Page 62 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

Robert slides over, but his grip on my hand doesn’t fade.

Maria sets her bag on the ground before spreading her hands over my body, a couple of inches away from my skin. I feel a warm, tingling sensation, and my eyes flutter shut.

“Broken ribs, a bad concussion,” Maria begins to murmur. “Her wrist is badly sprained. There’s also internal bleeding.”

Her hands come to a stop a few minutes later, and she looks me in the eye. “I think I might be able to heal your internal injuries, but I can’t do anything about the external ones or the concussion.”

“What do you mean?” Robert demands. “Her external injuries—”

“They’ll have to be treated like normal wounds,” Maria replies, her brow furrowed. “I don’t know how to explain it. My healing ability cannot work on her exterior wounds.”

“But you can fix the bones and everything else, right?” I ask her.

She nods, a jerky movement of her head.

I can see the unwillingness in her eyes, and I glance at Robert. “Can I have a minute with her, please?”

“Why?”

“Please,” I repeat, already exhausted.

It’s evident that Robert doesn’t want to leave my side right now, but I need to talk to Maria alone. Reluctantly, he steps out of the cafe’s back office, where he must have brought me after I passed out.

“Can he hear us?” I ask after a minute.

Maria checks the small hallway and shakes her head mutely.

“Listen, I know you’re uncomfortable doing this,” I tell her, my expression steady despite the pain. “You don’t have to do anything. You can just tell Robert you tried and it didn’t work.”

I’m well aware of how shifters view my kind. Being forced to heal a vampire might not be something this young healer appreciates. The girl is silent for a moment, and then she says softly, “Are you and Robert close?”

“I—” My answer gets stuck in my throat. “I don’t know.”

“Well, you matter to him,” she says, her voice determined now. “So, I’ll help you.”

By the time Robert comes back, Maria has begun healing me. I never knew that wolf healing magic could work on vampires, but I can feel the bones mending within me. It’s not without pain, but I bear it. Throughout the process, Robert doesn’t ask any questions, nor does he leave my side even once. I can hear movement outside, but I don’t have the strength to ask what is going on.

I don’t know how long it takes for my internal injuries to heal fully, but some of the pain finally begins to fade away. I feel tender inside, but it’s much better than the agonizing sensations.

Lowering her hands, Maria looks at Robert. “I can’t do any more than this. For the external injuries, she’s going to have to let her vampiric healing kick in.”

When Robert glances at me, I don’t say anything. He knows I won’t heal. If anything, I’m going to have to take extra care of the injuries to make sure none of my wounds get infected. My face is hurting, but it’s a dull throb.

“Thank you,” I say, meeting Maria’s gaze.

She hesitates before giving me a small smile. “I hope you get better soon.”

“Thanks, Maria.” Robert gets up to give her a one-armed hug.

“I should warn you,” she whispers. “Harry is pissed.”

“I know.” Robert pats her head as if she’s little more than a child. “Have him drop you off at home. I’ll make sure everything is wrapped up here before I take Charlotte home.”

As Maria turns around, Robert says quietly, “And Maria? Not a word.”

She nods.

He walks her out, and in the meantime, I try to sit up. My legs feel weak, my insides like jelly. Grabbing the side of the couch I’m on, I struggle to stand up straight and look into the small mirror hanging on the wall. My breath catches as I see the reason for the stinging sensation on the left side of my face. There are three deep grooves in my cheek, the flesh open and revealed.

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