AllFreeNovel
Share Us
NINETEEN
ASH
She awoke to the sound of a bathtub running. She smelled orange slices, simmering tea, and sage. She fluttered her eyes open to the sight of Mason on the side of the bed, and that eased her fears.
He was unwrapping gauze from her calf, which was stinging with a distant pain, but it wasn’t harrowing. She assumed in her dozy state that she had been shot with local anesthetics, which was also why she felt a bit loopy. Mason hadn’t noticed that she woke, so when she spoke, she spoke gently, trying not to startle him.
“Whatever you’ve given me, where do I get a prescription?”
His eyes lit up. Ash caught the scent of lemon floating in from the private bathroom and watched as one of the female members of the pack walked by after the water stopped flowing. The woman gave the two of them a smile, then left the room.
“How are you feeling?” Mason said, eyes sparkling up at her.
He moved closer to the top of the bed. He began to stroke her forehead, and she closed her eyes, melting into his touch. She felt like a cat lying in a patch of sunlight.
“I am on some amazing fucking cloud right now,” she said, grinning like a fool. “How is my leg? I can barely feel it.”
“They gave you some medication just in case infection were to set in after sewing you up. You passed out in the car. The doctor says that your self-healing will kick in soon enough.”
If someone had told her a month ago that she would be letting a pack take care of her, she would have nearly broken a bone laughing.
But there she was, lying in a bed that felt like a million feathers, with the most gorgeous man to ever walk the earth tending to her wounds. She had been stitched up by the pack healer, and one of the pack women had just drawn her a bath.
Plus, if she was lucky, he would bathe her. It was a little bit insane, but she was wholeheartedly finally ready to accept all the perks of being part of a team, both with him and his people.
Her grin grew wider, and Mason smirked.
“You really are baked, aren’t you?”
She nodded, and they laughed. Soon after, he asked her if she wanted to relax in the tub. She accepted enthusiastically.
Mason carried her over the threshold into the bathroom. It was all steamed up, filled with pleasantly blended candles. Even a cup of tea rested on the lip of the tub. He placed her into the warm water carefully, helping her slide her injured leg in last in case the temperature was too much.
“Good?” he asked, sweet as cherries.
“I am,” Ash said, swathed in a warm quilt of water. “With you, I always am.”
He helped her bathe with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes. Her shifter body would help her heal in no time. But noticing her own growth and the freedom that came with that was, in itself, a miracle. The blinders had fallen from her eyes, and there wasn’t anything that could glue them back ever again.
She knew this within the very cells of her bones.
Once Ash was done in the tub, Mason carried her back to bed. She slept for nearly ten hours and woke up again the next day.Her head was no longer woozy. The anesthetic had worn off, and she was thinking clearly. She knew what she had to do next.
She spoke with Mason at the breakfast table. He was astonished by her recovery time. Ash felt like their bond had something to do with it and that she had more reasons to recover. They ate pancakes and bacon, Mason’s hand on her thigh the entire time.
“I want to talk to the pack today,” Ash said, setting her fork down.
Mason raised his eyebrows. “Today? Don’t you need more time to rest? I know you were worried about telling everyone, but don’t rush it and compromise your health.”
Ash took his hand, seeking to assure him.
“I did feel that way before. But that was before the battle. I feel our bond is solidified. I have to face the music, as they say. I will accept whatever reaction they give me.”
Mason was bursting with pride. She could see it in his eyes, looking glossier and bright as a clear spring sky.
“If that is what you want, I am completely behind you. I hope you know that.”
Mason set up the meeting in the auditorium for that day. Ash insisted, wanting to ride the tide of her confidence. For the time being, she felt like she could take on a fucking dinosaur.
