THIRST

Chapter Thirty: Winter Solstice (Bane)

PART ONE

I awoke the next morning feeling out of place and with the worst pounding headache I've ever had in my life. The sun was shining through the windows as I looked around the room and familiarized myself with it which came to the conclusion that it was indeed Setekh's bedroom. Glancing down at my body, I didn't have to lift up the sheet to realize that I was naked. As my limbs moved about, I noticed how sore I was followed by the slight bruising that ran along the left side of my arm. Ouch.

I winced as I tried to sit up and eased my back against the headboard. And that's when the door opened and Setekh walked in carrying a tray filled with food fit for a prince. Our eyes met and for one brief moment, I thought I saw the hurt and sadness within them. He toward me and sat down the tray on the edge of the nightstand, exhaling slowly. I stared at his chest, avoiding his eyes if only for a moment. I landed on his smooth and muscular skin that seemed to glow in the early morning light as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Then I went up north till I found the soft curves of his lips. He licked them carefully, knowing full well that I was watching. My body twitches on its own as if by a wild impulse. How odd. Setekh smirked when he saw this and reached out with his hand to touch my cheek.

"I thought I almost lost you last night," he said softly.

"For a moment there you did."

He sighed. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm fine. My stomach sure feels empty though."

He smiled. "Then it's a good thing I brought up some food for you. Here."

Gathering the tray in his hands once again, he set it down on his lap as I folded my legs underneath me and sat even closer. Between the various fruits and wholesome bread, two tall glasses of orange juice sat off to the side. Soon my mouth began to water while my stomach growled in response to the many calories I was about to digest. A perfectly shaped strawberry lay wedged in-between a piece of bagel and some grapes as I reached for it and brought it to my mouth.

My quivering tongue touched the tip as my teeth sank deep, savoring its juicy goodness. I closed my eyes at that then heard a low rumble coming from Setekh.

"Oops." I stifled a giggle. "Sorry."

"Will you let me feed you?"

"Sure. But may I ask why?"

"It's my duty as a bonded male to serve his mate in all manner of things. Like eating for example."

"Oh. Okay then."

He picked up a grape as he nestled it between his thumb and index finger then brought it to my mouth. The grape was delicious and taking a sip from the orange juice wasn't bad either for it tasted fresh. In the end, I ate as much as I could until I held up my hand.

As he placed the tray back on the nightstand, Setekh glanced toward the window and sighed heavily. "Hey. What's wrong?" I asked.

"My parents have arrived to check in on you, including the pack's doctor. I'll be right back."

Moments later, I heard the sound of voices comings upstairs. The door opened again and Setekh walked in first having been flanked by his mother and father, including the doctor. Dressed in a white lab coat with black slacks and a rose pink dress shirt, the doctor was just as breathtaking as the rest of them. Strong, muscular jaw with broad shoulders and a firm build. His hair was raven black while his eyes were unlike anything I'd ever seen before. They were so beautiful upon first glance that it was hard to look at anything else.

"Ah. So this must be the infamous mate I've been hearing so much about. It's an honor to finally meet you."

"Thank you," I said.