Thank fuck.
I texted my assistant to find me soup, steak, and bread for my mate. After he'd confirmed that he was on it, I set my phone back down where it had been and ran my hand slowly over Kat's back.
She made no move to wipe away the tears that slipped down her cheeks.
I wiped them for her, pressing my lips to her forehead.
"Kitten, I need you try to eat some cake."
"I only want the coffee."
"I have food on its way. We can shower if you'd rather wait for that, but you need to eat something before you go back to sleep."
"My body hurts."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"I didn't realize it would be that bad."
My throat tightened. "Neither did I."
She sighed softly. "I guess a bath is fine. I can try to eat after."
"Thank you."
"You're the one taking care of me."
"I'm the reason you need to be taken care of."
She tried to glare at me, but there was no heat to it. She was too exhausted.
Kat dozedin my arms with the help of an enchanted bath bomb, and I cleaned her body slowly. She was beautiful. So fucking beautiful. And hurting, because of me.
She woke up again when I dried her off as well as I could while she leaned heavily against me. After I tied her hair up in a damp bun on top of her head, I eased one of my button-ups over her arms, threw on a pair of sweats, and carried her out to find the food.
Eating took time, but she managed to get a whole serving of soup, half of a steak, and a slice of bread down.
She asked me to turn on her favorite baking show, and by the time we got to the couch, she was already asleep again.
I turned it on anyway, laying on the couch with her facing the TV so she could see it if she woke up.She slowly moved in her sleep, until her face was pressed against my throat again.
I didn't deserve it. Her closeness. Her touch. Her presence. She deserved someone better than me. Kinder. Less... dangerous.
But she was my mate.
There was no other person out there for her anymore, and there had never been anyone else for me.
So I was going to have to figure out a way to be better for her. To apologize to her for this pain I had caused her.
There was no alternative. Not to me.
twenty-eight
KAT
I was barelyconscious while Callum took care of me for the next two days. Conscious enough to put together that he blamed himself for the pain I'd dealt with during heat, and that he was only sleeping when his body forced himself to, always while I was also sleeping.
Any time I cracked my eyes open, he was either looking at me or he opened his eyes, as if he could feel that I was awake.
