Fang-Kissed

Chapter 33

I'm totally smooshed. I don't know how else to describe it. Hours of Raphael's special attention has every inch of me feeling wonderful and squishy. I don't even feel sore, I just feel languid and like my muscles turned to happy-liquid.

I am lying on the bed, holding a pillow to myself after I showered briefly and cleaned up when Raphael decided to go for a Night Run.

His Fang-Kiss was healing and it was throbbing with warm ooey-gooey love.

I take a twenty-minute nap in this comfortable position, tangled in the covers as some light rain comes sweeping in and I have to get up and close the doors and curtains.

When I move to the open balcony, I pause when I see the back of Raze.

It's already the dead of night and Raze has shifted back from his Run, he obviously jumped up onto the balcony, which was Raphael's favourite way of getting in and out of Room 201.

Raze is looking into the distance, butt-naked and quiet.

I thought Raphael's back was nice, but Raze after a Run? Every muscle is bulging and he's now dripping in mist from the rain. He has a few scrapes as he holds up one arm and his other arm moves around and around... with a bandage?

He's bandaging himself! Hey! That was my job!

I storm out into the rain, wearing nothing but my newly acquired Fang-Kiss.

I touch Raze's arm and he jerks away from me, side-stepping to the left, out of reach.

He looks angry as he finishes the bandage himself.

I'm not sure if he got into a fight, I think he must have had an accident as he was Running and maybe he tripped and cut himself on a sharp rock?

With his shun of me, I feel weird being naked so I run back inside and find a robe. I place a pink fluffy robe over my shoulders and then I run back out to him still in the rain, cooling down after the Run, I'm assuming.

"What happened?" I ask him, "Ray?" I stand a few good lengths away from him, giving him space.

"Wolf traps," Raze looks into the distance, the term is said with a disgusted snarl, "Fang-pelt poachers were out there. No, not wizards, mortals... so mortals are evil now," Raze turns to me finally, his arm successfully bandaged on his own as his grey eyes of the moon, look me over... judgementally? Unless I'm reading him wrong?

I walk with Raze back into 201 and I turn to shut the windows but he does it for me, reaching over me and pulling the French doors shut, including the sheer curtains.

I move back out of the way once again, since Raze is in one hell of a mood.

"I've never seen you so..." I whisper in fright.

"Two of the Young Bloods were badly wounded, they're in surgery," Raze explains, "I couldn't detect the buried traps, but I did drag in one poacher – he's severely wounded... which is a good thing. You know we're magical creatures, Clary, something you mortals don't seem to grasp very well. You shouldn't play with magic, it's like playing with fire," Raze looks me over again as he turns from me, scoffing to himself.

"I'm not a poacher, Raze!" I yell in defence of myself, simply shocked by his anger toward me.

"You're a mortal," Raze settles with that, not looking at me, as his eyes flash with gold as he looks at his hand, as he tests the tendons, clenching his fingers and unclenching, "Seems to me that mortals forget their place on the food chain. And in matters of magic, when mortals are empty of such power – you should show respect, always... that night I returned... I should never have let you run..." he speaks to himself quietly, before abruptly talking to me, "I love you, Clary," his eyes burn suddenly with passion, as he looks up and glares over at me across the room – and he scares me, "You understand that, don't you?"