Blood Legacy Chapter 122: 120. I can feel your heartbeat

There was an incessant beeping sound blaring at the back of my mind, slow and a little muffled. It wasn't really bothering me but it wouldn't let me rest either, the small sound disrupting my peace beep...after beep...after beep...

After beep...after beep...

I let out an exasperated groan, mumbling a string of nasty words as I could feel myself waking up from that sweet dream I was having of Darius. I almost felt like crying. _Why, God? Why?_

He was there, right in front of me and we were just about kiss, for crying out loud!

"This is not fair!" I weakly moaned out and tossed a little, already knowing that this was going to be a very bad day for me. Because well, it had already started very badly! I felt cranky and tired and I wanted to strangle someone! Anyone! And-and I...

My brows furrowed a little the very moment I noticed that there was something holding my hand hostage, refusing to let go no matter how hard I tugged at it.

What the...

No! The bangle! I let out a panicked gasp and jolted upwards, my heart threatening to come out of my chest as I felt the absence of it dangling around my wrist. There was no more metal digging into my skin. Someone must've managed to take it off! Someone must've-

I abruptly stopped short as soon as my gaze rose from the hand that was holding my own to the massive silhouette looming over my bed, my heart suddenly doing a somersault.

_Holy mother of Christ._

I thickly swallowed, my cheeks bursting into flames as I dumbly gawked up at him like a totally fucking moron.

"I...You..." I incoherently mumbled out, starting to become even more flustered as that heart-stealing smile slowly made its appearance over his handsome face.

Holy shit! Come on, brain! Come on, please work!

"I..." I blinked with astonishment and he simply continued to peer down at me with those enchanting black eyes, my lower tummy tingling as I dared let my gaze drop to his mouth for a fleeting moment.

He had such inviting and pretty pink lips...Exactly as they were in my dream...

Holy hell.

Wait. Was I still dreaming...somehow?

Holy shit what if I was?

My gaze slowly rose back up to meet his, feeling that twinge of enticement poking at me as those eyes seemed to become a little hooded with desire themselves.

Holy hell I was tripping so hard.

_Wake up, Carina. Wake the fuck up. This is just another deceiving dream. Just another cruel and mocking dream._

My hand slowly rose and his gaze shifted to it, mere seconds before I stretched it out and flicked his forehead with my index finger.

"Ow,"

His brows furrowed and he gave me a disbelieving look, lightly rubbing at that spot in the center of his forehead with his palm.

"Good morning to you too, kitten," he mumbled out with mild annoyance.

My eyes widened at the sight of his reaction and I let out a stunned gasp, slapping a hand over my mouth as I finally realized what I've just done. This was real. He was here. He really was here and I just fucking bopped his forehead.

I instantly cringed with utter mortification, torn between letting out a crazy laugh at the stupidity of it and actually trying to apologize. I was just trying to make him disappear! I never would've thought that-

"Oh my god."

"Oh my fucking god you're...you're here..." I said as realization finally dawned upon me.

"You're actually here," My voice trembled from the sudden onslaught of emotions. And driven by pure instinct I practically threw myself in his lap, my arms wrapping around the back of his neck as I buried my face in the crook of it. I choked down a sob, forcing myself not to start crying now, even though I desperately wanted to. I wanted to bawl my eyes out from the overwhelming bliss and relief. I wanted to scream. I wanted to rip my own clothes off, and offer myself to him. I wanted to have his hands, his lips on me. I wanted him deep inside of me. I wanted his warmth. His skin. His sweat. His breath on me. I wanted to bask in his scent. Rub myself all over him like a damn cat. I wanted him to envelop me. Ruin me and then put me back together.

"What can I say, I'm a sucker for those blue eyes of yours," he replied after a strained grunt, letting out a small chuckle.

I meekly whimpered at the feel of that special vibration of his voice, my hands lowering to clutch at the lapels of his suit jacket as few tears started to fall. Holy shit. I couldn't believe how happy I felt. How soothed and peaceful.

He pressed a gentle kiss over the top of my head, his fingers drawing lazy circles over my back as he softly added,

"And I couldn't exactly say no since you asked me so nicely,"

I suddenly stilled at the sound of his words, my brows furrowing.

I...What?

Slowly and cautiously, I peeled back to look up at him, meeting those sexy and intimidating black eyes of his as he was already peering down at me with such tenderness.

"I...asked...?"

He offered me a warm smile and my cheeks heated up so furiously, suddenly aware of the fact that I was still straddling him so brazenly. My breasts were basically pushing up against him, my crotch area so dangerously close to his. And I was only wearing a freaking hospital gown with nothing else underneath, as it turned out! _Oh my god!_

I scrambled off of him faster than the damned wind, careful not to accidentally flash him. So I kept my attention trained on him the whole time, slithering backwards over the bed as pure embarrassment suddenly flooded me.

_Get a fucking grip, Care!_ I was acting like a freaking bitch in heat! What if he didn't want me like that? He told me to run! He let me go! He was the one who brought me back home that night! He left me! I shouldn't act so-

"Wait. What do you mean by that?" My brows furrowed again, only now registering what he actually said.

"And what's with this fucking noise? God!" I suddenly turned as that beeping sound blared so incessantly now, my gaze falling onto the machine attached to my body.

What the fuck?!?

"Why is this thing strapped to me? And why are we in a hospital room?!?" I ripped the cord away from my arm, the beep now turning into a flatline.

"Hey, hey, kitten," he rushed to capture my attention, his hands grabbing a gentle hold on my shoulders.

"It's okay, you're okay now," he softly said and I raised my gaze to peer back into his enchanting eyes.

"You...fainted and we brought you here, just as a precaution," he explained and my brows furrowed yet again, struggling to remember my last memory awake before I found myself lying in this hospital bed.

Nate. We were arguing and-

"Did that asshole strangle me or something? Oh my god, if he did I'm so gonna-"

"No, he didn't hurt you, kitten. I did,"

My eyes immediately snapped back to his, blinking a few times.

"I never should've let you go," he quietly admitted, his hand timidly shifting to rest over the side of my neck.

"I was wrong. There was no way you could've mended your bond with Nate. Ours was too strong already. Your magic linked itself with mine, entwining our very lives,"

"I'm so sorry, kitten. For everything," he softly uttered and I could feel that twinge of regret lacing his tone.

"I never should've taken you away. I never should've shoved myself into your life. I ruined everything. Your bond with Nate, and then I let ours become way too strong..." he said and I found myself quickly shaking my head, desperate to refute everything he just said. How could he say that? It wasn't true! He hadn't ruined anything! He saved me! He helped me see the truth!

"I ruined you. I let our bond form and now you're shackled to me forever, whether you want to or not," his voice turned raw and hoarse, those eyes shining with so much sadness and despondency as they peered into my own.

"You may think that Nate and your dad are monsters, but I'm the real villain in this story. I ruined everything, from the very beginning. I tried to escape our marriage, shoving Nate into your path just so that I would steal you later from right under his nose, breaking his heart all over again right before I broke yours by letting you go," he confessed and I felt a tear trail its way down my face, quickly wiping it away.

"I'm the one who fucking sucks, not you," he said and I let out a small and fleeting giggle upon remembering that night when I'd gotten drunk back at the cabin and said those words to him.

"I suck so bad and now I almost let you die of heartbreak and longing," his eyes reflected so much pain and self-loathing as he continued to look at me, making me feel it with him.

"I strained our tether. I thought that if I let you go maybe you would've forgiven Nate and found your way back to him. I didn't realize that our bond had already strengthened so greatly,"

"And when I heard your grieving pleas my soul broke, knowing that I have caused you so much pain by keeping you away from me..."

"I'm so sorry, my little kitten. And I can only hope that you will someday forgive me," he quietly said, his thumb gingerly caressing my cheek.

I blinked and stared back at him, so deeply affected by his words that I almost failed to take notice of a certain information he'd snuck in between. Almost.

"Wait. You...heard me?"

He'd heard me that day in the bathroom when I'd begged for him to come back and take me away? That was actually him I'd felt? It was him, and not just my magic playing tricks on me like I'd initially thought?

He remained silent, offering me a warm smile and my eyes instantly widened, feeling my cheeks quickly fill up with furious heat as I recalled every detail of that moment. Every plea...every moan...every touch I'd inflicted upon myself, imagining it was his...

Holy shit.

Too tormented by the sheer mortification I suddenly grabbed the crumpled sheets lying on my bed and dragged them over my head, sharply screeching out,

"Oh my god! I'm a fucking pervert!"

I heard his thoroughly amused laugh so I slightly pulled that sheet away and peeked with only one eye.

"Why are you laughing? No! Stop! This isn't funny! I'm fucking weird! You should go away before I friggin' assault you or something!" I complained and he started to laugh even harder, making me tear that piece of sheet away from my face and curiously stare back at him, ignoring that delicious flutter in my stomach at the sexy sound.

Holy crap he was beautiful. His eyes were crinkled at the corners, his perfect teeth on full display as he let out a mirthful laugh.

"Dude, I'm serious!" My frown tried to hide that smile threatening to form on my lips but I failed miserably, slowly becoming infected as he let out another chuckle, that look in his eyes as he peered at me again making me blush a little.

"You're breathtaking," he sincerely uttered and I blushed even harder, my gaze lowering from the intensity of his.