the inflicted abuse. Some bruises were healed more than others, reflecting the ongoing abuse his mate endured.

“This isn’t a little bruising,” Zed said, forcing the anger away. Luka didn’t need to see it.

Luka shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not that bad.”

Zed wanted to scream. Any abuse was bad and shouldn’t be tolerated. Instead, he lifted Luka’s chin up until their eyes met. Luka darted his eyes around, but Zed waited. Finally, Luka looked directly at him. He stared into his mate’s eyes for a few seconds, making sure he had Luka’s complete attention. “Who did this to you?” Zed demanded.

Luka tried to pull his head back, but Zed reached behind him and held his head steady. Whoever hurt his mate didn’t touch the small elf’s head. They wanted to cause pain, not permanent damage.

“Listen, I can still prove my worth. I might need a little time, but I will show you. Don’t worry. After the doctor heals me, my body will be ready to work. I won’t complain. Just let me stay here. Please don’t send me back because of this,” Luka pleaded.

The desperation tore at his heart. The words he had spoken earlier came back to him. He told his mate that if things didn’t work out he’d return him. The fear now made sense. Zed leaned in, touching their foreheads. “I can see you’ve not been cared for, but you’re now mine. No one will ever touch you like this again. You’re my mate.”

“I can stay?” Fear resonated within the question.

“You’re staying.” The statement held no room for argument. He let the words sink in. “Now, Luka, tell me the name of the person that hurt you.” Zed released his hold on Luka, and gently rubbed his chin.

Luka looked down. “It was the elf king.”

“Your father did this?” Zed stood. He couldn’t hold back his anger. “Why?” he demanded. He cursed when his mate flinched back. “I’m sorry.” He leaned in to soothe Luka. “I don’t like seeing you hurt and thinking that someone hurt you makes me angry. But I’m not angry at you. Do you understand?”

Luka nodded. “Do we have to talk about it?” Luka asked. He wrapped his arms tighter around the remnants of the shirt.

“No, we don’t have to talk about it now. The conversation can wait until later. We will talk about it later. This is not something that can be ignored.”

“Okay,” Luka said in a soft voice. “Can I have a blanket? It’s a little cold without my shirt.” His mate tried to bend his knee, but the leg barely moved. “I’m okay if you don’t want me to have one. I probably seem ungrateful and spoiled to ask for something.” He shook his head. “Forget it. I don’t really need one. I’m okay.” He trembled as he said the words.

Zed moved to the closet and grabbed a blanket. He walked over and helped his mate onto his back. He covered the smaller man’s body with the heavy quilt. “Are you in pain?”

“No, not really.”

From the way Luka tried to position his back onto the bed, he was uncomfortable. Zed wanted complete honesty from his mate, but right now he’d let the small lie slide. “I’m sending Bishop to the supermarket to pick up food. You can’t drink blood like us. How about we make a list while we wait for the doctor?”

Luka looked at him. “I can pick my own food.” The shock on the elf’s face was priceless and a little sad.

“Of course, what type of food do you like?” Zed asked.

“Well, I don’t eat meat. I love fruit. Bananas and strawberries are my favorite, but it’s okay. I don’t really need to eat them.” Luka looked away. “Zed, do you think that maybe you could like me a little bit?”

Zed felt like he’d been slapped. “Of course,” he said.

“I’m an elf. Vampires hate elves. Besides, there’s something about me that people don’t like. The elf king hurts me and even my mate doesn’t like my personality.”

“You’re not just an elf. You’re my elf. As for me not liking your personality, you were right. I should get to know you before I jump to conclusions.”

“Yes, you should get to know someone before you jump to conclusions,” Luka said, nodding his head in agreement. His mate was adorable, something he wouldn’t think about before.

“Also, the current animosity didn’t exist a few decades ago. Vampires and elves got along,” Zed added. He wanted Luka to know that the two races could be friends and they had been in the past. He’d left out the part about King Kane causing most of the problems.

Luka’s eyes widened. “Really.”

His mate’s innocence was beautiful.

“It might have been before you were born. How old are you?”

The question took his mate by surprise. “Around twenty-one or twenty-two. I’m not really sure. We don’t celebrate my birthday. I don’t remember when it is anymore.” His mate laughed at the irony of the situation.

The more Zed heard the harder it became to control his rage. Everything about his mate’s life left him feeling sad for not being able to help him earlier. He’d make it up to Luka by finding out his mate’s birthday, and on his next birthday, he would host a large party with a lot of people celebrating. He looked at Luka again. He was still hiding something. There was more to this story and Zed would find out everything.

“How about we start making a shopping list while we wait for the doctor?”

Luka nodded. “Do you eat food or just drink blood?”

“I have no taste for food, but I’m old enough to tolerate it. Older vampires drink very little blood and need only a little bit of sleep.”

“You don’t sleep. What will you do when I sleep?”

Zed looked down at his mate. “I will hold you in my arms and keep you safe. Something tells me it’s going to be one of my favorite parts of the day.”

Luka blushed then turned his head away.

“Now, let’s finish that list.”

Zed wrote the different foods Luka liked. He added a few items of his own. He would have to talk to Thomas, Roman’s brother, about creating a balanced vegetarian diet.

Over an hour later, Yavin walked through the door with the doctor. Luka pulled the blanket up to his nose and stared at the man.

“Hello, Avery,” Zed greeted.

“Hello, Prince Zed, and hello, Prince Luka,” Avery said. He smiled at his mate, but Luka looked away.

Zed stepped back as Avery moved in. Luka looked at Zed with large, bulging eyes that begged him to stay. He nodded and moved against the wall. Like he’d leave his mate alone with anyone in his current vulnerable state. Hell, he didn’t think he’d be able to leave until Luka’s body healed and they were fully mated.

“What seems to be the problem?” Avery asked Luka.

“I can’t use my healing magic. I can feel it, but when I try to push it into my body nothing happens.”

Avery held out his hand. “Touch my hand and release your magic.”

Luka shook his head. “I can only release my magic inside of me. It won’t work on anyone else.”

Avery studied Luka. “I see. Let me see what happens when you try to heal yourself.”

“Avery, is there something wrong with him?” Zed asked. “He can’t use magic on anyone else.”

The doctor looked at Luka and his mate’s eyes widened. Avery nodded and looked at Zed. The wordless conversation would be obvious to everyone in the room and he knew the secret the two elves shared would remain hidden.

“No, it’s not unusual. It means he doesn’t have a lot of magic.”

Luka moved to sit up. Zed placed a hand behind his mate’s back to help him sit up. The blanket fell away and Avery gasped at the damage. Zed looked at Avery and the elf nodded. He didn’t want to upset Luka any more than necessary. Luka moved his hand to his damaged knee and forced his magic into the swollen area. His hand released a faint green light, but nothing happened to his leg. It wasn’t healing.

“Can I run my hands down your body? I want to evaluate your magic. I’m going to have to touch some of the bruised sections of your knee. Is that okay?”

Luka looked at Zed. His mate didn’t know what to say, so Zed answered. “Yes, but be very gentle.”

Avery barely touched Luka’s skin as his hand hovered above his body. “I see. Your body has too much healing energy in it. Your system is overloaded and now blocking the magic.”

Luka clenched his stomach with his hands. “Is it permanent?”

“No, it’s not. You can’t heal yourself for a while, but slowly your body will start to accept magic again. You will make a complete recovery, so don’t worry about that.” The doctor placed a hand over Luka’s hands resting on his stomach.

Luka nodded.

“Worry about what?” Zed asked. The two were keeping secrets and he wanted answers.

“That I was permanently damaged,” Luka answered before looking away.

There was more to the story, but right now Zed decided to let it go.

“The knee needs magic to heal. It won’t heal on its own. The rest of your body will. My magic is different, so it will work. I’m only going to use enough to fix the knee. It will be weak, but you’ll be able to move it. Then you’ll need to take it easy for a while. Do you understand?” Avery asked.

Luka nodded.

Avery leaned in. “You’re going to be sleepy after this.”

“No wait,” Luka said.

The doctor stopped moving his glowing, green hands.

“I need to stay awake until noon. Is there anything else you can do?”

Zed cringed. Those were his old orders and Luka intended to follow them.

“Luka, let Avery heal you,” Zed ordered. He looked at his small mate and saw defiance in the elf’s violet-blue eyes.

“I won’t waste the day in bed. I need to meet your people. You said so yourself. If he heals me then I’ll sleep too long. I won’t lounge all day in bed. Besides, Avery’s not talking about a couple of hours. I will sleep for days. If I have to use crutches or a wheelchair that’s fine.”

Avery cleared his throat. “Luka, if you force your body too much, the damage to your leg will be permanent. Besides, you need to rest to heal.”