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She and Gage had been up here so long consuming each other that she had lost track of the days.
“Athena,” she murmured, sitting up quickly.
Gage made a groaning sound like a bear coming out of hibernation, then slipped back into sleep.
She could hardly blame him after the things he had done to her.
Flashes of him holding her against the glass to take her again and again went through her mind. The few times they had stopped for the food and water left on the landing, he had wolfed down his meal and begun feasting on her all over again while she ate, until her meal was forgotten too, and they were at it again in earnest.
She slipped out of bed, wincing as she stood from the mattress. She really hadn’t noticed how hard she was working her body. Her thighs trembled and her hips felt like they were stretched out so much they practically hummed as she walked.
The tray of food on the landing was tempting, but what she really needed was to see if Athena was alright.
When she reached the third floor, she wandered until she found a bathroom. A fluffy robe hung on the door and there were plenty of soaps and fragrant towels.
She stepped inside and closed the door.
“Oberon,” she whispered. “Can you tell me how Athena is doing?”
“Good morning, Naomi Peterson,” Oberon said, his quiet tone almost matching the level of her whisper. “Athena will make a full recovery. Right now, her left hip is still very sore, but she is ready to join you and Gage again when you are ready.”
“That’s wonderful,” Naomi told Oberon, feeling relief wash over her. “I’d love to get a quick shower first, and then I can come pick her up.”
“Dr. Pan will bring her to you,” Oberon said. “Enjoy your shower and she’ll see you when you’re finished.”
“Thank you,” Naomi said. “I… I’m sorry for what happened. I hope being rebooted isn’t painful for you, and that the work of rebuilding goes smoothly.”
“I’m running nicely after the reboot,” Oberon said, without answering her question. “Those normally happen only a few times per year on a schedule, so this was an unexpected boost to my efficiency. But, Naomi, rest assured that you did the right thing. You are not in control of what a criminal does in response. And I am very glad the lowland wolves will be protected. They share a remarkably similar genetic background to Athena. And she is truly a noble creature.”
“She really is,” Naomi agreed.
She went about her morning routine as quickly as she could, but she couldn’t resist soaking under the hot water in the refresher for a nice long time. The rush of warmth soothed her aching muscles, and by the time she got out, she was feeling cozy and content.
Wrapping the fuzzy robe around herself, Naomi ventured out into the room. When she didn’t see any clothing, she decided to just go down as she was. Hopefully, she could have out a bowl of water and something nice for Athena to eat before they arrived.
Her own belly growled loudly as she descended the stairs. The scent of fresh coffee and bacon wafted up to greet her.
When she reached the bottom step, she saw that Gage was already in the living room, pacing back and forth.
“Naomi,” he breathed, stopping to smile up at her.
“You were sleeping so hard,” she said.
“The mate bond dragged me out of bed when you left it,” he chuckled. “But thanks for trying to let me sleep.”
“Sorry,” she said. “I needed a hot shower.”
“I hurt you,” he said, his face falling.
“Only in the best ways,” she told him. “I feel great now.”
She moved down the stairs to him and he wrapped her in his arms and nuzzled her hair.
The frenzy might have loosened its hold on them, but not enough to keep him from sliding a hand inside her robe to cup a breast and thumb the stiff nipple as he moved his mouth to hers, exploring her with a mounting excitement, as if they had never touched before.
She moaned lightly against his mouth, and he tugged the tie of her robe loose, sliding his hand down from her breast.
But when he reached her belly, he stopped and pulled back from their kiss.
