Bite at First Sight by Brooklyn Ann

Author:Brooklyn Ann [Ann, Brooklyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Published: 2015-03-31T23:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

23 October 1823

Cassandra fought to keep her hands from trembling as she raised the scalpel to make the final incision. This was it, the final operation. The delicate work on Rafe’s hand had been her largest concern. Thankfully, so far her efforts seemed to be successful, at least her surgical endeavors. She tried not to dwell on her failed attempts at seduction. Tried to focus on the fact that he was now able to move all five fingers on his left hand, and not on the fact that though he kissed her senseless every night, he still slept fully clothed in bed next to her every day.

She gripped the scalpel tighter and chided herself for being so petty. She shouldn’t be obsessing over her lust for him. She needed to concentrate on her mission to heal him. All that was left were the extensor tendons, the largest and most difficult to deal with. If she didn’t work with utmost precision, the tendons could heal wrong and Rafe would be worse off than before.

Only if she succeeded could she try once more to explore other parts of his anatomy. Looking down at his prone form on the operating table, she stroked the rough scars on his cheek and marveled at his savage beauty.

Thank God she’d been able to get him unconscious with a blend of ether and laudanum that would doubtless be lethal on a human. As it was, he would be thoroughly muzzy-headed when he came to, which hopefully wouldn’t happen until she was finished. If he moved… She bit her lip and lowered the scalpel. She couldn’t afford to panic.

Anthony blotted her damp forehead with a handkerchief. “Do not worry, my lady. You will do fine.”

She looked up at the vampire with concern. Beads of sweat gathered on his upper lip and he was frightfully pale. They had been operating every night for the past week, and it was clearly taking a toll on Anthony. He had a pistol at the ready in case she decided to harm Rafe in his vulnerable state, but Cassandra doubted Anthony would be able to aim the weapon properly. All the same, she had nothing but respect for his loyalty.

Guilt knotted her belly. Despite the cost for Anthony, she knew she wouldn’t do anything to slow her progress on Rafe, not when his complete recovery was nearly within her grasp. “What about you? We really should have given you more time to recover, or at least found another donor.”

Anthony shook his head. “We likely could not have found another donor, especially one we can trust. As for waiting, that is entirely out of the question. Rafe must be healed as soon as possible. He has a bad feeling about the current state of events…and so do I.”

“Do you mean Lenore’s disappearance?”

“Among other things…of which I am not at liberty to speak.” He held up a large syringe full of his blood. “You had best get to work before our master rouses.”

“You’re right.” She took a deep breath and made the incision, exposing the extensor tendons.

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