AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Lead the way.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
FELIX
Every inchof my body hurt as I walked down the stairs. I felt like one giant bruise, which was better than how I’d felt for the last few days. I could finally feel my animal form again, and I was anxious to shift and let that side of me out. Being disconnected from my animal form felt like half of me was missing, and it wasn’t a feeling I was anxious to repeat anytime soon. Antitransmutative drugs were no freaking joke.
“Felix!” Julius jumped up from the kitchen table and ran to put his arms around me, but Nero intercepted him.
“He’s still hurting. Be careful.”
Shoving my mate out of the way, I accepted Julius’s offered hug.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Nero’s brother whispered in my ear. “I was worried.”
“It’s all good,” I promised. “Thanks for the robe. I love it.”
Cal beamed, and I knew I’d guessed right that it had been his pick. Like I’d told Nero, I wasn’t mad at Cal. I made a choice that day at my apartment too, but I could tell from the lack of light in Cal’s eyes that he was beating himself up. We were going to have to clear the air soon.
“It’s good to see you up and about.” Julius gently squeezed my shoulder. “Is there anything we can do for you?”
“Nero and I are just going to go for a quick swim, then we can all catch up.”
Cal and a sandy-haired man at the table I assumed was the mysterious Jack nodded. Quin was missing. He was probably at his gallery.
I shuffled across the room, big movements like walking still making pain hum through my healing body, and pushed open the sliding door, stepping out onto the patio. Behind me, I heard Nero tell his brothers that the debrief might have to wait until later, much later, and I mentally crossed my fingers hoping that meant he was planning to take me to bed and claim me after I spent some time healing in my animal form.
The door slid closed, and Nero came up behind me, putting his hands on my shoulders and kissing my cheek and down my neck to the collar of my robe. “Ready?”
I nodded and untied the belt on my new robe.
“Let’s go down to the water.” Nero held out a hand, and I twined my fingers with his as he led us past the pool and sundeck and down three steps to the rocky shore of the inlet behind the Hunter estate. Nero had shared his favorite place, the inlet behind the Jade Crane, with me, but I thought the private inlet behind the house was just as picturesque and beautiful. The only thing missing was the expansive garden. Oh, and Mae’s egg rolls.
Mmmm. Egg rolls. I bet if I asked nicely, Nero would get takeout from the Jade Crane for us. I probably wouldn’t even have to ask that nicely.
At the water’s edge, I slipped out of the robe and let cool air flow around my naked body. The caress of the breeze felt amazing on my skin, and for a moment, I just stood there breathing in fresh air, letting it soothe away pain that wasn’t physical.
Nero was shirtless and stepping out of his pants a few feet away, and he caught me staring when he picked his pants up off the ground.
“I’m having the strangest feeling of déjà vu.” So much about today felt like other times we’d spent together, but now, everything was different. We’d been through something major, and it had made me appreciate every moment a little differently.
Over the past week, I’d gone from meeting my fated mate to falling in love with him. It had happened that fast. Tied to the chair in that warehouse my heart had ached thinking I wouldn’t see Nero again, and now we had our whole lives spread out before us.
Tapping into the part of my brain that held my animal form, I called my otter forward. As my limbs shrank and fur sprang from my skin, I felt better than I had in weeks. The transition from human to otter hurt more with my injuries, but when I was fully in my animal form, the pain ebbed into a dull throb I could barely feel.
Nero picked me up in his arms and cradled me like a baby, rubbing his nose into my fur. “In this form, your scent is so much stronger. I love it.” He nuzzled into my belly, and I tittered at him. I put a tiny otter paw on his cheek, and he moved us toward the water, walking out several yards from the shore before he put me in the water on my back.
The icy coolness of the water made the ache of my injuries fade even more until I felt almost one hundred percent like myself.
Nero took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “You feel better. I can tell through our bond.”
I chittered at him in response.
“Do you still want to rest on my tail again?”
I gave him my best otter nod because I couldn’t think of anything better.
