“It’s probably a good idea to call Gwen to help,” Kira said after a minute.
“Okay. You can call her then, and I’ll contact the doctor for a shower chair.” He finished straightening the blankets. “And I’ll step out so you can check your bruises.”
Half an hour later, Kira reported that her bruises were visibly improving, though still sore, and she had decided not to shower, as the ointment was meant to last for twenty-four hours. Besides that, Gwen was busy and couldn’t take the time to come help her just yet. The doctor promised to have a shower chair for Joshua to pick up later that day.
For the time being, Joshua cooked breakfast for both of them. He was concerned that Kira needed extra energy, so he made high-protein pancakes with maple syrup and whipped cream, along with an egg white and spinach omelet, and a blueberry smoothie. He cleaned up after himself as he cooked, and when the food was ready, he set it in front of Kira.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, not looking at him.
Joshua put his own plate across the table and slumped into the chair. The silence fell awkwardly between them. His mind churned over what he should say. Apologize for the morning. And yet, he didn’t want to apologize. His actions had spoken the truth; he wanted her. To apologize would make it feel like a lie.
No, what he needed to do was tell her the full truth.
“Kira,” he started.
“Thank you for taking care of me last night,” she interrupted. She cut a piece of pancake and omelet and speared them together, then eyed him warily.
Joshua cleared his throat. “Don’t think anything of it. I will always take care of you. Which is why—”
“This is delicious,” she said, shoveling the food into her mouth. She chewed with it on one side as she continued, “I normally don’t like pancakes, but these aren’t too sweet. What did you put in them?”
“Protein powder.”
Kira nodded, overly enthusiastic. Her tongue darted out, flicking over a crumb at the corner of her mouth. “Oh, I can taste it now. That stuff that we got kind of tastes like ice cream. Don’t you think?”
He stared at her lips as they moved. If he kissed her right now, she’d taste like ice-cream pancakes and maple syrup. It made his wolf pace restlessly. After the closeness they’d shared that morning, it wanted more. It wanted to be closer to its mate.
“Kira, we need to—”
“You’re not eating.”
Joshua looked at his place. Clearly, she wasn’t interested in what he had to say. He frowned but shook his head. Okay. If that’s what it had to be, then that’s what it would be. They’d have more time to talk, right? She was injured, which meant they had the day to spend together.
As soon as they were done eating, Gwen called Kira. Kira wasted no time in asking for a ride to her place to start testing out healing spells.
“Kira,” Joshua protested.
“I’ll be back tonight. Thanks for supper again,” Kira said, pushing her chair back. She hesitated, then sighed. “With any luck, Gwen and I will be able to figure out how to make this go away faster. You want that, right? For me to heal?”
That wasn’t fair. His protests had nothing to do with not wanting her to heal. Joshua nodded, his jaw tight. “But we have to talk.”
Kira headed for the door, not answering. Joshua watched her go, his chest tight with frustration. So what now?
Chapter 13 - Kira
Several days later, Kira was resting at her home when the door opened. She straightened quickly, wincing as pain throbbed through her ribs and bruises. Her heart beat faster, expecting Joshua. Gwen was busy today with a party Lianne was attending. Who else would it be?
“Kira?” a high voice called.
Disappointment hit first, followed by a renewed excitement. “Chelsey?”
Chelsey, her sleek black hair pulled into a bun at the back of her neck, charged into the living room. “What’s this I hear about you being married?”
All the blood drained from Kira’s face. Right. She hadn’t told Chelsey about this, only the demon threat. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, so she wouldn’t worry so much about… well, everything. Judging by the harsh look on Chelsey’s face, her little sister didn’t agree. Chelsey put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips as she looked Kira up and down.
“Well?” she demanded. “Is it true or a rumor that you and Joshua got married, you left him at the altar, then turned around and came back five minutes later?”
“It’s not the whole truth,” Kira hedged.
