Chapter Fifteen
~Leo~
Kalo’s steps grew uneven as we reached his room, his breathing had worn thin, and his shoulders sagged as though he carried far more than the weight of his own body. Whatever his lingering magical sensitivity meant, I didn’t like the toll it took on him.
The moment the door shut behind us, I slipped into a provider role that felt as instinctive as breathing.
“Sit. I’ll get you food.”
“I’m fine,” he murmured, though he didn’t fight me as I guided him to sit on the edge of the bed.
“You’re not,” I countered. “Just stay there.”
Silo hummed in uneasy agreement. He’s exhausted. Feed him. Warm him. Settle him.
Perhaps surprisingly, I didn’t need him to explain it to me.
The certainty of what my mate needed pulsed through me with complete clarity.
In fact, I’d already mind-linked the kitchen while we were still in Felix and Calista’s secret study, and they’d sent up a tray with fruit and bread and cheese, perfect for grazing.
It sat on the desk by the window, and I moved it onto the bed, placing it within Kalo’s reach.
“Eat what you can,” I said, crouching in front of him so our eyes met. “Your energy is low.”
He blinked slowly, as if even the effort of keeping his eyes open required too much energy. “I didn’t expect everything to feel so… heavy… after their tests.”
“That’s because you’re not meant to handle magic anymore.”
His lips tugged upwards at the corner, lifting into the barest hint of a smile before fading again.
“Why don’t I run you a bath?” I offered. It always helped me when I felt overwhelmed, even though I knew the other men on the leadership team would have teased me about it if they knew.
“That’s not necessary,” Kalo assured me, reaching for a small piece of cheese that he pushed between his full lips. My gaze lingered there a moment too long before I forced my attention back to the topic at hand.
“It’s not a problem. When was the last time you had a bath?”
Kalo hesitated before his shoulders lifted in an elegant shrug. “When I was human, I suppose.”
“That was thousands of years ago.”
He shrugged again, a little defensively. “I told you before: my masters weren’t concerned with my comfort.”
A cold ache pierced my chest at the idea of him being mistreated in any way. “Well, you don’t have a master anymore, and I’d say you’re overdue for a soak.”
I squeezed his shoulder once before heading into the adjoining bathroom.
As the tub filled with warm water, steam curling over the rim, I added a few drops of the herbal oil we kept stocked for guests.
The cedar scent didn’t entirely suit Kalo, when his mate scent smelled far more earth-based, but hopefully, he would find it relaxing.
“Alright,” I called softly as I stepped back into the room. “The water’s…”
I trailed off as I caught sight of my mate slumped sideways on the bed, already fast asleep.
His pale hair spilled across the bedspread, casting shadows across his cheekbones. His chest rose and fell in soft, shallow, uneven breaths, and I stood frozen in the doorway, torn between relief that he was resting and a strange, tugging ache inside me.
Don’t leave him. Silo’s voice thrummed low and certain in my head. Go and lie down next to him. It’ll give him strength, even if he doesn’t know you’re there.
I can’t just lie down next to him, I argued. He didn’t ask me to, and I have to respect his personal space.
Personal space? My wolf practically sneered the words. He’s ours, and Vaughan said to stay close. He’s not safe alone. He needs us.
I didn’t think Vaughan meant to literally climb into bed next to him, but I found my feet moving towards the bed anyway. Tentatively, I took a seat on the very edge of the mattress, as far away from Kalo as I could get.
Immediately, my mate’s head jerked violently. “No!”
I shot upright so fast that the bed creaked, heat flooding my face as I took two large steps in the opposite direction. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
The words died out as I realized his eyes were still closed. As I watched, his limbs tensed, his chin lifting as if pulled by invisible strings.
He must have been dreaming, and it didn’t look like a peaceful one.
His heartbeat accelerated into a frantic, staccato rhythm only my wolf hearing could pick up, and his hands clutched at the sheets as he whispered something I couldn’t make out, his face twisting in fear.
“Kalo,” I murmured, reaching carefully towards him. “You’re having a nightmare.”
He thrashed again, so hard he nearly rolled off the bed.
Down in Vaughan’s office, he said he’d felt the reaper in his dreams. Could it actually reach him there? Was it there with us, in the room, but I couldn’t see it?
Closing the remaining distance between us, I grabbed his shoulders firmly. “Kalo. Wake up.”
His eyes flew open with a gasp, and he shot upright, staring around the room in disoriented confusion before his gaze locked onto mine. Only then did his heart rate begin to slow.
I eased my grip as his breathing began to even out. “You’re safe. It was a dream.”
His jaw trembled as he swallowed. “I… I don’t remember exactly what it was about.” His fingers pressed over his sternum as if steadying something inside. “But I can still feel it.”
I didn’t have to ask what ‘it’ was; the terror was still written across his face.
“Would the bath help? The water’s still warm.”
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “I’d like that, but I feel so… weak. Lightheaded. It might not be safe.”
Not on his own perhaps, but he didn’t have to be alone. “Would you be okay with my help?”
Those stunning amber eyes opened once more, slowly and deliberately, as he considered my offer. I braced for his refusal, anticipating it so strongly that when the word finally left his mouth, I thought I must have misheard it.
“Yes.”
I swallowed down the sudden lump in my throat, ignoring the way my own heart sped up as I helped him stand, his hand gripping my forearm for balance. In the time it took us to reach the bathroom, it had become clear he didn’t even have the strength to undress himself.
It shouldn’t have been a big deal. I’d seen hundreds of naked bodies before. Thousands, even. Nudity meant nothing to most werewolves, and even less to me personally. A body was just a body, all of them the same to me.
But Kalo was different.
His skin warmed my fingertips as I eased his shirt upward. My palms brushed his ribs, sparks tingled along their surface, and my mind short-circuited for a moment, arousal firing through me so strongly that I nearly dropped the fabric.
Was that what other people felt all the time, for random people they found attractive? How the fuck did they manage to keep their cool all the time?
Stay calm, Silo rumbled, though he didn’t sound particularly calm himself. This isn’t the time. We’re helping, that’s all.
Yes. Helping. Right.
Swallowing hard, I continued to move slowly, as though he might shatter if I rushed.
Or maybe I would. My hands shook as I undid the button of his pants, pulling the zipper down carefully.
My throat tightened as the fabric slid down his legs, and I dipped my head as I helped him step out of his pants, keeping my eyes on his feet while my pulse thundered in my ears.
I’d accompanied him for his safety, but now it seemed like I might be the one requiring medical attention if I couldn’t bring my body back under control.
Through sheer force of will, I stood back up without even glancing at his cock. With one arm wrapped around his back, I guided him into the bath, supporting him until he was safely seated in the steaming water. A soft exhale slipped from his lips as he sank into the enveloping heat.
“This is heaven,” he murmured.
It felt much closer to purgatory to me. “I’ll just sit over to give you some privacy.”
I pointed at the toilet on the other side of the room; close enough that I’d notice immediately if he needed help, but far enough to let him maintain some modesty.
However, Kalo’s hand shot out, his fingers brushing my wrist in a silent plea.
“Stay,” he whispered.