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When I was completely naked, Nathaniel took me by the hand and led me into the bathroom. I blinked at the frothy bubbles. Whatever he’d dumped in the bath was filling the room with the scent of jasmine.
He’d taken the time to light a candle, and it was sitting on the side of the tub next to more of my shampoo and conditioner.
I knew damn well Nathaniel hadn’t had candles or bubble bath before I’d appeared in his life. I’d scared the crap out of him, and he’d still taken the time to attempt to spoil me.
“Evie?”
“I love you.”
Surprise flickered across his face. But the smile he gave me was so sweetly open, I couldn’t help but nestle closer and lift onto my tiptoes for a kiss.
Just that amount of movement hurt. I tried to cover it up, but I ended up gasping against his mouth.
Nathaniel growled. “Get in the bath.”
This time, I didn’t bother attempting to stifle my pain noises as he helped me into the tub. When I was finally settled, Nathaniel’s wolf was staring back at me. He leaned over, placed a kiss on my head, and strode out.
This was difficult for him.
This whole mating thing was new to both of us, butIdidn’t have an entirely different creature inside me to negotiate with.
A while later, Nathaniel knocked on the door, immediately striding into the bathroom. “Healer is here.”
Getting out of the tub was worse than getting in.
When Nathaniel had bundled me into a robe, he led me into our room and gestured for me to sit on the bed. Several ice packs were waiting next to the bed, and he managed to position them right at all my worst aches and pains.
When I was settled, he let Neana in. She’d healed Charlie’s arm, and, according to Tobias, Nathaniel was in negotiations with her to move in to wolf territory so the pack would always have a healer close by. Nathaniel’s other healer often traveled with the dominants, which kept them safe. But he wanted someone close by as well.
“Hi, Evie. Wow, you really did a number on yourself, huh?”
“Hi. It’s not that bad. Really.”
She tutted as she took in the bruising, pulling a hair tie off her wrist and tying her hair back. “Seat belt definitely saved you from much, much worse injuries.”
I swallowed at the thought, my mouth suddenly dry. If I’d been trapped in that car, in too much pain to get out or create my ward, I likely wouldn’t be here.
Nathaniel was pacing, and I held out my hand. He knelt by the bed and pressed a gentle kiss to my knuckles. Glancing at the healer, he raised one eyebrow. “What’s the prognosis?”
“I can take care of the bruising now, but you’ll still be a little sore for a few days,” she told me. “Likely a bit stiff.”
Not ideal, but it wasn’t like I could doanythingin my current condition.
“Okay. Thanks.”
She got to work. Nathaniel sat next to me and took my hand. My eyes grew heavy. One of the main side effects of healing was a long, deep sleep. It was as if the body had to catch up to the unnatural speed of recovery.
My eyes closed entirely against my will. “Don’t leave yet,” I murmured.
Nathaniel pressed several gentle kisses across my face. “I won’t. Go to sleep.”
“More orders.”
But this one, I wanted to follow. I curled up next to my mate and drifted off.
* * *
Nathaniel
