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“No.” She tucked her nose into my neck and breathed deeply. I wasn’t sure she even realized she was doing it. That she was taking comfort from my scent, from my presence, made me feel ten feet tall. And really fucking protective.
“Ms. Cleese? You can come back now.”
I stood with her, my hand glued to hers. The nurse glanced up at me and gave us a knowing smile, then led us back. Sylvie and I hadn’t talked about me going in with her, but that was what was happening. There was no way I was letting her go in alone if she was nervous.
The nurse pointed to an examination room and stood back, speaking to Sylvie. “Go ahead and lie down.” She looked at me. “You can stand on the other side of the exam table, as long as I can get to the stitches.”
I bent down and scooped Sylvie into my arms, then placed her gently on the table before maneuvering to the other side and taking her hand again. It took about two seconds, and I didn’t think about what I was doing until I noticed how flushed Sylvie’s face was. She was staring at me with her eyes wide. The nurse coughed like she was covering up a laugh.
Yeah. Because I’d just picked Sylvie up like some kind of neanderthal. Thankfully, I hadn’t growled at the nurse. Yet. This alpha shit was turned up to eleven with Sylvie around.
Fuck it, I was going to own it.
I winked at Sylvie before bending down to her ear and whispering, “I take care of what’s mine.” Yep, possessive caveman, that’s what I’d become.
I watched her swallow, her pulse speeding up. Responsive. My dick was instantly hard. Shit, we needed to get these stitches out and find a room.
The calming voice of the nurse brought back a little sanity when she wheeled a tray of supplies next to Sylvie’s other side. “You’ll feel some tugging, but this shouldn’t be too painful. Let me know if you need me to stop.”
“Okay.” Sylvie nodded at the nurse and blew out a breath, then her eyes went to mine. I kept squeezing her hand, running my thumb along the inside of her wrist.
Damn. The way she looked at me. I was so far gone for this woman.
Sylvie winced as the first stitch came out, and I tried to distract her. “Jonah told me you’ve got a gallery event coming up.”
“Yes, we do an opening every time one of our classes graduates. It’s a big deal for them to have their work shown, and we get a good crowd. My gallery assistant has been setting it up, but I’m hoping to get back to work soon to make sure it’s ready to go.”
“All done,” the nurse said, surprising me. She’d worked fast. “The doctor wants to do a quick check before you go. You can sit up, and I’ll go let her know you’re ready.”
I helped Sylvie up, my hand on her back.
“How does it look?” she asked.
“Not bad. Did they say if you’ll have a scar?”
“Yeah. The doctor at the hospital said to wear it proudly, that it shows I’m tough.”
“You are. You’re so strong, Sylvie.”
She smiled, like I’d given her a boost of confidence. A knock at the door interrupted our little moment as the doctor came in.
“Hi there, Sylvie.” She noticed me and nodded. “I’m Dr. Green.”
“I’m…”Sylvie’s boyfriend, Sylvie’s mate, Sylvie’s…“Toby.”
“Hi, Toby.” Dr. Green smiled and looked to Sylvie. “I know they did a lot of tests at the hospital. We’re just going to recheck and make sure you’re on the right track.”
After a series of questions, flash cards, a vision exam, and balancing exercises, the doctor pronounced Sylvie nearly one hundred percent. She was cleared to go back to work, with the caution that she take it easy and rest if she needed to, and not to drive if she was feeling dizzy.
It was all good news, but it meant that she didn’t really need the pack around to help anymore. I walked Sylvie back to my car with an ache in my chest.
What would happen now? Had we done enough to show her how much we cared? Enough that if we asked her to join our pack, to bond with us, she’d say yes?
I was sure the other guys had all told her they loved her, but I hadn’t yet. It couldn’t wait now. She climbed into the passenger seat, and I closed her door and went to the driver’s side, getting in as she finished putting on her seat belt. Maybe this wasn’t the right place, but fuck it. I reached my hand around her nape, and she turned toward me, a confused look on her face.
“Are you okay, Toby?”
Tension filled the small space of the car, and I probably looked a little crazed.
