Page 15 of Aching for His Mate (The Wolves of Luven #5)

Iota could walk across the hospital room.

It wasn’t much, but it was better than he’d been a few days ago. His arm was still healing and bandaged past his elbow and his abdomen was tight where Dr. Tau had repaired his insides. He was being released with strict instructions to allow Domitia to care for him until he felt completely back to normal. Which for a wolf meant able to lift his mate, run at high speeds, and jump over six-foot walls.

All of that felt ages away, yet there he was, being discharged by Dr. Tau, with Epsilon and Lambda here to take him back to his townhouse. Domitia was already home, getting the house ready as instructed.

“This is embarrassing,” Iota grumbled as he walked slower than he ever had down the street. “At this rate we won’t make it home before dark.”

“We offered to carry you,” Lambda pointed out. “Offer still stands.”

“I will not be carried like a child to my home. Where my mate is waiting.”

The worst of it all was Domitia showing up just before his attack. He had to do all this shit—surgery, therapy, helped by every employee of the hospital—with a raging erection that would not go down until he and Domitia were together. Which, according to Dr. Tau, was not allowed to happen until he was at full strength.

Fuck, even his parents had seen him like this. Iota had planned that he would introduce Domitia to his mom and dad after the frenzy. Which in turn would keep him from seeing his parents until after the frenzy. But instead, they’d come one day when she had gone home to change and shower and he had to sit in the shame of them fretting over him while his body was screaming to go fuck Domitia.

At least she had shown no interest in consummating their relationship at this point. One waft of her desire would have thrown him over the edge of despair. No, when Domitia looked at him now, she only felt pity.

Iota limped along the road, stopping and resting against buildings far more than he wanted to. After what felt like over an hour, the row of townhouses came into view, with Domitia sitting on the steps of theirs.

“Hi,” she called with a small smile playing over her lips. “You look good.”

“I feel like a newborn fawn,” he bemoaned.

“Where do you want him?” Epsilon asked.

“Upstairs. I figured we can set him up in our room, that way he won’t have to do the stairs to get to the bathroom.”

“I am here and listening,” Iota reminded them.

“All right, all right,” Lambda said. “Slow and steady up the stairs.”

Thirty minutes later, Iota was lying in his bed and ready for a nap. Trying to get up the front steps, then the house stairs, had taken everything out of him. Downstairs, he could hear Domitia walking Epsilon and Lambda out.

“If you need help, I’m only a couple doors down,” he heard Lambda promise. “Day or night.”

“Thank you. Now, that he’s upstairs I’m sure I’ll be able to manage.”

Fuck, Iota hated this. He was glad to be out of the hospital, but now he had to depend on Domitia for everything. That wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

“How are you feeling?” she asked as she walked back into the room. Domitia busied herself folding a stack of clothes on the dresser.

“Fine.”

“Do you want something to eat? Or to sleep? I know that must have taken a lot out of you.”

“I’m a wolf,” he growled. “Walking up the stairs doesn’t take a lot out of me.”

Domitia pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows.

Damn it. “I’m sorry I growled at you,” Iota said. “I am frustrated with my current lot in life.”

“I’m sure you are but think of how much more annoying it would be if you had died.” She scrunched her nose at him playfully. “Now. Dr. Tau said rest is key and if you want to be back to normal as soon as possible, I think you should take a nap and I’ll make a big lunch for the two of us. Does that sound good?”

“It does.”

“Okay.” Domitia softly clasped her hands. “Call me if you need help getting to the bathroom.”

“I—” he started to refute her and then realized he probably did need at least a hand to get down the hall. “Thanks.” Iota settled in bed and stuck his hands behind his head. “I’ll try to sleep.”

After she left, he found that he was pretty worn out from getting home. And listening to Domitia putter around downstairs was the loveliest ambient noise he’d ever heard. He closed his eyes and thought of her. Thought of days to come instead of days passed, thought of running through the woods in the winter, the moon fat and low in the sky, the stars like pinpricks all over the inky black night, and the beautiful mate who waited for him at home…

*

When Iota woke, it was evening. He’d slept hours instead of the few minutes he thought to grab. Fuck his body. Fuck those wolves.

“Are you awake?” Domitia whispered from the doorway.

“Yeah,” he answered. Iota slowly pushed himself to sitting.

“I’m going to help you to the bathroom.”

“Domitia, you don’t have to,” he began.

“Stop it. I won’t stay in—I’ll even shut the door. But Dr. Tau gave me a lot of instructions and this was one. Make sure you are peeing.” She marched to his side and reached both her hands to him. He took them, and for a single moment, Iota let himself simply hold his mate’s hands. He didn’t think about how much it was going to hurt to stand, or how he’d hobble to the bathroom when he should have been running miles every day. No, for this moment, Iota only thought of the feel of Domitia’s skin against his. Her hands felt warm and soft…and like they’d been in water recently. He ran his thumbs over the tops of her hands, memorizing the rise and fall of her knuckles.

“Ready?” she asked. He nodded.

It was slow work between the two of them. They got him up, then waited, walked to the doorway, then waited. They finally made it the bathroom and the second Domitia closed the door Iota realized he did in fact have to pee with a ferocity he’d never known. After he’d peed for over 60 seconds straight, he heard Domitia giggling outside of the door.

“See? This is why Dr. Tau gave me directions. I’ll be getting your ass out of bed at regular intervals to pee.”

Iota blushed, embarrassed for a moment, then laughed too.

“Didn’t realize how badly I had to go. Too blinded by your beauty,” he called through the door as he washed his hands.

“All right, charmer.”

He opened the door slowly and locked eyes with Domitia.

“Let’s get you back in bed.”