Page 48 of Rescued By the Beast
A low meow, an almost imperceptible sound. My fur bristles under the warm touch of his fingers as he exposes the wound. The bandage is removed with meticulous care.
"That damn monster," he murmurs, his voice laden with a weight that hits me unexpectedly. "From today on, don't worry, I'll protect you from everything and everyone."
The promise hangs between us, intense, an electric current that makes my small body tense for a moment. He puts a layer of cream on his fingertip and spreads it over the cuts with gentle movements.
The burning hits me like live embers, a sharp pain that makes me yelp loudly. My spine curls, my claws scratching the polished wood of the table.
"I'm sorry, Kitten. If I could, I would take your pain away," Mark says in a soothing tone, his fingers sliding lightly over my head in a reassuring caress. "It will pass soon."
And he's right.
Seconds later, the burning pain dissipates, giving way to a feeling of relief so intense that I let out a long sigh. It's as if a cool breeze is running over my skin, spreading through every fibre of my body.
The potion is working! But it's not just that.
I feel something deeper, something awakening inside me. A tingling sensation stirs in my chest, a spark of energy reverberating in my gut. My own essence, once dry and stagnant, begins to bubble, one drop, then another. Tiny, but present, mixing with the essence imbued by the wizard. It's weak, but it's here, I can finally feel it.
The healing begins, and with it comes an irresistible numbness. The weight of days without rest, of constant fear, fades in an instant. My muscles relax, my body surrenders, and I collapse, limp, against the surface of the table.
"It worked," Mark murmurs, catching me with those huge hands and nestling me against his warm chest. "Everything will be alright."
The loud, steady sound of his heart echoes in my ears, and for a moment I feel so safe that a purr escapes before I can contain it.
He walks over to the fluffy bed he has placed next to his desk. I notice that this one is blue and the one at home is pink, which means he bought another one to leave in his office.
"One more application and no one will guess you were injured just seconds ago," he says, placing me with absurd care among the soft pillows. "Even the stitches came out on their own."
His fingers lightly brush my head in a final caress before I lose myself completely in sudden drowsiness.
"Rest, little one."
Sleep pulls me away, and I don't resist.
***
A voice wakes me up.
"I'm on my way."
I wake up disoriented, my vision blurred and my head feeling heavy. My small body slowly adjusts to the space around me, and as artificial lights fill my field of vision, I realise where I am.
Mark's office.
I stretch a little, lengthening my spine and delighting in the fact that I no longer feel any pain in my skin.
The sound of firm but controlled footsteps approaches. I slowly raise my head and see Mark crouching next to me. His face is visibly tense, his features rigid and contracted. He sighs before speaking, his voice deep but low:
"I need to go to the training centre to supervise and train the new recruits."
I blink, trying to process what he's saying.
"Ted teaches the techniques, but who is better at strength and combat than me? The Beast? He exhales heavily. "So I have to go there.
Mark reaches out and, with a delicate gesture, begins to stroke behind my ears. A purr escapes me unintentionally, and I close my eyes. I'm still not used to the feeling of being caressed so gently by someone so strong and rough. And he's rubbing a spot I didn't even know was itchy until he touched it. I meow softly, wanting to ask him to scratch a little further to the left, but obviously he doesn't understand.
He picks me up carefully, this time holding me on my back, the back of my head resting on his strong biceps, my paws up in the air. His heart beats fast against my small body, his muscles hardened, tense.
"But I don't want to leave you... alone," he murmurs.
