Fated Mate

The cold droplets on Lee’s face woke her up. She lifted her hands to cover her face before she opened her eyes. Ash was standing over her, his head bent down shaking his wet hair over her.

“Ash what are you doing?” She turned, hiding her face in the pillow, but the water droplets were now on her neck. She couldn’t help but laugh at his silliness. “Ash, will you stop that!” The drops stopped, but she stayed as she was, just in case it was a trick.

“If you don’t turn, I’ll pour a whole bucket on you.” His voice was full of laughter. She turned to look at him. He wasn’t pale anymore. His earthshaking smile dominated his face, his eyes reflected his happiness. He was shirtless and still wet, in black flannel pants.

“You look better, healthier.”

“You don’t look too bad yourself, especially in my shirt.” He tugged at the edge of his light blue, long-sleeved shirt. It wore Lee more than she wore it.

“I was too tired to look for my clothes. To think after two days sleep I would be well rested.”

He pulled her up and into his arm. “I was so scared. I thought I had lost you.” The cheer in his voice was gone.

“You didn’t. How about we spend this time catching up, instead of talking about what happened.” She didn’t want to spend any more time talking about Sabrina. She’d taken enough time of her life away.

“Okay. What do you want to do first?”

“You really have to ask?” She pulled away from him then lifted herself onto his lap. She grazed her lips over his before she tasted them. She had missed their intoxicating taste.

She leaned deep into the kiss, his hand was rubbing her back, the other traced up and down her thigh. Having him touch her like that again made her shiver.

Ash pulled back. “Are you cold?”

It took her a while before she got her voice. “Your touch has that effect on me. Could we go back to what we were doing?”

“With pleasure.” He pulled her down against him, deepening the kiss. She went weak in his arms. He tucked his hand under her knees and put her flat on her back. She expected him to pull back like he always did but he climbed on top of her and lowered himself over her. She loved the direction this was going.

She reached under his arms and clasped his shoulders, pulling him down, reducing the distance between them. She felt his muscles tighten under her grip. He gave a ragged groan before he pressed himself against her.

The pleasure was cut short. A sharp pain stung her stomach. “Ouch!” She pushed him away and placed her hand lightly over her belly. The pain felt like a long tear across her belly.

“What is it? Did I hurt you?” Ash scrambled off her and to her side.

She shook her head. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the pillow, biting down on her lip as she waited for the pain to fade away.

“Lee, talk to me!” Ash was panicking. If she didn’t speak, he would blow his top.

“I really hate Sabrina right now!”

“Should I get you something?” He moved, but she grabbed his hand to stop him.

“No stay. The pain is gone.” She opened her eyes and exhaled. That hurt more than it should have.

“Are you sure?” His face was creased with worry.

She pulled him down to lie next to her. “You worry too much. The only thing I need is you. Now where were we?” She pulled him closer to kiss him, but he held back.

“We were where I wasn’t going to make your pain any worse. That endeavor has been postponed until you are fully recovered.”

She grunted annoyingly. “I really hate Sabrina!”

Ash chuckled and pulled her closer to him and held her. “I’ve missed you.” He kissed the top of her head.

“I’ve missed you too. I’m sorry about what I put you through.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I woke up, you were passed out in a drunken stupor. I didn’t know-you really love me don’t you?”

“Do you really have to ask? When you wouldn’t wake up, I went out of my mind. I thought of everything that could be wrong with you and how I couldn’t help you. The only way I could handle it was by not handling it. That’s where the liquor came in.”

“I hope never to go through that. The thought of losing you, I wouldn’t be able to bear losing someone else.” She pulled herself closer into him. He tightened his hold around her.

“I promise you won’t.”

“Good. I’d kill myself minutes before you died.”

“Don’t you ever say that!” His body stiffened and his voice was harsh.

“You stay alive and I’ll stay alive.”

“Lee, you can’t tie yourself to me. There are things I need to take care of and I can’t guarantee that.”

She leaned on her elbow and looked down at him. His words frightened her. “What do mean? Are you telling me you are about to run off on some suicide mission?”

“Lee, it’s complicated.”

“You don’t tell me you can’t guarantee your life and follow with ‘it’s complicated’!” She was even more scared.

“Please don’t be stubborn about this.”

“Fine, I’ll be glued to you henceforth. Where you go I go.”

“That’s not going to happen.” His tone was sharp and direct.

“With or without your knowledge, I’ll go where you go.”

He pulled her down back into his arms. “I don’t think I’ll ever let you out of my sight.”

She stayed quiet for a moment before she spoke out her fear. “Ash, why am I so different?”

A few beats of silence passed before he answered. “I’ve been waiting for that. I made the mistake of biting you the first night we were together.”

He had left her with more than bruises and a broken bed. “Did you change me into what you are?”

“No, not fully.”

“Sabrina was really mad when my eyes turned yellow and when I kicked her ass,” she said proudly.

He chuckled. “I saw that, good job. You would have been very different if you were fully changed.”

“Apart from the eyes, super speed and strength, I saw into my dad’s mind is that also normal?”

“It’s unnatural, but yes, it’s normal.”

“Will I stay like this for good or will I change even more or go back to normal?”

“I don’t know.” He sounded distressed. She wanted to ask him about her new diet but it was only going to make them more tense. Not knowing what would happen to her was scaring her and unsettling him.

“The things you need to take care of, Sabrina isn’t one of them is she?”

“Yes, she is, just not at the top of the list.” He was very cold.

“Who is at the top of the list?”

“I’ll tell you soon. Right now, we both need to rest.”

“I was in a coma, you were passed out drunk. Don’t you think we’ve had enough rest?”

He laughed then he lifted her and pulled the cover down. They got into bed and he covered her, holding her closer to him.

“Remind me to thank Billy.”

“Why?”This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“He wanted you for himself at first, but he thought you might be better for me.” He chuckled, remembering the first time they met.

“We should thank Billy, but he and I would never have made it past the table.”

“Why, he can be pretty convincing.”

“I think you might have noticed by now, I’m not that sociable with people I don’t know.”

He arched a brow at her. “Oh really? How long did you know me before we made love?”

She punched his ribs, but it didn’t seem to hurt him. “You were different. I felt like I knew you, like I should trust you and it turns out we’ve met before.”

“Is that why you let me feed off you? That by the way was a very daft thing to do,” he scolded.

She sighed dramatically. “The things we do for love, besides it was just a little blood.” She herself didn’t understand why, but it felt right to her.

“You are going to be a handful.” He exhaled. “Mi amor, please sleep.”

“Mi amor, that’s another thing I’ve missed.”

“Mi amor,” he said it more passionately, the words rolling off his tongue like honey.

“I love you too, more than life itself.” She draped her arm over his bare chest.

“That’s my line.”

“We’ll just have to share it.” She felt a bump on his smooth skin. She looked at it to see a huge round scar similar to the one he had on his back. “Ash, how did you get this?”

He took her hand and held it in his away from the scar. “That’s a story for another day. I think you’ve had enough scares for now.” She wanted to push, but he was right she really wasn’t ready for more surprises especially if they pertained to his life. “You look good in my bed, like you belong in it.”

“I belong in it because it’s our bed and I’m never leaving it.” She settled back and made herself even more comfortable against him.

“Good, because I won’t let you.” He kissed the top of her head, and held her closer to him, a place she would never leave ever again.