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Her voice broke, and love surged through me. I pulled her into my lap, wrapping her in a secure embrace.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I reassured her, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. “I promise. I’m right here, and I’m fine, even if I don’t remember anything that happened after the vampire bit me.”
She sniffled, trying and failing to fight back the tears. I hated seeing her this vulnerable, but she needed to believe it, to know that I would do everything in my power to keep myself safe for her. For us.
“Tell me what happened.” I wanted to understand the events that had led to my current state.
Tori wiped her eyes. “After you passed out, Dean got the vampire off you. We got you to a witch Jaxon knows. Eleanor. She’s agreed to come here and mentor Lola, by the way. After she did her thing, we got you back here as quickly as we could. You were unconscious for a while, but Eleanor said that might be the case. She also said your shifter healing might take some time to finish dealing with the vampire venom, so you might feel a little weak for another couple of days, but you are improving.”
My heart rate steadied as she continued to update me. “Hanna, Camila, and Gabe are fine. Hanna and Gabe are both recovering well. They’re getting settled in one of the new houses. Camila wants to visit you when you’re feeling up to it. I told her we’d call her when you’re ready. The houses aren’t fully done yet, but it’s still an improvement on camping in the woods. The contractor asked me to pass on his apologies. There were a few last-minute problems, but he says he’ll be done in the next few days.”
“Good,” I said, relieved that things were looking up despite my recent brush with death. “Thank you, Tori, for taking care of everything. It’s strange being on this side of the bed. Normally, you’re the one with your feet up, and I’m taking care of you. I can see why you enjoy it.” I laughed. “Seriously, though, thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Damn right,” she said, a smile ghosting across her lips. The shadows in her eyes remained, and I knew we had a long way to go before we could truly relax.
Responsibility weighed on my chest as I realized how much had been happening in Blackwood Creek during my absence. Though I was happy knowing that Camila and her family were settling into their new home, there was still so much to be done. My body wanted to move, to take charge and check in with the other alphas and Clawson.
“I should get up and see what needs to be done. I need to talk to Clawson.” I shifted slightly and tried to sit up. The pain that accompanied the simple movement made me grit my teeth, but I was determined not to let it slow me down.
Tori pressed her hand firmly to my chest. “Absolutely not,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “You’re officially on a no-work order. You need time to fully recover.”
“Come on, Tori, the town…” I began, only to be cut off by a low warning growl.
“I mean it, Ridge. I’m taking care of you, and you’re just going to have to deal with it. I’ve spoken with Clawson; he knows not to bother you, and that you’re having a few days off. Kyle will help him if he needs it. I’ve told them all that if you call them, text them, send smoke signals or whatever, they have to tell me. Then I’ll get pissed off, because it will mean you’ve done the one thing I’ve asked you not to do.”
The authority in her tone sent a shiver down my spine. I had to admit there was something incredibly attractive about Tori’s alpha side.
“You know...” I smirked despite the pain. “You’re really sexy when you’re bossy.”
Her cheeks flushed pink, but she rolled her eyes. “Don’t try to distract me with flattery, Fido. I’m serious about making sure you recover properly.”
“Fine.” I spread my hands and shrugged. “But I reserve the right to take care of you in bed.” I waggled my eyebrows, though the thought of any strenuous activity still seemed daunting at the moment.
Tori snorted, a playful glint entering her eyes. “If you don’t watch it, I’ll put you under a no-sex order until further notice.”
“All right, all right.” I chuckled, settling back against the pillows. “I promise to be good.”
Tori handed me the coffee from the breakfast tray, and we just sat, enjoying each other’s company.
As much as I wanted to be up and working, there was something undeniably comforting about my mate taking care of me. The town needed me—and Tori needed me—to be whole and healthy, not pushing myself to the brink of collapse.
So, for now, I would allow myself this moment of respite to heal and regain my strength. There would be plenty of time for work later, but for today, I would focus on the woman by myside, the one who had saved me. Who continued to hold me up, even when I felt like breaking.
I spent most of the day asleep. Whenever I woke, Tori was sitting next to me quietly, on her phone or bringing me some soup.
The next day, the sun streamed through the curtains and cast a warm glow over the room. Tori had transformed the bedroom into a cozy haven of comfort as I continued to recover. I could make out her voice downstairs, singing along to the radio as she moved around in the kitchen, preparing an array of dishes that filled the air with delicious scents. My stomach rumbled in anticipation, but I forced myself to stay put so as not to piss her off.
“Hey there,” Tori said when she came into the room and placed the breakfast tray on my lap. “Eat up.”
The sight of bacon, eggs, and pancakes—far from my usual strict diet—made my mouth water.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my health-conscious mate?” she asked wryly as I took a big bite of the fluffy pancake soaked in smoky-sweet maple syrup. Tori smirked, her eyes lighting up.
“Consider it a one-time-only indulgence. I need my strength back, after all.”
She grabbed a piece of bacon for herself. As I ate, we chatted idly about our favorite movies and decided to watch a couple of them.
Throughout the day, Tori’s phone rang intermittently, and she’d step out of the room to take calls from Kyle or other pack members. Each time she returned, if I asked who had called or what they wanted, I was met with a firm reminder that I was still under her no-work order.
