Ivan
"Ah!" Nefra winces when I tear the bandage off her belly. I had to stop licking her thigh. It was too much for my body to handle. Not when I smelt my mate's arousal was starting to build.
"I hate the tape humans use on these things. It always rips the skin." Tossing the used bandage aside, I drop back down on Nefra's body, licking the fresh marks I had to leave.
"Ivan... please don't..." I look up to see her biting on her hand, her eyes closed. Goddess, that was the first time she'd said my name, as a moan. Was she begging me to stop or to keep going?
We're both panting, and I'm unsure how much willpower I have left. My wolf keeps reminding me that if I claim her, human or not, she'll heal that much faster. The thought is so tempting. No, I don't want to do the most sacred moment in my race's history on the bed of the fucker who stole my mate, but at the same time, my ego wants to do it. So, when he comes back and finds that Nefretiri and Penelope are long gone and can't find them, he'll sense in his soul that I took back what belonged to me.
"Do you have any on your back?" I'm entirely on top of her now, keeping as much weight off her as possible.
"I..." Nefra turns away, closing her eyes tightly.
"Mate!" I growl this time, using some of my Alpha voice. Her eyes snap back open, and she stares at me, her heart quickening. "Do you have any on your back?"
"Yes." Her voice is much quieter, making me groan at how her bottom lip pouts. There's no fear now, just lust and desire.
"Turn over." I climb off her and watch as she slowly turns onto her belly. Her hair covers her, so I move it aside, snarling at the exposed sight.
There are only a few bruises on her back, but dozens of stitches are across her skin. These are knife marks. As a soldier, I've seen a lot of things, and I know a professional when I see it. These weren't done by someone who doesn't know about the human body. None of the marks were deep enough to hit Nefra's organs. The spine wasn't touched except for a single point on the small of her back. By the looks of it, that's where the doctors numbed her body to operate.
The stitching was professional, too. There was no way someone could patch her up this well without doing severe damage. Still, everything was being cared for. Someone was cleaning them, the subtle hint of antiseptic coming off the marks as I leaned in to lick the first one. Her skin has a strange taste that burns my tongue as if she had silver on her, but I don't see any.
When I finish the lower back, I pick her up so she's on her knees—gritting my teeth and hissing when her ass presses against my jeans. Then, unhooking her bra, I let it slide off her body to get to the remaining stitches. At least, that's the excuse I'm telling myself. It has nothing to do with me wanting to see my mate naked.
"Better?" My voice sounds rough to my ears when I finish, holding Nefra tightly as she pants, trying to catch her breath.
"What did you do?"
"Werewolves have some of the best healing powers in the supernatural world. We can share it, to an extent, through our blood and saliva. It's most potent with our mates and children." I whisper in her ear, kissing softly behind it and down her neck. "Is it better?"
"Yes." She breathes, clearly enjoying my attention. "You licked me."
"Yeah, I did." I can't help chuckling at her comment. It's obvious, but she's marveling at its effect on her body. "Come on, beautiful. I think it's best we get some clothes on you."
"Oh, right." Nefra goes to cover her breasts with her arms, but I stop her, turning her around so we face each other on the bed.
"You never have to hide from me." I let my eyes roam over every inch of her I could see. The darkest bruises are still there but much lighter, and the cracked ribs aren't as prominent. "You're perfect."
Sliding off the bed, I help Nefra do the same, taking a guilty moment to press her body against mine. We both react to the contact. Nefra's heart rate quickens again, and mine's right along with it. This was harder than I thought it would be. Not because I don't have self-control but because Nefra's body, her voice, and the way she's looking at me are all screaming for me to do more, and I know I shouldn't. I wasn't sure I wouldn't take her on the bed if I didn't get us out of there quickly.
"Where are your clothes?" I glance at the three dressers, wondering which one is hers, but when I catch her wincing, I pause. "What?"
"My clothes aren't in here. These are mostly all... his." She waves at the two dressers and then the closet. "That one there is... his, uh, harems."
"You have got to be kidding me." This fucker had a harem? All these clothes were his? I don't even own this much. "He lets them keep their clothes here, and you can't?"
"I don't really care." Nefra shrugs. She picked up the tattered remains of the shirt to cover herself. "If they're fucking him, I don't have to."
"Here." I grab my shirt and help her put it on. It's so long on her that she could wear it as a dress. "I guess we have a lot to talk about. But where are your things?"
"Penelope's room." Nefra bites her lip. "I'll be right back."
"Nope, I'm coming with you. What do you need out of the box?" I point to the forgotten lockbox.
"Penelope's documents." Nefra toys with her bottom lip, and I growl, feeling my desire grow. That was hot. "In case... I... don't come back here."
I can't help smirking at that. We both already know Nefra isn't going to be back to this place. We felt it when she kissed me in the parking lot. Goddess, I hadn't expected it, and fuck if it wasn't the best thing I've experienced until right now. It hadn't felt like a first-time kiss. The achingly slow way our lips moved against each other and how she'd flicked the tip of her tongue before pulling away.
"Do you have a key?" She shakes her head, and I scoff at the box before popping it open with one hand, enjoying the impressed look she gives me. She pulls out the documents and a few Polaroid photos before shutting the broken box again.
I carry the duffel, following her to another bedroom. This one is the complete opposite of the rest of the house. The theme was primarily gray, black, and red, but this room had every color under the sun. Not only that, the walls were epic paintings of mythical creatures. The ceiling was pitch black with neon paint in the shape of stars and planets so my princess could have the universe to fall asleep to every night.
"Don't look so impressed." She gives me the slightest smile when she notices me ogling the walls. "I copied all this off the internet."
"It's still impressive. I doubt I could do anything like this." I had to remember to make Penelope's nursery back home as unique as this room. Nefra hadn't just made the walls about mythical creatures. She made it about my kind. Werewolves.
"I have a lot of time during the day. I wanted her to have somewhere she felt safe. Even when we weren't." Nefra pulls out the dresser's bottom drawer and grabs some leggings and a tank top. I was glad that she would be comfortable. She changed quickly and handed me back my shirt before packing some clothes into the bag. Then she grabbed a small jewelry box and a larger wooden box from behind the dresser and stuck them there, too. When she was done, she zipped it all up and looked up at me. "I'm done."
"You don't want to take anything else?"
"I... nothing else is mine here." She looked down. "Ricky burned everything that belonged to me when we moved here. He said I needed to let go of the past and focus on our family. I couldn't do that if I had reminders of who I'd been before."
"He did what?" My anger flares again, but I keep it in check this time. "Where's your family?"
"Dead." Nefra's lips trembled, and I realized I'd asked the wrong question. "There was only my mother, who passed away a few months ago."
"There's no one else?" My mate was all alone in the world. Was that why this asshole had prayed on her like he had because he believed she was defenseless?
"If I do, I don't remember them. Ricky... We used to live in Texas where his family is, and he, um... I tried to leave him at one point, and he... um... let's say I don't have many memories of my life before him."
"Wait, what?"
"It doesn't matter." Nefra shakes her head, picking up the bag. "If we're going, we should leave in case... he comes back early."
"Nefra... Wait, you're telling me he beat you that hard? He caused brain damage?" This wasn't something we could wait to talk about later. I needed to know now.
"No..." She moves past me, and I hurry to follow her. "I'd be drooling and a vegetable if he'd hit me that hard."
"Then what is it? What are you afraid of?" I slide my shirt back on, her smell all over it now. "Nefra, you can trust me. I'm your mate, remember.?"
"Please, can we go?" She's anxious now, staring at the door like he'll come through it, which terrifies her.
"Nefra!" I take the bag and set it down, tilting her head so she's looking into my eyes. "What does he do for a living?"
The question might seem odd, but things here aren't adding up. I need to know as much as I can about this guy if I'm going to handle him.
"He's a nurse at a hospital." No, that sounds too rehearsed, like she's supposed to say that.
"What else does he do? Drugs? This is a nice place for a nurse's salary."
"No, he doesn't sell drugs."
"Then what is it, Nefra?" I get closer, not giving her room to run. "How did you lose your memories because of him?"
"I didn't lose them... they're just... I can't... I'm not supposed to..."
"Nefra," I growl, letting my Alpha voice out again, impressed that she doesn't shy away from me, but it has enough power on her to get her attention. "I can't protect you if I don't know what's happening. But, please, trust me."
"He's an assassin!" She screams, storming away from me to the central part of the house.