He settled her gently onto the massive four-poster bed, the ancient wood frame solid beneath her slight form. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting everything in warm gold that made her injuries look even more stark against her pale skin.
"Let me see," Rune said, his voice roughened as he knelt beside the bed.
Her left wrist was clearly swollen, the delicate bones disappearing beneath puffy flesh that made his jaw clench. But when he carefully probed the area with gentle fingers, relief flooded through him—not broken, just badly sprained. Still, the sight of it made heat shimmer beneath his skin.
"May I?" he asked, gesturing toward the hem of her blouse.
At her nod, he lifted the fabric with infinite care, revealing a nasty bruise already blooming across her ribs in shades of purple and blue. His dragon roared silently at the evidence of violence, at the knowledge that someone had struck his mate, but the ribs themselves seemed intact.
"What happened?" The question emerged with more control than he felt, though concern bled through despite his attempts at maintaining composure.
Maple met his eyes directly. "Ben was in trouble—an ambush when he was following Serena today. I couldn't just stay here and not try to help him."
Of course she'd rushed into danger for someone she loved. This fierce, brave woman who'd spent her life chasing impossible dreams surely wouldn't hesitate to risk everything for a loved one in need.
"Although what you did shows how much you care about your friend," he said carefully, fighting to keep accusation from his tone, "you still shouldn't have risked yourself like that."
Her green eyes flashed with something between hurt and determination. "I will always risk myself for the people I love, Rune. That's not going to change."
The declaration should have terrified him—this confirmation that his mate would throw herself into harm's way without hesitation, that loving her meant accepting constant fear for her safety. Instead, something shifted deep in his chest, a recognition that settled into his bones like truth.
This magnificent, reckless woman belonged by his side not despite her fierce loyalty, but because of it. Once his clan understood her worth, once she became truly integrated into their world, she would fight just as fiercely for his people as she had for Ben today. She would be the kind of Alpha's mate his territory had never known—protective, brave, willing to bleed for those under her care.
The realization hit him with startling clarity. He was thinking about permanence. About her staying, about completing their bond, about building a life together. And for the first time in three centuries, the prospect didn't send him running.
Instead, it made him want to claim her completely, to mark her as his own and damn the consequences. But first, he needed to tend to her wounds.
"Stay there," he commanded gently, rising from beside the bed. "I need to get supplies to treat these properly."
Once in his bathroom, Rune gathered ice packs from the small freezer he kept stocked for exactly these purposes—centuries of dragon politics had taught him that injuries were inevitable. He added elastic bandages and anti-inflammatory medication to his hands and turned back toward his bedroom.
When he returned, Maple was watching him with an expression he couldn't quite read. Gratitude, certainly, but something deeper lurked beneath—an awareness that matched his own growing certainty about what was building between them.
"I can do it myself," she protested as he settled the ice pack against her swollen wrist.
"No." The word came out with more alpha authority than he'd intended. "Let me. Just lay back and close your eyes—rest for a few minutes. You clearly went through a lot today."
To his surprise, she obeyed, her lashes fluttering shut as she relaxed against the pillows. The trust implicit in that simple gesture made something warm and possessive unfurl in his chest. She was letting him care for her, accepting his protection despite her fierce independence.
For several minutes, they existed in peaceful silence—Rune holding ice packs against her injuries while Maple's breathing gradually deepened into something approaching relaxation. Through their bond, he could feel the sharp edges of her pain beginning to dull, replaced by the comfort of being tended to by someone who would move mountains to keep her safe.
"Ben and Jackie are coming here after he's released from the hospital," she said suddenly, her eyes still closed. "I told him the city isn't safe for either of them right now."
"That's a very good idea," Rune agreed, carefully removing the ice packs to begin wrapping her wrist. "You're right—Ishould never have let Ben leave in the first place. I didn't realize how dangerous Elias truly was, but now we know."
The elastic bandage felt strange beneath his fingers as he wound it around her delicate wrist with infinite care. He was accustomed to violence and to the brutal realities of dragon politics and territorial disputes. But this gentle tending, this careful preservation of something precious—it was entirely new territory for him.
When he finished with her wrist and moved to lift her shirt again to wrap her ribs, the sight of her bruised skin nearly shattered his control all over again. The thought of her being hurt worse, of losing her to Elias's machinations or her own brave foolishness, made something desperate claw at his insides.
She must have sensed his turmoil through their bond because her uninjured hand found his, squeezing gently. "I'm okay," she said softly. "And I promise I won't rush into danger again—at least not without you by my side."
The words hit him like absolution and challenge combined. She wasn't promising to become careful or cautious—she was promising to let him stand with her when she faced whatever came next.
"You're braver than a lot of dragon shifters I know," he said, meeting her eyes as he secured the bandage around her ribs. "You belong by my side, Maple."
Her smile was radiant despite her injuries. "What are you trying to say?"
The question hung between them, heavy with possibility and promise. Rune felt the words building in his chest, three centuries of careful isolation crumbling in the face of this woman's unwavering courage.
