Unshift 288
Unshift 288
288 Ava: Healed
Lucas motions toward his arms and legs with a wry smile. "I guess my healing came back with a vengeance." That's an understatement.
My heart pounds as I rush a few feet forward, stopping short at the foot of the bed as I drink him
In.
Alive. Well. Healed.
The strong alpha I remember, even if he doesn't know me anymore.
"Can L... would it be okay if I looked you over?" All the confidence I projected at that receptionist from earlier is gone, and I'm timid in front of my mate, this man with my heart in his hands.
He surprises me by standing up beside the bed, a low chuckle stirring my heart and tear ducts. into production. A slow circle, arms raised, as if showing himself off.
Steady,
Confident.
No trace of the injuries that had left him bedridden.
The familiar planes of his face soften with a lopsided smile that squeezes my heart. I ache to touch him, to assure myself this isn't another dream that will evaporate like mist.
His golden eyes are clear, no longer marred by the hint of pain. The broad shoulders I once clung to stand straight, unbowed by suffering. His skin is unblemished, no longer marred by recent wounds. Joy surges through my veins, bright and buoyant. He's here. Whole. Well, almost.
My vision blurs with tears, and I hiccup in the most unladylike manner. "I'm so glad you're better.
The words aren't enough to convey the depth of my joy over his recovery.
Lucas motions for me to sit on the end of the bed. I perch there, hyper-aware of his presence as he settles on the opposite end. The distance between us feels too far, and I wonder if for him it isn't far enough.
His gaze is still that of a stranger, but his words are more friendly than yesterday. "The mate bond must be real. You're the only change in my treatment. I guess my body recognizes it
somehow.
help with healing, but we never finalized ours. Still, it feels good to think
My eyes
fingers. But I hold back, not wanting to make
the shoe on the other fit He chuckles. "I can see how that might be strange Like it's someone else's problem. It hurts a little less knowing he's healing, though.
His brow furrows, a strange expression
it is, he doesn't seem to like it. "I showered before I came, I insist, my voice higher than usual. "I'm clean."
bite my lip, trying to think of what
me?
wrist, I waft the bracelet in the air
shakes his head. "No. Something else.
reminiscent of the way
way his nose wrinkles and he recoils back just
He doesn't like how I
can my mate dislike my scent?
Lucas, I wanted to bury myself
Should I
distant as his nose wrinkles again. "I think it should be
drops. "Ava. Ava
Grey. The Blackwood
must have filled him in on recent history and the current pack
on my neck. "Beta Grey is my father,
someone who doesn't want me yet. My body and bond within me yearn
"A curious choice
of us, I remind him,
I forgot about
288 Ava: Healed
it's just some random
these little phrases get
itching is back, and that string of connection within
on that
he asks
I'm sure you're
breaking out of this room? I'm sure desperate to
and I wonder what landmine I've walked into. "We
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!