Chapter thirty five

Tristan shifted Avery against him and stared at the ceiling of his bedroom. For the last three days he had laid in his bed and held Avery's naked body against his own. He had left her for only a few minutes at a time – to use the bathroom and check on Sophia - ignoring Maya's offer to lie with her sister for a longer period of time.

As the days passed and Avery did not wake, he could feel his certainty that she would heal herself fading. He ignored it grimly, clinging like a man drowning, to the idea that any moment she would wake and smile at him.

The door opened and Vivian, Maya and Marshall filed in. They stood around his bed, staring down at him, and fear trickled into his belly.

"What?" he asked. "What is it?"

His mother glanced at the others. "Tristan, my sweet boy, it has been three days. Never before has Avery taken this long to heal herself. I'm so sorry, my love, but I – we – believe that she is never going to wake up."

He stared mutely at her, his eyes dark with pain and sorrow, and she rested her hand on his shoulder. "I am more sorry than I can say, Tristan, but you need to let her go now."

He glanced at Maya who was weeping silently and steadily in Marshall's arms. "Do you agree, Maya?" He asked bleakly. "Are you ready to give up on your sister?"

"My lord, never before has anyone survived and returned to normal after having their essence taken from them," she whispered.

"Avery is unique. If anyone can survive it, it will be her."

Maya swallowed thickly as the tears slid down her face. "She should have woken by now, my lord. I know that you want her to – to get better but even Avery is still only human. She is not immortal."

He took a deep breath and stared down at Avery's pale face. "She will wake. I am not giving up on her."

Vivian sighed deeply. "Tristan -"

"Get out!" He bellowed. "Get out, all of you! She will wake. I will not give up on her as easily as the three of you!"

The three of them backed away as Tristan's body grew larger and his eyes turned green.

"All right, brother," Marshall said. He led Maya and Vivian from the room as Tristan studied Avery again.

"Hello, Papa." Sophia climbed into the bed and sat cross-legged against Avery's body. "Hello, little one," he replied dully.

It had been two hours since his conversation with the others and he'd been filled with anger

and despair ever since. Even the sight of Sophia could not lift his spirits.

The little girl sat quietly for a few minutes before speaking again. "I was in the kitchen

today, playing with my dolls under the table."

"Oh?" He tried to sound interested. "Did you have fun?"

She shrugged and stroked Avery's long red hair. "It was all right." She rubbed at a dark

bruise on her upper arm.

"How did you get that?" he asked.

She giggled. "I ran into the bedpost when I was playing tag with Marshall."

Her face dropped. "Maya yelled at him and then she started crying and couldn't stop. Marshall had to get Grandmamma and then take Maya away. She came back later though and said she was sorry."

She brought her knees up and hugged them. "When I was in the kitchen, Renee and Laura came in and they did not know I was there. They started talking about you and Avery."

She grinned at him. "They said that you have gone mad. Have you, Papa? Mama had a friend who went mad. It was funny to watch him. Are you going to tear off your clothes and run around naked and screaming at people?"

Despite his worry and fear for Avery, a small smile crossed his lips at the look of pure glee on her face. "No, my love. I have not gone mad, and I will not start running around naked."

"But you scream at people," she said.

He stared at her and she shrugged again. "Everyone in the house heard you yelling at Maya and Grandmamma."

"I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You didn't. You're yelling because you miss Avery. I miss her too." She sighed and stroked Avery's cheek with her small hand.

He echoed her sigh and Sophia reached across Avery and patted his bearded face. "Don't be sad, Papa. You're right you know."

"About what?"

"That she will wake." The little girl smiled happily at him.

"Sophia, I don't know for sure that she will wake. I'm hoping and -"

"No, Papa. She will wake and soon."

"How do you know that?"

She gave him a strange look. "Because she told me she would. Has she not told you, Papa?" He sat up a little, staring at Sophia. "When? When did she tell you this, Sophia?"

"When I sleep. Each night since you brought her back, she visits me in my dreams. She sits

in the rocking chair in the nursery. The first night she could not speak or even move. She only smiled at me when I hugged her. The second night she still did not speak but she returned my hug when I hugged her. And last night..."

Sophia smiled happily. "She whispered in my ear."

"What did she say?" he asked.

"That she loved me, and she would see me soon." Sophia smiled radiantly at him before

bending and kissing Avery's mouth. "I love you too, Avery." She glanced at him. "Do you love her, Papa?"

"Aye, Sophia, I do."

"When she wakes, will you marry her?"

He nodded. "If she'll have me."

"She will." The little girl stroked Avery's hair again. "I'm going to call her mama. Do you think she would like that?"

He swallowed, his voice rough with unshed tears. "Aye, little one. She will like that."

"Good." Sophia kissed Avery a final time and then scrambled over her and Tristan. "I am hungry, Papa. Shall I bring you something from the kitchen? Marian is making fresh bread."

"Not right now, my love. I will eat later."

She frowned. "I will bring you bread anyway. Grandmamma says you are not eating enough."

She slid off the bed and leaned against the side of it for a moment before kissing Tristan on the cheek and staring at Avery. "I will tell her tonight that you miss her. Perhaps she will visit you as well."

She walked toward the door. Tristan stared at her. There was something different about her, but his tired mind kept trying to grasp what it was, only to have it slip away. As she shut the door behind her, it suddenly clicked for him and he sucked in his breath. The bruise on her arm had disappeared

Vivian smiled at Tristan. "It is good to see you eating."

He nodded and continued to eat the soup that Marian had placed in front of him.

"Is Maya with Avery?"

"Aye." He finished his soup and sat back, running his hand through his damp hair. For the

first time in three days, he had allowed Maya to stay with Avery while he bathed and went to the kitchen to eat. "I'm going back to her now."

Vivian sat down beside him and put her hand on his arm. "Take a few more minutes, Tristan. Visit with Sophia for a bit."

"She was in my room earlier. We visited then." He stood, kissed his mother on the cheek and returned to his bedroom.

"How is she?" he asked Maya anxiously.

She eased her body out from under the covers. "The same, my lord."

She kissed Avery gently before leaving the room. He stripped and climbed into the bed next

to her. He turned her carefully onto her side and curled up against her warm back, putting his arm around her waist and holding her firmly against his chest.

He yawned tiredly. Although he had done nothing but lie in his bed with Avery, his worry for her had kept him from sleeping. Sophia's childish belief that Avery would wake had soothed him for the first time since he had seen the faerie inhaling her essence. As the sun dipped below the horizon, he fell asleep, his face buried against her warm skin.

He woke some time later, staring into the dark and wondering what it was that had woken him. It took him a few minutes to realize that it was the absence of Avery's soft breathing and warm body. Fear engulfed his body and he sat up, the covers falling to his waist.

Avery was curled up in the armchair next to the fire. She was wearing his shirt, her hair wet and loose around her shoulders, and her skin glowing softly in the firelight. His heart stuttered to a stop before kick-starting again with a powerful thud. He slid out of the bed before reality hit him.

He was dreaming. Sophia's story about dreaming of Avery had brought on his own. He paused for a moment before walking toward her. He might be dreaming but he didn't care. He wanted to hear her voice and see her smile before he woke.

He knelt naked at her feet and stared up at her. "Hello, girl."

"Hello, my lord." She smiled her sweet smile at him.

"I've missed you so much," he whispered and laid his head in her lap. Her skin was warm

and fragrant with soap, and he closed his eyes as she ran her hands through his hair.

"I've missed you as well," she replied.

He raised his head and stared up at her. "Before I wake, I need to tell you something. Maybe

Sophia is right, maybe this means that you'll come back to us, but if it doesn't, I have to tell you this now."

She frowned. "Tristan, you're not -"

"I love you, Avery. Please come back to me."

She blinked at him in surprise and then leaned forward and cupped his face in her hands, tears

glinting in her eyes. "I love you too, Tristan."

She kissed him, her mouth warm against his, and he returned her kiss eagerly.

They broke apart, both of them panting a little, and he gave her a look of sorrow. "I'm so

sorry, my love. I never meant for you to get hurt. If I had known what Victoria and Hendrick were capable of, I would never have allowed them in my home."

She traced his forehead with her fingers. "It does not matter now. We are together again – all is well."

She hugged him and he pushed his face into her neck, breathing deeply and wrapping his arms around her. He could feel her wet hair against his cheek and the softness of her fingertips as she stroked his naked back, and he marveled at the vividness of his dream.

"I don't want to wake up," he muttered against her throat.

She pushed him back gently and cupped his face again. "Tristan, you are not dreaming." He stared at her uncomprehendingly and she stroked his face. "This is not a dream. I woke

up over an hour ago."

She winced as his hands tightened painfully around her waist. He opened his mouth and she

smiled at him encouragingly, but no sound came out. She brushed his long hair back from his face and kissed both of his cheeks and the tip of his nose. "You looked so tired and were sleeping so peacefully I did not want to wake you. I had a bath and I had just sat down here when you woke."

"Not dreaming," he whispered.

"That is right, my lord. You are awake."

He leaped to his feet and picked her up. "You're alive!"

"Tristan! Hush! It is the middle of the night. You'll wake the entire house." She shushed

him frantically, and he grinned like a madman at her.

"I do not care! You're alive!" He hoisted her higher, his arms around her hips, and kissed

her flat abdomen through her shirt before whirling her around.

She laughed and pushed at his shoulders. "My lord, put me down before you drop me." He stopped and stared up at her without putting her down. She grinned down at him and

smoothed his hair back once more.

"Marry me," he said.

The smile dropped from her face. "Do not tease me in such a manner, Tristan."

She wiggled in his grip and he placed her gently on the ground but kept his arms wrapped

around her waist. "I am not teasing you, girl. I'm asking you to be my wife. Say yes." "Tristan, I am not a Lycan. Your mother said

"I do not care what she says. I love you, and Sophia and Nicholas love you, that is all that

matters. Besides, you won my mother over the moment you saved Sophia's life."

She stared up at him, her mouth trembling. "You would marry a Red?"

"I would marry you," he said. "I don't care what colour your hair is. I love you."

She continued to stare at him silently and he cleared his throat. "Well, girl? Will you marry

me?"

She gave him a brilliant smile. "Aye, I will."

He grinned and hugged her against him. She tugged his head down to hers and kissed him

thoroughly, sliding her tongue into his mouth and threading her fingers through his hair.

She sighed into his mouth as his hands tightened on her hips. She pressed against him eagerly and when he groaned and cupped her breast, she moaned with pleasure.

He tore his mouth from hers and rasped, "My love, we need to stop."

She frowned and trailed a path of warm, wet kisses down his throat. "I do not want to stop." "You need rest," he gasped, as she licked from his neck to the top of his shoulder. She

nipped the skin lightly with her teeth.

"I have been resting for three days," she murmured.

"No, you've been healing," he said. "You need more rest to make sure you are completely

healed."

"Both you and I know exactly what will help speed up the healing." She kissed his throat

again, sliding her hand down to grip him firmly.

"You said you missed me," she whispered. "Will you show me just how much, Tristan?" He picked her up and carried her to the bed. "I will do whatever you ask of me, my love."