The estate was quiet. Rod had to keep up appearances at the Ministry, so heād gone back to work the morning after heād brought Arielle here. His mate, Bellatrix, only came into the room to check on Ari and help the house elf change the bed sheets. She didnāt bother with small talk. Her having forced him to bathe and eat was the most sheād said to him at once. Fenrir didnāt know what she did when she left him to his vigil. It was a large mansion, and every time he caught sight of her itād been with a book in hand. Maybe she spent her days reading. He couldnāt be fucked to care enough to ask. Not while his own mate lay unconscious.
Without the din of a busy house, Fenrir could hear Arielleās heartbeat. The steady rhythm was what had kept him sane these last few days. Not just the fact that it beat at all, but that it was strong, steady, a healthy tempo. Bella had told him that sheād be okay, that sheād done everything she could to fix his veela, and that her best was more than enough; Ari should make a full recovery, her body just needed time to heal the rest of the way on its own. Sheād wake up when she was ready, and heād watch over her, protect her, every second until then.
So when something changed in Arielleās heartbeat, he was acutely aware of it, attuned to every thump. Her breath hitched hard and her heart started to race. He looked up from the delicate hand in his palm to her face, and watched for the slightest shift in her expression. Her fingers twitched in his hand before her brows narrowed. She was waking up. Fenrir had moved before his mind had issued the command.
He was immediately at her bedside, shielding her with his body as her raspy voice scraped out of her. It was so quiet it was almost lost to the mansionās subtle creaks and groans. Fenrir knew he should get her water, and he would in a moment, but first he needed to be near her, to look into her eyes and see for himself that this was real. She was awake. She would be okay.
He brushed her hair out of her face and brushed his knuckles along the sharp incline of her cheekbone. Voice a low rumble, he said, āKitten, youāre awake,ā as if he were afraid to break whatever spell had brought her back to him.
It took a few blinks for her eyes to fully open and focus on him, tired green meeting uneasy hazel. When she tried to smile his frown deepened. He squeezed her hand back, trying to be gentle, but that was never something that had come naturally to him. His nostrils flared at her weak attempt at humor.
Instead of answering her question, he asked his own. āAre you thirsty?ā Fenrir didnāt wait for her answer. He strode over to the side table and poured water out of the pitcher that Bella kept fresh in the room. Once the glass was partway full he walked it over to Arielle and held it up in offering. āI can help you.ā
She just stared at him for a moment, like she was taking in the sight of him. Reaching out between them, she took a lock of his hair between her fingers. Fenrir grumbled at her observation, remembering the tiny witch whoād chased him out of this room earlier, away from her. Not looking away from his mateās beautiful, if still pale, face for a second, he growled the confession, āDidnāt have much of a choice.ā
Green eyes glanced over his shoulder, passively at first. Then her brows furrowed and her heartbeat kicked up again. The scent of her discomfort had Fenrir setting the cup of water down on the side table and hunching over his mate, weight propped on his fists on either side of her as he caged her in, blocked her from any threat, real or imagined.
āYouāre safe,ā he growled, yanking the leash on instincts that might frighten her if she knew the razorās edge her wariness had him balancing. If anyone came into the room right now while he was like this, while SHE was like thisā¦ he cupped her cheek in his hand and thumbed her soft skin as he pressed his nose to her hairline and breathed in her scent. When he repeated, āYouāre safe, Kitten,ā it was as much to stifle his territorial impulses as it was to reassure her.
Kissing her hairline, Fenrir forced himself to pull away again, to give her some space. All he managed was to return to his position blocking her in. He couldnāt pull himself away any further, couldnāt open her up to dangers he knew, in the logical part of his mind, couldnāt reach her here. Muscle feathering in his jaw, and after a heavy exhale, he mastered himself enough to answer her questions.
āWeāre at the Lestrange Estate,ā he muttered, grinding his teeth, fingers curling into fists again as he forced himself to answer her other question, to confess to her how badly heād failed her, that in doing so sheād almost died. āThere were Scavengers in the forest when youād come to meet me. I didnāt know they were there, Arielle, or I wouldnāt haveā¦ One of them cursed you. The damageā¦ it was more than I could fix. You were dying, and Iā¦ I took you to the only place I knew weād be safe, where I knew someone could save you.ā
Fenrir shook his head at himself and forced his gaze away from hers, unable to look at his mate and see the disgust in her eyes. He was grinding his teeth so hard an ache was starting to form in his jaw. He was about to push off of the bed when her gentle, still raspy voice held him in place. He looked at her again, incredulous.
āBien sĆ»r, tu t'inquiĆ©terais pour moi,ā he grumbled in reply, shaking his head as he stared at her.Of course youāre worried about me. His Kitten. His mate. Always concerned about everyone else before herself. He brushed his knuckle along her cheekbone again and sighed through his nose. āI should tell Bella youāre awake.ā
A smile crossed her lips at his growl. She wasnāt entirely sure of the context surrounding his lack of choice but the petty annoyance in his tone was almost endearing. She wanted to reach up and kiss that furrowed brow until it was smooth once more.
He was crowding her, but in the best way possible. If you asked the Veela, he wasnāt close enough. She could still feel his kiss on her lips before he departed, could still feel the heat coiling within her as their worlds collided. Sheād thought of nothing but that moment since. The days passed in a blur- if her life were a movie, the pages of the calendar would have been flying off the wall in a hazy montage.
Now, even more had been stripped from her as she slept and the thought broke her heart even more. She yearned for him, for this proximity... so no, it wasnāt enough. None of it was enough. He dipped down, pressing his lips to her hair and she had to bite her lip to stop from purring at the touch. They were warm, soft. A reminder that despite it all, he was here and as he said, she truly was safe. Because in his arms, nothing else mattered. Nothing could hurt her, not really.
Her own brow furrowed as words fell from those lips, explaining what had happened. It was strange, she hadnāt heard a thing- and by the shock on Fenrirās face before the world turned black, either had he. They had come out of nowhere, and they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.Ā
A small hand lifted to brush his cheek, cupping his face in the hopes that she could soothe the pain. Smooth the anguish from his features. She wanted to remind him of his own words, that it was okay, that they were safe now.Ā āJe vais toujours m'inquiĆ©ter pour toi.ā I will always worry about you.
She wanted to tell him to stop, to wait, to leave Bella out of it for just a moment or two longer but her proud wolf was already up on two feet and stalking to the door. He didnāt leave the room, not entirely. Evidently, it wasnāt necessary as a second later, the door opened wider and a petite beauty slipped inside. She glanced at Fenrir so briefly, that if one had blinked theyād have missed it before rushing over to Ariās bedside.
She was feeling stronger by the second, and tried to wriggle up in the bed. Wanting to sit up for her. A soft wince hidden as a sharp pain shot through her chest, one that thankfully, Bella didnāt notice.Ā āHow long has she been awake?ā She was talking to Fenrir, the concern and matter of fact tone told her it was all business, all care.Ā āFive, ten minutes.ā Came her males gruff reply.
Bella was on her in a flash, eyes roaming her body and hands assessing the damage, asking a series of questions and pressing against sore spots with gentle fingers. It took a short while but eventually, Bella seemed to be happy enough with the apparently stable state of the Veela to bark a few instructions at Fenrir before slipping out again with a wave of her hand and aĀ āIāll check in on you again, later.ā
Fenrir settled back on the bed, as if heād never left and the interruption never happened. A small smile crossed her lips as she reached for the closest hand, taking it between both of hers. The deep tan of his skin, marred with beautiful ink was warm against her own porcelain. She held onto him like he was a lifeboat and she needed saving, but her words were gentle and calm.Ā āDo I pass the test? Can you relax a little, now?ā She asked with a teasing giggle.Ā
Truthfully? Arielle wouldnāt have him any other way. She tugged gently at his hand, a silent gesture.Ā āLay with me...ā She needed to feel him beside her, needed to feel those strong hands holding her as the world and the burdens that it carried, melted away around them.Ā āPlease?ā
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