Page 12 of Night Fury
With the tub quickly filling, he added soap and brought an array of devices over to the side of the tub for his task before lifting his mate and easing them both into the hot water. Johanna’s relaxed body melted against his and he had to blow out a harsh breath at her nearness. Months of emotions bubbled to the surface and for just one moment, he hugged her to him. Tears slid down his face as he buried his head in her neck to breathe her in.
For so long he’d looked for her, searched for her, thought about her, dreamt about the last time he’d seen her, fantasized about her and about what life could possibly be like with her at his side. Even his body, traitor that it was, reacted to her. Even though they were both filthy, he still wanted herdesperately.Having her in his arms stirred the need to bite her, to take her and make her his, but that wasn’t right, not like this. He would not touch her, ever, until she was awake, had consented to their bond, and wanted him in the same way he wanted her. Until then, no matter how long it took or how long he had to wait for her to awaken, he would stay by her side, watch over her, protect her, spoil her, treasure her, and cherish her. He knew it like he knew his own name. And if he was lucky, during that time he’d get to know her and the bond between them would go from being something that marked her as his mate to her being the woman he loved fiercely.
Luke swallowed his emotions back, devoting himself to the task at hand. He picked up the scrub brush and went to work, dipping it into the hot water before pouring soap onto it and scrubbing Johanna’s back. The strands of her hair were stuck there at first, but the hot water loosened them enough to allow him to slide them over her shoulder. He scrubbed her, cleaning away the filth that marred her flesh until her light skin was rosy pink.
Luke moved thoroughly from place to place, sometimes having to go over one section of her back multiple times before getting it clean. Finally, when he could no longer see beneath the water to clean the top of her ass, he shifted her and drained the tub before filling it and starting the process over again.
Five washes later, he had cleaned the majority of her body while doing his best not to focus on her creamy skin and luscious curves. Mya’s blood had not only healed her wounds but filled the spaces of her body that had concaved from starvation. She wasn’t back to the weight he’d seen her at before, one that made her hips full, thighs thick, ass abundant, and stomach curved in a way that made him want to gather it into his hands and squeeze its softness, but at least she was on her way.
Luke stood with her, carrying her to the shower to wash her hair. The waist length tresses were at least a little cleaner from the bath, but her scalp needed a good scrub to lift away the last of the debris. Gently he scrubbed her scalp with shampoo several times, then conditioned and detangled her hair while still in the shower. Only after he was done with her did he finally wash himself as well, a reprieve that had his hardened cock settling down a little.
After drying off his mate and himself, he dressed Johanna in one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers, making a mental note to get her comfortable clothes to wear around the house. Then he dressed himself before making the tough decision to lay her down in a spare room instead of his own bed. One day she would willingly lie there, but until then he wanted her to be comfortable and feel safe with him.
Johanna still hadn’t awoken, and if she didn’t soon they’d need to get more medical supplies to give her liquid nutrients. Luke setup the IV for vitamins and nutrients and added a nasogastric tube for Johanna, just in case.
Settling the sheets and comforter around her, he sighed heavily. “I don’t know what you’re going through,” he said softly, “but I’m here. You’re safe here and I promise to take care of you.”
Luke kissed her head before stepping out of the room to find his family. As he approached Mya, Dani, and Greg, he took in the tenseness of their shoulders and realized something else had occurred.
“What happened?” Luke asked.
Dani’s hand slid away as Mya’s posture grew straighter, her lips thinning. “Nothing,” Mya said. “How’s Johanna? Is she awake yet?”
“No.” Luke took a seat at the table, his eyes touching Greg’s own. Luke could sense sympathy and anger in them, but it didn’t feel as though either emotion was just for him. “What’s going on?” Luke asked again.
“Nothing,” Mya bit out.
“Mya—” Dani started.
Luke cut her off, his hand clenching into a fist. “I’m not going to sit here and act like I believe whatever lie you’re trying to tell yourself.” He paused, thinking back to earlier when he’d thanked her. Mya always had a difficult time accepting thanks, and he thought the fact that his mate had been saved while hers hadn’t might have been the cause for her gruff behavior, but now he knew better.
“Luke,” Greg said carefully, “why don’t we go into another room to talk?”
Mya’s head snapped up as she bared her teeth. “Just say it here! Let him know! Don’t try and fucking coddle me!”
“Then don’t give me a reason to!” Greg shouted, causing Mya to jerk back into her seat at his explosion.
Dani’s hand squeezed Mya’s shoulder, and that was all it took for Mya to break down, tears streaming over her bronze skin.
“Let’s go, okay?” Dani said softly.
She nodded and Dani helped her out of her chair, leaving Greg and Luke to listen to Mya’s sobs and Dani’s placating words echoing down the hall. It had been a long time since Luke had seen Mya so distraught, so broken.
“Greg, what the fuck happened?”
Greg clasped his hands together, then brought them up to his lips. He took a deep breath before locking his eyes on Luke. “When you told us what you were feeling earlier, Darius was the one who recognized it as the loss of your mate.”
Luke shook his head. “Okay?”
“We thought a mate could only physically feel that loss if they had consummated their relationship and satisfied the mate bond, something you never got the chance to do.”
“Where are you going with this?” Luke asked.
“Mya has never felt what you did, Luke. Ever. If Erik was her mate, which we know he was, and he died, she should have felt that even without their bond being consummated.”
Greg sat back in his chair with a sigh, squeezing the bridge of his nose before fixing his eyes back on Luke.
“For three hundred years she's been mourning a death that never happened. He’s alive, Luke. Erik is alive.”
