“She’s in bad shape, Alpha.” Lana sat back, turning to look up at him. “She’s underfed and it’s not recent. It’s been a long-term situation and, I don’t need to point out that she’s been abused. There’s scarring here that’s not been allowed to heal. If she were permitted to transform, then her Wolf would repair any damage so there wouldn’t be any scars. That’s not what happened, but I don’t need to explain that to you.”
“No, you don’t.” Shade snapped, fury growing inside him like an inferno. “What’s wrong with her and can you help?”
“I think she just reached the end of her endurance, Shade. Quite simply, she couldn’t take anymore. She needs rest, food, and plenty of TLC. She . . .”
“Her name is Marissa and she’s my soulmate.” Shade’s eyes bored into Lana’s, conveying the importance of the woman on his bed.
“I see.” Lana nodded. “Well, Marissa needs to be taken care of, Alpha. She will heal but I can’t be sure if it will be days or weeks. I can set up a drip, for now, until she regains consciousness. After that she needs plenty of good nutrition and lots of patience and love. She’s going to be scared, Shade. If her body is any indication of the life she’s led, then she’s not had a happy one. You need to be . . . kind.”
Shade’s eyes lingered on Marissa, his mate lay before him and even though she was skinny as hell, with scars and skin so pale it was almost translucent, she was the most perfect and beautiful being he’d ever seen. “I’ll take care of her myself. With your help, Lana. We need to ensure her recovery. She means . . . everything.”
Lana rose, her hand patting his crossed arm. “I know, Shade. I know. I’m sure we can sort her out. It might just take some time. I don’t think she’s going to trust easily but the mating bond will surely help with that. Now, why don’t you go and organize plenty of supplies for her while I give her a wash and set up the drip?”
“Supplies?” Shade asked.
“Yes,” Lana said, smiling. “I doubt you have items that she’s going to need. Female things like shampoo, conditioner, clothes, underwear, all the things she’s going to want and need to make her stay more comfortable when she wakes. Or, do you want me to do that?”
Shade frowned. “No, I’ll do it. But I’m not sure on sizes.”
Lana cocked her head to the side as she looked down at Marissa again. “I’d go with the smallest you can get. She’s pretty tiny, well, for now anyway. Until we can get some meat on her bones.”
“Okay, I’ll deal with that now and then I’ll be back.”
Shade reached down, running a hand down Marissa’s cheek before leaving quickly. Everything inside of him screaming to stay but knowing he had to provide for his mate pushing him to go. Ash and Royce anxiously waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.
“How is she?” Ash asked as soon as he saw Shade.
“Still out cold. Lana is putting in a drip for now. I’m going to get some supplies for her. Royce, stay here and guard her. Ash, get at least three more around the cabin. I want ‘round the clock duty until I say different. I’ll be back shortly.”
Shade didn’t wait for a response, rushing away to get what he required. He wanted to return as quickly as possible, every second he was away from Marissa seemed an eternity and his stomach clenched with anxiety that he wasn’t by her side. He sped through the camp, arriving at their stores warehouse and going inside to bark out a long list of items. The two Shifters on duty moving like lightning to accommodate his rare appearance.
Shade rarely went to the store in person. He’d ask for what he wanted and it would appear in his home. The perks of being Alpha. So, for him to arrive was a novelty, and had the workers rushing around to get what he wanted, even though he could see their surprise as everything was obviously for a female. He gave them credit though, not once did they make a query on anything he requested. Even when he’d asked the She-Wolf on duty about the fancy item she had in her long hair to hold it up, she didn’t bat an eye, merely told him what it was. He’d nodded and asked if they had them, and she’d said yes, and ran to get him a selection. With Marissa’s long dark locks, Shade thought she might want something like that. If not he could throw them in the bin, no loss.
Soon he was on his way home, arms laden with packages galore and the ache in his belly eased with each step that brought him nearer to his mate. Shade noticed the extra guards in place, easing his concern for Marissa’s safety. Ash and Royce sitting on his porch steps drinking beer when he arrived.
“A hand would be good.” Shade interrupted their relaxation.
“You have two already,” Royce quipped back, before he rose to help. “Jeez, Shade, what’s all this?”
“For Marissa, she needs stuff. Lana sent me to get her some things.”
Ash grabbed a few precariously balanced packages. “Looks like you cleaned out the store.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Shade snapped. “I got the basics, that’s all.”
“Hells fire, if this is the basics I wouldn’t like to see you going overboard.” Royce laughed, following him inside.
“Just put those on the table and I’ll get them later.” Shade moved to the stairs but Ash stopped him.
“Alpha, can we talk? You’re obviously going to be otherwise engaged for a while so we need to discuss running the camp.”
“Ash, you and Royce are more than capable of taking care of things for a couple of days.” Shade looked over his shoulder. “If I’m still otherwise engaged then, you can come by
