While the wounds had healed, faint scars remained in their place. At least for the ones I could see. Gently, Ryker encouraged me to turn around with a feral growl filling the air behind me once I had. After a few moments, he sighed and removed the bandages that remained. Then, he placed gentle kisses on the scars decorating my back, which startled a yelp out of me. Chuckling, although his eyes were cold with fury, Ryker turned me to face him once more and kissed my forehead again. “Enjoy your bath, little one, you need some indulgence in your life.” Then he left, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
Bitten and Smitten
After a few seconds, I finished stripping, brought the soap and such closer, and stepped into the bath. My eyes grew to the size of saucers, and I hurried to get into the hot water. It wasn’t quite where your skin stings, but at the temperature where you could lay there for all eternity in bliss. I soaked for a few minutes before my curiosity got the better of me. Looking over the buttons, I pressed the one that looked like it controlled the jets, sighing when they hit my sore muscles just right. I experimented and let one hit my spine, relaxing from my tense state when it didn’t hurt. Instead, it felt like heaven.
After at least an hour, I pulled the plug on the tub and watched it drain with sad eyes. I was only slightly ashamed to admit that with this bath, my stay no longer seemed so unfavorable. Ryker knocked on the door while I looked around for a brush, and he chuckled. In a soft voice, he informed me that I needn’t worry about clothes or brushes because I had a massage to get to. Then it was a trip to someone who adored hair and coveted being the beautician of the omega. With heated cheeks, I opened the door while clinging to the towel wrapped around my body. I was right, it was sinfully soft, and I felt spoiled in this luxury. With a squeak, I caught the towel wrapped around my hair when it slipped.
Laughing, albeit not maliciously, Ryker smiled indulgently while fixing it for me. Then he offered his arm, and my cheeks burned. Still, I put mine through his and tensely allowed him to lead me through the halls. Chuckling, Ryker explained this was his private wing and the vampires here before were only allowed in to see me, after which they left his quarters. My shoulders relaxed while I sighed with relief, and he laughed under his breath. Hey, now, I didn’t need a bunch of possibly horny vampires staring at me while I walked around in a freaking towel. Who knows what might come of that? No, thank you.
Later, I sat in a chair before a mirror, waiting for the hair adoring someone. The masseuse was a vampire too, which frayed my nerves a little at first. However, she was kind and patiently explained everything she meant to do. I swear my back never felt this good in my life. Biting my lip, I kept my eyes down, not wanting to see how much of a mutt I was compared to the beauty that surrounded me. I sensed someone behind me, and my shoulders tensed, which earned me a chuckle.
“You’re perceptive,” a low voice intoned, and I shuddered. “Most vampires don’t notice me right away, let alone the humans.” Slowly, my chair turned, and I hesitantly raised my eyes only to quirk my brow with the beginning of a smile. While he still towered over me and had the same lethal unassuming build as the others, this man didn’t give me the predator vibe. He had the same gorgeous features that looked like they were carved from marble, but his eyes were softer. They were a beautiful jade green, and his hair was dishwater blond. He had it spiked on his head, which was part of what made me smile. I’m a sucker for spiked hair. He wore ripped jeans with a chain hanging on the right side, and his shirt was strategically ripped too. He reminded me of a punk rocker, complete with fingerless gloves and boots with spikes on the back of them. He was even wearing eyeliner, which made his eyes pop.
“I think I love you,” I told him on impulse, and he threw his head back to laugh. While his fangs were just as large and sharp as every other pair I’d seen, they didn’t make fear race along my spine.
“Well, bunny, I think I love you too. I’m Tyger. It’s not the name I was born with as a human, but it’s the one I received upon my rebirth. I’m a rarity, see, I can shift to a tiger if I so please. Vamps can’t shift, so I’m that amazing,” he stated with a grin. “Snow is around here somewhere too. She shifts to a snow leopard, but she’s actually cuddly. And we can’t forget Arctic, who shifts to an arctic fox. Wily little bastard, that one. But he will adore you. Some vamps are uppity because they’re old and stuffy, but the three of us will hang around when we can, all right? Plus, they think because they have fangs that makes them almighty. Pfft. Snow and I could literally eat them. We are shifters, love.”
“Is that why I’m not scared of you?”
