Page 63 of Rex's Release

Top said it best. Having just met his mate, Rex wouldn’t want to be responsible for taking that from another brother. He’d vote to watch her, but to let her live.

It was basically the view of every member of the Howlers MC. Watch her, but let her live… for now.

Sitting in his office, he waited for Crush to return. Pike was pacing the open space behind the visitors’ chairs. As sergeant at arms, his concern would be the club’s safety and the blowback from a possible war between them and the Claws. Was the possibility there? Yes. Did Axle really think it would happen? No. He expected the Claws to come to the same conclusion that he had — Messer had responsibility for what happened to Shortcake and Rex, but she also deserved a chance to make it right.

Crush didn’t bother knocking. She just opened the door and stepped in, with Nails quickly following. Without taking a seat, she faced Axle and said, “Looks like my club agrees with you… this time.” Turning on her heel, she left without giving him a chance to say anything.

Thirty-One

Rex

Thenextmorning,Rexwoke up with the worst of full-body aches. There was sharp pain, burning aches, and throbbing in every limb. He felt like he had been run over by a semi-truck that had backed over him and then ran him over again.

He opened his eyes and waited for the sleep fog to clear from them. Once he was able to clearly see the navy ceiling and walls in his room at the compound, he looked around, moving his head slowly at first to keep from causing more pain.

His gaze landed on Doc sleeping in the chair that had been pulled to the side of his bed. Her legs were folded in front of her, and her left hand was clutching his where it laid on the bed at his side. Even with her head tilted back and to the side and her mouth wide open, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her short blond hair was sticking out everywhere and soft snores were coming from her tempting lips. Fuck. She was so damn adorable.

Rex decided he would go through anything just to be able to wake up to her face every day for the rest of his life. Well, he already knew that, but seeing her like that only reaffirmed it. She was his mate, his heart, his soul.

He didn’t really want to move. Laying there and staring at her all day sounded like a fantastic plan, but his full bladder had other ideas. Carefully slipping his hand from hers and biting his lip to stifle the groan at the pain he felt from the act, Rex shifted to get to his feet and head for the bathroom.

Doc jolted up and looked over at him sitting on the edge of the bed. He knew the second she clocked the pain he was in because her eyes narrowed and her voice was firm as she ordered, “Lay your ass back down, Fido.”

He smiled and winced at the way it pulled at the cut in his lip. As he internally cursed the fucking shifter blocker for affecting his healing abilities, he replied, “I have to use the restroom.”

Her glare held him in place as she opened her mouth and called out, “Boys!”

The door opened, and Top and Score entered the room. “Yeah, Doc?” Top asked, then his attention moved to Rex, and he scowled. “What in the hell are you doing?”

“I have to use the fucking restroom,” Rex insisted, his irritation mainly coming from the pain that he was feeling.

“Oh.” Score rushed over and slid an arm around his waist. Top did the same on his other side. Together, they helped him stand. Slipping their other arms behind his knees, they lifted him and carried him toward the bathroom. It wasn’t until they reached the bathroom door that they realized there was no way they would fit through the doorway in their current position.

“Shit.” Top shifted, so he was taking more of Rex’s weight. “I got him.”

Score let go of Rex and reached out, opening the bathroom door.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” Rex grumbled, feeling like a toddler.

“It’s fuckingnecessary,” Doc called out from behind them.

With a sigh, Rex resigned himself to being treated like a child until he healed enough to walk on his own.

After he took care of his business in the bathroom and his brother helped him settle back in bed, Rex made it clear he wanted to be alone with Doc. His brothers, being the smart individuals that they were, left quietly but quickly.

“You better stay put this time,” Doc said sternly. “If you don’t,” she nodded to the Velcro straps attached to the corners of his bed, “I’ll use them for a different reason.” Her brow shot up in a challenge.

Rex grinned at her. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Doc moved from her chair to sit on the bed on his other side. “How are you feeling?”

“Like hell, but it helps to have you here.”

When she took his hand in hers, he watched her as memories of the night before came flooding back in. He had panicked when he found out that she had gone after the hunters who had tortured him.

“How did you… What happened when you left your house?”

Her gaze shifted from their clasped hands to something across the room. “I… I killed them.”

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