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“I know, but they don’t know that.”
I clenched my jaw. I was at the mercy of my mate, and I trusted him—trusted him more than I’d ever trusted anyone before. He would know the best way to do this.
“I don’t like this plan. But you know the situation better than I do. I don’t know anything about this sort of thing. I’m an accountant. I work with spreadsheets, not investigations and all of that. I trust you, mate.”
Pol put a gentle hand on my shoulder and let it caress down my back. “I bet you look awfully handsome working over a set of books. Probably with a pair of glasses perched on your nose.” Pol’s gaze roved over me hungrily.
I scowled. “How’d you know I wear glasses?”
He chuckled. “I didn’t, but now I do.”
It wasn’t common for shifters to wear glasses. And if I was doing a different line of work, I wouldn’t need to. I wasn’t ashamed of it, though. Never had been. But also, I wasn’t proud of them either. My feelings had been rather neutral on the entire thig. But now that I knew my mate liked them, I was ready to show them off.
“If I could, I would tickle you and wrestle you to the ground, mate. But I’m afraid that I cannot turn over on this leg. Rest assured, once I am in better shape there will be payback.”
Pol’s eyes sparkled at the teasing and a glimpse at what our future would hold flashed before my eyes. My mate and me, and the fun we could have together when this whole ordeal wasn’t hanging over our heads. I could hardly wait.
“I’m sorry about the pain, Silas. Let me put on some of that pain medication again, see if that helps.”
He meant well. And I was sure that for some people they made a huge difference. But for me, they barely touched the pain.
“Thanks.” Because thoughtfulness should always be appreciated, and some relief was better than none.
Pol set to work putting the salve over my muscles. It did help some. And having his hands on me was always a plus. But as I recovered, I could no longer pretend that maybe my leg might possibly not be as bad as I thought. There was just something about the bone that did not set right. I could see it, feel it both as I tried to use my leg and when my mate ran his fingers over it. If anything, it seemed bigger today. I didn’t look forward to having to re-break it and having to heal, but I knew that there were healers who could perform miracles.
Pol had gotten lucky when he worked on my arm. Or maybe it was me who got lucky. But the issue with my leg was far more complicated than that. Hopefully not too complicated for the healers.
“I do hope that Nathan is all right,” I said quietly.
“Me too,” Pol agreed. “He is in the best hands within Asilo. Our healer Mortimer will make sure he is comfortable and well cared for. He is getting the help he needs.”
A while later, we worked to clean up the supplies that he would take back to Asilo. He didn’t need a collection of dirty clothing and granola bar wrappers hanging around his tent. There wasn’t a ton that had to go with him, but there was enough that he was going to have to go on two feet instead of four.
He left the bedroll for me and some food, along with a lamp and mattress. I had plenty to get by the short time he planned to be gone.
Once that was taken care of, he caught another fish, and we enjoyed lunch together next to the fire. I hated how big this good-bye felt. He was staying on the same lands as I was. There was nothing to worry about.
“I will return by nightfall no matter what,” he promised.
“What if they don’t let you go? If they don’t believe that I am innocent...” It was possible my mate would be returning to me with Steelwick in tow in order to arrest me for the crimes I was accused of. I didn’t think he would do that to me on purpose, but if his hands were tied…
Steelwick held an odd position of power. They were outside our political structure and somehow also an authority over it. The entire thing never made sense to me. It didn’t have to.
“I know.” He was going to make it back to me, just like he did last time. He cupped my cheek. “Nothing will keep me away from you. I will return. You will be proven innocent. And that will be that.”
I kissed him, long and slow, holding onto him as if I were afraid that he’d slip away. He held me equally close. I could’ve stayed like that all day if my leg wasn’t so messed up. But it was, and we had to stop far too soon.
“May your journey be safe, your destination be filled with the answers you seek, and your return safe.” I pressed my forehead against his.
“Thank you, mate.” He pressed another kiss to my lips. “I need to go now, before I strip you naked and forget all my responsibilities.” He grabbed my ass.
“You are a naughty, naughty omega.” I tapped his nose. “Now off with you. I need to get off this foot, and you need to hurry up and get there so you can come back to me.”
One last kiss and he was walking out of view. I stumbled back into the cave and lowered myself onto the bedroll where soft tears started to fall from my eyes. I wasn’t sure why everything inside me was against this trip, but it was.
“He’ll be back soon.” Because if you said it out loud it was instantly true, right?
Chapter 12
