Page 34 of Awakening His Mate

My breath is labored as I gather her into my arms, wrapping her so tight in my embrace that she sucks in a painful breath. It’s enough to make me release her a little. I pull back, tears filling my eyes. “Are you… Are you back?”

I don’t dare to hope, but her mouth softens into a smile. “I think so.”

Fuck.

I can’t breathe. I can’t think. She’s back.

“How?” It’s the only word I can get out.

She shivers violently. “I… I died.”

Those words nearly crush me. She did die. I brought her back, but she was dead.

I push to my feet, Sawyer steadying me when I wobble. I don’t shove him away, letting him help me before I’m strong enough to bend down and carefully lift Dove into my arms. My legs are like Jell-O from the adrenaline that is now starting to leave my body and the cold. I give my friends, my pack, my attention. “Thank you,” I whisper before I focus on the feel of Dove’s small frame pressed against my chest and the way her fingers tangle in my wet T-shirt, holding me close as if she is afraid I will leave her.

I am not going anywhere—not now, not ever.

I get her into the cabin, the heat of the building infusing my frozen bones. I need to get us both out of our wet clothes and into dry ones, but I want to talk to her too. I need to know everything.

She trembles against me as I tuck her against my side. I lead us into the bathroom, shutting the door behind us to keep the heat inside. Unlike last time, Dove’s eyes move around the room as if she is seeing it clearly for the first time since her mind was broken.

I’m scared to touch her; scared she will push me away and demand I leave her alone, though that would be the sensible thing to do. I rub at my chest, which suddenly feels so tight I can hardly breathe. “We need to get warm.”

She doesn’t speak. Her head is lowered and her eyes heavy as if she is struggling to stay conscious. I shouldn’t be thinking about my own turmoil right now, not when she is suffering.

“Dove?”

She doesn’t respond to her name, and a pickaxe splits my heart in two.

I almost give in to the urge to let my body collapse. The pain I feel has nothing to do with the icy water still sitting on my skin. It is bone-deep, cemented in my marrow.

Then she reaches out a trembling hand and presses it against my chest. My lungs stutter, my skin heats under her touch, despite how cold I am. She warms every cell in my body in a way I can’t explain.

“I’m cold.” She whispers the words, her voice so soft I barely hear it, but it relaxes every inch of me. “Help me?” It comes out as a question, and I can sense she’s as uncertain about this new circumstance as I am. Somehow, that eases some of the tension.

What is she thinking? Feeling? How can I make things better for her?

“I’d do anything for you,” I tell her, meaning every word of it.

Her fingers trail over my face, her eyes too, as if she is mapping every inch. “You already have. You never gave up on me.”

“I would never,” I whisper, and she trembles again, her teeth chattering.

Enough talk. These wet clothes are coming off.

I watch her face carefully as I reach for the hem of her sweater. She doesn’t move to stop me, so I peel it off her body. It clings to her, not wanting to come free, but eventually it does. I keep my eyes locked on her face, not wanting her to think this is anything more than me taking care of her, but I can’t look away anyway.

She’s back, truly back, and my wolf feels at peace for the first time in a long time. I drop her clothes onto the floor with a wet sound and reach the hem of her pajama pants. Her fingers wrap around my wrist, and I freeze instantly. I shouldn’t have pushed it. I wanted to take care of her, but I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable.

“Jackson…”

“You don’t have to explain,” I tell her. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”

Her grip on my wrist tightens, stopping me.

“I don’t want you to leave.” She leans her forehead against my chest, and I can’t stop myself from gathering her to me.

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com