Healing His Mate

Aaron POV

I stand frozen as I watch my mate jump out of the hospital window. My mind is reeling from the look she held in her deep gaze.

She was petrified.

When we locked eyes, I thought for one moment that she could feel the mate bond. That she knew who I am to her, and she would trust me. But she didn’t feel it. Kiba had tried to call out to her, but there was nothing but fear.

Mate is scared of us, Kiba whines lowly before he growls again that she ran, We must find her. We will make her unafraid.

Taking quick note that Doctor Nel is alright from the cut on her shoulder, I follow my mate’s exit choice and jump out of the window. I keep my focus on one thing only. Finding my mate. Her intoxicating scent fills my senses as I follow her through the woods.

Running for almost ten minutes, I start to worry that I might lose her. She had looked so small and fragile in that hospital bed, but the speed she’s running now could give me a run for my money. Catching movement in front of me, I turn right and round her, cutting her off from getting any closer to the border. I emerge from the natural cover, immediately causing her to stop about five feet away.

Her dark fair is blown wild around her face. Her eyes are a chocolate brown. I scan her face from deep slight eyes to her pouty lips. Even with the small cuts along her skin from running through the thick brush, her beauty is captivating. She looks like an angel.

But her eyes hold fear. She’s truly terrified of me.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I start, but it just causes her to jump back, raising the scalpel she’s still holding towards me. I lift my hands in a surrendered position, “I’m not going to hurt you,” I repeat.

She shakes her head as she continues to hold the scalpel up. A few of the pack warriors who had followed from the hospital circle around us. I could see Dr. Hale leave the trees to my left, but I refuse to take my eyes off my mate.

Make mate come home with us, my wolf whines in my mind.

I’m trying.

“You’re safe here, angel,” I try to tell her, but she just shakes her head more.

Before I can say another word, I hear a twig snap to my left. Her head whips toward the noise. She stumbles a step backwards and she turns to see she’s surrounded. The fear coming from her washes over me in waves.

Finally shuffling back to face me, she shakes her head one more time. I notice her hand twitch as she flips the blade around. Her eyes connect with mine as I try to read her. The fear I saw only moments ago is still shining brightly, but they now hold another emotion. Determination and acceptance.

My eyes widen as I realize what she wants to do.

“No!”

I rush forward as she raises the scalpel up. My hand wraps around the blade in the next moment, putting my fingers between the cold metal and my mate’s throat.

Sparks explode as our skin touch one another. She lets out a soft gasp, the sparks spreading. I lean over her, the blade cutting into my hand.

I feel the blood dripping down my forearm, but I can’t feel any of the pain. I can only focus on my mate in front of me and on the pain and fear in her eyes.

“I’m not going to hurt you, angel,” I tell her again, “And I am not going to let you hurt yourself,” Even I can hear the anguish in my tone as I try to plead with her, “I won’t let you.”

Another snap sounds to my right of someone shifting as the warriors prepare to step in. They draw my mate’s attention to them. Her eyes widen as she tries to move away, but I grip the scalpel harder, hissing in pain.

Her eyes snap back to mine before looking down at the dripping blood. She breathes heavily as she continues to look at my hand wrapped around the blade she’s holding. Slowly lifting my other hand, I place it against her cheek to bring her focus back to my face.

“No more pain,” I whisper, trying to make her see.

Her eyes fill with tears as she looks between the scalpel and my eyes. I need her to see that I’m serious and that I will never let anything or anyone harm her, even herself.

“Let go of the knife,” I plead with her, “You are safe with me. Just let go, my angel.”

She bites her lip nervously, drawing my focus to the plump flesh.

Focus, I berate myself as I pull my eyes back up to hers.

“You aren’t with the hunters anymore,” I try to explain to her, “This isn’t that laboratory. You are in my pack now. They can’t get to you here and I will never let them.”

She is so lost. No hope, no care. I don’t know the pain she has gone through in her life that has made her ready to give up, but I must make her see that she is safe now. She will never go through any sort of pain again. Not as I keep breathing.

“You don’t know me,” I say, “You have no reason to trust me. All I have is my word that I will never hurt you, that I will never allow anyone to hurt you,” I tell her softly but with absolute certainty. I use the hand that’s cupping her face to rub soft circles into her cheek in a calming manner, “You mean more to me than you know. You might not understand this, but I promise that I will protect you.”

Her eyes shift back and forth between mine, trying to tell if I’m lying to her. It feels like hours as I wait for her. I just need her to show me a sign, just one sign that she might not have given up all hope.

Then it happens.

I feel the grip she has on the scalpel loosen until she lets her hand fall away. I toss the blade away from us and I clean the blood off my palm against my pants. With my clean hand, I wipe at the tears that start to fall down her soft cheeks.

“You’re safe now,” I tell her. She makes a small whimpering sound that breaks my heart before she moves closer to me. She hesitantly wraps her arms around my waist and buries her head into my throat. I immediately gather her into my arms, squeezing her gently to me as I whisper reassurances in her ear, “You’re safe, angel. I’m here. You’re safe now.”