by Jade Royal
Maybe he was right. I didn’t want to be bonded to someone I didn’t know, but I wasn’t the one trying to burn Seuss with magical rope either. On the other hand, he’d given up his life force for mine. All Maddox was asking was that I nurse him back to health. I needed to speak to Ms. Sandy to let her know that I was safe so that she didn’t worry. I could do that tomorrow. I didn’t know how long I’d been in that hospital, and I didn’t know if she knew where I was. She had to be sick with worry.
“Deal,” I said.
Maddox smiled and motioned for me to follow him upstairs. I walked into the master suite and was taken back immediately. Seuss was in a smaller room right next door that I’d assumed was the master bedroom, but it paled in comparison. This was big enough to fit two of those in and still have space. Who needed a house this big?
“The room you stayed in last night was the spare room that Seuss sleeps in when he’s too exhausted to come upstairs.”
“And this room?” I took another look around.
“This is where the king and queen will sleep.”
Maddox took all the linen off the huge bed that seemed to take up most of the room then remade it while I went into the bathroom and showered. When I came back out, he was long gone, and a pine oil burned in a corner. It smelled similar to what I’d smelled on Seuss. Not having any clothes to wear, I’d taken one of Seuss’ cotton pj shirts from a drawer and claimed it. I stared at the huge bed and wondered how many people it would take to fill it. I climbed into the freshly made bed with maroon fleece sheets and buried myself deep before relaxing into sleep.
“Justice …” I fought to open my eyes, but the faint voice called out to me until I was awake.
I looked around the moonlit room to see no one there but me. I frowned and sat up but continued to see nothing. I laid back and closed my eyes, and the calls began again. This time I listened harder and realized that they came from Seuss through echoes of my mind.
I used the adjoining door to enter his room where he lay asleep. His lips appeared to be bluer than earlier, and the chill coming from him pierced the room. I looked for more blankets and put them over him.
“Justice … lay … with … me …”
The words reverberated throughout my mind. Damn it Seuss! I knew he was going to be cold and there was no amount of preparing for it, but I could try. I ran back into the master suite and grabbed the blankets from the bed and put them over him before climbing in beside him. I put my hand against his and I pulled the blankets over me to keep me warm. The chill was bone aching, but slowly he started to warm. I moved closer hoping to spread the warmth.
“You’ve got some nerve asking me to warm you up after you tried to burn my arm off,” I mumbled.
I felt his chuckle more than I heard it in my mind, and I smiled. His laugh was stronger than his voice had been when he’d reached out to me. That was a good sign.
“We’ve got to get you better. Your people need you.” I yawned, feeling drained. I rested my head on his shoulder before succumbing to sleep.
Justice
Soft Caresses to my face made me snuggle closer. Callused hands soothed my cheeks, and sleep pulled me further into its hold.
“Justice …” That voice. Seuss.
A single kiss to my forehead made me open my sleep heavy eyes. I attempted to raise my head, but it was congested. I laid back onto Seuss chest. He was warm, but he didn’t appear to have moved. The sunlight danced across the room, and I wished that someone would close the blinds. I was exhausted as if I hadn’t had any rest. I pulled the blanket up over my head and went back to sleep.
“Justice!”
My eyes popped open to see a worried Alice staring down at me. Tired … so tired …
“We’ve been looking all over for you.”
I groaned and closed my eyes.
“How long have you been in here?” Alice asked.
“Since last night …” I mumbled.
“It’s late afternoon, Justice! You must get up.”
I groaned again. “Just fifteen minutes. I’m so tired.”
“Justice, can you sit up for me?”
“Mhm …” I moved to sit up, but everything hurt. I laid back down and pulled the blanket up.
“No. No. No!” Alice rushed from the room, and I sighed in content that she was leaving me alone.
“Justice.” A deep baritone voice startled me out of my sleep. I looked into the eyes of Maddox. “I’m going to lift you and take you back into the master bedroom.”
I closed my eyes and went back to sleep. The moment that Maddox touched me I heard a low growl.
“Don’t growl at me,” I mumbled.
“Don’t touch her, Maddox,” I heard Alice say. “Justice, I need you to focus.”
I tried, honestly, but it was difficult. She held a straw to my lips, and I drank the cool liquid. The taste of fresh berries exploded against my tongue, and I greedily consumed the drink. I could feel the energy building from somewhere deep. It was slow, but already I was feeling better.
“More,” I demanded.
“I’ll get you more if you explain to Seuss that Maddox needs to take care of you. You’re sick, and the only way to get you better is to get you away from him. That way you can come back to help him heal some more.” Alice’s voice reminded me of a mother trying to explain the wonders of the world to a four-year-old.
I didn’t know how to get inside of his head the way he did with me, so I communicated verbally. “Seuss, I’m tired and …” My voice faded but I shook myself awake again. “Maddox needs to take me into the other room.”
Seuss grumbled something, but I kissed his shoulder hoping to soothe him. “I’m so tired, Seuss.”
Seuss was tired as well. I could feel it. I struggled to pull the blankets over him as best as I could before Maddox took me into the other room. He laid me on the bed, and I asked for another fleece blanket like he’d given me before. He covered me with two of them and said he’d get more since I liked them so much. Then he left me to sleep.
What was that amazing smell? I opened my eyes to see Maddox setting a tray down next to my bed. Alice walked in with a pitcher and a glass. I sat up against the headboard and Maddox helped to put extra pillows behind me. He put the bed tray over my lap, and my mouth watered immediately. There was some sort of hearty soup, fresh bread and butter. He’d poured juice and set the glass on the tray as well.
The first spoonful of soup was amazing, and I wished that I could relive that moment over and over. That’s how delicious it was. The broth was thick and rich with tidbits of meat and potatoes in it. I unwrapped the cloth that kept the bread warm to break off a piece and butter it. The salty sweetness was the best compliment to the soup.
“Who made this sinful meal?” I needed the recipe.
“Ms. Cordell.” Alice beamed as if pleased that I approved. “She also made this juice that you like so much. She picks the berries and fruits from her garden.”
“That’s wonderful. Please let her know how much I appreciate this.”
“She sent over a huge pot of soup and another pitcher of juice.”
“There’s more?” Maddox froze while straightening the room.
“I’m not sharing the juice,” I blurted. It was heavenly.
“But you are sharing that stew.” He darted from the room before I could object, and I laughed.
“I got the bread from the shop. I can get more of that if you’d like as well.”
I didn’t want Alice going out of her way, but it almost seemed as if doing so pleased her. “Yes, I’d love that. Thank you.”
Alice beamed even brighter, and I hadn’t thought it possible.
I ate as much as I could and finished off my glass of juice before getting comfortable. I was tired again.
“Why am I so tired?” I mumbled the question more to myself than to Alice.
“Being so close to him like that allows you to heal him continuously. I would have thought that it would be enough
to heal him completely. That shows how much of his life force that he used to save you. He needs you rested to cure him. We need you to get better.”
Her words made me wonder about the accident. What had really happened out there? How bad was it? How bad had my injuries really been?
“I’m going to put you into a healing sleep that should help you sleep better and speed up the healing.” Alice caressed my forehead and memories of Seuss kissing my forehead before I’d awakened surfaced. I held onto the sweetness of that moment as I succumbed to a deep, restful slumber.
“Justice …”
“Seuss …” I pulled the pillow closer and tried to relax again.
“Justice … come to me …”
I groaned and wrapped my blanket around me tightly before sliding from my bed then padding to Seuss’ bedside. I slipped into bed with him, nestling close. I did all of this with my eyes half open. I laid my head onto his very cool shoulder and shuddered. I pulled a pillow to shield the chill before dozing back to sleep.
“Justice.” Maddox called out to me before lifting me.
I heard a loud growl and Maddox froze. I looked over to see Seuss’ face snarled though he wasn’t awake.
“Seuss, you said that Maddox could take care of me while you rested. I have to go back to bed.” I reached over and caressed his face and then his hair. Eventually, he relaxed, and Maddox carried me back to my room. Those aches and pains were back. So, we did another round of Alice’s treatment complete with soup and juice. Lesson learned. No more slipping into the Alphas bed at night. I relaxed into another deep, healing sleep so that I could face another day of battling wills with the famous Seuss.
Justice
I stood at the big bay window gazing at the falling leaves as they carpeted the lawn. Though it was only mid-September, the leaves were already tugging loose from the branches. The trees were full of bright colors differing from one root to another. I couldn’t help but to stare in awe.
I blew over my hot cup of java letting the steam push back against my skin to warm me. Alice was spoiling me with treats, and this amazing brew was one of them. It was French toast dark roast with caramel cream. No sugar was needed.
“Justice, it’s time,” Alice called from the doorway before closing the door tightly behind her.
We’d set a schedule of time that I spent healing Seuss. He needed more healing than was estimated, but I could only handle the sessions in small spells. He was strong, and healing him was no easy job. His wolf also needed to heal, and the two together drained me quickly.
I moved to the bed and sat down my cup. I took off the sweater I’d taken from Seuss’ closet and laid it across the chair. I climbed in bed with him, pressed my back against his side and put his arm around me. My cup was still in reach and I grabbed it, sipping while in deep thought. I’d been in my head a lot today and decided to share my thoughts with Seuss. Maybe he could hear me, maybe he couldn’t. Either way, it couldn’t hurt to talk to him.
“I always thought that I’d be somebody important. When I was a kid, I’d pretend to be the mayor’s wife. It wasn’t that I didn’t think that I could be the mayor, because I could. But it’s always the wife that does the good stuff. Saving communities, building schools, being that voice that others are afraid to have. The mayor gets to sit in business meetings and make sure that the laws are being upheld, but the difference is made by his counterpart. She makes the people love him and have just as much faith in him as she does.”
Seuss’ hand, warm and sure, cupped my breast. Breathless, I looked down to see his hand caressing my bare skin. His calloused fingers caressed between my breasts and down the center of my stomach. I tried to focus on what I was saying. He was in some sort of healing sleep, and there was no way that he was doing any of this on purpose. Maybe he was dreaming. I set down the cup, afraid that I’d spill its contents.
“I’m not sure if that’s the role of the Alpha’s mate. That’s what I envision it as. All of this is so new and different that I don’t know if I understand any of it.” I scoffed. “The Alpha’s mate could just be a baby machine. For the record, I’m not that. I don’t know why I even care. You’ve already made it clear that you don’t want me as a mate.”
I trembled from the sure path he was taking just before he teased my right nipple between two of his fingers. I leaned my head back, arching into his ministrations.
“You can’t just take what you want from me, Alpha,” I mumbled to him breathlessly.
Squeezing my thighs together only made the ache become more intense as my need dampened my sex. The heel of his hand caressed the other nipple, and I closed my eyes, hoping for relief but trying to figure out how we got here. The spasms wreaking havoc upon the walls of my sex brought me closer to the edge of something mountainous.
“That’s where you’re wrong, vixen.” Seuss squeezed my nipple firmly making my slit throb intensely.
I could feel the effects from the pull on my nipple through my clit. My entire mound seemed to pulse in time to his racing heart. I sighed. “How so?”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” His voice was gravely, yet I felt the booming ripple through my mind.
I turned my head into his muscled forearm and bit into the skin there, soothing the spot with my tongue. I’m not sure what made me do it, but the response was a low growl that ignited shivers of gratification. I gasped as I began tipping forward off the ledge of bliss. A loud buzz of chimes on the other side of the door startled me back into the moment. I sat up, breathless, and looked over at a resting Seuss. His hands were fisted in frustration, and there was an obvious tent arching the sheets.
“Madam … Justice … the session is over,” Alice said through the closed door.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” I yelled.
I slid from the bed and looked over at Seuss. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that he was smirking at me. Damn if it wasn’t sexy.
“Tsk, tsk. You’re a very bad boy, Alpha.” I put on my sweater and pulled the blankets firmly around Seuss. Feeling naughty, I leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “A few more seconds and you would have been the first man to ever make me cum.”
I stood up and smiled as the tent grew taller. I was happy that I wasn’t the only one effected. “I’ll be back later, Seuss.”
And with that I exited with my now cool coffee and headed into my room for a long shower.
“When will you be home?” Ms. Sandy sounded nervous, and I was trying to reassure her by telling her as much as I could.
“As soon as I’m done helping out here. I wish you could visit. The house I’m staying in is huge. When Seuss is better, I’ll ask him if you can visit before I leave. I think he’ll be better any day now.” I twirled a strand of my hair around my finger to occupy my mind.
I was in Seuss’ room, and I felt drawn to him though I couldn’t touch him right now. I’d healed him for the day by taking a short nap beside him. I needed to allow myself some space, so I could heal. Sitting in the same room satisfied my need to be near. I noticed that the more I healed him, the more I felt connected to him. I wasn’t sure if it had anything to do with the partial bond that he’d created when he’d healed me or what. The way that he’d rejuvenated life within me left a doorway from his mind to mine. I could hear him, feel him, and even see parts of his dreams. We were connected whether I liked it or not. There was a pull to him that I couldn’t deny. I kept the information to myself, but he was growing harder to resist.
“And you’re sure that you’re okay?” I was distracted by the man lying in the bed, but otherwise I was just fine.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m just fine,”
Maddox walked into the room making me smile. It was short lived when I saw the concern on his face.
“I’ll call you back soon. I need to take care of something.”
“Is everything, okay?” I wasn’t sure how to alleviate her fears. She was human and wasn’t to know anything that was going on. Maybe Alice
could offer some advice on how to calm her.
“Yes, I’ll call you back tonight, promise.” I smiled hoping that it carried through the phone.
“Good. I miss you, Justice.” I knew she was concerned and worried about my whereabouts.
“I miss you too.” After our goodbyes, I hung up and stood to approach Maddox.
“Is he improving?” Maddox asked impatiently. He seemed off.
“He is. It’s slow moving, but he is getting there. Is there something that I can help with?”
“No.” He was so tense that I could tell that something was up.
“Maddox, you can talk to me. If I can help, I want to.”
Maddox hesitated. I could see the war raging inside. It was difficult to tell which side would win.
“Please!” I pressed.
“The pack is only as strong as their Alpha, and right now things aren’t looking good. I’m getting really backed up on all the responsibilities, and I don’t want everything to fall apart because of it. Seuss never created his own hierarchy after the old Alpha left, taking his with him. What we had in place worked if we were both around, but it was always bigger than a two-person job, so leaving it to one is definitely not going to work.”
“Can you tell me some of the things that need to be done?” I looked around the room searching for a pen and paper to take notes.
“If you don’t mind going out, I can tell you as we walk. I’ve still got a lot more things to do today.”
I confirmed by nodding then walked into my room to put on shoes and a jacket of Seuss’. I met Maddox in the hallway to head outside. I found a notepad and a pen on the lower level of the house before we exited. I took note of the things that he listed were done by the Alpha and on which days. Then he explained to me which things he did. I was also able to get him to list the things that they weren’t doing that needed to be done. As we walked, he spoke to the people in the town, and I made note of things that I saw on the way.