“I don’t like him because I don’t trust him,” Kaleb hissed. “And you shouldn’t either, Kara—he’s got you fooled somehow, I just know it.”
“How dare you?” Kara exclaimed. “I’ll have you know—”
“Raak gave his life for your sister. Yes he did, yes he did.”
The squeaky voice stopped them both and Kara looked down and saw Silki standing there, her furry ears tilted forward as though she had been listening to everything they said.
“What?” she and Kaleb said at the same time.
“I said that he gave his life to get your essence flowing the right way again.” the little Tolleg doctor looked up at Kara seriously. “He didn’t want me to tell you but the only way to cure you and save your life was to allow you to bite him and inject an overdose of your essence into his blood. The overload is what stopped his heart and killed him. Yes it did, yes it did.”
“Oh my Goddess…” Kara felt suddenly weak. So that was what Raak had been hiding from her! “He…he never told me,” she whispered faintly. “He told me he died growing a soul so that the two of us could bond!”
“Wait a minute—he died when the two of you, uh, bonded?” Kaleb demanded.
“Yes—but only for a few minutes,” Kara said distractedly. “Then the Goddess sent him back.” She put a hand to her forehead. “And I’ve been biting him over and over ever since then every time we…oh my Goddess!”
“The same Goddess who sent your mate back to you. Yes she did, yes she did,” Silki said helpfully.
“I don’t believe this—he should have told me!” Kara’s voice was still a hoarse, horrified whisper. “I never would have bitten him again! Oh, I feel terrible!”
“That’s what I was afraid of, baby girl—that’s why I didn’t tell you. Didn’t want you to feel guilty.” Raak was suddenly by her side, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Kara,” he said earnestly. “I can tell how upset you are but please forgive me—I didn’t mean to keep secrets from you.”
“Raak…” She shook her head. “I just…I can’t believe you let me bite you knowing it was going to kill you!”
He shrugged. “I figured your life was worth more than mine. Besides…I love you.”
Kara just shook her head—she didn’t know what to say.
“I guess now you know how it feels,” Kaleb remarked, crossing his arms over his chest. “Having something really important kept from you.”
“Oh, you!” Kara threw her twin a furious glance and then glared at Raak too. “You’re both just impossible!” she exclaimed.
She saw a look pass between the two males and Raak asked,
“Does she always get this upset when you don’t tell her everything?”
Kaleb gave his new brother-in-law a reluctant grin.
“Even more. You should have seen her when we were kids and I didn’t tell her I was getting bullied at school. Of course, it was because I knew she’d try to fight the bully for me.”
“Which I did—when I finally found out,” Kara put in, frowning.
“And got punched yourself for your troubles,” Kaleb pointed out.
“But then you got involved and there was no way Vektor could take on both of us at once,” Kara reminded him. “We sent him home with his tail between his legs!”
Raak was looking back and forth between the two of them, grinning slightly.
“I can see I have a lot of family history to catch up on here,” he rumbled.
“The main thing you have to know is that Kara and I always stick together,” Kaleb told him. “In fact, running off to have adventures and get bonded to you was the first thing she’s ever done without me.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I think I can promise it won’t happen again,” Kara said dryly.
“No, I guess not.” Kaleb looked Raak up and down. “So you swear you’re going to do right by my sister?”
“Kaleb! Didn’t you just hear Silki say he died for me?” Kara’s head was still reeling from that bit of news. “How much ‘righter’ can he do than that?” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe that!”
“I’m sorry, baby—I should have told you,” Raak rumbled. “Just didn’t want you to feel like you couldn’t sink those sexy little fangs into me anymore.”
“Please don’t worry about that, Kara—it’s perfectly safe for you to bite Raak again whenever you make love. Yes it is, yes it is,” Silki exclaimed. “You should never again have enough essence in your fangs to cause a critical overload.”
“Well, that’s good to know, anyway,” Kaleb muttered. He had gone red in the face—no doubt because of all the talk about biting and bonding.
Raak looked at Kaleb directly.
“Listen, I love your sister,” he told Kara’s twin. “Love her so damn much, I came back to life just to be with her which was the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done. I swear to you now, I’m never going to leave her or hurt her or do anything to make her unhappy.”
“Or keep anything serious like the fact that you died for me from me again,” Kara put in sternly.
“Or keep secrets,” Raak agreed. He looked at Kaleb again and held out his arm. “What do you say? Will you accept me? Since Kara and I are already bonded, it’s gonna be a hell of an awkward situation if her twin hates me.”
Kaleb hesitated for a moment, then sighed.
“Well…all right. But only since you really seem to love her.” He looked at Kara. “And keeping secrets is out for you too!”
“I promise.” Kara smiled at him. “I swear I’ll never run off and get bonded again without telling you first.”
Kaleb snorted laughter.
“All right then—I forgive you.” He took Raak’s offered arm in a Warrior’s clasp. “Welcome to the family,” he told the other male. “It can be a little crazy at times, but we’re glad to have you.”
“Thanks.” Raak grinned at his new brother
