Dagan nodded, putting his swordaway.
* * *
Ten minutes later,showered and changed for patrol, Dagan left his room. He jogged down the gloomy, narrow side stairs, glancing out the darkened window. Dusk had settled in. With the onset of winter, daylight faded fast, and the job started too damnearly.
As he hit ground floor, hunger cramped his belly. His teeth ground down. Later, he’d get that seen to. He had to go find Shae first. For now, he retrieved a cigar from his pocket and lit it, inhaling deeply to tamp down histhirst.
He cut through an empty kitchen. As he walked past the pantry for Hedori’s quarters, his mate’s scent drifted to him. He pivoted. And there, in the brightly lit pantry, he found her reaching for a canister on the top shelf. Her skirt lifted a little higher, exposing more of her thighs. Her long sweater, unfortunately, stayed inplace.
He walked inside, and went motionless. The scene of her tears hit him like a dagger in the chest. “Shae?”
Hastily, her hand moved as if wiping her cheek. She didn’t turn. “I can’t reach thecanister.”
He got the tin and left it on the counter. “What’swrong?”
She lifted her damp eyes to his. “I’m trying to be strong for Mom. It’s so hard seeing her this way. She barely speaks and doesn’t eat. Hedori made her favorite cake and…nothing. I don’t know what to do. I-I thought making her favorite drink would help…” Her lips trembled. “What did that angel do to her,Dagan?”
His gut twisted to see her so distressed. He set his cigar on the shelf edge and drew her close. She buried her face against hischest.
How did he tell her about the horror he’d sensed in that damn place? It would devastate her. He said instead, “Samael took away her memories. It’s why she’s in this state. When she’s physically stronger, we’ll help her heal any way wecan.”
Silence lengthened. Just when Dagan thought she wouldn’t speak, she said, “She held my hand for hours.” A whisper ofpain.
“Because you being there gives herstrength.”
Her arms tightened around his waist. “I’mglad.”
He stroked her back, lending herhisstrength. After several minutes, a shuddering breath escaping her, she stirred and touched the damp patch on his black, crewneck shirt. “It’swet.”
Hell, he didn’t care about his shirt. He tucked a coppery strand behind her ear. “Youokay?”
She nodded. Her gaze lifted to his. “You’re going out onpatrol?”
“In a few minutes, but I’ll wait until I know for sure you’re allright.”
She sighed, her fingers smoothing his shirt. “No, don’t do that. It’s important that you go outthere—”
“No, Shae, nothing is more important than you…” He kissed her tenderly, tasting her tears in the kiss. Then he pressed his lips to her right damp cheek. “Absolutely nothing…” Finally, he trailed his mouth over the bumpy lesion on her left cheek. “Not one damnthing.”
A tremulous smile curved her mouth. It was like the sun peeking out after a bad storm. His heart settled. He caressed her back, her hips, still soothing her. Curious, he slid his palms under her skirt and encountered the smooth, bare curves of her bottom. “You didn’t put onunderwear?”
She glowered. “When you looked like a thundercloud”—he lifted a brow at that—“it seemed best to placateyou.”
Placate?He snorted, squeezing her bum cheeks. And bit off his own groan, his cock stirring in anticipation. But it felt damn good to see her back to her oldself.
Shae grasped his shirt, tugged him down, and kissed him. “Thankyou.”
It was hard to ignore the hardening fucker with her mouth on his, and his hands cupping her sexy bottom. “For?”
“Bringing Mom back, for being my mate—foreverything.”
Ah fuck! His heart went gooey in his chest like a teen with his first crush. He kissed her deeper. She leaned against him. Her warmth and the musky perfume of her arousal tormented his senses, agitating his hunger for her. “You undo me, Shae. Everytime.”
“I need you,” she whispered, meeting his gaze. Her eyes still held fragments of bleakness, something he never wanted to see again. “It’s been a horrible, horribleday.”
Much as he wished he could make everything better straight off with her mother, he wasn’t a miracle worker. But this, he could giveher.
With his mind, he shut thedoor.
