Lennon, did you go to that awful taqueria again?
Lennon wisely didn’t respond.
I went back upstairs twenty minutes later. It was way too soon for the surgery to be done, but my wolf and I needed to be closer to Elton. I paced the length of the waiting room until a woman and her small child came in, then I made myself sit down in one of the uncomfortable chairs.
A little after the hour mark, a guy in scrubs came to get me. “He’s still asleep, but he’ll be coming out of the anesthesia soon. When he’s alert, we’ll move him back to the private room for a couple of hours and then we’ll let y’all go home.”
He was in a room with a bunch of curtained-off alcoves, with nurses and doctors walking around checking on people. I hated the medicinal smells, much worse in here than in the other parts of the hospital. Elton smelled like the soap he’d used earlier, plus added aromas of plastic, metal, and more chemicals. But those scents would wash off. What Elton was worried about was his testosterone. My research said his testosterone levels would drop to almost nothing over the course of the day, but he’d still smell like Elton to me.
I sat in the chair next to the bed, wishing like hell I could hold his hand. I put my fingers next to Elton’s leg, which was covered in a sheet and a blanket on top of that, but our magics tried to resonate, so I had to pull back.
He stirred right as the nurse came over to see how he was doing. He smiled at me but had to answer a bunch of questions about his pain level, which was negligible at the current moment. Then we were on the move as they wheeled him back to the private room we’d been in before the surgery. Thank fuck. It still smelled like a hospital, but there wasn’t nearly as much blood and plastic.
I moved the chair I’d been sitting in before the surgery back to Elton’s bedside. “How are you feeling? And I mean mentally as well as physically.”
He scrunched up his face. “I think I’m okay for now. I had a week to prepare for this, so....” He shrugged and looked down at his chest, where he was plucking at the edge of the blanket. Then he met my gaze. “Do I smell any different? I mean, I know it’s soon, but...” He sucked in a breath, and I heard the sob behind it. My wolf whined, and Elton managed a smile. His eyes were bright with tears. “I need to know.”
Fucking hell. At least maybe this would ease some of his worry. “Okay, but I need to get close to you, because all I can smell from here is hospital.” I could smell him underneath everything else, but he deserved the most thorough answer possible.
“Okay.”
“Right. Now, like I told you, you smelled like honey, spice, pine needles, and rocks in the sun.”
He snorted. “That still sounds like an exaggeration.”
I tilted my head. “Open up your magic and tell me if I’m lying. But no matter how I describe it, above everything else, you smelled like my mate.” Uh oh. Now the tears seemed imminent. “And I’ll bet you the rest of our lives you still smell that way.”
“I hope you’re right.”
I stood up. “I keep telling you I am, but you’re pretty stubborn. Is this a family trait, or just something special about you?”
He glared at me again, but at least he wasn’t on the verge of crying anymore.
“Can you turn your head? Let me see if I can get a good scent behind your ear.” Except, as I leaned close, Elton’s natural scent—which I could already tell hadn’t changed—was overlaid with the scents of nitrile gloves and plastic tubing. I straightened. “Nope, too many people have touched you here. Lift your arm.”
Elton made a face but obediently lifted his arm, resting his hand on the pillow above the top of his head. I leaned close, closer than I needed to, so I could get a good whiff of him. “Yes, that’s what I’m talking about. My wolf wants to rub himself all over you to combine our scents.” Not moving away, I stared into his hopeful eyes. “Because you’re our mate.”
Elton’s face crumpled, and I looked around frantically until I saw a box of tissues by the sink along the wall. “Here.”
He took one and blew his nose. “I was so worried.”
I smiled. “I’ll just have to keep reminding you.”
He smiled back. “Can I—will you hug me?”
I sucked in a breath. “Really? You’re sure?” My wolf yipped in excitement.
He nodded and stretched out his arms. Slowly, carefully, I leaned into his embrace, lowering my body until our chests were plastered against each other. He felt so right in my arms, so much like home. Our magics entwined, and the mate connectionsnapped into place. His presence appeared in my mind, warm and happy, and my wolf howled his joy. Elton gasped, and I closed my eyes so I could see our connection blazing bright and strong between our magical cores.
Beautiful.
He jerked in my arms. “Holy fuck.”
I chuckled. Unbonded mates could only speak mind-to-mind when they were touching each other, but after Elton recovered and we completed our bond, we’d be able to do it across distances.
Elton stroked my back.Thank you for being patient with me.
I lifted my head so I could kiss his lips.You’re worth it.
