Page 136 of His Retribution

I scowl so hard my eyebrows almost touch my nose. "Bossy."

"Damn straight." She giggles. "Now you get your seven day old stank ass in there and don't come out until you're pruny. I'm gonna take the tunnel and get you some clean clothes and I'll stop at the kitchen on my way and make you something to eat. Sound good?"

My stomach screeches then rumbles and we both look at it. "I guess that's a plan then."

Grace laughs. "Good. If you wash behind your ears and eat every bite of food, then I'll let you go see your mate."

I roll my eyes like the child she perceives me to be right now then nod.

I hate to admit it but Grace is right.

My body is stiff and my hair is gross, not to mention I'm really fucking hungry so I should listen to her for once. Plus, Havok will read me the riot act if I go marching into the war room looking like a sickly, half-naked, starving version of myself. Something he's seen before but it would kill him to see again.

Once the door is shut, I reach up and untie the bow behind my neck, cringing the entire way because everything is definitely starting to hurt, especially when I feel the skin on my midsection pull tight and resist the movement.

And when I drop that gown and see not even close to what I was expecting, I about shit.

Did Havok give me a fucking tattoo while I was out cold or what?

It's beautiful, so very beautiful but the very obvious delphinium and ivy dancing over my stomach and ribs, under my boobs and up my sternum were definitely not there last time I saw myself naked.

My fingers trace the intricate design only to find it raised slightly off my skin and much cooler than the rest of me.

Strange.

So super strange and I have no one to ask about it.

It really is beautiful though and it absolutely makes me think of my fantastic mate.

He saved me, in so many ways, but this right here is a physical representation of how Havok saved me on my birthday and didn't let that thing, that creature, take me from him.

Damnit, I need to talk to Havok.

Time to get my ass in gear.

My ass that I drop to the second I'm in the shower stall with the door closed.

Ok, this was a great idea.

I can already feel my muscles relax, feel their stiffness subside. I basically melt into the tile bench, tilt my head back and just let the water rain down on my skin.

So fucking good.

Once I'm feeling loose enough, I search for products only to find mine already in the shower, which absolutely means my big beautiful mate has been walking around smelling like flowers and Shea butter. And that fact makes me smile.

It also makes me realize that I honestly missed him so much despite not quite grasping the fact that I was in a coma for seven days. When I first woke up it felt like everything just happened, but now that I'm up and moving, washing my hair and body, I feel our separation so deeply that it physically hurts.

I will never go more than a few minutes without Havok ever again. Not fucking happening.

Something he inadvertently proves a few minutes later when he comes barreling into the bathroom and essentially rips the glass door off its hinges.

"Fucking cockface!" I shout, my adrenaline through the roof. "Jesus, lovey, you scared the shit out of me!"

He just stands there in the doorway, big hands gripping either side of the frame so hard his knuckles crack. Havok's chest is pumping fast like he ran here, which he probably did, those ice blue eyes laser focused on me. The look on his face isn't hard but it isn't soft either. He almost looks like he's in a state of disbelief.

I guess that makes sense.

Just wait until I unload all the shit I need to.