His hands, pressed to Rae’s abdomen, were red with blood—her blood. Zander’s head was bowed, his body sagging, his white hair splattered with scarlet.

Zander was healing her. The fire came from Rae’s flesh knitting and melding back together, far faster than would happen naturally, even for a Shifter. Rae wanted to scream and scream, the pain as excruciating as when the feral had gutted her, only it was lasting far longer.

He had to stop. Not only was Rae going to die of the agony, Zander would absorb it and feel every bit of what she was feeling now. Part of the process, he’d told her, no shortcuts, but she was sick at the thought that she could only lose her pain by transferring it to him.

“No,” Rae tried to say. She raised her head but dizziness hit her and she fell back to the pillow. “No,” she whispered.

Zander raised his head. His eyes were already clouded, his face ashen. “Yes,” he said firmly.

“Stop,” Rae said, voice rasping. “I’m Shifter. I’ll get better.”

“Not from this you won’t.” Zander bent his head again. “For the Goddess’s sake, do as you’re told for once, Little Wolf, and stay still.”

Rae couldn’t fight him. She was far too weak to do anything but lie here, whether she liked it or not.

The Sword of the Guardian rested on the cabinet alongside the bunk, where whatever sailor or officer used this room could store his belongings. Rae reached up and touched the hilt.

The sword sparked, sending a jolt of electricity down her arm. The spark was answered by one from her Collar, pain biting into her neck. Rae tried to jerk her hand from the sword—wasn’t she being tortured enough without the sword and her Collar punishing her too?

She couldn’t let go. Her fingers seemed to be fused to the hilt, and now the sword was humming, singing, filling the room with undulating noise. The waves of it hit Rae and tore a groan from her throat.

Zander raised his head and growled weakly, “Shut up, you gods-fucked hunk of metal.”

The sword only rang louder, as though it laughed. Rae’s pain lessened the tiniest bit—such a small amount, she was afraid to wonder if she imagined it.

But no, second by second, the pain began to fade. Rae swore she felt all her hurts flow up into her Collar then into her right shoulder, down her arm, and straight into the sword.

A moment later, Rae knew it wasn’t her imagination. A stream of white-hot fire surged from her body into the sword, the power of it lifting her from the mattress. The sword sparked and gleamed until Rae had to slam her eyes shut against the glare.

She screamed as a final gush of pain cascaded from her to the sword. Rae fell back down onto the bunk so hard it rocked on the bolts that kept it locked to the floor.

“Son of a—” Rae broke off as she raised her head, her strength returning.

Her abdomen was wet with blood, but the wound was closed. Only a few hot pink streaks across Rae’s stomach attested to the fact that it had been clawed open.

Zander eased his hands from her, his face completely gray, his eyes empty. But he smiled. Triumphantly.

Then he folded up bonelessly to the floor, hands over his abdomen, his mouth peeling back in a silent scream as all the hurt Rae had endured began to consume him.

* * *

Zander swam back from a place of darkness and throbbing agony to the sweet smoothness of Rae’s touch.

He lay on his back, but instead of the hard cement floor of the cabin, he felt the give of a mattress and warmth. Softness pressed into his side, but that cushion was Rae.

She was curled up around him, her body as bare as his. The pain ripping through Zander’s torso had not long ago been inside her, but now Rae lay next to him in quiet relief. Her cheeks were pink, her skin warm and whole. Healed.

“Come back to me, Zander,” she was saying. “I can’t lose you.”

Zander tried to answer but not even a grunt would come out of his mouth.

He felt the press of Rae’s lips on his cheek, her hand smoothing his chest. Where she touched, the pain eased. Zander wanted to encourage her to continue but he couldn’t speak.

“I meant it when I said I loved you,” she said softly, her breath warm in his ear. “I do love you. I thought the Goddess was playing a joke on me when she sent me to you, but I guess she knew what she was doing.” Rae leaned closer, her next words so quiet Zander barely heard them. “I accept your mate-claim.”

Zander was definitely feeling better. The horrible burning in his abdomen subsided a notch, even more so when Rae ran her hand over his hip.

“Touch of a mate,” Zander murmured.

“What?” Rae leaned down, her dark hair tumbling to his chest. Her hair felt good, silken, loosening the tightness inside him. “Zander?”

“Touch of a mate,” Zander repeated. “Makes the healing faster. I knew—when you got through to me back at Ezra’s, when I took on Robert’s pain, I knew.”

Rae blinked, then her eyes warmed. “Yeah, I kind of knew too.”

She continued to touch him, the strokes of her hand brushing coolness across his hot skin. Zander turned his head and touched a kiss to her lips.

Rae’s fingers stilled, then she deepened the kiss, her lips and tongue moving. She uncurled her body and stretched it out alongside his, her breasts and thighs against him.

Oh, yes, so much better. Zander raised a weak hand and lifted the weight of her hair, conjuring up the energy to kiss her back.

Her mouth was a place of heat, of goodness and strength. Zander regained more equilibrium as the kiss went on, his dizziness floating away.

The cabin lurched, the boat hitting a swell. It rocked the bed, sending Zander onto his side, facing her. Rae smiled as she kissed him again and slid her arms around him.

Zander’s pain receded enough for him to start to enjoy her, tasting her mouth, his hands molding her hips, waist, breasts. The whole room dipped and swayed, the Sword of the Guardian sliding dangerously along the cabinet. Zander put out one hand and stopped it, and at the same time rolled Rae under him. She gave him a welcoming smile, her gray eyes warming with passion. The sword gave an answering ring.

The last of Zander’s pain dissipated as he slid himself inside Rae. And then nothing mattered but the two of them together, holding, caressing, Zander’s thrusts growing stronger as he tried to be as far inside Rae as he could.

Rae entwined him in her arms and loved him back, her eyes like brilliant stars.