Chapter 27

~Valeria ~ “Raphael! You’re heavy!” “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” he repeats, voice slurred. I manage to get him to his feet, but he slumps over me, trying to find support. Damn it. Stumbling, I guide him to the bed and ease him down onto it. He takes my hand, eyes barely open, and smiles. “You’re so beautiful. My mate is so beautiful.” His flushed cheeks and that dazed, goofy expression almost make me laugh. Should I call Nolan? Probably. But the urge to care for Raphael pulls stronger. These damn wolf instincts—they drive me crazy sometimes. I lift him gently, slipping off his blazer, then his shirt. You’d think I’d never seen him naked with the way my eyes linger. But how can you not admire him like this? Bare skin, inked with tattoos—so many of them. My hands trace their lines as I watch his chest rise and fall. He looks so peaceful. That beautiful face mocks me. I want him to wake up, to look at me with those blue eyes. But if he does, he’ll just start spilling nonsense again. So I let