“Yes!” It came out like a squeak. “Yes, yes, yes!” I wrapped my arms around the first body within reach and felt Severen’s solid frame in my arms, his hands stroking my hair.
“You’ll still have to take it easy. You have to take your antiviral medication. No strenuous activity for the next while.”
“Of course.” I flopped down on the bed, practically swooning. “I can’t wait to lounge on the beach, lay in the ocean waves, bask in the sun.”
Dr. Houser’s expression gradually changed from happiness to hesitance. “I’m afraid I have to advise against such things,” he said. “Along with hot-tubs, and submerging your incision.”
I sat up again. “What?”
“Environments like the beach significantly increase the risk of infection. As well, your medications will weaken your immune system, making you susceptible to elevated risk of skin cancer.”
“We live in a port city,” Crux responded flatly.
“Yes,” Dr. Howser said, without wavering. “So you must limit your exposure to the sun and if you insist on going out, be sure to cover your skin. Sunblock, long sleeves and pants, and sunhats.”
My joy seeped from my chest. I imagined it leaking between the staples holding me together. Crux’s aura turned sharp and edged, Severen’s as unreadable as his stoic personality, and Halo was nothing but plums filled with compassion for me.
“Oh,” was all I could manage to say.
“A small price to pay for a second chance at life, though, right?” Dr. Houser said.
“What about sex?” I asked.
“Take it slow, don’t overexert yourself. If you’re careful, it should be alright. For heat, we can recommend some mild overthe counter heat suppressants so your heats won’t be as strong and long-lasting, but still enjoyable.”
I managed a small smile. At least I could still show my pack how much I loved them.
TWO MONTHS LATER
Chapter 15
SKYE
Isatinthesunroom, with my favourite blanket around my shoulders, looking out at the beach barely a block away. We were close enough to smell the sea, and hear the waves, but the beach-goers were just undefined blots against the summer-postcard backdrop. Surfers navigated gently white-capped waves. Children piled sand into buckets and turned them over to make turrets for their sand castles. Young lovers on dates dipped their toes into the tide.
Inside my sunroom, I was safe. I was cooled from the deadly summer sun by an oscillating fan. I was sequestered from infection.
I had taken up a habit of stroking my fingers across my collarbone, my fingertips gliding across the top of my scar,caressing it almost. I didn’t want to resent my scar. Behind it was a precious, unique gift. A second chance at life. Someone was sacrificed so I could live.
This wasn’t living.
This was just existing.
Frustration boiled through my muscles and shot me to my feet. I left the sunroom and went to my nest to change my clothes. I took my hair out of the bun and fluffed it up so it fell down my back in a red-gold wave. Satisfied, I padded through the house.
It was our, my, dreamhouse, once upon a time, but after myevent, I felt like a stranger in an unfamiliar place. It wasn’t that I felt unwelcomed, I just didn’t feel at home. I probably just had to try harder.
Severen was in his office, typing on his computer. I came up behind him and slid my hands over his shoulders and hugged him around the neck.
“Crux is still out getting new tires for the Jeep,” I murmured in his ear. “Halo is at the gym. We have the house to ourselves.” I let the sentence melt into a purr, and gripped the front of Severen’s t-shirt. “Let’s go to my nest.” I elongated theS, like a serpent, and nibbled my alpha’s earlobe.
Severen took both my hands in one of his and squeezed them, as if to reassure me of something. “I can’t right now.”
“We can do it here,” I suggested, more than willing to compromise and accommodate. I’d do whatever, just as long as Severen would acknowledge me.
“You know what today is?” I tried a different strategy. “It’s my two-month-homeiversary.”
I kissed his neck once, then pressed my face into that spot. Into the soft, tender skin where his scent seemed the most concentrated. I breathed deep his rich, dark roast coffee and decadent red wine smell. The aroma caused my perfume to flair,blueberries and bluebells bursting into the room, letting Severen know just how much I wanted him.
