Chapter 23
Taryn
We’ve been frenzied for what feels like forever, but it’s finally burning out.
I notice it before Victor does. My pussy begins to feel raw from the constant friction.
Everything starts to ache as the supernatural healing dissipates.
I’m close to yelling red when I finally feel him erupt inside me, and I know it will be the last time for a while. I’m so weary I can’t even move.
“Damn,” he sighs, moving inside me while he ejaculates. “I don’t have enough left to knot. I guess that means the frenzy is over.”
“Yeah,” I groan. “I almost had to make you stop when I noticed it.”
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asks, more concern in his voice than I’ve heard before.
“No, I’m okay,” I breathe out. “I was thinking about using a safe word if you went on for much longer. I’m just really sore now.”
“That’s understandable,” he soothes, gently pulling me into his arms as he stretches out beside me. “It feels like several layers of skin have been peeled off my cock.”
“You’re a wolf, though. You’ll heal a lot faster than I will, frenzy or not,” I mutter against his chest, loving the warmth.
“If it gets too bad, I can always call a doctor. The frenzy should have protected you, but we pushed ourselves pretty hard.”
“Yeah,” I admit. “Now that it’s over, and I’m starting to think straight, I’m a little embarrassed.”
“Why?” he chuckles.
“I don’t act like that… or talk like that,” I murmur. “You had me screaming things that were vulgar and obscene.”
“I loved hearing every single one of them,” he rumbles. “Let’s rest for a while and then we’ll order some food. I’m fucking famished.”
“Me too,” I sigh. “But right now, I can’t even move.”
I fall asleep on his powerful chest, his muscular arms keeping me close.
I’m so exhausted, I don’t even dream. I just fall into the darkness and stay there until my eyes finally open some indeterminate amount of time later.
He’s still asleep and I’m so comfortable, I don’t want to move, despite the gurgle in my stomach. I ignore it until I fall asleep again.
We’re mostly unconscious for at least a day.
I wake up a few times, but Victor’s warmth makes it easy to doze off again.
I finally open my eyes to see his dark gaze on me.
His eyes don’t look as intense as it has lately, and the golden flame has burned out like the frenzy. His expression almost looks tender.
“You could have woken me,” I groan, wondering how long he’s been awake.
“I was watching my beautiful mate sleep,” he murmurs. “You were too angelic to disturb.”
“I can’t believe you’re calling me angelic when I’m this filthy,” I sigh, looking at the stains on the bed and my skin. “God, I’m a mess. I bet I stink, too.”
“Nah, you smell like us,” he laughs, kissing my neck. “Like the fucking frenzy.”
“Well, I think I smell like I need a bath,” I gripe, pulling away from him.
“I’ll order some food,” he says, sitting up.
“In that case, I’ll just make it a shower,” I sigh, crawling out of bed.
My arms feel like jelly. My legs tremble with each step I take.
Every part of my body feels achy and sore.
I feel like I need to soak in a bath because I certainly don’t feel radiant right now, but I need food more than bubbles.
I could probably use about a gallon of water, followed by a cocktail.
I’ve been put through the wringer the last few days.
The only thing that seems to be in better shape is my mind. It no longer feels mushy and discombobulated. I’m just too tired to use it for anything except basic functions.
I hear Victor ordering food, and it sounds like another feast, but the shower drowns him out.
I step under the water and put my head against the wall.
The warmth is incredibly soothing, but I’m too weak to properly clean myself.
I let the water wash away what it can before I force myself to lather up.
I’m surprised I can keep my arms raised long enough to shampoo and condition my hair, but I manage.
I don’t feel up to finding a gown. I dry myself off, comb my hair, and slip the bathrobe on.
I look at myself in the mirror and I’m definitely not radiant.
The molten gold is gone from my eyes and they’re bloodshot.
My hair looks like it needs more than what I just gave it.
My skin is flushed from the shower but definitely not glowing.
“I still look like a trainwreck,” I sigh, balancing myself on wobbly legs before I shuffle out of the bathroom.
Victor has poured some whiskey, and he’s made a vodka cranberry drink for me.
I don’t even thank him before I grab the glass and down every drop.
I’m so parched I take my glass to the sink and fill it with water.
I fill it four or five times before I’m finally quenched enough to make myself another drink.
“I feel like I need another three days to recover,” I sigh, almost dropping my drink before I manage to sit down beside him.
“You’ll be fine,” he promises. “The frenzy takes a lot out of everyone.”
I finish my drink rather quickly, but I don’t feel like making another one. When Victor gets up, I point to my glass, and he understands what I’m asking for. I lean back against the couch, and when I open my eyes, the sight of my untouched drink and a huge spread of food startle me.
“What the…” I mutter, wiping my eyes.
“You dozed off,” he chuckles. “You were all beautiful and angelic again.”
“I’m barely functional,” I groan, leaning forward.
“Don’t get up. You need to eat something,” he says, pushing the table over to the couch. “We’ll just eat here tonight.”
“That works for me,” I mumble.
Everything smells delicious, but eating takes effort, and I don’t even feel like I can chew. All that sleep doesn’t seem to have done much for me. All I got was enough energy to shower and drag myself to the living room to pass out again.
“Should I order something else?” he asks, noticing I’m not eating yet.
“No, I’m just… trying to get the energy to pick up my fork,” I sigh.
“Let me take care of you, mate,” he says sweetly, scooting closer. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Victor picks up my fork and knife, cuts my food into small bites, and then starts feeding me like I’m a helpless baby.
animal he found on the side of the road. But it’s a little romantic. I can see the care in his eyes and feel the tenderness in his touch. He’s more concerned about me than he is about himself, and I can tell he’s starving. His stomach is rumbling so loud it sounds like an engine.
“You’re different now,” I say, opening my mouth and letting him feed me some mashed potatoes.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“I don’t know… just different.” I look at him curiously.
He pauses for a moment, sips his whiskey, and puts the glass down.
“Truthfully, you’ve never seen the real me,” he says, shrugging slightly. “I came to Covington because I had your scent and that was already driving me mad. But nothing has changed. Not really. You’re still my mate, and now that the frenzy is over, the bond is even stronger.”
“Maybe that’s what I feel,” I say. “It’s not the same pull as before. It’s more like a deeper connection, I guess? I’m not sure.”
“It’s changed us both,” he agrees. “We can never go back to being who we were before the frenzy. Except now I don’t feel like I’m going to die if I don’t rip off your clothes and rut you while you scream.”
I flash a concerned look. “Good, because I don’t think I can handle that anytime soon.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want you,” he protests. “I can just control myself better now that the frenzy has passed.”
“And where do you stand on… liking me?” I ask, feeling enough energy from the food to reach for my drink. I gesture for him to feed himself now that I’m recovering a bit.
“After the frenzy? I like you a lot,” he chuckles, then his expression gets more serious.
“Everything was kind of mixed up because of the mating bond, so I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I didn’t want to say this during the frenzy, since I didn’t know how I would feel once it ended, but… I’ve grown rather fond of you.”
Warmth blossoms in my chest and while I don’t quite have the energy to smile, one spreads across my face anyway. “I’m glad to hear that, because truthfully, I’ve grown rather fond of you, too.”
“Then let’s make sure we don’t allow the bond to fade,” he says, loading his own fork up. “But for now, we just need to eat and regain our strength. I have a feeling we’ll need more rest after we get some food in us.”
“Yeah, I’ll probably fall asleep on the couch again after I’m full,” I sigh, sipping my drink.
“If you do, I’ll carry you to bed,” he promises. “I’ve also grown rather fond of having you in my arms when I sleep, too.”
I smile again. The warmth spreads through me.
I’m definitely feeling some kind of way, and it isn’t just the bond.
He said I deserve everything. He’s made me believe it.
So much so, that I actually feel worthy of his affection.
I don’t feel like a forgotten basement gremlin anymore.
Just a tired, exhausted girl who is falling in love.
Or else I’m just so tired that what seems like rational thought is still just mush in my head.
After we eat, I doze on the couch. I’m vaguely aware of Victor picking me up and carrying me to the bedroom. Aware enough to snuggle into his arms once we’re in bed, where I feel safe and secure.
I’m in and out of consciousness for what feels like days.
It’s like the frenzy has sent me into some sort of metamorphosis and I’m cocooned in Victor’s warmth.
I wake up to food a few times. Wake up to sips of water.
Wake up to pee. Fall asleep again to the sound of his soothing words and comforting touch.
Finally, I wake up feeling more like myself again. The soreness is gone. My legs aren’t wobbly. I’m able to get out of bed without needing support. Victor is still sleeping, but he’s taken such good care of me I don’t want to disturb him.
I decide to take a bath before I wake him up, and walk softly into the bathroom, closing the door as quietly as possible.
I’ve felt like I needed a long soak, and this is the perfect opportunity. I run the water, adding scented bubbles, Epsom salts, and a few different oils. I’m not sure how to run a proper bath, but this one feels incredibly soothing.
I sigh as I sink into the water. Much better.
I relax and just soak for a while. It seems to restore more energy than sleeping and I don’t start washing myself until I’m beginning to prune.
Instead of rinsing, I just start the shower so I can wash my hair.
When I’m done and I step in front of the mirror, I’m surprised to see that I look radiant again.
I look as vibrant as I did during the frenzy, though the gold in my eyes is gone.
“Huh,” I mutter, reaching for my toothbrush. I’ve always heard a nice bath can rejuvenate you, but I didn’t realize it would make me feel this good.
I feel better than ever, so I find some normal clothes to wear. I’ve been mostly naked since the frenzy, so it’s nice to be dressed again.
Victor is still sleeping, so I tiptoe to the bed and sit down carefully. I watch him sleep for a few minutes. He doesn’t look angelic, like he says I do. He looks more like a slumbering wolf between hunts. My affection for him grows by the day, so I can’t resist leaning down to kiss his cheek.
He stirs immediately, his eyes opening and blinking several times.
“Wow, you look like a brand-new woman. More beautiful than ever.”
“I feel better, too,” I admit. “I guess I finally got plenty of sleep, and my bath was amazing.”
“Good,” he smiles, sitting up. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah, I’m famished again,” I answer.
Victor orders some food and he doesn’t have to feed me this time. I eat more than I’ve eaten in one meal in a while. Victor eats what’s left of mine after he’s done with his meal. We drink while we eat, so by the time we’re finished, I’ve got a pleasant buzz.
We talk late into the evening, and I even get my mate to smile and laugh a few times. Everything he told me about the book and the rituals still lingers in the back of my mind, but I don’t want to bring it up. Not yet. I’m enjoying my time with him too much to disturb it.
He must feel the same way because he doesn’t mention it either.
He asks a lot of questions about my life, and I ask about his.
We get to know each other like we probably should have done before we were intimate, but we were under the influence of the mating bond from the moment we met. Now, everything just feels peaceful.
When we get back to the bedroom, I pick up my phone for the first time in days and see messages from everyone in my life. Even a few friends I haven’t kept up with.
“Damn,” I sigh, sitting down on the bed with my phone in my hand.
“What’s wrong?” Victor asks, stripping down to his boxers before climbing into bed.
“Some of my friends haven’t heard from me in a week,” I say. “I better respond to Shana and Madison before they send a search party or call the cops.”
“You don’t have any messages from Frank about your job do you?” he asks. “He shouldn’t need anything from you.”
I look through my texts and see that I do have one from Frank. I click on it.
Frank: Hey, I just wanted to say thank you. I wasn’t sure about Victor, but things are already turning around at the diner. I think he’s a keeper.
“Um, I have one from Frank, but he seems happy,” I say, glancing at Victor and smiling. “What did you do, exactly?”
“I hired a restaurant consultant from New Salem,” he explains. “Someone to help him turn his diner around and actually make some money for a change.”
“Oh, wow, no wonder he’s happy,” I laugh.
Shana and Madison have heard about the mystery man, likely from Frank or Melinda.
I don’t tell them everything, but I let them know I’ve met someone, and I like him a lot.
I have a message from Val asking how I liked the wax warmer.
I hate to admit I haven’t opened it yet, so I just tell her I’ve been too busy to enjoy it yet.
That feels like an understatement, but it’s the truth.
“Okay, I think that should take care of my life for a while,” I say, putting my phone down.
“Your life?” Victor chuckles. “Your old life, maybe.”
“Yeah,” I sigh, snuggling closer to him. “I miss my friends, but I definitely don’t miss that basement.”
He pulls me against him and I fall asleep in his arms.
It’s becoming one of my favorite things to do.