When it was over, I collapsed back against the ledge like a puppet with its strings cut. My entire body felt like warm honey, loose and golden and completely boneless. The werewolf pulled back slowly, licking his lips with obvious satisfaction.
"Better?" he asked, settling back in the water beside me.
I tried to answer and discovered that my brain had apparently forgotten how to form words. All I could manage was a weak nod and what I hoped was a grateful smile.
He chuckled, reaching out to steady me when I started to slide sideways on the ledge. "Easy there. Take your time."
Time. Right. I had no idea how much had passed, but the light in the bath seemed dimmer now, more intimate. A few more men had filtered in while I'd been completely preoccupied, but they were giving us our space, respecting the obvious aftermath of what had just happened.
"Thank you," I finally managed, my voice completely shot.
"Thank you," he replied, and there was genuine warmth in it. "That was exactly what I needed."
I believed him. There was something deeply satisfied in his expression, like taking care of me had been as good for him as it had been incredible for me. It was a kind of generosity I wasn't used to, especially not from a stranger in a place like this.
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, letting the hot water work its way back into my consciousness. My shoulder, which had been screaming at me for days, felt loose and manageable. The rest of me felt like I'd been taken apart and reassembled by someone who actually knew what they were doing.
"I should probably..." I gestured vaguely toward the locker room, though the idea of moving seemed impossible.
"You should probably sit there for a few more minutes," he said firmly. "Let your blood pressure come back down before you try to walk anywhere."
Good advice. I settled back against the stone and let my eyes drift shut, feeling more relaxed than I had in months. Maybe Marco was right. Maybe I did need to come here more often.
“And when you are ready,” he added. “There’s another stop you need to make before you leave.”
I glanced over at him, one eyebrow raised. “I’m not sure I’ve got it in me.”
“You’ll want to do this, I promise,” the werewolf smiled. “You see, I’ve got a permanent resident downstairs that would be really good for you.”
“Youhave one?”
He just smiled. “Yeah. This is my bathhouse after all.”
I blinked at him, trying to process that information through the pleasant fog still clouding my brain. "Your bathhouse?"
"Mm-hmm." He stretched languidly in the water, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "I started it myself. It took no small amount of magic to make this place possible."
That explained the confidence, the way he moved through the space like he owned it. Because he did. "So when you said you come here often..."
"I live upstairs," he confirmed with a grin that showed just a hint of fang. "And I've got a guy downstairs who specializes in the kind of healing you need. Real healing, not just the feel-good kind."
I shifted on the ledge, suddenly aware that I was having this conversation completely naked with a guy who'd just blown my mind in more ways than one. "What kind of healing are we talking about?"
"The kind that'll have you back to work in a week instead of six." His golden eyes were serious now, studying my face. "If you're interested."
Six weeks down to one. The doctor had been clear about the timeline, about how long soft tissue damage took to heal properly. But sitting here in the afterglow, feeling better than I had in days, I was starting to think maybe doctors didn't know everything, especially when it came to monsters and their strange powers.
"What's the catch?" I asked, because there was always a catch.
"No catch. You did a favor for me and now I’m doing one for you." He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Just so you know, my downstairs tenant is a little unconventional. Even by bathhouse standards. But he's the real deal when it comes to healing magic."
Magic. Right. I'd been around long enough to know that the world was bigger and stranger than most people wanted to admit. The werewolf in front of me was proof enough of that. And if there was a chance to get my life back weeks ahead of schedule...
"What do I need to do?"
"Just follow me when you're ready." He hauled himself up out of the water in one smooth motion, water streaming off his white fur. "Fair warning though, he's going to want to fuck you senseless as part of the process. That's how his particular brand of magic works."
I stared at him. "Come again?"
