Chapter 33
Chapter 33
I turned so fast that I felt a crick in my neck. Sure enough, Jaxon was standing there but I could see that his dark
shirt was wet and when the scent hit me, I knew it was blood. I rushed to my feet and over to him but I couldn’t bring myself to place my hand on his shirt because I knew it would come away bloody.
I turned to him in question and he shook his head. “It isn’t mine.”
I let out a sigh of relief, not caring whose it was in that moment but knowing that it wasn’t his. He was tired and I could clearly tell from his face and the weariness that had etched itself onto his features. I glanced at Kiara who was eating absent mindedly and I knew in that moment who needed my attention more.
“Kiara,” I began and she hummed from her empty plate. “Can you go with uncle Aiden? He will take you to your room. I have something really urgent to do.”
She nodded and without a fuss, she hopped off her chair and intertwined her hands with Aiden. Aiden’s eyes met mine and he nodded then disappeared with her. I could trust Aiden with her because I knew for a fact that he would never try to hurt her.
I turned back to Jaxon and placed his hand in mine. Even his hands had crusted blood on them but I ignored it
and led him towards his- our room. I locked the door behind us and led him towards the bathroom. When I
started taking off his shirt, he stopped me.
“What are you doing?” he asked and I shrugged but didn’t answer. I pulled off his shirt and sure enough my hands were stained red. I moved to his trousers but he stopped me. “Freya, what are you doing?”
“I want to take care of you,” I said simply. “Just let me do this for you, please.”
He hesitated but he nodded and allowed me undress him. Once I had taken the dirty clothes off him, I allowed my eyes run over his body looking for any hint of an injury but he was perfectly cleah. I let out a sigh of relief and put the messed up clothes into the washing machine. I turned it on then made my way back to Jaxon.
He allowed me lead him into the shower and when I turned the water to hot, he didn’t even flinch. I was still in
my clothes and they were getting soaked but I didn’t care because it was about him and not me. I allowed the water just wash over the both of us and he placed his forehead on mine.
ut a ragged breath and I saw some of the tension
He didn’t make a move to ki*s me or anything, he just let leave his shoulders. I waited until he was a little calm before I pulled away from him and took the wash cloth. He didn’t protest as feoaped it up and lathered it all over his body.
I washed him carefully and made sure to get the dry and crusted blood off his body. I could see him unwinding the more I washed him and by the time I was done, he was perfectly clean. He still hadn’t
spoken once and wasn’t sure he was going to anytime soon. I turned off the shower and stepped out of the stall to get a towel for him.
I wiped him down starting with his hair and face before moving to his lower body. It reminded me of when I used to bathe Kiara after a bad day. Once he was dry, I led him out of the bathroom and he followed me calmly like a little puppy. I was still dripping wet so I didn’t want to go further into the room.
“You can get dressed for bed while I clean up,” I said and he nodded.
Once he had disappeared into the closet, I peeled off my wet clothes and took a quick shower. I returned in a fluffy–robe and Jaxon was dressed in faded sweatpants that hung low on his hips. My first thought was to return to my room to change but I quickly realized that smelling his scent on me might help so I put on one of his larger shirts and paired it with boxers.
“I need to get something very quickly, I’ll be back soon,” I said and he nodded almost dismissively.
I quietly left the room and made my way into the kitchen. The maids looked shocked to see me but I ignored. them and made a small chicken broth for Jaxon along with slicked fruits. They watched me with barely concealed curiosity but I knew they weren’t my biggest problem.
By the time I was done and was leaving, I bumped into Aide. “How is she?”
“She made me read her a bed time story but she’s asleep now,” he said and I let out a sigh of relief unable to help the feeling of guilt that crawled up in me. “You made the right choice by going to him. Kiara will be here tomorrow and you can make it up to her.”
“You’re right,” I forced the words out of my throat but I still felt guilty. “I should go back, Jaxon is waiting for me.
He gave me a soft smile and I had started walking away when he called out to me. I turned and he paused for a second before saying. “You’re good for him.”
I couldn’t find the words to express how grateful I was so I just nodded and made my way back to the room. Jaxon was still lying on the bed where I had left him and I placed the tray of food by the bedside table and next to him.
sat
“You need to eat,” I said simply and he glanced at the food then back at me. “Don’t give me that look, Jaxon.”
“I’ll eat, if you eat with me.”
I wanted to lie that I had already eaten but my stomach decided to use that time to rumble and I flushed pink. He shot me a pointed look and I sighed and took an apple slice then popped it into my mouth.
We ate in silence and by the time the plate was cleared, he was looking more like himself. I took the tray and moved it to the dressing table for the maids to get it tomorrow and I made my way back into bed next to Jaxon.
I intended to just sit next to him but he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into bed next to him. He pulled me in until I was flush against him and he buried his nose into my hair and took a long sniff. I felt his entire body deflate with relief.
“What happened?” I asked and he stayed silent. “Was it a personalized attack? You can’t keep me in the dark about this Jaxon.”
“I’m trying not to think about the fact that you were there and you could have gotten hurt,” he said finally and before I could ask what he meant, he continued. “Barely a minute after I got you out, we were ambushed. The female server, she was killed. I don’t know who they were but I know they were rogues.”
Π
I was shocked to my core. I didn’t like the server but I didn’t want her to die and I didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. Grief pulled at my heart strings and I could only imagine how Jaxon was feeling. He pressed his l*ps to my head again as if he wanted to remind himself that I was right there next to him.
“I almost didn’t have guards go with us,” he began slowly. “When we left, they weren’t with us but when we arrived at the greenhouse my wolf kept nagging me to protect you and I did. If they weren’t there I have no idea what would have happened to you.”
“I’m safe, that’s what matters, and so are you,” he hummed but I knew he wasn’t so convinced. “What did the rogues want? I’ve never heard of rogues making public attacks like that.”
He hesitated like he didn’t want to respond to me but after a beat of silence, I heard him speak. “I managed to take one in for torture. He said they were part of a rogue group and their plan was just to steal from the place. To the outside it was shut down so they didn’t expect anyone to be in there.”
“Do you believe that?”
He shrugged. “We have had an increase in rogue attacks but nothing like this. The timing does feel a little skeptical but I wasn’t able to get anything else out of him.”
“Is he dead?” I asked even though I already knew the answer. There was no way the rogue could be alive with the amount of blood that was coating Jaxon when he arrived. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
“No.” he said it without remorse or feeling. “No one gets to put you in harm’s way and goes free.” He paused for a
No
second and lifted my chin so I was staring at him. “Are you scared of me?”
“No,” the word left my l*ps easily and I knew that I meant it. “I’m just glad that you’re home safe.”
“I’ll always come home to you.”