There is some mild to moderate swearing in this chapter just as an FYI and the word sex, so if you're offended by those things you might want to say clear lol.

MINE.

~Angel~

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There was small bits of voices occasionally, some louder—or stronger than others. He seemed lost in a void of his own creation, someplace far off...he felt away from everything.

A solid voice called over nothing, echoing in his ears. It gave him something to hold onto, grounding his mind and pulling it from the void.

And then he felt the pain, the sore and tightness of his chest. Breathing was painful, thinking about breathing was painful. He swallowed, his mouth unbelievably dry as he tried to keep from coughing. Something touched the sore part of his chest, hearing the voice again in soothing tones before he felt them rubbing water against his mouth with light fingers. He could smell the scent suddenly, familiar as was the voice. He knew the voice, he knew the touch on his lips again. Who was it? Who was he?

Then he remembered the heartbeat that matched the voice.

Rayne.

He felt his mind come crashing back, knowing he wasn't in his true form since he couldn't feel—no didn't have wings at the moment. He felt the fur wrapped around his own and the cushion of straw beneath him. He felt the aching of his wound with every beat of his own heart. But over all that he felt Rayne next to him, body curled against him as she gently put more water on his lips and let him swallow some down. He let out a long groan after the water coated his throat, feeling like he hadn't had any in years.

“Is he awake yet?”

“No, he's trying though,” Rayne stated calmly, before she pulled up away from him. No, he wouldn't have that. His paw clasped around her ribs and pulled her back down beside him, thankfully she wasn't on the injured side of his chest when she fell back down. There was a long silence beyond his closed eyes before he knew, it had to be his brother, made the comment,

“Well that was interesting.”

Little annoying whelp.

He could feel her breath on his face, staring at him no doubt with concerned eyes, he could picture it but he wanted to see it for himself. He willed his lids open slowly, letting the blurred vision become clear and focus on Rayne's frowning face above him, one ear wilted while the other remained attentive. Her gold eyes widened when he looked up at her, before she smiled softly.

“Welcome back,” her voice replied, soothing the pain far more than he could have imagined.

“Yhh....you came,” he managed to say in a hoarse voice, swallowing again to try to wet his mouth and throat.

“I did,” she nodded once, smile still holding. “You look like you've gone through all circles of all the hells.”

“I feel that way,” he admitted in a low voice. The fingers clasped around her waist wandered along her back and to the end of her braid, letting out a hard breath as he rubbed the strands.

“Good,” Rayne said, before pushing up away from him before he could grasp her again and out of his vision. “You deserve every ounce of that pain.”

For one sweet tender moment, Magnus thought Rayne had forgiven him for everything, mortal wounds would make that possible with most females. He sighed through his nostrils as he heard his brother snickering far off out of sight.

“DRACEN LEAVE!” Magnus roared, making him flinched when his wound shifted with the outburst.

“That's the thank you I was expecting,” Dracen grumbled before Magnus felt the rumble of Dracen's leave and heard the swearing at Magnus when he finally exited the chamber.

“You be nice to him, he saved your life,” Rayne snapped from beyond his line of sight, before coming back and kneeling next to his arm, holding another small bowl of something and beginning to spread some sort of paste over his wound. It felt cool, then numb, the pain lessening for the time being. “I won't have you hitting him when he comes over.”

Magnus' eyes sprang further open, teeth baring slightly. He just got rid of the whelp!

“What do you mean WHEN?”

“Stop it or your wound is going to re-open,” she scowled down at him, before leaning in closer and giving him such a glare. “And I mean WHEN he comes over.”

“Are you telling me what to do?” he growled up at her, before beginning to cough a bit. Her face turned droll above him.

“You don't scare me, dragon,” she stated as she washed her hands of the strange substance. “And you are in no position to be making your hollow threats. Not with all you've pulled.”

Magnus closed his eyes as a small dizzy spell took over, the pain or the lack of blood the cause. He lifted his paw and felt for her, resting it on her arm and rubbing her fur back and forth. Rayne didn't move beside him save for her steady breathing. She was angry and she had every right to be but she was there, and that spoke volumes. What had this female done to him?

“You need rest,” she stated in a quiet tone, but Magnus could hear the unease in her voice. He held her arm steady before she could think of moving, he had to tell her something, anything to keep her there. He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. Her eyes were focused on her lap, ears drooping and expression matching.

“I love you,” he replied quietly. He needed to say how he felt, this was as good a time as any. Her face jerked to his, eyes shining, trying to understand what he just said, or try to make sure he had said it. She blinked once, before her paw came up and slapped him hard across the face.

“You egotistical manipulative SON OF A BITCH!”

Well she wasn't happy, but she wasn't going anywhere. At least not until she'd made sure his ears were bleeding from all the screaming.

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“You can't get out of this by telling me you LOVE ME!” Rayne bellowed at him, resisting the urge to strike him again. She shook with anger, how DARE he tell her that now! “YOU TRICKED ME! YOU MADE ME THINK I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN YOU—AND YOU! And you didn't say a damn WORD! YOU JUST PULLED MY STRINGS LIKE A DAMN PUPPET! LETS WATCH THE MORTAL DANCE, SHALL WE? HOW FAR CAN WE PUSH HER BEFORE HER STRINGS SNAP?!”

Magnus turned his head back around from the slap, his face still healing from all the scratches upon it but the sting of her slap still shown red under his white fur.

“Let me give you a hint, THEY SNAPPED!” she yelled in his face, tears of anger streaming down her cheeks. “YOU'RE NOT A DRAGON! YOU'RE NOT A MAN! YOU'RE A—A MONSTER!”

“Rayne—”

“Don't you RAYNE ME!” She screamed as she jerked away from him and stood up with determination. She was going to give him her wrath vocally since she couldn't do it physically. “YOU SLEPT WITH ME! YOU CALLED ME BEAUTIFUL! AND FOR WHAT?! A GOOD LAUGH?! OH LOOK AT HOW FOOLISH RAYNE CAN BE WHEN SHE'S TOLD LIES!”

“I MEANT EVERY WORD!” Magnus suddenly roared, sitting up on his good side. “You ARE beautiful! AND GODS BE DAMNED I LOVE YOU!”

“WELL STOP!” Rayne yelled back. “I CAN'T BE GOOD AND MAD AT YOU WHILE YOU ARE AND DAMN IT I NEED TO BE MAD AT YOU!”

“You can shout and curse my bones until the end of time BUT I WILL NOT TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID! I TOOK XIPIL'S TAIL BLADE INTO MY CHEST FOR YOU! TO PROTECT YOU! AND YOU DAMN WELL BETTER LOVE ME FOR IT!”

“Oh here we go,” Rayne said in exasperated tone, “IF I HAD BEEN HERE—”

“IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE YOU WOULD BE DEAD!” Magnus shouted, his eyes falling down away from her red face and to the hay he lay on. His muzzle wrinkled as his lips twitched. Rayne's face changed as she watched the tears from his eyes hit the blanket. He grunted and laid back down carefully, closing his eyes painfully.

“I didn't ask to be protected,” Rayne muttered.

“You don't have to,” Magnus answered as he tried to keep his body from shaking. Rayne let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her temples a bit before kneeling back next to him, looking his wound over to look at his face without gazing into his eyes. He made her feel guilty, how had he done that? Stupid dragon...

She calmed her rage, most of it gone by then anyway and grasped his large paw in her own. She rubbed it slowly with her thumb, before his fingers tightened around her own.

“I couldn't chance loosing you,” Magnus rumbled beside her, Rayne's eyes finally meeting his. “I'm sorry...for all of it.”

Rayne's face turned to shock, before she tilted her head slightly.

“Did...I just hear you apologize?” Rayne asked. “For...everything?”

“I won't say it again,” he grumbled at her, eyes narrowing up at her. “So don't think you'll get it out of me.”

Rayne looked down at their paws trying not to laugh, and failing miserably.

“Weren't you worried for me at all?” Magnus asked in a quiet way. Rayne's smile was still present even when her brows drew down on her striped forehead.

“Of course I was,” she responded softly to him. “Why do you think I'm here?”

“To call me a monster and slap me.”

“You deserved that,” Rayne responded firmly, pointing a finger at his face. “You deserve a lot more but there's no point in trying to fight with you while you're so helpless.”

“Helpless? I am not helpless!” Magnus fumed a bit, trying to sit up but fell back onto the hay without much movement. Rayne grinned before lifting his paw to her lips and kissing it slowly. His grin came through the pain. “You do love me.”

“Somewhere,” she responded as she set his paw back down beside him and leaned over him. “Gods save me from myself but I do.”

“Do what?” Magnus asked as his predator grin came on his mouth. She rolled her eyes and leaned back from him but his paw clasped the back of her neck and held her firmly back into place. “I'm waiting.”

“Mmm, you're going to be waiting a bit longer,” Rayne answered him, “And I'm not calling you my lord anymore, you aren't my lord. You're going to be lucky if I call you anything but bast—”

He pulled her lips down against his own, kissing her greedily to make her stop talking. She was beginning to think he was playing the helpless, wounded dragon since his grip in her hair was far from weak. He let go suddenly as a wave of pain went over his face, hers turning to concern.

“Are you alright? Did I hurt you?” she asked quietly, running her paw through his hair as he breathed through clenched teeth a moment.

“I got stabbed in the chest, and no, you didn't,” Magnus stated trying to sound playful but closed his eyes and relaxed again. “I know what could make me feel better though.”

“And what's that?”

“You tell me you love me,” Magnus smiled despite himself. Rayne took in a deep breathe, before standing up and leaving him there.

“No, not until you are better,” she replied, “But I have food I cooked for you.”

“Well...that's a close third,” Magnus thought aloud as Rayne went to fetch it and more water.

“Third? What's the second?” Rayne asked him loudly, her voice vibrating around the empty cave.

“The sex is second.”

How in all of the world did he keep surprising her? Everything that came out of his mouth was meant to shock her, and he was merely speaking out of brutal honesty.

“Don't—say that again,” Rayne said after a little silence.

“What? About the sex? It was with you after all, and the next time will be better.”

She put the food in front of him before he could speak anymore, knowing that stuffing his face took precedence over speaking. There must be a specific spot for Rayne in hell now, she could just see it.