The Mate That Wasn't Mine novel Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Chapter 105

TESSA POV

The first time I woke up, the first thing

everything below the knee.

I notice is how my legs are covered with a long, delicate length of black silk. Weighing nothing, yet concealing

Was it possibly daytime? The room is vague too. A lot of baby blue.

Waking up meant fresh pain. Not agony, but a twisting, tightening discomfort that left everything too tender to endure. My focus and attention could only be allocated to a few essential thoughts.

How fucked up my body remains, and Maxim. Those two thoughts alone bounced around my consciousness.

But someone had washed me. Dressed me in a long, soft nightgown that smelt of beautifully fresh air. No doubt sensing the current mattress was not as comfortable as our shared Block E lair, various pillows and cushions now supported me

The vile scent of burning has been mercifully erased from my body. Instead I smell of my dark–haired, tiger–eyed mate. The gorgeously warm scent of his, merged with hot soup, waiting to be served.

Gratitude slammed into me and a scorching heat rises up my chest and cheeks. Not blushing, the heat is from my heart. It’s a burning, overwhelming love for the man who has not left my side. Just as he promised.

How tenderly Maxim has looked after me is enough to shatter me all over again. Looking upwards, blinking fast, the plastered ceiling patterns and

༣ chandeliers slowly come back into focus above me.

“Here, have something to drink,” Maxim whispers. A straw is gently placed against my lips. I obey without question, greedily slurping down the liquid. “Want to try soup with a straw? Sorry I cannot sit you up for some real food just yet. Doctors orders.”

Throat refreshed, talking is a lot easier now. “Why did the doctor want to see you before?”

“When?”

My tricky mate. I’m not going to pretend. “I heard someone asking to stitch

you up before I fell asleep.”

I get a tut of the mouth in return. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing to worry about.”

“Then where are you?” If I have my eyes open I don’t want to be looking at chandeliers any longer. I want my amber–eyed God.

My hand fluttered along the side of the bed, before being swiftly grasped in his bigger hand. “I’m right here. Right here, look,” planting firm kisses upon the top.

Twisting my head as much as I can bear, he has his head face down. All I can see is his thick brown locks. With tiny flecks of rubble and dust still visible.He clearly hasn’t looked after himself for a second. His black shirt is torn and ragged. Scabs and red lines all over his shoulders and upper arms. So much dust and grime.

“Maxim. Please look at me?”

“Don’t make me do that Tess.”

I’m too stunned to do anything else but blurt, “What?”

Maxim doesn’t say anything. “Maxim? What happened?”

“It’s not important.”

“It is. Please. Please look at me.”

14:23 Mon, 23 Jun G

Chapter 105

Instead he stands amy, dropping my hand and immediately facing waray for me. Now in the daylight I can see the damage rescuing we has infipered upon my beautiful mate. His pants are ripped. Cruel cuts and jagged, heating scabs run up and down his arms and legs.

Pare these cuts from rescuing me?”

“There was metal, bed frames and things mixed within the boulders. Sometimes they’d ship,

The time.”

or needed pulling out of the way Some I just didn’t notice at

“Please. Please look at me.

love you Tess,” he murmurs but instead of turning he takes a step closer to the door.

My wolf and I rise in protest. No. “You cannot possibly mean this. Maxim get back here!”

“I’m doing my best.”

A sinking feelings hits me so hard I have to swallow back a sob to get the question out. “Is it me? Is it how messed up I am? You can’t look at me?

“Of course not!”

“Then why are you hiding from me! I will walk on these fucked up legs of mine right now, I’ll run at you.”

“Don’t, don’t hurt yourself-” but now I’m angry. Beyond angry. I push up from my elbows. A pathetic attempt to drag myself up to sitting but it’s enough to send Maxim bolting over.

Quick as a panther he is suddenly all over me. Literally. He’s leapt up, and straddled my hips with his legs angrips my wrists. I cry out in pain even though he’s barely touching me.

A furious, “You need to rest,” erupts from his chest, but he isn’t quick enough to bury his face in my neck. Instead of allowing his caresses I fight against them. Pushing against his cheekbones, nuzzling turned into rough pressing. I feel rough, bumps that weren’t there before. His face isn’t what I know. What had been memorised into every dream for weeks.

“You said we’re a team. Just us? Or is it me? How I look now? I knew you sounded different in the dark…” I’m rambling but that’s what fear does.

“Fucks sake.”

Slowly he tilts his head upwards. Expression set in a severe, unsmiling look of annoyance. Thick black stitches are mishmashed randomly down his face.

But from the edge of his hairline, all the way down, dangerously close to his eye to his jaw is red, angry slash. Ragged, not clean, almost like a serrated blade has been worked against his perfect skin. One beautiful amber eye is almost swollen shut with heavy bruising and swelling.

Tears spring up. I can’t help it.

“That’s why. That’s exactly why, I didn’t want to see your expression change like that.” His jaw unclenched, sadness overtaking him.

His beard and neck are still bloodstained. Exhaustion has stripped all the colour from his skin. That’s worse than any scar. I lift one hand up, and place it against his face as softly as possible. “This doesn’t change a single thing. How did it happen?”

“My own fault. We lifted away the final pieces of stone and you were there. You were only just alive, faintly breathing. I just had to hold you and I rushed. Marshall stopped the metal sliding into my chest when the ceiling dropped some debris, but he couldn’t stop it from catching my face. His grabbing it, added the real damage, rubbing against me,” he growls.

“You’re never going to get on with him are you?”

He wrinkles his nose, “I don’t think so no. Not how I’ve got this to blame him for. I look like a villain.”

“You look like a pirate.”

“That’s not helpful in anyway.”

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Chapter 105

“Anre: I thought it was

“Shut up now,” and my lips thin into a tight, happy little smile. Because now, my heart is beating fast for completely different reasons. I can talk. I can save my mate. We are together. I don’t need anything else right now.

“Maxim?”

“Yes?”

“Have you slept since?”

I know the answer but it takes a roll of his eyes and another two requests to get him to admit he hasn’t. “Then come here,” opening my arms as best as t can. He places the uninjured side of his face upon my heart. Resting upon my bite. The point where our souls invisibly bind,

I get to slowly wrap my arms around his huge, dust–covered shoulders. It makes my heart soar to toy with his perfect hair, run my fingertips across his

soft brown beard..

I can’t help sighing as he slowly adjusts his legs, no longer straddling, but lying next to me. His arm lays across my stomach, holding me close. “This isn’t going to help you,” he grumbles but I can feel his hand around my waist, holding me, not letting go either.