Page 8
eight
ASPEN
I was drowsy from the meds when Enzo stormed into the room. His expression was stony but determined as he checked my body for bruises, his fingers light and gentle on the painful spots. When he pulled my shirt up to look for bruises, his expression was clinical. And when he realized I was wearing my bra, he tore the fabric off my body so he could see me better.
I drifted back to sleep as he pulled the boxer-briefs away from my ass, still just checking for bruises. After the night we’d spent together when I was naked in bed, I wasn’t particularly concerned with him seeing my body. If he’d wanted to hurt me, he would’ve done it while I was asleep the night before.
Over the next few hours, I only woke up a few times.
When he ran his hand lightly over my hair, murmuring something inaudible.
When he knocked a pan against something in the kitchen, making a loud noise.
When the smell of steak cooking was so overwhelmingly delicious that I sat up, and he brought the food to me in bed.
“I can go to the table,” I croaked.
Enzo glowered at me, and I looked down at the meat.
He’d already cut it for me.
That was… something.
Maybe something sweet.
He stabbed a chunk of steak with a fork and lifted it to my lips.
“You don’t have to—ooh.” He put the steak in my mouth, cutting me off.
Wow.
Yumm.
I hadn’t realized how hungry I was, but I was starving.
I chewed the meat and reached for the fork, but he knocked my hand away and fed me another bite.
And another.
And another.
Potatoes followed when the meat was gone.
Steamed broccoli, too.
Then more steak, when I was still hungry.
“You took the medicine,” he said, finally running a hand over the top of my hair as sleep weighed down my eyelids again. His touch was stiff, and not entirely natural, but felt nice anyway.
“When I was safe,” I agreed sleepily.
His chest rumbled. “You’re safe with my pack, Princess.”
“I’m safe with you.”
“Always.” His hand ran over my hair again. It felt more natural that time. “I need you to take another pill. The pain’s going to come back if you don’t.”
“Mmkay.”
He pressed the pill to my lips, followed by a straw.
I swallowed the medication, and heard a quiet sigh that I thought I might’ve imagined.
“Can you take my bra off? It’s uncomfy.” I mumbled.
“If you ever ask anyone else that question, they will die.”
I laughed sleepily.
My drugged-up self saw no problem with his possessiveness.
He eased the bra carefully over my tits, maneuvered my arms through, and pulled it over my head. “That’s harder than it looks.”
“Mmhm.”
“Feel better now?”
“Yeah.” I wrapped my fingers around his arm and lifted my leg over his waist like I had the night before. He caught it before it could crash down, and lowered it slowly to the bed.
“Careful, Princess.”
“I want a crown.”
He chuckled, moving his hand lightly over the curve of my hip. “You don’t need one. Everyone already knows who you are.”
“Some of them don’t like me,” I whispered.
“If they make you feel unwelcome, you give me their names.”
“If I had a crown, I wouldn’t need to.”
His chest rumbled. “How about a mate mark?”
“I don’t want to be mated. I want to be a bird.”
“A bird?”
“They’re free,” I mumbled into his arm. “Towers are stupid.”
“Towers?”
“I hate them.” My face twisted with emotion.
“No more towers.” He smoothed my hair again. I didn’t think he even knew what I was saying, but he was trying to make me feel comfortable. And it was working.
“Promise?”
“Yeah, Princess. No towers.”
My lips curved upward, and I fell back asleep.
I was wrapped around Enzo’s body again the next time I woke up. My face contorted as pain shot through my ankle.
He pressed medicine to my lips. “Take this.”
I parted my lips for the pill, and a straw followed again, so I could swallow it down with water.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Almost five.”
I groaned. “I should be feeling better by now.”
“You kicked my leg in your sleep, with your bad foot.”
I moved a little, and he pinned me to his chest, grumbling at me. Something about the weight and pressure of his arms relaxed me, and I fell back asleep quickly.
It had to be lunch time when deep, gnawing hunger finally forced me to wake up. I opened my bleary eyes and stared up at the ceiling. I was on my back, tangled up in Enzo’s perfect, fancy blankets, sweating like mad.
Logic told me he had probably slipped out to go hunting again. I had hurt my ankle, but it really wasn’t that big of a deal. It would be healed soon. He’d stayed the night because I was in his room, but?—
A man sat down beside me.
My eyes closed as I took his scent in.
My wolf rumbled in her sleep, still out cold.
He wasn’t hunting rogues. He was with me.
I threw an arm over my eyes, and realized I was topless when my boobs bounced.
Oops.
“Did I really ask you to take my bra off?” I asked.
He made a noise of confirmation.
I sighed. “You should’ve said no.”
“You were uncomfortable.”
“You wanted to see my boobs.”
“Anyone with a sex drive would want to see those perfect tits, Princess, but I didn’t take it off to give myself a show.”
I shouldn’t have believed him, but I did.
“Here.” He helped me sit up, and tugged fabric over my head. When I opened my eyes, I realized it was one of his white tank tops. It wouldn’t hide much, but it was better than nothing. And I was pretty sure I’d worn all of his t-shirts already.
“I washed your clothes,” I said, running a hand over my face.
He set a plate down on my lap. “I noticed. You moved my dishes, too.”
“I organized them. There’s no reason to have half the forks in one drawer and half in another.”
“They’re different sizes. I don’t like the small ones.”
“You can still tell which is which when they’re in the same drawer. You just need one of those utensil sorting things.”
He picked up the fork and stabbed a chunk of pancake with it.
Pancakes, sausage, and bacon for breakfast?
Heaven.
I had entered heaven.
All I had to do was fall down some stairs to find it.
When I put a bite in my mouth, I legitimately groaned.
Enzo paid for the good syrup. The real kind.
Forget heaven. I had entered paradise.
And it came with a sexy, possessive grump of a man.
“I know your wolf decided he wants me to be your mate, but that doesn’t mean we have to share a bed. It definitely doesn’t mean you need to take care of me. I?—”
“Fell down the stairs.”
“Well, yes. But?—”
“Can’t walk on your own.”
“That will only last a few days. And?—”
“Are covered in bruises so mottled, you look diseased.”
I blinked, not having a comeback for that one.
I glanced down at my arm, and grimaced. It really did look like I had some kind of disease.
“Just eat the food, Princess.” He leaned back against the bedframe and watched me.
Fighting seemed pointless at the moment, so I took another bite and had to close my eyes.
Yeah, pancakes were better than sex. Way better than sex.
“I saw the scans. Your ankle is going to take around a week and a half to heal. Hansen says you think it’ll go faster because you’re a woman.”
“I know it will. I heal faster than men,” I said, around a bite of pancake.
“I heard.”
“It’ll still probably take five or six days. Hard to say for sure. I’ve never broken a bone before.”
“I heard that too. Fletcher is chatty when you’re injured.”
“Something tells me you’re not.”
He didn’t respond to that.
I’d hit the nail on the head.
“I’ll be fine,” I told him. “I’ll find a comfortable chair on the top floor balcony, and?—”
“You’re staying here.”
I blinked.
“In our room. Where you can’t get hurt.”
I blinked again.
He stood up. “My cops are dealing with something in town. I need to talk to them. My office is down the hall. Text me if you need anything.”
I blinked a third time.
Enzo strode out of the apartment, leaving me alone.
What the hell?
I stabbed another bite of my pancakes. They were too good to stop eating them, and it wasn’t their fault my mate was a dick.
Er, not my mate.
The guy who’d abducted me.
I was already starting to believe what he claimed about me being his. My wolf was definitely in agreement.
Not a great sign .
I eased my foot to the floor and started to stand up, but as soon as I did, my arm stopped abruptly.
What the hell?
I looked back at it—and realized it had been tied to the bedframe.
Tied.
To the bedframe.
With rope.
My phone was on the nightstand, alongside my iPad mini. It had been horribly cracked the last time I saw it and now had a perfectly smooth screen, but that didn’t register as I typed the code in and texted Enzo.
Me
What the hell?
I can’t even get to the toilet
Enzo
I don’t want you on your feet without assistance
Me
I don’t remember asking what you wanted, Alpha
Enzo
I don’t remember caring whether you asked, Princess
Eat your food
Me
Screw off
Enzo
Read a book and relax
You’re on vacation, remember?
Me
This isn’t a fucking vacation
Stop giving me orders
Enzo
Stop calling me Alpha, then
Me
We both know that’s not why you’re doing it
Enzo
Let me know when you’re ready for help getting to the bathroom
I glared down at my phone.
He was such a pain.
I eyed the rope connecting my wrist to the bed.
He clearly wasn’t expecting me to shift my hand and cut through it. And I didn’t want him to replace the rope with chains. That would be bad.
So I sent another text.
Me
Let’s make a truce
Enzo
I’m not negotiating.
Me
You said yourself that you’re not locking me in the room. I think that includes chains. And I have claws, so I can get through this rope at any point.
The dots appeared, like he was typing something.
The message didn’t come through.
I waited.
Finally, it came.
Enzo
What do you want?
Me
No rope. I go to the bathroom by myself, obviously. I’ll agree to sitting around and staying in the room for the most part while I heal, if you unlock our porch so I can sit outside when I want to.
Enzo
In what way do I benefit from this?
Me
I let you fuss over me as much as you want without too much complaining
Enzo
I’m not fussing
Me
Sure you aren’t
Enzo
My wolf won’t allow anything else
Me
Then the deal would work out pretty well for you
Another moment passed before he sent another message.
Enzo
Fine, break the rope and use the bathroom yourself. I’ll be in and out to check on you.
Me
K
How long is your wolf going to be like this?
Enzo
Fuck if I know
Me
Is the rabid situation going to escalate without you? I don’t want to be the reason people die
Enzo
No.
My pack can handle it. I just don’t usually let them.
Me
Why not?
Enzo
Finish your breakfast. I’ll be in to make lunch soon.
I let out a sigh, but listened.
If I wanted to piss without an Alpha listening in, I was just going to have to follow some orders.