Page 195

“I need to go, now,” I said.

I started unsnapping the cords that connected me to the monitor, yanking sticky sensors off when they didn’t come automatically.

My gown gaped, but as public nudity was apparently no big thing, I couldn’t afford to focus on that.

I clambered out of bed, fighting to get free of the bedclothes, people gasping when I stumbled.

Muscles that had been fuelled by a steady diet of adrenalin after Rick beat the shit out of me had had a couple of days to seize up and weaken.

The floor rushed up towards me, my second face plant of the week imminent, when a strong pair of hands caught me.

They drew me up, put me on my feet, and then withdrew, and I half wished they hadn’t.

This was the point where I should have called for my son, in a clear but firm voice, grabbed him and our stuff, and made a beeline for the car, wherever that was.

Instead, I froze, looking around me. Jules and Ophelia looked resigned but unhappy, Aidan wriggled into his jeans, now back in human form, and Peter?

He waited. He didn’t move to stop me, to block me, hem me in.

Of course, not. He is your mate.

My…what had they called it, the wolf thing? Tirian, that was it. She sounded almost offended by the idea.

So, what? I can walk out of here, and he’ll let me?

He’ll help you. That’s what mates do.

As if to confirm that, he reached into his pocket and produced a ring of keys. He pulled off a car key and placed it in my hand, closing my fingers around it.

“Big, white, Toyota ute, out the front,” he said.

“Pete—” Aidan said, but the man himself just shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine. He patted my hand and then stepped back.

I just blinked, unable to process any of what had just happened.

We are home. We are safe. The cub is safe.

I rolled the key around in my hand, feeling the pulsing need to run, just not sure where to.

I looked at Peter, saw him watching every single waver, not stepping in but ready to do so if I faltered.

Ophelia and Jules now stood on either side of the bed, giving me a clear path out.

And Aidan? He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, the muscles tense, as if he was holding himself back from moving forward.

Go to him, your mate , my Tirian insisted.

I could feel her shift inside me, as if she would make the move if I didn’t.

I don’t know him.

How will you?

You can’t force this. You can’t make me start a relationship with someone new days after I left my husband.

This pulled a growl from her.

That was no relationship; he was no mate. You have been mateless for many years, you just hadn’t left yet.

Peter moved in closer, slowly, cautiously, like one would with a wild animal. When I didn’t move away, he placed a hand on my arm, then stopped when I flinched a little.

He’s getting me used to him , I thought with an uncertain little laugh inside my head.

Of course.

Emboldened, he slid his hand up to my shoulder, then added his other hand.

I knew where this was going, which was somehow reassuring and exotic.

How long had it been since someone touched me like this, just pleasant, warm, sweet caresses?

My breath caught in my chest, a great fucking lump forming there as he finished his move, those massive arms going around me and pulling me to his chest. Something inside me rankled at the way I sagged into his embrace, assigning him with the duty of holding me up.

And he did. I felt the weight of his head resting against mine, the slight tremor in his arms that told me this wasn’t entirely a relaxing thing for him anyway, and then I closed my eyes.

I pulled away eventually, but it had taken some effort.

I looked Peter over speculatively. There was something about him, about his gentleness, his size, that made me want to just dive on into him, lose myself in all that warm intensity.

And he’d let me, I realised. We’d barely spoken two words to each other, but the way he let me go reluctantly—respecting my wishes, but letting me know I’d be welcome back at any point—was just dizzying.

This was a guy who’d have no problem establishing himself a lucrative career as a male stripper. Like his body was a rock of hard muscle, and he had that kind of square jawed, handsome face that just made women squee.

So what’s he doing with you then? I wondered, which only got me an irritated snort from my Tirian.

I’d earned myself a round of supportive smiles when I turned around, but I stepped back so my body pressed against Peter’s wider one when I pressed his keys back into his hand.

Something rabidly hungry rose as his arm went around my waist, anchoring me against him, my breath coming to match his.

It was a part of me that had craved this sort of contact for so long and had always been denied.

It felt so…indulgent, reckless, wanton, just letting someone touch me, comfort me without consequences, but right now, I couldn’t bring myself to walk away.

“I’d like to set you up in your own house in the married quarters,” Ophelia said with a gentle smile.

“It will be your place. You will determine who stays and who goes within it.” Her gaze flicked from Aidan to beyond my head at Peter.

“I think a routine and a safe space will go a long way to helping both you and your son.”

“That’s incredibly generous,” I said, frowning a little.

“Not at all. We couldn’t help you before all of this happened. Let us help you now.”

“Just be careful,” Hobbes had said as she went through my release paperwork. “Plenty of you ignore your body’s limitations due to all those lovely mate pheromones. It won’t help your recovery to push yourself. So…don’t rush into things.”

I glanced around the room, checking if that meant what I thought it meant, and if the uncomfortable looks were anything to go by, it did. I blinked, wavering on my feet, hanging onto Peter, but now I realised exactly what mate meant. It was both a noun and a verb.

“That won’t be a problem,” Peter said firmly. “She’s not ready, anyone can see that.”

“I’m glad that’s clear to everyone,” the doctor said, looking at both Peter and Aidan.

Both?

Most females take more than one mate , my Tirian replied.

Ohhh my god.

My brain went momentarily offline at that, unable to process anything else new.

The doc gave me some medication and a litany of all the fractures they’d found, along with instructions to come and see her in a few days.

And so we’d gathered up all the toys Kade was playing with, our stuff apparently already in the car, Ophelia, Jules, and Kiralee following along in a little golf cart thing after they’d taken the girl home.

“Everyone belted in?” Aidan asked from the front of the car, Peter turning to take a long look, even after we’d all nodded our heads, and then off we went.