The Vampire and His Tortured Mate

Chapter Sixteen

Devin's POV -

Pounding head, ringing ears, dry throat, sour stomach, and aching body. Yep, I'm alive. Obviously did something stupid or something with the pain and discomfort I'm in, but I'm alive. No idea where I'm at or who the voices I'm hearing belong to though. This of course, causes me to panic and I hear the rushed beeping of something beside me.

"Mom! What's wrong with him?" A familiar voice calls out. I manage to force my eyes open and regret it instantly as my eyes are assaulted by a bright light.

"Light." I manage to croak out and wait a minute before attempting that again. When my eyes open, I look around see three different people standing around me. I only recognize one though. He looks at me with relief and a smile.

"How are you feeling?" He asks and I shoot him a glare, though I don't think it's all that effective if I managed to do it at all since he only laughs at me.

"Come now Dev, I was honestly asking." I sigh and try to push myself to sit up. The lady beside me pushes some button on a remote thing and the bed lifts me into a sitting position. I notice the bottle of water beside the bed and go to reach for it but it is quickly snatched up and opened by the man beside me before he hands it to me. I take it cautiously before taking a few sips and feel the relief as it runs down my throat.

"I'm fine. Mostly." Where am I?" I ask and he looks at me like I'm crazy but I shoot him my best 'no, really?' look.

"You're in your old house, in the downstairs guest room." He answered. I felt myself panicking again and heard the loud beeping again and looked over to see a heart monitor hooked up to me. The man beside me reaches over, obviously intent on trying to calm me but he must not know me. That does nothing but make me panic more.

"Cory!" I yell and the man beside me flinches and looks back over to Cory.

"Why is he panicking?" The man asks. If I weren't so freaked out and scared, I'd say he looked sexy, maybe even worth trying to go out with him if he could get past my problems. I felt this strange need to be near him though and that only caused further panic in me.

"Devin. Devin look at me." Cory says as he walks up and sits on the bed beside me. I look up at him and he smiles softly at me. "You're alright now Devin. No one is going to hurt you."

"He hasn't had a panic attack in days. Why is he panicking now?" The man asked worriedly, breaking the small trance Cory had on me. I glanced over his shoulder at the man then to my other side to the woman. She smiles softly at me and I manage a small forced smile back.

"Cory? What's the last thing you remember?" He asked me and I looked at him a little funny. "Just humor me. Please?" I sigh and look up to the ceiling as if it had the answers.

"I remember arguing, then running and calling James. Then nothing. Hm...oh right. Arguing with James about where to go for our vacation this year and then running after him cause he threw a fit that you chose my suggestion over his and calling him to tell him to get his butt back home." Cory looked a little sad as I finished and I wondered why. "Don't tell me you chose his choice over mine just because he threw a fit!" I whined and he chuckled but the look of sadness was still there.

"No Cory, I didn't chose his choice over yours."

"Then why do you look sad, like you're about to tell me you let James have his way again to avoid him running off......again." I said ad rolled my eyes. I heard an almost silent mumble, one I shouldn't have been able to hear, come from the man behind Cory.

"He doesn't remember meeting me does he?"

"Honestly no, should I? And why can I hear him?" I ask Cory. He sighs and grabs my hand. This could not be good.