Healing His Mate

Aaliyah POV

I didn't leave our bedroom for three days. Every day Aaron tries to coax me out to no avail. Every night he holds me close, keeping me safe from my past and my thoughts.

I can't accept that any pain I endure will be given to my mate as well. Aaron doesn't deserve to feel that. He doesn't deserve my injuries, especially when I almost caused the biggest one.

I could have killed him.

That thought alone breaks my heart.

Mate is worried, Aiya says.

I know. I hate making him feel like this, I tell her, hoping she might have a solution. I don't want him to get hurt because of me. I know from now on, I will have to be extra careful to protect him from me.

Tell mate we love him, she states, believing that will fix all problems.

The thing is I haven’t told him that I love him. I remember saying the words during the sharing. I feel my love for him grow every day he brings me back to myself.

But I haven’t told him.

I can’t get myself to say the words.

“You’ll say the words someday,” Aaron moves behind me and snuggles his head into my neck, laying small kisses there. I lay my hands over his around my waist and watch us in the vanity mirror.

“You’re listening to my thoughts again,” I chide him playfully. I never block him and I know he is constantly listening in. I find it so much easier to share my thoughts with him than actually speaking what I feel aloud.

“I love hearing your voice,” he whispers, “You have the voice of an angel. My angel.”

I turn in his arms to kiss him. It’s deep and passionate as our lips and tongues move against one another. I feel the love we have move over our bond.

When we pull away, I can see the desire swirling around in his thoughts.

“Aaron,” I whimper, wanting him more than anything.

“We don’t have time,” he says, but he continues kissing down my neck, “God I wish we had time.”

“Aaron,” I moan when his lips reach his mark on my skin.

He pulls back to connect our gazes, “I love you, angel, and I know you love me. I can wait to hear those words leave your lips,” he says as he rubs his thumb against the bottom of my lip.

“Aaron, I-” my words are broken as I hear someone’s pounding against the wood of our bedroom door.

“Aaron, time to go,” Zea calls out.

Aaron’s head drops to my shoulder, “Cockblocked by my own mother.”

I laugh at his frustration.

He lifts his head when the sound hits his ears. His hands move up to cup my cheeks, “God, I didn’t even realize how much I missed that sound.”

I smile at his adorable line, “Maybe you’d hear it more if you were funnier,” I tease him.

“Funnier huh?” he questions before kneeling down to throw me over his shoulder.

“Aaron!” I scream out as he walks back into the bedroom and tosses me onto the bed. He covers me immediately, smiling down at me.

His fingers glide over my sides before he starts mercilessly tickling me.

“Aaron,” I laugh and shriek for him to stop, "I can't take anymore."

He laughs with me as he stops his assault and kisses me again, "I love that you are smiling again."

I lift my hand to place it on his cheek, "It's all you," I say as he nuzzles into my palm, "You allow me to feel happy again. You heal me."

"Angel," he whispers, leaning down to connect us once again.

As his lips touch mine, I know my mate will make me fall in love with him more and deeper every day we are together.

"Aaron, let's go," Zea calls again, "Aaliyah is supposed to be mine today, so release her."

"We'll be down in five!" he yells back.

"You are stealing my time!" she argues but I hear her footsteps moving back towards the stairs.

I giggle at her words, "Your mom is amazing."

"I'm glad you think so," he smiles, "You can definitely have her."

My smile falls for a second as thoughts of my own mother crosses my mind.

"Oh I'm sorry, angel. I didn't mean to... I didn't.." his words fall short and a sadness seeps into his chocolate eyes, "We haven't found her yet."

"Because she's gone," I said, truly believing it.

"We don't know that, Aaliyah. We don't even know if the hunter got to her."

"You saw the memory, Aaron," I argue with him before lifting my arm. I turned the forearm over, revealing the ink the hunters left behind, "VX02. Vixen 2. I was the second female fox the hunters had in that lab. I know they caught my mom the same day they got me. She was there and now she's gone."

"She could have escaped. Phoenix said many of the shifters raced to the woods. She could have run and is trying to find you now."

"Aaron, I don't want to hope that she's out there," my voice trembles.

"It's okay angel. I'll hope for you," he smiles sadly.

I nod my head in agreement, "Deal."

"Deal," he kisses me again. He shifts slightly so I'm laying onto his chest. I sigh deeply and snuggle in closer to my mate.

After a few minutes, I look over and catch the time on our alarm clock, "It's time for you to go."

"I know," he sighs, "But I don't want to."

I kiss him again, "And I don't want you to, but you have to."

"Okay," he yields, getting up off the bed and pulling me to my feet with him, "I won't be home til late, so mom is going to keep you company."

"I figured," I smile, "But I thought patrol was only supposed to be a few hours."

"I have to meet my dad down in the cells. We are still trying to get the hunter to break," he explains.

"The hunter?" my fear shakes my question, "I don't want you going near him."

"It will be alright, angel. Nothing will happen and I'll be back tonight."

"Promise me."

"Promise what?" he asks.

"Promise you'll come home to me," I beg him.

"Why do you always ask me to promise?" his curiosity stopping his promising words.

"Because you always keep your promises," I answer, "You've never broken a promise to me and you never will. So if you promise you'll come home to me, you will."

He nods his head in understanding, "I promise I will come home to you."

"Thank you," I whisper, kissing him again.

"I love you, angel," he tells me, a promise in his voice, "Always."