to go back to the front, she’ll be out soon.”
The alternative healer didn’t seem upset over Angelina’s condition, which put Rafe on high alert. The man practically glowed. She had healed him. But how? And why? How did she know what to do?
Rafe listened to the steady beat of her heart, the rhythm strong in his mind as he examined her telepathically, and touched on each of the seven chakras. Crown, brow, throat, heart, solar plexus, navel, and base. All appeared to be fine. Her body had put itself into stasis to recover from the trauma of healing.
Rafe straightened, squared his shoulders, and settled his face into a frown. “What happened?”
The Asian man swallowed nervously. Which he should. Rafe could crush this man with little more than a thought.
“Ah, I was examining her, and she passed out.”
Lie .
“Really?” Rafe waited to see what the man, who was supposed to heal humans, would say. He crossed his arms over his chest and straightened to his full height.
“Her blood sugar is low.” He edged toward the door. “I’ll mix up some herbs to regulate her glycemic levels.”
Angelina moaned. Rafe didn’t want an audience for this meeting. “Leave us.”
“Ah, sure.” The man scuttled toward the door like the cockroach he was. “I’ll just go.”
Angelina moaned again. Rafe strode to the exam table and gently placed his palms over her forehead to monitor her spirit and her health. Her brain seemed to be recovering from the shock of her first major healing. Rafe checked her vital signs. His hands hovered over her still form, and searched for any disturbances in her energy, but she seemed to be fine. He leaned over her, and drew in the unique scent of gardenias and Angelina. While he held her left hand between his palms, he balanced the energy in her body.
Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal her multicolored hazel eyes. A smile curved her lips and her face seemed to glow from within. “You’re here.”
“Angelina.” His voice was low with concern. He could tell she wasn’t quite aware yet, for the last time she’d seen him, she had not been happy.
She lifted her hand to his cheek. Her fingers were cold against the heat of his skin, the gentle touch like a benediction to his weary, battered soul. Her eyes fluttered closed again.
“Stay with me,” Rafe said, uncomfortable with the longing evident in the short simple phrase.
Her eyes popped open. Her feet scrabbled on the table, unable to find purchase on the slippery paper as she snatched her hand away and tried desperately to evade him.
“Who the hell are you?” Her volume rose as she jumped off the table.
Unfortunately her body wasn’t ready for the sudden shift in position and Rafe caught her before she face-planted on the floor. He cradled her in his arms. Her weight was solid and real and so very forbidden.
“You know me,” he countered.
“No. I really don’t.” She shoved ineffectually at his embrace. “I’ve gone ‘round the bend. Completely, absolutely insane. Crazy.”
As soon as she had her feet under her, he let her go. “We must talk.”
“I can’t talk to you. You don’t exist.” She shook her head so hard her streaked blond hair slapped her cheeks.
He frowned. “Of course I exist.”
“Nope. I refuse to believe you’re here. I must be having some sort of illusion brought on by whatever the witch doctor did to me.”
“What did he do to you?” The scowl settled more heavily on his features, and he knew he needed to be less threatening. He was probably scaring her but he wanted answers.
“He--I--I don’t know.” She slumped against the exam table. “One minute I was holding his arm, the next it was like an episode of the Magic School Bus.”
She snapped her fingers. “That’s it. He must have slipped me some magic mushrooms.”
“You will be fine.”
“Of course I will, just like new. As soon as the hallucinogen is out of my system.”
He’d already checked her body. “No
The alternative healer didn’t seem upset over Angelina’s condition, which put Rafe on high alert. The man practically glowed. She had healed him. But how? And why? How did she know what to do?
Rafe listened to the steady beat of her heart, the rhythm strong in his mind as he examined her telepathically, and touched on each of the seven chakras. Crown, brow, throat, heart, solar plexus, navel, and base. All appeared to be fine. Her body had put itself into stasis to recover from the trauma of healing.
Rafe straightened, squared his shoulders, and settled his face into a frown. “What happened?”
The Asian man swallowed nervously. Which he should. Rafe could crush this man with little more than a thought.
“Ah, I was examining her, and she passed out.”
Lie .
“Really?” Rafe waited to see what the man, who was supposed to heal humans, would say. He crossed his arms over his chest and straightened to his full height.
“Her blood sugar is low.” He edged toward the door. “I’ll mix up some herbs to regulate her glycemic levels.”
Angelina moaned. Rafe didn’t want an audience for this meeting. “Leave us.”
“Ah, sure.” The man scuttled toward the door like the cockroach he was. “I’ll just go.”
Angelina moaned again. Rafe strode to the exam table and gently placed his palms over her forehead to monitor her spirit and her health. Her brain seemed to be recovering from the shock of her first major healing. Rafe checked her vital signs. His hands hovered over her still form, and searched for any disturbances in her energy, but she seemed to be fine. He leaned over her, and drew in the unique scent of gardenias and Angelina. While he held her left hand between his palms, he balanced the energy in her body.
Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal her multicolored hazel eyes. A smile curved her lips and her face seemed to glow from within. “You’re here.”
“Angelina.” His voice was low with concern. He could tell she wasn’t quite aware yet, for the last time she’d seen him, she had not been happy.
She lifted her hand to his cheek. Her fingers were cold against the heat of his skin, the gentle touch like a benediction to his weary, battered soul. Her eyes fluttered closed again.
“Stay with me,” Rafe said, uncomfortable with the longing evident in the short simple phrase.
Her eyes popped open. Her feet scrabbled on the table, unable to find purchase on the slippery paper as she snatched her hand away and tried desperately to evade him.
“Who the hell are you?” Her volume rose as she jumped off the table.
Unfortunately her body wasn’t ready for the sudden shift in position and Rafe caught her before she face-planted on the floor. He cradled her in his arms. Her weight was solid and real and so very forbidden.
“You know me,” he countered.
“No. I really don’t.” She shoved ineffectually at his embrace. “I’ve gone ‘round the bend. Completely, absolutely insane. Crazy.”
As soon as she had her feet under her, he let her go. “We must talk.”
“I can’t talk to you. You don’t exist.” She shook her head so hard her streaked blond hair slapped her cheeks.
He frowned. “Of course I exist.”
“Nope. I refuse to believe you’re here. I must be having some sort of illusion brought on by whatever the witch doctor did to me.”
“What did he do to you?” The scowl settled more heavily on his features, and he knew he needed to be less threatening. He was probably scaring her but he wanted answers.
“He--I--I don’t know.” She slumped against the exam table. “One minute I was holding his arm, the next it was like an episode of the Magic School Bus.”
She snapped her fingers. “That’s it. He must have slipped me some magic mushrooms.”
“You will be fine.”
“Of course I will, just like new. As soon as the hallucinogen is out of my system.”
He’d already checked her body. “No
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