Thane stands firm, unfazed by Rafael’s objection to being forcefully removed from my side. The growl that shook me to my core, he simply shrugs off as he shoves Rafe toward the door. That’s the last upper hand Thane gets.Rafe plants his feet and roots himself in place, refusing to budge even as Thane shoves his shoulder roughly.“Come on, kid. Move it,” Thane grunts, toe-to-toe with the younger man.Rafe’s scent shifts, and I smell Reign rising to the surface. His golden eyes flicker for a moment, and the hair on the back of my neck bristles. Milla wants to surge forward and wrap around him. As hard as I’m wrestling to control and contain her, I can’t imagine how difficult it is for Rafe to keep his wolf in check.“I know you’re worried about her, and I can understand you don’t want to leave her side—”“You understand nothing, Thane,” Reign growls, taking over Rafe’s voice. “You have no mate. You know nothing.”“Reign, calm yourself,” Thane sighs. I don’t understand how he can keep a

If I had known what I would face when I returned to the hospital, I wouldn’t have left in the first place. The second Christobel and I open the door to my room, Rafe charges over and wraps me up tight in his arms. His heartbeat thumps wildly in my ears, and I can hardly hear what he’s muttering in my hair over the sound of it.“I was so worried,” he grumbles against the side of my head. “Christobel didn’t check in with me for fifteen minutes, and I thought—”“Rafael Crane, you unhand that girl this instant.” Christobel’s stern, maternal voice rings clear from behind, and Rafe obeys immediately, squeezing me tight before releasing me.“I swear on the moon above, you’ve become a clingy pup all over again!” she sighs, stepping between me and my mate with her arms crossed over her chest. Seeing her stare down a man who’s easily a foot and a half taller than her is almost comical. Almost.Because I still hear Rafe’s heart pounding in his chest, the sickly sweet scent of his fear and panic l

The next few hours are a blur.Rafe left the room after my declaration and returned fifteen minutes later with the doctor. They bickered for a while about my discharge and the stage of my recovery. Much to Dr. Juniper’s surprise, I was at 95% recovery. I’ll never forget the proud look on Rafe’s face as he stood tall behind the doctor, announcing that I accepted the mate bond.Dr. Juniper wasn’t so easily impressed or swayed and refused to discharge me before running more tests and keeping me for observation until the evening, just to be certain. I thought Rafe was going to tear the poor man apart, but Dr. Juniper must be used to his moods. The young doctor didn’t bat a lash at all of Rafe’s fuming and grumbling.By the end of all the bloodwork, vitals, and scans, the sun had long since set. In just that short amount of time, my condition improved even more, and there was no further pretense for Dr. Juniper to deny Rafe’s demands. If I hadn’t heard the doctor’s admissions myself, I wou

My mate is insatiable. And his audacity, ugh.To claim that he wants me to rest and recuperate, and then to spend all morning doing his best to leave me breathless and exhausted. I lost count of how many times we did it. All I know is, by the time he was finally satisfied, I was a mess. My back is sore, my legs are like jelly, and I have no idea what time it is.I manage to get to my feet and wash off in the on suite bathroom, which, again, is larger than any bathroom I’ve ever seen.Must everything be gilded in golden scrollwork? Must every surface reflect impeccable skill and craftsmanship? Must even the toilet call me poor?I’m not actually bothered by how nice everything is. Especially considering Rafe declared, in no uncertain terms, that this is just as much my home as it is his. I’m just pissy because he dodged my questions earlier and had his way with me for most of the day. Not that I mind that much either.Warm water cascades down my body, soothing my aching muscles and stre

Another three days passed with me confined to the room. The only people I interacted with during that time were Rafe, Christobel, and occasionally Alpha Thane when he would stop by to pry Rafe away from me.Three days.I haven’t dared stare out the windows since the little girl last appeared. I haven’t done much of anything aside from eat, bathe, and, well, Rafe. And I’m pretty sure the mate bond isn’t the only reason he’s so… intense. I mean, yes, I feel this unending, burning attraction for him. Every day, it gets more potent, and I find myself pacing while I wait for him to return to the room.And he’s even more passionate than I am.We hardly get more than a few sentences spoken between us before he lifts me up and I straddle his waist. He adores me; he can’t get enough. That’s what he says when he covers my mouth with his, stifling my questions and requests. Every time I mention touring Io or leaving this blasted bedroom, he shuts me down in the most infuriatingly pleasant ways.