Page 62 of Virtually Guarded

No one had ever said anything like that to me before, and I didn’t know how to react. So I made a stupid joke. “Of course I’m me. Who else would I be?”

He rolled his eyes. “Noted. Save the sappy talk for another time. Do you feel better knowing that hearing about your life on the streets didn’t change what I think of you?”

“Yes.” I looked up at his gorgeous eyes, and my heart swelled. “You can be sappy. Just don’t expect me to always know how to handle it.”

“Also noted.” He lifted my hand to his lips. “I wish I could spend the day with you, but that isn’t in the cards. We can talk through our bond, though, and I’ll come see you if I have a chance. I’ll be back when I’m off duty, if that’s okay.”

“Definitely okay.” I smiled, and the smile he gave in return was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

The day wasn’t as boring as it could have been. Dr. Gumendo came in with a breakfast tray and pronounced me approved to get out of bed under my own power as long as I only went between my room and the bathroom. After he left, I ate the breakfast he’d brought and drank coffee that tasted even more wonderful than the water Xavier had given me the day before.

Kyle joined me after breakfast, and we spent the day working on Virtual Haven and the rest of the support groups. He’d done some work while I was unconscious, but there were still things to set up, admins to assign, and so forth.

“You’re valuable here,” he said at the end of the day, as he picked up his laptop and balanced it on the tray that had held our lunches. “Don’t ever forget that. I’m glad you’re healing.”

“Healing’s a lot of work.” I crossed my legs and folded my hands in my lap. “Um, thank you, Kyle. For letting me work with you. For letting me be here.”

“You belong here.” He smiled. “You don’t have to thank me, Ren. I’m heading down for supper, but I’ll poke my head in and say hello later. If you aren’t busy with Xavier.”

My face heated. “I don’t think we’ll be that busy.”

Kyle laughed. “Okay. See you soon.”

A little while later, Xavier showed up at the door with yet another tray. We shared the meal of steak, baked potato, mixed roast vegetables, and apple puff pastry. Even though it was my third meal of the day, I was starving, and I took my time filling my stomach.

When we were finally done, Xavier set the tray on the bureau and returned to the bed. “Is it okay for me to be here?”

“Um, yeah?” Head tilted, I blinked at him. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Just making sure.” He sat down. “I made you uncomfortable this morning.”

“Not exactly uncomfortable.” I bit my lip. “I’m not used to hearing anyone say they love me. We haven’t had much time to get to know each other well.”

“We haven’t. And you’re still coping with everything that happened to you.” He held out his hand, and I took it. “I’m not promising forever, Ren, because you told me how you feel about that. I’m not asking for anything, either. I just…I saw you that night. On the ground. If I’d lost you, you never would have known how I felt. So I wanted you to know.”

I looked into his eyes. I loved him too. So much. I couldn’t say it, though. I wanted to, but I didn’t quite dare.

“Will you hold me?” I said instead. “Like at the hunt house?”

He smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Chapter Fourteen: Xavier

We settled together on the bed, under the blanket we didn’t really need on a summer night. Its warmth, or maybe its weight, seemed to reassure Ren, so I was fine with it.

More than fine. Being away from him today, even though I was in the same house, had been torture. After two days of sitting beside Ren’s bed, waiting to see if he would wake up, desperate to take care of him, I’d struggled to put my mind back on my job.

Particularly when the day was the quietest one we’d had in a while. The Anax stayed in his office, working through the processes and arrangements necessary to restructure Connecticut Pack. Mandeep was in the office with him; Seth stationed Davion outside the office door. Kyle parked himself in Ren’s room with his laptop so the two of them could work on Virtual Haven. Other than checking on them a few times, a task I was grateful to be assigned, my role for the day was simply monitoring the yard for any disturbances.

In other words, the day was boring as hell. Most of the time, I liked boring. Today, though, all the peace did for me was drive home how badly I wanted to be with Ren.

Now, thank gods, I had the night to spend with him. Holding him close. Reassuring myself that this was real. Ren was in my arms, warm and alive, and I wouldn’t let him go again unless he told me to.

My mate had survived. He was healing physically, and I intended to do everything I could to support his emotional healing. He would need help, and I could only do so much, but I would be by his side while he worked through the life he’d led until now. While he received therapy from Suzannah Daigle. While he learned to trust that sometimes good things didn’t disappear.

I wasn’t going to disappear. I’d fucked up so badly by not going after him when he took off that night, and I would never make that mistake again. Ren could have died. I could have lost my mate, and death was forever.

I shivered and pulled him closer. I’d been wrong not to go after him right away when he ran from me, but at least Laurits and I had found him in time. Before his wolf took control to defend him. Before Gregory beat him beyond what Ren could heal.