Hypnotic - 12. Chapter 12

I blinked at the doctor's explanation. I tried to let go of Dav's hand, but he wouldn't let me, tightening his fingers until I stopped trying to pull away. He relaxed and caressed the back of my hand with his thumb, making me shiver.

Dav's voice was steady when he spoke, “So, you're saying that all I have to do is bite Ellis, and he'll get better?"

"That's what we think. Even with his type of migraine, his episodes were not severe enough to explain the damage to the vessels in his eyes."

"I have Carthera blood in me?" I asked in a faint voice. I was still reeling with that little tidbit.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Dav asked me, his hand tightening on mine. "After all, you took in some of my blood when we mated. Are you really that worried about being like me?"

I opened my mouth, but Dr. Pannar spoke before I could say anything.

"We don't really know what is in you, Ellis. Maybe that is worse. You seem to have some of the extra anomalies that Carthera have in their genetic make-up but we can't seem to determine any species it would originate from. It's almost like you have the genes to change like a Carthera would upon mating, but you don't have your own species traits before then."

"So that's why I have the tasting smell thing like Dav has, right?" That could also be why Isiah had fangs. I really had to talk to him.

"A Jacobson's organ, yes, we think so. Those few humans who are bonded to a Carthera develop mating marks, but don't change physically beyond that. You're different, completely unique as far as we know." I bit my lip.

As far as they knew. Right.

Dr. Bakier chimed in, "We think that is why your headaches have begun to worsen since you mated. The venom in your body is changing you and was affecting the vessels in your brain, preventing the constriction that causes your migraines. Venom has been studied for treatment of migraines before and this is a prime example of what it could do when we know more."

"Then why did I go blind? I don’t really understand that part."

Dr. Pannar coughed. “Before last night, you hadn’t seen Dav or been with him since you fought, correct?”

I twitched with embarrassment, glad I couldn’t see anyone’s faces for once. It was clear what the doctor meant. “No. We didn’t ‘see’ each other.”

“As I thought. Since you were not being,” he cleared his throat, “intimate; the venom levels in your blood dropped suddenly. You began to experience an increased frequency in your migraines, correct?" Dr. Pannar asked. It wasn't really a question; Dr. Pannar had seen me leave work with several over the past few days.

I nodded.

"Your distance to Davis and the lack of venom in your system meant that the changes it had begun to make in your brain became unstable. The blood flow began to change and your vessels actually constricted more than previously due to the effects the venom already made on the vessel walls. Then you had a dose of venom and your blood flow and vessel integrity changed again. That resulted in the blown vessels that were infringing on your optic nerves.

“When we checked again, those have healed but the pressure is still building, continuing the blindness. Long explanation short, Dav is right. You need more venom."

I felt my mouth drop open, thinking of what it did to me, the fire and the need. I shuddered. But without it . . . .

"Will his sight come back if we do this?" Dav asked. It was hard hearing the hope in his voice when I was trying so hard not to latch onto it myself. Living was a gift I hadn't expected to receive; my vision coming back was something I hadn't even considered.

"We cannot say with any certainty. It is a possibility."

I bit my lip. "So . . . can I go home then? If all I need is venom and not medicine, then I don’t really need to be here do I?"

"Oh no, you can’t go home. You have to stay here," my doctor said hastily. "If something goes wrong you would be too far away to get help. You're going to have to be monitored and watched closely."

I could feel a flush spread across my face, and heat prickled across my neck made me shudder. That was the first moment I was actually a little thankful I couldn’t see anyone’s face. "Watched?"

"I won't allow anyone to see Ellis that way!" Davis hissed. "No one sees my mate when he's been given my venom, no one!" There were subtle vibrations in his arm lying against mine. I could feel his anger, almost like a bitter taste, through our bond.

Dr. Pannar cleared his throat. "Oh, um, no. You’re quite right. We would like the empirical data, but that would be going too far. We would monitor and observe Ellis' vital signs with machinery here in the hospital. You can lock the door, and we won't disturb you at all unless we see something dangerous happening."

"I don’t know. Dav?" I wasn't able to say anything else; my heart was pounding in fear, hope, more fear.

"I think . . . ." Dav's hand tightened on mine and I could hear the strain in his voice. "This will work right?" His question came out quietly desperate.

"It's his best shot."

"Then let's do it."

***

It was incredibly awkward, getting set up to have sex with my mate in the hospital. I felt like my whole body was flushed bright red in embarrassment even though I knew all about clinical impassivity. I was a nurse, but it was a very different thing when you were the patient. The nurses came in and attached wireless leads to my head, shaving a patch at the base of my skull for one and placing two on my temples.

"What will those do?" Dav asked.

Dr. Bakier spoke from somewhere above my head. "These are wireless transmitters for a new type of TCD. That's a transcranial doppler. It's an ultrasound technique that will let us monitor the pressure in the vessels of his brain and eyes. They're state of the art; I got them as part of an experimental study I actually wanted to involve Ellis in anyway. This will be an ideal situation to test them." His voice was excited and Dav made a noise.

I hushed him."Looks like you got your wish, Doc," I joked.

"Yes, well," he cleared his throat, "I am just glad that with them we can monitor you and still give you the privacy you need. Let's just start this up and check the signal, and then we'll get out of your way."

My face flamed. This was even worse than the hazing the nurses gave me when I first went to work at the hospital. A few beeps and whirrs later and I could hear paper shuffling. Dr. Pannar and Dr. Bakier spoke quietly for a minute.

“I’ll be right back; I have to check the other machine.” I heard Dr. Bakier left the room for a minute before coming back and speaking again, "Okay, the monitor is receiving measurements at the nurse's desk and in here. If we see any dangerous changes in the pressure in Ellis' brain we'll alert you."

"Don't come barging in here," Dav warned them. "You don't get to see him like that."

"Davis!"

"We're doctors; there is nothing we haven't seen before. This is about Ellis' safety; I'm sure you can understand that."

I could hear the sound of Dav hissing faintly.

"Stop it. They won't come in unless I'm in danger. I don't want anyone, but you seeing me like that but this is my life we’re talking about Davis. Stop making this more difficult."

I felt him bend over me, and then he kissed me on the forehead. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed, my tongue flicking against his neck. I felt a little of the tension leave him. "Okay, babe. I'm sorry; I'm just worried."

I took a deep breath and let it out. "I am too."

"We're going to step out now," Dr. Pannar said. "I understand wanting to protect your mate's privacy Davis. I promise I will make sure no one enters without a very good reason."

I felt better hearing him say that, and I could feel even more of the stress swamping Dav fade as well. I nodded; swallowing was suddenly difficult when I heard the door shut.

"How come this seems more awkward than the first time we were together?" I tried to hide my nervousness behind a shaky laugh, but of course he wouldn’t let me.

Dav pushed my hair away from my face. "There's a lot happening. But you don't need to do anything, just be here with me. I've got you." I felt his breath puff against my lips just before his mouth claimed mine. It started slow and soft, but it wasn't long before my hands were buried in his hair and I was pulling him closer so that I could thrust my tongue in his mouth.

I whimpered when he pulled back. I couldn't think when his taste filled my senses. I didn't want to think, to know what hinged on this act between us; not to mention what it could mean if it didn't work. Or what would happen if it did.

It was all just too much. Dav, mating, my body changing due to some weird blood anomaly, all while worrying about Isiah and his mate and Velaku's investigation. Tears slipped out of the corners of my eyes, and I bit my lip to hold back the sob threatening to burst out.

Of course Dav could feel exactly what I was feeling and his arms were tight around me as he slid fully onto the bed. It was small, and our bodies touched from head to toe, his heat almost radiating off his body. I turned into him, reaching for him and fisting his shirt in my hand so he couldn’t move away.

"Shhh, shhh," he crooned to me as he pulled my face to his neck and held me close. "It's going to be okay, Ellis. I promise, no matter what, it's going to be okay." He let me cry until the helpless feeling began to fade. I finally drew in a shuddering breath and blew it out, my body and mind both stilling under his caresses. I felt a lot calmer, and I pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

I leaned back and I felt his thumbs brush my cheeks, wiping away a few stray tears.

"Better?"

I nodded. "It's just so much. There are things I can't tell you, things that I want to tell you, but I'm afraid of how you'll react. Then the doctor comes in with this," I waved my hand between him and me, "and it's all just so complicated."

Dav sighed. "I know you've been hiding something; I can feel it. I know it has something to do with Matthew, your emotions were all over the place when you spoke to him."

I licked my lips. "Well, not really, but yes, Matthew knows. He’s the best friend I have."

Dav's breath caught, and I felt a twinge of jealousy quickly suppressed. "Tell you what," he said roughly, "first, let's take care of you. Then you can tell me whatever you need to and I promise that I will listen and not get mad. We're mates; I won't make the mistake of not putting my faith in you again, Ellis. I won't fail you again, not ever."

I knew that his promise would be tested beyond what he might be able to keep once he learned about Isiah, but I couldn't help but latch on to whatever hope he offered me. He couldn't prove that I could trust him if I didn't give him a chance. I bit my bottom lip and sucked it into my mouth. I chewed for a few moments, and then let it out with a small popping noise. I couldn’t help but wonder if I really had the strength to let Dav back in. If he didn’t live up to his promise . . .

He made a sound in his throat that I'd never heard before. "Dav?"

"You're killing me, mate. I thought I was going to lose you when you passed out. I'm still scared and my fear makes me need to hold you. I need to touch you, need to know that you're still here with me. Watching you is just torture."

"Watching me?" I raised my eyebrow and slowly sucked my lip in again. "Watching me do what?"

He hissed and then captured my mouth with almost bruising force. I moaned as he bit my bottom lip between his sharp teeth, holding it so carefully the sharp edges didn't break the skin, just created a sharp sensation at odds with the soft suction when he drew it into his mouth and suckled and tasted me.

His urgency shot across our bond and hit me. Suddenly all the emotions: the fear, anxiety, and caution disappeared. He wanted me, and I wanted him. He was right; we could talk later.

He had too many clothes on.

So did I.

My hands tugged on his shirt, yanking it out of his pants. His slid up my bare back to the single tie holding my hospital gown closed. I felt the knot come loose and the collar slid down my chest, baring my shoulders until it caught on my arms. I was impatiently trying to break the kiss so I could get Dav's shirt off but he wouldn’t let go, biting down suddenly with his fangs, the tips just barely buried in my lip.

A tingling warmth filled it and I gasped, panting when he let go. He’d never used his fangs during foreplay, injecting just a tiny bit in one spot. It was different from the all over body flush and heat when he buried them in my neck.

"Just a taste of what I'm going to do to you.” His voice was ragged, the slight hiss in his voice when he said the word taste made me shiver. He let me pull his shirt off, and he pushed the gown off my arms. His skin was smooth against mine as he leaned over me, hands caressing as he kissed along my jaw to my ear. A single fang punctured my lobe and my muscles tightened.

A sharp sound escaped me as he licked along the edge of my ear and then back down, his split tongue tracing along the inside and outside. Twin wet trails slid down my neck to my shoulder. The cool air of the room felt icy against the warm wetness. I shuddered and slid my hand down his back to grip his ass. I kneaded the muscles, irritated by the feeling of fabric under my fingers rather than the soft skin I wanted to touch and caress.

I tugged at his pants."Off," I said.

I heard his buckle come undone and then the sound of his zipper. He writhed against me, pressing against my hip, the narrow bed not giving him much room to get his pants off.

"Good thing I'm flexible," he said with a throaty chuckle.

Other images of what he could do with his ability flashed through my mind and I felt my erection jerk and drip against me.

"Dav!" I was beyond embarrassment, his urgency only making me even needier. My ear and lip were already throbbing, two of my sensitive spots on fire from his venom. I needed more. I needed to feel the sparks across my nerves, needed to feel my skin light up with his every touch.

He didn't say anything, didn't warn me or tease me. One moment he was lying beside me and the next he was on top of me, his erection sliding against mine as he struck. His fangs drove into my shoulder, the twin pricks a sharp pain that made me cry out, my call rising in pitch when the fire from his venom entered my body and my pounding heart sent it shooting everywhere.

He pulled out, his tongue licking and tickling the punctures, lapping up the blood I could now taste in the air as well as smell. He rocked back on his knees over me and latched on to a nipple, sucking on the small pink tip until it tightened, then drove a fang into it.

I gasped and writhed. His knees clamped around my hips and held me in place as my back arched when he bit and injected his venom into my left nipple. I was whimpering, my body growing heavy even as it came alive in a way that I was fast becoming addicted to. I strained toward him, eager for his kiss as I enjoyed the way his tongue twined around mine until my hands fell away from his back and hit the bed.

"Please," I whimpered. "Please fuck me."

Dav only chuckled darkly. "Not yet. You're not ready yet."

My entire body was on fire and I wasn’t ready? I felt my balls tighten just from the sinister promise in his voice.

His knees on my hips, holding me still, his hands playing with my rock hard nipples and the brush of his head against mine as he teased me was sending me hurtling toward completion faster than I expected. I didn't want to come without him in me.

"Please . . . I need you."

"You need my venom." His tongue began to trace my ear and I felt my hips buck a little, unable to participate much as the paralytic in his venom stilled my movements. Was he going to--?

"Yes!" His fang pierced my ear and he suckled the small drops of blood while I shuddered helplessly. I was whimpering constantly as he licked down my neck.

"You taste so good," he whispered, sucking on the spot he liked to bite just where my neck and shoulder met. "Salty and a little sweet. I could never get enough of this, never get enough of you. I won't let you go again. You’re mine," he growled right before he struck, injecting more of his venom into me, filling me with more than I’d ever had before.

I gasped and then it was like I became a voiceless observer, unable to see or move. My body was completely out of my control as he dropped his hips and pressed against me, pushing my legs apart. I felt a hint of fear that heightened the helplessness and then he was in me, pressing forward and sliding his dick inside me without any preparation.

It should have hurt. I should have been screaming. Instead I was lost in the pleasure the pain brought me as he slid home. I'd been empty and aching and now I was full. I wanted to push against him, move my hips to let him know that he could move but he held motionless, his balls against my ass. My body was on fire and inside I was writhing, trying to get him to pull back and then thrust home.

I sent him a wave of love and a blast of the overwhelming want filling me. He hissed and his hands buried in my hair, pulling my head back so that he could latch on to one of the bite marks at my neck. His hips began to pull back and push forward, just a few inches in and out as he teased me. I couldn’t control the shudders wracking my body; consumed by the white hot feeling of him pressing against me, our bodies rubbing together.

I fought the hold of the venom, but it did no good; I was under his complete control. In that moment I was finally able to let go. I stopped fighting and I started accepting. I accepted the pleasure, more than I had ever felt before; I accepted the love and passion he was sending me. I quieted and it felt like I was both floating away and completely there in the moment.

Dav felt it through our bond, the strong surge of love that came with my surrender. I could hear him hissing and the scrape of his fangs against my neck. He pulled back, leaving my body and then he shoved back into me. I blinked, gasping for air as he took me fully over and over, the head of his cock thrusting against my prostate every time. The forceful thrusts pushed me closer to the peak I craved, my balls tightened and it felt like if I grew any harder my skin would split.

I whimpered so quietly, I could barely hear it over the rush of my blood as my heart raced; I was so close. Tears spilled from my eyes as his arms wrapped around my thighs and pressed them back, forcing a cry from me as he sank deeper.

The next thrust and grind against me brought us to completion at the same moment. I broke through the venom from the strength of my orgasm, my scream trapped in the small room so that it hurt my ears. Dav’s shout was deeper, almost a groan as he filled me.

We clung to each other; fierce pleasure consuming us both as the bond between us grew stronger. His feelings spilled into me, his fear and pain, the pleasure and love combined and overwhelmed me. I couldn’t help but respond, sending wave after wave of emotions back to him, shuddering as he claimed my mouth.

Pulling away, he panted as he slumped over me, one elbow locked so he didn’t fall on top of me. Tears were streaming down my face and he caressed my cheek. His sides were heaving as he fought to catch his breath, sweat darkening the hair at his temples.

"Ellis?"

I still couldn't move, but I sucked in air and pushed it out as hard as I could. I blinked up at him, his face filling my eyes. I thought I’d lost that; thought I’d never see his beautiful eyes again.

"I see you.”