Page 15 of Hadley's Heroes
“Yes, green…” He didn’t know what to say so I jumped in.
“My heart, green will help Adee, too. He is doing much better now. He is using yourpillow.It helps with his head bump.” She looked down at his sleeping form. I wished Adee would wake to her voice, but he didn’t. Not even a small movement.
“Can I sit with him?” She moved to where I was sitting beside him and I opened my arms to her to come sit on my lap. I would hold her while she sat beside him to give her strength. “Do you need help with the flowers?” She turned to Jaim and he shook his head. She crawled into my arms and her hand reached out to stroke some loose strands of hair from his face.
“Wake up soon, Adee. I have news I want to tell you, but you have to get better first, okay? I will make a deal with you, if you wake up.” I held her tightly to my chest and she sighed. Her hand was now on his shoulder, her head nestled in the crook of my arm, and she stayed like that until I heard soft snores from her.
“I will take her to our hut.” Jaka reached out to me but I held her tighter and shook my head.
“No, it’s best she stays here. She will be worried if she is far from him. Look how she still holds him tightly. We cannot take her from Adee. It would upset her too much.”
Jaka looked to where she was still holding on. Her body may be resting, but her hand knew she was holding him still.
“Did Adee just move?” Jaim asked, moving closer. He looked a mess, watching for so many hours for Adee to wake. I looked over and I didn’t see anything from the injured male.
“You must be looking too hard, Jaim. You need rest too. Please rest, I will watch over Adee. I will wake you if something changes.”
It took a few moments for Jaim to finally relax, his eyes still focused on Adee as he laid down on his blanket, his eyes finally closing.
“You sleep, Vetok. I will watch Adee. We can take turns to care for him.”
I felt heavy with sleep. I needed it but I didn’t want to with Adee injured like this. But when Jaka told me to sleep again, I nodded. It was dark out now, and my eyes were hard to keep open.
“A few hours, then wake me. We take turns.” I shifted my weight a little and let the darkness take me.
Chapter Thirteen
Hadley
Iwoke to whispers, Jaka and Jaim were speaking in hushed voices and my translator wasn’t on. I didn’t understand all the words they were saying but I had been getting much better at it. It was still dark, but the moonlight was filtering in through the window, which was still open. I felt warm so I was glad to have the cool breeze coming in.
I think the guys were talking about water, and drinking it. At that thought I also felt like I could have some water. My mouth was dry and,oh fuck.
“Adee?” I looked up from my hard pillow. Vetok’s arm was sweaty where my cheek had rested, and I rubbed my face. Shit, I had fallen asleep in his arms. I moved my hand on Adee’s shoulder and back to his hair, avoiding the bump he had on the back of his head.
“He is fine, my heart.” Jaka came to me, my translator now working. He kissed my forehead. “Water?” he asked me, as if he knew my thoughts. I nodded.
“Yes please, water. Does Adee need water? Has he woken up yet?” I couldn’t really tell if he was still pale with the lack of real light, but his skin didn’t feel so cool and clammy. He felt warm, like Vetok did. That was a good sign, he must be healing.
“Adee is okay for now,” Jaim answered as he passed water to Jaka, who helped me drink it while Vetok slept. His arms held me tight, he wasn’t letting go. Even while deep in sleep he was protecting me. I patted his arm.
“Babe, I need to pee.” I felt him shift, his arms peeling from me, and where he held was covered in a sheen of sweat. The cool breeze now chilled me. He was like sleeping with a hot water bottle. As I moved away from him, over to the pot where I pee—and everyone else does too—I felt his tail reach out and wrap around my ankle. I chuckled to myself. He still couldn’t fully let me go.
Jaim and Jaka looked away from me while I did my business because it was hard to pee with an audience. Adee said something. I almost knocked the pot over as I rushed to his side with the other two. Vetok jerked awake and we all peered down at Adee.
“How do you feel? Water?” Jaim asked him. Adee’s eyes were closed, and he didn’t move. But he moaned again, and this time I realized it was a hurt moan.
“Oh baby, we will have you better.” I took one of his hands in mine. He was awake, but I bet he had a headache. The green flowers will make him better, maybe Jaim had already given them to him. I looked to Jaim who held a cup out as Jaka tried to help Adee to sit.
Adee’s eyes opened slightly. He blinked and groaned as his hand reached for his head. I reached out and stopped him before he hurt his bump more.
“Adee, you hit your head. Don’t touch it, it will hurt.” His eyes now opened wider as he tried to focus on me.
“Goddess?” he asked, and it made me smile. Oh, he remembered me. That was good, he knew who I was.
“Yes, that’s me. Hadley, the goddess that fell from above.” I squeezed his hand as Jaim offered him water, holding it to his lips to help him drink. He had two cups before he shook his head, and I could tell that hurt him. His eyes rolled a little in his head and it worried me.
“Go to sleep, Adee. I will be right here when you wake up.” Jaka lowered him back down again and Vetok looked over him as he moved a blanket up his legs. I wanted to cry at how sweet my mates were. I hadn’t even accepted Adee as my mate, and yet they treated him as if he was family already.
