Page 42 of Cheating Fate

I sighed, which made her chuckle.

“Patience, sweetie. You’ve done everything possible for your mate,” she said, eyeing me teasingly.

“Right,” I replied.

We had indeed. At least, he no longer needed to remain in stasis. In that state, his entire body was dormant and therefore unable to properly assimilate the nutrients we were feeding him. Therefore, we deactivated it. He would have to be sedated or put in an artificial coma to avoid him feeling any pain.

I stretched, feeling physically and emotionally drained.

“You’ve done great, Zharina. But now, you also get some rest. You’ve faced a terrible ordeal and have some healing of your own to do,” Nana said gently before kissing my cheek and kissing my forehead.

“Right again. Thank you, Nana,” I said, the love I felt for my great-mother loudly audible.

She winked at me and then left with Nalia.

My cousin came to stand next to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders, her eyes locked on the still severely burnt body of my mate.

“Your man is absolutely badass,” she said wistfully.

“I know, right?” I said, pride but also sadness that he suffered so much filling my heart.

“You were right in comparing him to my papa,” Lenora continued pensively. “Dad always spoke so highly of him. Now I see why. The way he just jumped right into that pit without hesitation to come for you was something else. You’re one lucky lady.”

My chest warmed as I nodded.

“I truly am. But so will you. Your turn will come, and your mate will be just as amazing,” I replied affectionately.

“May the goddess hear you,” she said teasingly before giving me a tight hug and kissing my cheek before exiting the room.

I watched the door close behind her then walked back to the medical bed. I stared at my man while absentmindedly applying another round of healing on my ribs. Leaning forward, I gently kissed the damaged skin of his lips, then climbed on the bed to snuggle against him. I rested my palm on his chest to feel the soothing motion of his heartbeat and addressed a silent prayer of thanks to the Goddess.

Chapter 10

Gavin

The sweetest scent stirred me from the deepest slumber I had ever experienced. My limbs weighed a ton. I felt a little groggy and my mind foggy. But that alluring perfume and the pleasant warmth pressing against me forced me awake.

My eyes fluttered, the brightness of the natural light flooding my room blinding me for a moment. And then I saw her. So beautiful, delicate, and innocent in her sleep. A powerful emotion swelled in my heart as I gazed at my mate.

I raised a hand to caress her cheek and prove to myself that she was real. The absence of pain surprised me. I was still messed up, as indicated by the bandages covering quite a few parts of my body. And yet, aside from some stiffness and heaviness, I couldn’t detect any real injury or source of major discomfort.

I knew she would fix me.

Not once did I doubt she would. However, never in a million years would I have expected to suffer this much when Venya foretold that there would be a great deal of pain. Still, I would do it all over again for her. No sacrifice would ever be too great to protect my mate.

I gently brushed my fingertips on the soft curve of her cheek and marveled at the silkiness of her light-gray skin. Zhara’s eyes instantly snapped open. For a split second, she seemed a bit confused as to where she was, then the most radiant smile blossomed on her face.

“Gavin!” she whispered.

To my shock, she grabbed my face with both hands and crushed my lips with a brutal kiss. My arm instantly wrapped around her, and I melted from the inside out. Ancestors, she was so perfect! A sense of destiny and incommensurable joy swept through me.

Zhara broke the kiss and locked eyes with me. Time stood still as I drowned in the endless depths of her magnificent yellow eyes with green specks. I could have stayed like this forever.

“How are you feeling?” she asked at last, worry seeping into her voice. “Are you hurting anywhere?”

I shook my head and gently smiled. “No, I’m fine. I knew you would heal me.”

To my dismay, instead of the smug grin I expected, tears welled in her eyes.