Page 22 of Awakening the Beast
Arlo takes Lumi from me, cradling her as the doctor begins to examine me. I notice Arlo inspecting my incision from above, his gaze sharp. When he spots me staring at him, he raises a brow at me, and when I do the same, he grins.
“From what I can see, Doc, that slice seems to be healing nicely. What do you think?” Arlo’s voice almost teasing, his eyes not leaving mine.
I tilt my head, analyzing him. “When did you decide to become a doctor, Arlo?”
His jaw tightens as he grinds his teeth, those dark eyes locking onto mine. I snicker, knowing I’ve struck a nerve, and he leans down, his face so close to mine that I can feel the heat of his breath.
“Nah, I’m no doctor,” he murmurs a quiet growl, “but I know a healing fucking wound when I see one, slut. I’ve caused and seen enough of them in my lifetime.”
My eyes widen and when he pulls back with that wicked grin, I notice the doctor glancing between us, his gaze full of confusion and my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
Arlo’s in full swing today, using every chance he gets to throw out vulgarities and remind me who’s in control. I can’t wait to fully recover so I can take him in every way possible, especially when he talks to me like that. I can already tell we’re going to drive each other mad in the coming weeks with this back-and-forth game we play.
“Well, it seems like everything is healing nicely, Wren, but only if you feel well enough to leave,” the doctor says, pulling me from my thoughts.
I tear my gaze away from Arlo and offer the doctor a small smile, nodding. “I’m feeling better and ready to go home.”
He nods back, removing his latex gloves and moving toward the door. “I’ll get both yours and Lumi’s paperwork ready.”
As the door closes behind him, my eyes narrow on Arlo. He grins, lifting Lumi up so her tiny face is close to his.
“You’re coming home, baby girl. Where you belong,” he says, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
In that moment, all the frustration I felt toward him disperses, and my heart melts as I watch the love in his eyes.
After a refreshing shower and changing into something comfortable, I glance at Lumi, who is now nestled securely in her car seat. Arlo grabs the handle, lifting her and extends his arm toward me.
“Ready?” he asks with reassurance.
I wrap my fingers around his powerful bicep and give a slight nod. Together, we leave the room, moving at a steady pace. Arlo guides me, and we make our way through the hospital corridors. The familiar, sterile environment gradually fading away to the crisp air outside.
As we drive away from the hospital, I’m in the passenger seat beside Arlo when my phone starts ringing. I pull it from my pocket and frown at the screen—it’s my mom. I cast a quick look at Arlo, noticing how he glances at the screen as well, then sinks deeper into his seat, his hand gripping tighter on the steering wheel as he focuses on the road.
I let the call go to voicemail, a sigh escaping my lips, “How do I tell them you’re back?” I ask, pinching the bridge of my nose, not thinking about this sooner.
Arlo’s eyes flick toward me before returning to the road. “I spoke to Jasper. He’s probably got Lily to feed them a story. Just play along and go with the flow.”
With a nod, absorbing his advice, I swipe up on my phone to return the call, bracing myself for the conversation.
I hold my phone up to my ear, and she answers almost immediately, “Wren?”
I take a long breath, “Hey, mom.” I respond, my nerves on edge.
“Are you on your way home? I haven't heard from you in a while, but Lily says you've had the baby.”
I cast a sideways glance at Arlo, noting the sudden intense focus in his eyes as he drives.
“Yeah, we're on our way home now. Sorry for not reaching out sooner; I've been really tired from the c-section,” I explain.
There’s a pause on her end, and I can sense her hesitation, likely because she’s dying to ask about Arlo but is holding back.
“How are you both?” she finally asks, her tone softening.
“We’re good, Mom, thank you. She’s perfect.”
I can almost hear the smile in her voice as she replies, “As expected.”
I take a deep breath, considering that it might be easier to just get everything out the way now so we can move on. “Maybe you and Dad can come and meet her this evening?” I suggest, and Arlo’s gaze snaps to mine.
