Frost's Touch (Book One of the Eternal Warmth Trilogy)

XXXIII. Caring

XXXIII

Caring

  Where am I, Mia asked herself when she finally opened her eyes.

  A beeping sound came from her right, and turning her head to look at it, Mia realized it was a heart monitor. She followed the tubes from the machine up to her arm, and was surprised to see how frail looking she was.

  Something moved near her hand, or, in her hand, and looking at it, found a hand inside hers. The rough but soft fingers twitched, and following the hand to the arm, then head, saw Brandon. Mia quietly gasped at how peaceful and handsome he looked.

  A frown marred his face suddenly, and his breath picked up. Slowly, his eyes opened, and Mia couldn’t help but feel her heart skip a beat when his green eyes met hers.

  “Mi-Mia?” Brandon whispered, shock evident in his face. Just as he finished the words he shot up from his uncomfortable looking chair and stared down at Mia.

  “Brandon, where am I?” Looking around again, she asked, “am I in the hospital?”

  He nodded, and once again took hold of Mia’s hand. The gesture both comforted and confused Mia. Brandon never was this intimate and close to her.

  “How long have I been here?” The shakiness in her voice did not surprise her. The car crash was a fatal one, and she was shocked that she survived.

  “A week,” Brandon whispered, looking down, as if it was painful to say.

  A sudden thought popped into Mia’s head, and immediately she was up and pulling the wires out of her skin. “We need to find Iana, someone took her!”

  The monitors blared that Mia was ‘dead’ and probably alerted the nurses too. Mia needed to find Iana though. She didn’t care  about her health, she cared about her friend more.

  “Mia,” warned Brandon, watching her with cautious eyes and hands held out to prepare for if she fell, “Mia! There’s nothing you can do!”

  The comment stilled Mia, and she turned to face Brandon, “what do you mean there’s nothing I can do? One of my best friends is out there, who happens to be a very important person to the mythological world. She could be dead Brandon! I don’t care if there’s nothing I can do, I’m going to damn find her!”

  Mia stalked to the door, whipping it open and seeing the surprise of the nurse that was just about to walk in, and passed her.

  Walking down the long white corridor, Mia heard the shouts of both Brandon and the nurse. She picked up her speed, hoping that they wouldn’t catch up with her so she could slip into the night. Or day, whatever time it was.

  Footsteps from behind her were coming closer, and Mia started running. Finally! The front entrance of the hospital came into her line of vision, and Mia breathed a sigh of relief.

  Her relief was short lived, because just as she passed the doors, arms wrapped around her waist, and warmth enveloped her. Mia instantly knew it was Brandon from the softly calloused hands.

  “Brandon,” Mia growled menacingly, “let me go.”

  “No,” he breathed, and Mia jumped from the warm breath that blew over her ear. Shivers ran over her body, and she whimpered.

  “Please,” Mia cried, struggling to get out of the too comfortable arms, but to no avail, she could not break free.

  Mia stilled, giving up on attempting to get out of Brandon’s iron clad hold. No matter how much she wanted to get Iana, Brandon’s arms were just too damn cozy.