Page 41 of Bound to the EMT

She pauses her actions and stares up at me, narrowing her eyes for a moment. “Mother? I think? Doctor Jamie always does my examinations then writes up a prescription.”

“They’re fake.”

Her body freezes as she looks deep into my eyes, her body shaking as the enormity of my words sinks in. “Goddammit,” she roars, her expletive taking me by surprise. “Why the fuck would she do that to me?”

Dropping the bottle onto the floor, I make my way over to her and gather her into my arms. “I don’t know, but we can get you through this heat. I just need to grab my nasal suppressors and some condoms. Let me tell Jackson it’s okay for him to go home, and we’ll figure this out.”

“No.” Her voice is deadly serious, rumbling over my skin in a way that makes my balls clench and my cock pulse.

It’s her impending heat, calling me to go into a rut. I don’t have much time. “Whether you like it or not, there’s no stopping this. I can bring you to a clinic and have them stop it with medicine, but they only do that on rare occasions. We’re married. They’re not going to give two shits that your pills were fake.”

“That’s not what I mean. I want you to claim me.”

I turn to look at her, precum welling up my shaft until it smears across my underwear. “I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

“That’s what happens in a heat. Yes? You claim the other person?”

“If I put my suppressors in, I won’t go into a rut. I don’t have to claim you.”

“But I want you to. I’m so sick of this game where I’m half in and half out. Fuck my mother. Fuck all the bullshit she’s put me through. I want you. You are my family.”

“Are you sure?” I murmur, sliding in close. “Once I do this, there’s no going back. I can’t unclaim you. You’re mine forever, as I will be yours. This is far more binding than marriage will ever be.”

“I know you said love will come, but-”

I drag her into my arms and slant my mouth over hers, cutting off her words with a passionate kiss. “God, Emmeline, I’m already obsessed with you. I want nothing more than to claim you and keep you as mine. You own my heart. You have my soul.”

“And love?” she whimpers, wedging her arms between us to wrap them around her stomach.

“I love you already, sweet girl. I’m sure I did the moment I first saw you. I just couldn’t let myself fall.”

She collapses against me, her small frame quivering in my arms as soft sobs flit from her lips. “I- I think I love you too.”

A light chuckle drifts from my lips as I pull her back to kiss her on the forehead. “You think?”

“I’ve never known what love is. How will I know if I’m doing it right?”

“Oh, my sweet, sweet girl. Let me show you. Let me give you all the love I have. Let me shower you with everything in me. There’s no right or wrong. Through the bond, I’ll know exactly how you feel. You don’t need to find the right words or actions. I’ll know. I’ll always know. Just like you will.”

I hold her close, rocking us together as my mind races. She’ll find out about me sooner or later. Maybe if she sees it through the bond, she’ll understand. I won’t have to explain. Who am I kidding? She’ll blame me, hate me, despise me for what I’ve put her through.

“Just promise me, no matter what, you know I love you. I will never intentionally hurt you.”

“I- I promise.”

Nodding, I carry her over to the bed and set her in the middle. Already, her fingers fly over the sheets as her frown drags down her brow. She should be in a celestial room with silks and furs, building a nest fit for the daughter of the five families. And I can’t give her that.

Because of who I am and what I’ve chosen to become, I can’t give her that. For the first time since I’ve left the house and chosen my own path, I have a niggle of regret. It’s because of my love for her I’m even willing to consider turning the clock back.

Sorrow leeches from my body as I gather up blankets and clothes, giving them to her so she can build her nest. At this point in her heat, she doesn’t care. She’s just happy to have something soft to build with. But I know she deserves so much better.

With her fully occupied, I slip out of the house and jog over to the ambulance. Jackson leans his head out the window, unease dripping off of him. “Is she okay?”

“Surprise heat. Her mother gave her fake suppressants.”

“That bitch,” he grumbles under his breath. “Do you need nasal suppressors? I think we have some in the back.”

“No. Emmeline wants me to claim her.”