little while later, a nurse led him to Mirian's room, as promised. Frey couldn't help but make a sound of distress at the sight of his beautiful mate. Mirian was usually so vibrant and full of life, but now, he looked small and frail, like any moment now, he would shatter and dissipate.
It didn't take a genius to realize that had Mirian been a regular human, this accident could have easily ended in tragedy. The knowledge of how close he'd come to losing Mirian had Frey shaking with anxiety. He sat on the chair next to the bed and took Mirian's hand, finding comfort in the sound of Mirian's breath, the soft cadence of his heartbeat.
When Mirian's lashes finally fluttered, Frey's wolf leaped in excitement. "Mirian? Can you hear me?"
Mirian opened his eyes, his brow furrowing in an obvious display of confusion. "Frey? What happened?"
"You were in a car accident." Frey hesitated, wondering how much he could tell Mirian without agitating him excessively. "Do you remember?"
Mirian blinked a few times, his gaze still fixed on Frey's face. Frey saw the moment when Mirian recalled what had occurred. His beautiful eyes flashed with heartbreak and he seemed to crumple in on himself. "Yes. I remember."
A single tear slid down his cheek. Frey sat on the edge of the bed and brushed it aside. He wished he could have held Mirian, but he was very aware that, despite his Bearer nature, Mirian was still in a serious condition.
"I'm here for you. No matter what, just remember that."
Mirian shot him a shaky smile. "I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left like I did."
"Don't apologize. You couldn't have known what would happen."
"That's definitely true." Mirian reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly, as if seeking an anchor. "They were... They were experimenting on me, Frey. I don't even know what they did to me. I don't know what is happening."
Even if Frey had feared something suspicious was going on, he hadn't expected anything like that. He couldn't even imagine how betrayed Mirian felt.
He didn't have the courage to tell Mirian everything would be all right. Some things couldn't be fixed, no matter how hard you tried. It was perhaps that inability to speak that made him act the way he did next.
Sliding away from the bed, he removed his clothes, moving quickly so as to not to make it in any way sexual. As soon as he set the garments aside, he shifted into his wolf form.
It worked. Mirian blinked when Frey—now in his animal shape—curled next to him on the bed, but his surprise quickly disappeared. His tears dried as his slender fingers combed through Frey's fur. "You're soft," he commented with a tiny smile.
Frey nuzzled Mirian with his snout, wordlessly telling his mate exactly what he had before. "I'm here. You're safe. We'll get through this."
Somehow, the presence of the wolf did what a vocalized sentence couldn't have accomplished. Mirian relaxed against the pillows and closed his eyes. Four words escaped his lips, barely audible, but more precious than anything he could have said. "I love you, Frey."
Frey couldn't speak, so instead he licked Mirian's fingers and willed Mirian to understand. Despite the fact that they had yet to complete their bond, Mirian appeared to hear him. All tension drained out of him and he finally succumbed to slumber. And as Frey watched over him, he knew he would give everything he had to help Mirian heal after this betrayal. He could only hope it would be enough.
Chapter Eight
A few weeks later
"Outrage explodes: Miracle Labs magnate arrested for experimental Bearer drugs"
The title of the newspaper article did little to truly illustrate the chaos that had followed the revelations of what Duke Lamine had been up to. Mirian skimmed the article, smiling slightly when he saw it quoted Julian.
Julian had been careful not to mention him by name, but he'd still made the seriousness of the matter eloquently clear. "The drugs were meant to develop something reminiscent of mind control,"
It didn't take a genius to realize that had Mirian been a regular human, this accident could have easily ended in tragedy. The knowledge of how close he'd come to losing Mirian had Frey shaking with anxiety. He sat on the chair next to the bed and took Mirian's hand, finding comfort in the sound of Mirian's breath, the soft cadence of his heartbeat.
When Mirian's lashes finally fluttered, Frey's wolf leaped in excitement. "Mirian? Can you hear me?"
Mirian opened his eyes, his brow furrowing in an obvious display of confusion. "Frey? What happened?"
"You were in a car accident." Frey hesitated, wondering how much he could tell Mirian without agitating him excessively. "Do you remember?"
Mirian blinked a few times, his gaze still fixed on Frey's face. Frey saw the moment when Mirian recalled what had occurred. His beautiful eyes flashed with heartbreak and he seemed to crumple in on himself. "Yes. I remember."
A single tear slid down his cheek. Frey sat on the edge of the bed and brushed it aside. He wished he could have held Mirian, but he was very aware that, despite his Bearer nature, Mirian was still in a serious condition.
"I'm here for you. No matter what, just remember that."
Mirian shot him a shaky smile. "I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left like I did."
"Don't apologize. You couldn't have known what would happen."
"That's definitely true." Mirian reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly, as if seeking an anchor. "They were... They were experimenting on me, Frey. I don't even know what they did to me. I don't know what is happening."
Even if Frey had feared something suspicious was going on, he hadn't expected anything like that. He couldn't even imagine how betrayed Mirian felt.
He didn't have the courage to tell Mirian everything would be all right. Some things couldn't be fixed, no matter how hard you tried. It was perhaps that inability to speak that made him act the way he did next.
Sliding away from the bed, he removed his clothes, moving quickly so as to not to make it in any way sexual. As soon as he set the garments aside, he shifted into his wolf form.
It worked. Mirian blinked when Frey—now in his animal shape—curled next to him on the bed, but his surprise quickly disappeared. His tears dried as his slender fingers combed through Frey's fur. "You're soft," he commented with a tiny smile.
Frey nuzzled Mirian with his snout, wordlessly telling his mate exactly what he had before. "I'm here. You're safe. We'll get through this."
Somehow, the presence of the wolf did what a vocalized sentence couldn't have accomplished. Mirian relaxed against the pillows and closed his eyes. Four words escaped his lips, barely audible, but more precious than anything he could have said. "I love you, Frey."
Frey couldn't speak, so instead he licked Mirian's fingers and willed Mirian to understand. Despite the fact that they had yet to complete their bond, Mirian appeared to hear him. All tension drained out of him and he finally succumbed to slumber. And as Frey watched over him, he knew he would give everything he had to help Mirian heal after this betrayal. He could only hope it would be enough.
Chapter Eight
A few weeks later
"Outrage explodes: Miracle Labs magnate arrested for experimental Bearer drugs"
The title of the newspaper article did little to truly illustrate the chaos that had followed the revelations of what Duke Lamine had been up to. Mirian skimmed the article, smiling slightly when he saw it quoted Julian.
Julian had been careful not to mention him by name, but he'd still made the seriousness of the matter eloquently clear. "The drugs were meant to develop something reminiscent of mind control,"
Similar Books
When to Rob a Bank: ...And 131 More Warped Suggestions and Well-Intended Rants
Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner
