Tajah knelt beside me, her robe drenched in sweat and blood still dripping from her eyes, nose, and mouth. Fuck, my worries for my mate were all-consuming. I barely thought to thank her.
“Thank—”
Tajah held up her hand and shook her head. “For my brother, no thanks is necessary.”
Tajah raised her other hand, and in her palm was a necklace. The pedant on the chain appeared to be half of a small dream catcher, minus the feathers that usually dangled beneath. It was a circle with webbing on the inside of it, made of a precious metal I was unfamiliar with. It was dark, and with each twist of the metal to form the circle, slits of green and blue showed through.
I thumbed it when Tajah placed it into my palm. It was small in my hand, but on my mate, it would sit on her chest and would be very noticeable.
“Bram brought it from Elysian, from the Caves of the Divine.” Tajah paused, waiting for some sort of effect of gasp from the room, but none came. We all stood waiting for her to explain.
“They wouldn’t know.” Bram spoke up from the corner. “It’s for high-ranking witches and warlocks, but in those caves, the metals are powerful. They can hold spells, specifically protection spells, and ward off evil. They are expensive, but I could secure some before I left the realm. With Tajah’s help, we were able to create this for Nadia this past week. It isn’t much, but it will put her at ease.”
“At ease?”
Bram hummed in agreement. “The spell is for those who have been cursed with a demon before. This pendant, as long as she wears it, will ensure she will never be possessed by any demon ever again.”
I urged my mate’s animal to shift her body into human form. Luckily, her animal was compliant and not leery of me. My grizzly was purring against me constantly, speaking to this sun bear, calming her because she needed it after witnessing such a dream. Now, if only I could talk to my mate’s human side, that would make me feel more at ease.
Anaki helped us get home that evening and stayed in his cave not too far from the cabin. I told him he was welcome to stay inside, but he was determined to stay away to give us space.
He knew I needed it, but knowing what he had done for me in the past, I owed him everything. He still went on his way, and I watched his back disappear into the night out the back door while I held onto my mate’s still naked body, wrapped in a series of blankets.
She still had not awakened, and I wasn’t about to let her go.
Her body was damp from both sweat, and the water Bones had thrown on her to get her body temperature down. Now she was physically healthy, but emotionally, I didn’t know what I was going to do when she finally woke up.
Time, she was going to need time.
I headed to our single bathroom and started the water in the massive tub inside, adjusting the temperature. The water rose, and steam filled the room as I undid the blankets and adjusted her in my arms.
She moaned, her eyes fluttering open, and stared up at me. I braced myself for her to flail her arms about, ready for her to yell and scream. I was ready for the emotional turmoil to rise to the surface. I was prepared for all of it, but all she did was stare at me blankly.
“Nadia?” I whispered and continued to cradle her.
She said nothing, and I think I preferred for her to yell and cry. At least I would have some reaction.
“Goddess, say something to me,” I pleaded with her.
She blinked several more times, and her hand reached out and cupped my face. “You saved me.”
I let out a breath and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead, then lowered us into the steaming hot bath. She sighed and pressed her face against my chest while I took the cloth and stroked her back with it.
“How did you do it? How did you get in there?” she whispered.
“I bit you, used our bond. You were giving up, and I wasn’t about to lose you, baby.”
She balled up her hands on my chest. “It was just… so real. I could handle it before, but that—”
I growled and pulled her up by her shoulders. “No, I don’t care if you could have handled it, Nadia.” Her eyes grew wide. “I should have made you tell me from the beginning. I should have asked what every dream was like. There were a lot of things I should have done and didn’t. No more.”
Nadia narrowed her eyes at me. A fang peeked through her lip. “It was my dream. I had to deal with it.”
I snarled at her. “No, that is not how this works. You are my mate. We work together. You don’t hide shit from me. I take care of you. You got me?”
Her bear flickered behind her eyes. Her bear held anger in her personality. Most bears do. Now that she was one with her bear, it filtered through my mate’s being. I liked the feistiness but not when it came to her safety.
“You. Could. Have. Died. You tell me when you are in pain, when you are sad, when you are scared or lonely. When you fucking stub your toe. That is what I am here for.” I softened my words when her body no longer tensed. “You aren’t alone and will never be alone anymore.”
