Page 55 of Forced Bonds

“But I don’t glow like you,” I stated, eyeing their glowing forms with envy.

“Not many get the ability of healing when their bodies change, but you have changed and will likely develop some ability with time. I didn’t start healing until ten years after I bonded to Anker,” Denise said.

Veron then added, “And I didn’t until fifty years after, but only one year into healing and I was already as powerful as Denise, even though she’d been healing for a hundred years.”

“What kind of abilities are there?” I asked, suddenly feeling excited that I could get something magical like them.

Chris cut in before we could get deeper into it, placing his hand over my heart. Was he checking if it was okay? “Please rest, my heart. We need you to stay still so they can finish healing you. After that we’re ordering a ton of burgers and we’ll have what fun we can here until tomorrow.”

“What happens tomorrow? Also, when is today?”

“We’re going home tomorrow, and will stay with the pack as you finish healing. I need to make sure everything is handled before I leave the pack,” Chris replied, giving me one of his soft smiles.

“And then we’ll move into the mansion?” I asked, looking at Zar.

“Yes, but only after Chris feels ready to leave. He needs to find another alpha to take over and we sort of left the whole pack in a bad state,” Zar said, making me squint at him.

“What happened?” Because this didn’t sound like it was only me who’d been hurt and I needed to know if someone had died before going back there.

Chris sighed. “Panu died trying to protect you and Freddy got badly hurt. I don’t know if he survived long enough to get healed. Oh, and Stacy died.”

“Stacy?!” Zar and I asked in perfect unison.

Chris nodded, his eyes glowing green for a second. “She was the reason they knew where to find Benji.”

“That bitch!” I exclaimed.

“Stay still!” Denise admonished, making me quiet down immediately.

“What did she tell them?” Zar asked, his face in a furious mask.

“I didn’t get much out of her before I snapped her neck,” he growled. “But she came running into the station and told me some vampires had asked where Benji was, or lived, I didn’t really know what. She told them, hoping they would kill Benji.”

“Which vampires?” I asked, cursing at my forgetful brain.

“Greenwren Coven,” Zar replied. “They took you and tortured you for information about the book. We handed it over to them to get you out of there.”

“Um, his heart rate is elevating, you might want to hold off on telling him stuff like that so we can finish doing this,” Veron chided, sounding exasperated.

“I know what will help,” Denise said, and then I promptly passed the fuck out.

“It has been hours!” Zar snapped somewhere close to me, his voice rousing me from a wonderful rest. “I don’t care if he needs it! I need to know he’ll actually wake up again!”

“Shh…” I whispered, wanting to go back to that wonderful sleep. I’d been dreaming of something wonderful, if only I could remember it.

“Let him sleep,” Chris whispered. Yes, let me fucking sleep.

When I woke up again, I felt more refreshed and alert. My mind was nagging me about something, I just wish I could remember it. I snuggled further into Chris, who I knew was the one I was using as a body pillow, his calming pine scent was proof enough.

“Slept well, my love?” he whispered, brushing my hair softly.

“Hmm,” I hummed, smiling as I snuggled in deeper, needing to inhale the wonderful scent that was all Chris.

“We should get him discharged,” Zar said, sounding farther away from us. “I’ve already coerced the doctor and nurses to think he wasn’t as badly hurt when he came here, better get going.”

“Okay,” I whispered, remembering why I was even here. Denise and Veron had done wonders on my body, even fixing old injuries I’d sustained years ago and had learned to live with. Like my bad knee and the back pain for carrying all those other vampire hunters.

“That means you’ll have to let go of our alpha,” Zar chuckled, sounding closer now.