Chapter Twenty-One
Eli sat in the chair in the corner of his room and stared at the still figure in the bed. It had been almost twenty-four hours and Kinley hadn’t stirred.
There’d been nonstop activity downstairs and outside all day.
His brothers had poked their heads in to check on them periodically but had otherwise left them alone.
He’d never been on his own in the house.
At least one of them had been here at all times.
They were worried about him, but he couldn’t reassure them.
He wouldn’t be okay until she opened her eyes.
Noah had brought several meals. Eli didn’t have an appetite but had eaten because his body needed the fuel, and he didn’t want to hurt Noah’s feelings.
He’d been tempted to wake her several times but had checked himself.
Rest would help her heal faster than anything.
Her body had been through one hell of a trauma.
Then there was the emotional fallout. She wasn’t the only one dealing with that.
Every time he had to go to the bathroom, he rushed, afraid she might stop breathing in the few minutes he was gone.
If only she’d open her eyes.
Tension gripped his shoulders. He took a deep breath and rolled them several times to loosen the knotted muscles.
Once she was awake, he’d have an entirely new battle on his hands.
Kinley was planning on leaving. She’d gotten it into her head that beyond the physical attraction he viewed her as little more than a responsibility.
Maybe it had started that way. Now it was something else entirely.
It would be smarter and easier to let her go. There was no longer anyone hunting her. She could go wherever she wanted, do whatever she wanted. He could file the entire event away and move on except for one important thing—Kinley was his mate.
He’d wrestled with the idea for hours. Being packless and living on a rural mountain in Kentucky, a mate was the last thing he’d ever expected to find.
Because he and his brothers hadn’t spent any time around other wolves, he hadn’t recognized the signs.
His wolf had. The creature had been taken with her from the first. He certainly hadn’t been looking for a mate when he’d run into her in Chicago.
Sometimes the Fates smiled; sometimes they laughed their asses off at you.
His future was in the hands of a woman coming out of a horrific situation.
The last thing on her mind would be tying herself to a male wolf.
Hers had been an isolated, controlled existence.
This was her time to spread her wings and explore.
How could he stand in her way if he loved her?
How would he survive if she left? There had to be a way.
He stared blindly out the window as the light of the day faded.
He loved his brothers. They had his loyalty and always would, but Kinley owned his heart.
He absently rubbed his chest. As difficult as it would be, if she wanted to leave, he’d have to let her go.
Keeping her against her will wasn’t an option.
That would make him no better than Duke Wright, or Nash or Holden or Ridge or any of the others whose lives had ended on the mountain.
There was only one solution—he’d have to follow her.
Not in a stalkerish way, but to ensure she was protected.
As an unattached, packless female wolf, she’d be in danger from any male wolf she crossed paths with.
Most wouldn’t give her any trouble, but there were always those who would see her as fair game. His fingers curled into fists.
“You’re thinking awfully hard about something.” Kinley’s eyes were open and she was watching him.
His heart leapt and began to pound in his chest as relief flooded him.
For the first time since she’d lain lifeless at his feet, he was confident she was going to make a full recovery.
He wanted to howl, to drag her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
He resisted the urge and slowly got to his feet. “How are you feeling?”
Covers clutched to her chest, she sat up and cautiously rotated her neck. “Stiff and sore but much better.” Her stomach let out a loud growl. She pressed her hand against it. “Hungry, too.” She glanced toward the window. “What time is it?”
Time had been measured not in minutes but by every breath she’d taken. “Early evening.”
Her eyes widened. “I slept an entire day? I’ve never done that before.”
“You’re recovering from a significant injury.
” It didn’t get more serious than dying.
It was killing him not to reach out to her.
He wanted to pull back the covers and inspect every inch of her to ensure she was healing, but he didn’t have that right.
They’d made love but weren’t mates. Last night didn’t count.
That had been a matter of life and death.
“Thank you for taking care of me.” She rubbed her forehead. “My memories are fuzzy. I don’t remember all of it.”
He prayed she never did. There was no need for her to relive Duke’s attack and the bloody aftermath. “It’s over. That’s all that matters.”
“You’re right.” When the covers slipped, he caught a tantalizing glimpse of smooth skin and the upper curves of her breasts. She caught the comforter and dragged it back up around her shoulders.
Realizing she was likely cold, he went to the closet and pulled out one of his long-sleeved t-shirts.
The material was soft from many washings and wouldn’t chafe her tender skin, and the wider band wouldn’t irritate her neck injury.
“Here.” He helped her pull it over her head and get her arms into the proper holes.
“That feels wonderful.” She rubbed her hands over the fabric. “I can’t seem to get warm. So, what’s been happening while I’ve been out?” She licked her lips, drawing his attention to them.
His dick sprang to life at the unintentional sensual gesture causing his jeans to become uncomfortably tight. He hoped she wouldn’t notice. “I have no idea.”
“What do you mean, you have no idea?”
“I haven’t left the room.” Her jaw dropped and snapped closed again. Let her make of it what she would.
She shook her head. “I get that you feel responsible for me, but you didn’t have to do that. What must your brothers think?”
“Who the fuck cares?” He reigned in his anger, clenching his jaw until it ached.
Better that than yelling at her. Kinley was the only one besides his brothers who could make him lose his cool.
“If they need me, they know where to find me. And you’re more than a responsibility.
” If she had any idea of how much he wanted from her, she’d bolt.
A light bush bloomed on her cheeks, and she glanced down at her lap. “Well, yes. There is the sexual attraction too.”
Kinley was a contradiction, bold one moment, shy the next.
He rubbed his thumb along the curve of her jaw.
Her eyes were clear but she was pale and far too thin, her body burning resources it didn’t have to speed her healing.
This wasn’t the time to push his agenda or press her to make any decisions.
“You up for going downstairs to eat or do you want me to bring a tray upstairs?” He wasn’t going to force her to leave the room if she wasn’t ready.
The change in subject had her frowning, but she nodded. “I want to know what’s going on.” The blush deepened. “First, I need to use the bathroom.”
It was likely critical after all these hours.
He picked her up, cover and all, carried her into the bathroom, and set her down beside the toilet.
“I’ll be right outside when you’re done.
” It was harder than it should have been to close the door between them.
He leaned against the wall and kept an ear out for her in case she needed him.
She’d likely deny it, but she was weak. Regaining her strength would take time, good food, and plenty of rest.
The toilet flushing was followed by water running at the sink.
He straightened when the door opened. “You didn’t have to wait.
I can manage.” She took a step and swayed on her feet before righting herself.
The comforter was wrapped around her, one end dragging across the floor like the train of a dress.
As tempting as it was to carry her, he resisted the urge. Asserting her independence was important to her. She was a female wolf, after all. But since he was a possessive male wolf, he was right behind her the entire way.
Sweat beaded on her forehead. She released a sigh when she sat. “Made it without face-planting. Go me. I won’t be running a marathon anytime soon, but I can get around.” Her ability to poke fun at herself surprised a quick smile from him. She never ceased to amaze him.
He grabbed the bag with her belongings and set it next to her.
Levi had washed and returned the clothes she’d abandoned outside when she’d shifted.
Rather than ask what she wanted to wear, he pulled out a clean pair of underwear and those ridiculous purple leggings with the unicorns that she seemed to like for some inexplicable reason. He added socks to the small pile.
“What are you doing?” She seemed bemused rather than upset.
“I assumed you wouldn’t want to go downstairs wearing only my shirt.”
“I can dress myself.” She reached for the underwear.
“Let me help.” He knelt in front of her, worked her feet through the holes, and tugged them up to her knees before stopping. He was doing it again, taking over.
Her hand stroked the top of his head. “Eli?” Once again, she was concerned about him when she had every right to be annoyed by his heavy-handedness.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her lap. Wolves were tactile creatures by nature. It wasn’t that he wanted to touch her as much as he needed to.