Page 33 of Rejected Pregnant Mate

My eyes scanned the room, looking for anything to help, but then she wheezed, "Just touch me. Bare skin. Please."

I didn't even hesitate to rip off my shirt and gather her into my arms, letting her press her soft cheek against my chest as her hands circled my torso to lay flat on my back. Her fingers dug in, nails biting into my skin, but I barely noticed, because the second we touched, she sighed in relief, her eyes drifting shut.

The bond between us thrummed with life, glowing as I held her close. Her scent wrapped around me, calming my racing heart. But then I remembered she was still hurting, and my grip on her tightened. "What can I do? What's wrong?"

"Just...just hold me," she whispered, pressing her face into my chest.

I obeyed, tucking her head under my chin and breathing in her peachy scent. "I'm so fucking sorry for what I did back there Nayeli, with Joe...but this...you shouldn't have..."

"I know," she sighed, her blue eyes finally opening to look up at me beneath her lashes. "It was stupid. I just thought...maybe the first time was a fluke, and I'd succeed this time. I was wrong."

"We both were." I kissed the top of her head, and she hummed in relief as the rest of the pain drained away. "We both were, princess."

***

Nayeli complained about me carrying her—firefighter style down the treehouse ladder, and wedding style the rest of the way—but there was no way in hell I was letting her walk. The touching had eased her pain, but she was still clearly drained, her lips pale and her eyelids heavy.

She was quiet as I drove us home, and when I carried her from the car to the house, she didn't protest a second time. I sat her gently on the couch, covering her with a throw blanket. She was so damn pale and silent that it was scaring me.

"Don't move," I said, "I'll get you something warm to drink."

She didn't respond, but looked ahead out the bay window.

I had no idea what I was even looking for as I rummaged through the cabinets, but then I remembered the wedding gift basket that Kiera had sent over. It was full of stuff that was clearly for Nayeli and not me—scented candles, body wash, and a set of lingerie that made my blood run hot every time I looked at it—but there was also a fancy metal tea tin with bags of tea inside. Maybe something hot would help Nayeli feel more like herself.

I flipped through the different varieties, reading the labels quickly. There was lavender, which seemed like a good option, but then I paused on one bag. What the hell kind of tea was ‘Moon-Drenched Night? ’

I pulled it out of the tin and examined it closely. The tea bag was purple, and the label was written in a pretty script, but there was nothing about it that explained what it was. I turned it over in my hand, smelling it cautiously. It had a spicy, woodsy scent. Almost...magical.

To hell with it. Kiera wouldn't send Nayeli anything dangerous, so it had to be okay.

I filled up the electric kettle with water and let it boil as I went back to sit by Nayeli. She didn't move a muscle, not even to blink, but she glanced at me when I sat next to her.

"What kind of tea did you make?" She asked quietly.

I shrugged. "Moon-drenched night."

She hummed in response. I waited for her to say something else, but she just stared at the blank TV. Her silence worried me even more. "Are you feeling okay? Is there anything you need?"

She shook her head, but her eyes still looked far away. "The bond...I'm sorry for what I did to you. I just couldn't...I needed to be away from you."

"I know," I sighed. "You don't have to apologize for it. I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have challenged Joe like that."

Nayeli turned her head to look at me, blue eyes wide. "You're not mad at me?"

"No. Of course not." I reached out and took her hand. "I just lost control. The bond is making it hard for me to thinksometimes, but that doesn't change how important you are to me. I'm going to do better."

She blinked. "Oh. I just...I thought..." She shook her head, looking down. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have tried to reverse the bond again. At least not so soon."

The kettle whistled, and I got up to pour Nayeli's tea. When I returned, I couched in front of her and handed it over. She wrapped her fingers around the warm mug like a lifeline. She inhaled deeply and smiled for the first time since I'd found her in the treehouse for the second time.

"Kiera's been making her own blends," Nayeli explained, taking a small sip. "This is one of my favorites."

I nodded, sitting next to her again. The silence between us wasn't awkward, but I could still feel that she was uneasy. There was a hesitancy about her, like she didn't know what to say to me.

I cleared my throat. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "Not right now."

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