Page 44 of Claim Me
“Do you need to go see Carden or maybe Granny? They could probably speed the healing process along.”
He shook his head. “No, these are physical reminders that my wolf can’t take control like that.”
“How did you get them?” I could imagine him fighting himself for control.
His words surprised me. “We went to the training grounds and I fought Mav and Knox. It was the only way my wolf would settle down.”
My eyebrows inched up my forehead as I sat up straighter in the bed. My back ached with the movement. “They did that to you?”
He smirked and his eyes closed. “Yes, I had to beg them to do something. They didn’t want to fight me and mentally it was hard on them but something had to be done. I couldn’t march right to battle on my own. That would have gotten me killed, or worse.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what could possibly be worse than being killed but we were talking about Damian here. Damian wouldn’t kill him. He would use Rafe.
“What did you do today?” I wondered if he was just trying to make conversation so we didn’t sit in awkward silence or if he was actually wondering what I did. On the nightstand was a stack of books Lucas had delivered me after I had eaten all of the breakfast… with Tracey’s help of course.
“I read a little bit,” I bit my lip.I didn’t get out of bed once or change.I was still in my pajamas from the night before and I was certain I needed to take a brush to my hair.
His eyes slid open and he watched me with a lazy expression. “I didn’t know you liked to read.”
A smile stretched across my lips. “I didn’t know that either. Lucas insisted and turns out, he has great taste in books. I had no idea what I was missing out on before.”
Rafe shook his head. “I hate reading.”
I wasn’t surprised. I hadn’t met many men that did like reading. But then again, I had always been attracted to the bad boys. I didn’t know a single bad boy that cared for school or learning academically.
He watched me for a little bit before he stood up and walked to the bathroom. I found the forgotten book and settled into the pillows again to enjoy the words until Rafe peeked his head out of the double doors. His eyes caught on the book before they moved up to my face.
“Tracey brought some of your things by downstairs.” He emerged from the bathroom and the scent of vanilla swirled in the air. “While I go get them and start on dinner, why don’t you take a bath and relax?”
The scent of his nervousness wrapped up in the scent of vanilla. A smile pulled at the corners of my lips as I untangled myself from the blankets and stood up. My legs shook under my own weight and an ache settled beneath my knees. Maybe a bath would be perfect. Rafe took that opportunity to slip from the room as I got my footing back.
The scent of vanilla grew stronger as I opened the doors to the bathroom. A gasp escaped my lips. The white claw-foot tub was filled to the rim with bubbles and a tray stretched across the middle of it. A bottle of water sat on one end and a place to set a book was on the other.
Where had he gotten a bottle of water?
My eyes searched the white marble counters that were full of brand new candles. The candlelight reflected in the mirror and cast a soft glow around the room. A small chandelier hung above the tub and behind the tub were two open doorways that probably led to a shower. During all the time I had spent here recovering before, I had never seen the master bathroom. It had felt too personal and private. I had instead used the bathroom in the hall, thinking it would give me some kind of space between the Alpha and me. How wrong I had been.
With the book tucked beneath my arm, I turned the lights off and marveled at the beautiful work Rafe had done here. He had remodeled this home to absolute perfection. If we were to be mated… this would be my home. It was magnificent and I could hardly imagine using this space daily.
I wondered what the rest of the house looked like and made a mental note to ask for a tour. I was in awe. A vanity ended the counter on the left side of the bathroom. Right beneath the right side of the cabinets was a little wine fridge. My parents had a similar one in their outdoor kitchen. This one was filled with champagne, canned drinks, and bottles of water. My eyes kept going back to the champagne though. What would he need that for here?
My mouth soured as I thought of the other women that had probably been entertained in this area. Of course, a bachelor would need champagne for dates. I grabbed the bottle of water from the tray and downed it in a few swallows. I tossed the empty bottle into the trash can and unbuttoned my jammies.
A thought hit me square in the feels. It didn’t matter that he had other dates here or women. I was far from innocent myself. I had dated Carden, even though Rafe knew I was his fated mate. I had taken many to the back seat of my car and hotels. How could I get sick over not even knowing something but making assumptions? The soft cotton clothes pooled at my feet as I grabbed the book from the vanity and settled into the water. My eyes closed before I tried to find the page I had left off.
