by Leah Blake
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sunlight cut across his face, forcing him to squint even though he hadn’t opened his eyes yet. Damn it, who the hell leaves the curtains open so they could be blinded by morning sun?
Lifting the heels of his palms to his eyes, he rubbed until the sleep was gone. He stretched his arms over his head, twisted onto his side, and was instantly greeted by the familiar heat of Nico’s body.
“Mmm, morning, you sexy wolf.”
Mik nuzzled closer until his face was buried in the crease of Nico’s neck.
Instead of having strong arms wrap around him, Nico threw him off. He bounced against the mattress, his eyes snapping open. To his shock, Nico leaned over him, eyes wide. The wolf tapped every inch of Mik’s face with his fingertips.
“Baby? You’re awake?”
“Yeah?” Mik’s brow furrowed. “Looks that way. Shouldn’t I be? What’s going on?”
Nico grabbed his chin in a gentle pinch and turned his head to the side. His eyes narrowed, fingers prodding at a tender area over his skull.
“Ouch.” Mik slipped his fingers under Nico’s and rubbed the area. “Careful.”
“Do you remember anything?” Nico sat back on his heels and lifted Mik’s right arm. Once again, he started up with his unsettling prodding around his wrist. He moved Mik’s hand up and down.
“Hey, what’s going on? You’re acting strange.” Mik’s gaze dropped to Nico’s clothed body from the waist down. “And you’re dressed. You don’t sleep with clothes on.”
Nico’s soul-lynching sun-gold gaze landed on him, sparking with an unusual emotion. Flares of…fear?
His stomach jolted at the recognition.
Mik pushed himself upright and fisted his hand to keep Nico from flapping it around. A dull ache had started in his wrist, working its way up his arm.
“Something went wrong, didn’t it?” Mik didn’t ask. He knew. Watching Nico’s vaguely panicky assessment of him, not to mention the chilling vibrations that touched the glowing link in his mind, left him no doubt. “What went wrong?”
A knock on the door sent Nico leaping from the bed. Mik scrambled to the edge of the mattress when the wolf spun and pointed to the center of the bed.
“Don’t you move.”
“Bathroom, Nico.”
Nico waved his hand. Mik climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom, half expecting to see a ratty man looking back from the mirror. To his surprise, he looked as he had the last time he gazed into the mirror, except for his mussed hair. His jaw was cleanly shaven. He sniffed his forearm. Even his skin smelled fresh. That was a relief. Whatever happened, he hadn’t lost too much time.
He lifted his hand and traced over the scar from their bonding. The marking of the coin was new, as if their mixed blood tattooed the spell inscribed on the gold surface into his skin. A faint smile touched his lips and his chest swelled with emotion. Amidst the overwhelming love that cradled his mind, he tried to remember what had happened to him that would leave Nico so disturbed. The last thing he remembered was sitting in Cael’s office, preparing to become an amnesiac.
With a sigh, he brushed his teeth and washed his face, then returned to the bed.
Cael was waiting at the bedside, looking pleased. “Ahh, it’s good to see you awake. How’re you feeling, Mikhail?”
Nico rounded the bed and climbed in on the other side of Mik, wrapping his arms around him. Mik shrugged.
“Was I supposed to forget what happened at The Bunker? ’Cause I don’t remember anything.” He cast Nico a glance. “Apparently something happened that wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“In essence, yes. But the outcome remains what we had planned. You’re alive.” A purple-gray mist formed over Cael’s hand. “I’m going to check you to make sure you’re healed.” When Nico continued to hold him, Cael chuckled. “Nico, it’s all right.”
“I lost him. I’m not letting him go again.”
“Nico, I’m right here.” Mik wasn’t certain he wanted to know what his mate meant by his ominous comment. “Let him check me.”
Nico grumbled something under his breath, but released Mik. Mik lay down and relaxed as Cael’s misty hands hovered over his body, tracing his form from head down to this toes, then back to his head. He gave a nod and straightened up, the mist disappearing.
“Healing up perfectly.”
Mik accepted the sorcerer’s hand and sat up. Nico engulfed him again, cradling him in strong arms.
“Will you tell me what happened, since my memory has failed me?” Mik asked. He hitched a thumb to Nico. “This is not normal for him.”
Cael laughed. “No, but it’s endearing to see him so protective.” His laugh silenced and an air of seriousness fell over him. “Things didn’t go as we had hoped. Jude saw your bonding marks. He intercepted the preservation potion after you had taken the death potion, destroying it. We don’t know what he did exactly, but when Nico rescued you, you had a skull fracture and a shattered wrist.”
Well, that explained the dull ache in his head and arm.
“I suspect I died?”
“You died,” Nico growled. “Dead died.”
Mik snorted. “Being dead usually means you died.” He leaned back into Nico and wrapped his hands around the wolf’s arms. “I’m not dead now, so I was saved.”
“Yes. And nearly healed.”
“So, how many days in a magically induced coma did this take?”
Nico nuzzled his cheek against Mik’s ear. “A week.”
“I’ll let you two be. If you need anything, call. I’ll give Raul an update.”
“Thanks, Cael,” Mik said. Cael grinned, nodded, and left the room. Mik chuckled, earning a tightening of Nico’s arms around his chest. “You know something? I’ve lost more time in a coma while here than I did when I was in the PICU. Being your mate is a hazard.”
“I think the hazard falls on your employment history. That fucking contract caused this.”
Nico groaned. Mik laughed as they rolled until he found himself tucked under Nico’s glorious body, the wolf’s hips settling against his own. Post coma or not, the desperate hunger for his mate flared inside of Mik. There was no taming this wild, powerful need.
He never wanted it tamed.
“I’m wrapping you up in bubble wrap and keeping you in a padded room until I know you won’t get hurt again.” Nico dipped his head, licked Mik’s neck until Mik moaned. Hell, he was definitely alive. More alive than ever before. His nerves made sure he knew that. “Better yet, I’m tying you down to our bed and never letting you out.”
“Mmm, option number two sounds reasonable.” Mik drew his knees up along Nico’s waist. “What happened to Jude?”
Nico snorted. “You’re terrible.” He lifted up and looked down at Mik. “Raul and a bunch of guards tore The Bunker apart, found Jude, but the bastard somehow escaped.”
“How many of Jude’s men were killed?”
Nico’s eyes narrowed. “One, and that was because he wanted a piece of Mace and his buddy couldn’t control his trigger finger. Shot his pal up. His death wasn’t on us.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “Anything else?”
Mik combed his fingers into Nico’s silky hair, pulling it back from his beautifully rugged face. God, the man was heartbreaking.
He’s all mine.
“Your friends came to help me.”
“Baby, we save our own. You are one of us now.” Nico leaned down and kissed the tip of Mik’s nose. Mik scrunched his face. “You’re mine, Mikhail. To love, protect, and cherish. This is your family. If you saw how they fought to save you, you’d be overwhelmed.”
Mik was already overwhelmed by so many things, but the love that grew by the second for the man lowering down to take his mouth in one of his thoroughly sweeping, soul-deep kisses snuffed everything else.
Wrapping his arms around Nico’s neck, feeding into the kiss his soul craved, he knew he was home.
“Nico, my sexy wolf. I love you to death and back.”
The distance to the moon was too short to measure the love Mik held in his heart. He doubted anything could measure his love for Nico.
One thing was certain.
Not even death could keep them apart.
THE END
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