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I sighed as she left the room. I ran a hand over my face, hating that she was avoiding me. Was she still mad about the fight? It was the only thing I could think would make her react this way.

Katie came back with a large bowl of chicken pasta. She set it on the nightstand and turned to leave, but I grabbed her arm, yanking her back. “Stop avoiding me.”

She looked at me, hurt. “I’m not avoiding you. I’m the one nursing you right now.”

“Katie, you’re also avoiding me touching you. I’m sorry about the fight, but I don’t want you to avoid me like this.”

She shook her head. “I’m…I’m not mad about the fight.”

“Then what? Why can’t you look at me?”

Her eyes snapped up from the bed, and I could see the hurt swimming in them. Tears built up, and her voice cracked. “This happened because of me. You’re full of bruises because the darkness was going for me. This is all my fault.”

I reached out, pulling her closer. “And I would do it again because I was protecting you. You’re my wife, and I never want anything to happen to you.”

She sniffled, rubbing at her eyes. “I know that, but that doesn’t mean that seeing you in this state doesn’t hurt. I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared that you were dead. I thought our last conversation was us screaming at each other.”

I pulled her hand up to my face. I kissed her knuckles and held her there. “I’m alive. I’m well. Sore, but well. I did it for you and I would do it again and again.”

She wiped at her eyes, and I cupped her face. “Talk to me. Please. Tell me what’s going on in your head.”

She took a seat at the edge of the bed. “I saw you with her. At the bar. You guys were eating, and you looked like you were meant to be together.”

My shoulder stiffened. I’m sure from her view, it probably looked like that. “Katie, I know you probably won't believe me, but nothing happened. I actually told her off. I went there to calm down, and she showed up. After a few comments, I saw she wasn’t the sweet person that she always made me think she was.”

“Really?” She looked at me, shocked.

I nodded my head. “Yeah. I won’t tolerate anyone talking about you. And I should have sided with you earlier. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

She shook her head. “You didn’t know what was going on and I shouldn’t have been yelling. And I shouldn’t have said that you don’t care about humans. That was cruel to say.”

I pulled her hand up and kissed her knuckles again. “So, we’re okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah, we’re okay.”

I pulled her closer. “Good because I don’t want to ever feel that fear like I had. I was so scared that something was going to happen to you, and I know if I lost you, I would have gone nuts with how much I would have missed you.”

She rolled her eyes. “A little dramatic, I think.”

“I’m serious.”

She snorted. “I can tell.”

I pulled her closer, and Katie stiffened as I stared deeper into her eyes. “I mean it. I don’t ever want to lose you, Katie. You are the most important person to me.”

I thought of the darkness and how empty it felt. I never wanted to feel that again. I reached a hand up and pulled her down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Katie was frozen at first before she softened and placed her hands on my chest.

“I was scared, too,” she whispered as I ran my nose against hers. “And seeing you so bruised up. I don’t ever want to see that again.”

I kissed her again, tasting lemon. She smelt clean, and her hair was half damp. Katie softly moaned as I pulled her tighter against me.

I sat up slightly, and pain radiated through my entire body. I gasped through my teeth as everything stiffened.

“Shit,” Katie mumbled, pushing me back onto the pillow. “You shouldn’t sit up. You’re still healing.”

I frowned, waiting for her to crawl away from me and state that I needed more rest. But she moved, throwing her leg over my hip and straddling me. My eyebrows went up as she leaned back, resting right on my hips and dick.

“Is this better?” she asked in a sweet voice. Her fingers slid down my shirt, her nails leaving a trail as she went down. “Or should I move?”