Page 62 of Soul Bound

“Sure. There’s not much to see, though,” Marshall said, pulling the neck of his shirt aside. Sam wisely went behind the couch, and Aaron stood, tracking the doctor’s movements.

Sam dipped his head in submission. “It’s okay, Alpha. I’m only looking. I won’t touch. I’m just making sure your mate is well.”

Aaron gave a yip, and Sam asked Marshall to tip his head over further. “Where exactly did he bite?”

Marshall ran a finger over the bite site, surprised that the bruised feeling from earlier had gone. “Just here. It hurt like a bitch when he did it, but this morning it just felt like an old bruise. Now I can’t feel anything.”

“You’ve healed nicely. There is a very faint scar, but otherwise, it all looks good,” Sam said with approval.

“Why has it healed so quickly?” Richard asked.

“He’s got shifter healing now. Or at least an approximation of it,” Sam explained. “We won’t know the extent of it until Marshall injures himself. Things like bumps, bruises, and simple cuts heal within an hour or two in shifters. With Marshall being human, probably a bit longer.”

“That’s amazing,” Richard said, looking at his son in wonder.

“Let’s not test out the injury thing though, hm?” Vaughn said with a grin. “I don’t think my son will appreciate his mate being beaten up in the name of science.”

A muttered ‘damn shame’came from across the room. Marshall eyed the twins. Blake grinned at him while Rafe raised an arrogant eyebrow.

“Bring it, panther boy,” he said, lifting his chin in challenge.

“Any time, Alpha-Mate. Anytime.” Marshall was sure he heard the slight sneer but let it go. Now wasn’t the time or place.

They were interrupted from any further exchange by the arrival of their food. Marshall ate more than he’d been able to eat for months. Aaron cleaned his own plate, too, before looking longingly at the mug of coffee Marshall held.

“Well, if you want coffee, you need to shift back,” Marshall told him. A wave of frustration hit him again. “I know we’ll figure it out.”

“So, Alice, how do I compel Aaron back to his human form?”

“I think part of the problem is that Aaron hasn’t been able to shift for months. His wolf doesn’t want to lose this chance. You need to convince him that he’ll be able to shift between forms again now that the bond has been sealed.”

Marshall mulled over her words. He wasn’t sure how he was going to do what she suggested, but he was sure he’d think of something.

“Now you’ve mated, we can start arranging the ceremony,” Anna announced, excitement radiating off her. “Claire, I know you’re heading home today, but can you come back on the weekend, and we can start planning?”

“Yes, of course. I’d love to,” Marshall’s mother had a matching gleam of excitement and joy in her eyes.

“Can we wait until Aaron and I have had a chance to talk?” Marshall asked. “We’ve still got things to work out.”

“Yes, of course, dear,” Anna said. “How about you two go back to your suite and see what you can do to convince his wolf to step back, and I’ll see your parents off.”

Guilt hit Marshall. He’d promised his parents a long conversation this morning, but instead, they’d been thrown into the aftermath of his mating and probably knew more about his sex life than they ever needed to know.

“That’s perfect. Don’t worry, Son, we’ll have a proper catch-up this weekend,” Richard told him.

“Yeah, I’ll head back this weekend too, if that’s okay?” Saint said.

“What? Where are you going?” Marshall asked his best friend.

“I need to head back to the city. We have a business to run, Marsh. We need to work out how we’re going to do that now that you’re mated, but that can all wait until the weekend.”

Disappointment washed through him. Marshall had been so wrapped up in him and Aaron that he’d neglected his best friend, and he really could do with the moral support over the next few days.

“Hey, I’ll call you every day, and I’ll be back in a few days. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“And Saint is always welcome here,” Anna said. “We’ll arrange for you to have your own rooms, Saint. You’re Marshall’s family and an important part of his life. You can come and go as you please.”

Saint ducked his head. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

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