Page 14 of Wounded Mate
“Need anything else?” asks Jeno.
I shake my head. I want to be alone with him, to watch him sleep, and keep him safe. The pain in my side is completely gone and has been since we found him. I felt nothing of the stitches or the bandaging. With my body my own again, my entire focus revolves around him.
Who is this wolf, and why are we so connected?
Jeno clasps my nape and gives me a serious look. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to wake us. Promise?”
“Yes, of course. Thank you.”
“Do you want me to stay? I can. Despite everything, we don’t know this man.”
It hadn’t occurred to me for one second that I might not be safe with him. I am, though. For one, he’s nearly dead. And for two, I just know he’d never hurt me. “We’ll be fine. You go on. Keep Leonas from going without you to handle this by himself.”
“Will do.”
Jeno departs, leaving Bela and me alone. Finally.
I pluck the best pillow from the pile and gesture. “May I?”
“Please.” His voice is so small. So fragile. I can’t wait to hear what he sounds like when his health is restored to him.
Gently I lift his head and tuck the pillow beneath it. Next, I cover him with a soft green quilt and hover, not knowing what to do with myself.
“Mate,” he says again.
The word is both terrifying and the best thing I’ve ever heard. Heat creeps along my cheeks.
“I can’t believe I found you.” A hint of a smile curls his lips. His very kissable lips.
A wave of hunger rolls through me, but I shove it aside. Now is not the time to feed, and Bela has no energy to spare. I can make it another day. And we both need to sleep.
“I’ll be right here if you need me. Rest now, Bela. We can talk when you wake.”
As I sink to the floor, he knits his brows. “No, no. Next to me. Please?”
Though it’s exactly where I want to be, I’m nervous. “But you’re so sore. What if I move in my sleep and hurt you? Better I stay separate.”
“Need you.” He’s already fading, lids drooping.
Who am I to resist such a statement? “All right.” I slip into the bed next to him, careful as can be, and settle on my side.
Before we can say anything more, he’s asleep. Passed out maybe. After such an ordeal, it’s a wonder he stayed conscious as long as he did.
I take the opportunity to study him. The shadow of a beard across his cheeks, his dark brows, the nut-brown hair that morphs to fur at his nape. His ears, at rest, tip forward, lax. They look soft.
The urge to pet him, to reach out and stroke his bristled cheeks and soft fur, rises, but I ignore it. I need to touch him, though. To feel his chest expand and contract so I’ll know he’s all right. Tentatively I lay my hand between the rounded muscles of his pectorals until I feel his heart beating under my palm.
Exhaustion creeps in. I’ve been up all night. I haven’t fed. I’ve been through a storm of emotions, and maybe I’ve found my mate. But I can’t think of that now.
I close my eyes, content with him next to me, and drift off to sleep.
Chapter Eight
Bela
A soft knockingstirs me from a deep slumber. I wake with a warm weight pressed to my side and blink my eyes open in confusion. The first sniff clears my mind.
Mate.I remember where I am, who’s with me, and what’s happened.
