“Want me to come with you?” he asked.
I hesitated. I did want him with me, but at the same time, I needed to be alone to work through everything that had happened.
“No, but thank you.” I gave him a soft smile, then headed upstairs.
No one rushed to my side to help me, and I was grateful for that. I wasn’t an invalid, and I didn’t want everyone fawning over me.
I climbed into bed and blew out a breath, exhaustion heavy on my shoulders. Maybe Trent was just being cautious because he was worried about hurting me. Maybe I was overreacting, and he really wasn’t acting any differently toward me. Or maybe my instincts were right, and I was slowly losing him.
I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. The events of the day crashed down on me, and I sobbed. I’d been in a coma; I’d almost died. While my mortality was inevitable, I never thought it was a possibility so soon. What would have happened if I had died? Would Trent go crazy with grief? Would my family?
My eyes widened. My family! I had been moments away from death, and no one knew. Not Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean. Not Abby. Or my father and Larissa or any of my friends. Heart wrenching sorrow crushed me, and I covered my face with my hands, letting my tears consume me.
THE NEXT COUPLE OF days were agonizing. Everyone went out of their way to take care of me. Trent followed me around the cabin like I was a toddler learning to walk.
Jax cooked constantly and would get upset when I didn’t eat enough—even though his idea of enough was vastly different from mine.
Whitney insisted on being in my room when I showered—just in case something happened.
And Sean and Wyatt worked round the clock to figure out what was going on with the coven. According to them, it had been quiet for too long, and the coven should have shown themselves by now.
Sean hadn’t said anything further about my lineage, and I wasn’t about to bring it up. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any more dead bodies, either, and Sean was confident that the vampire who had killed that woman was simply passing through.
My strength returned more and more each day, and I could now shower, brush my hair, dress myself, and walk downstairs without feeling like I’d run a marathon with limited oxygen.
The only thing that hadn’t improved was the sadness sitting on my shoulders. I needed to talk to my family, to tell them what had happened and assure them I was fine, if for no other reason than my own peace of mind.
But I hadn’t gathered enough courage to call them. What would I say? Oh, yeah, by the way, I was in a coma for a few days, but no worries. I’m totally good now. Aunt Beth would freak out. She’d demand I come straight home, and I couldn’t do that. Not yet.
Unless I did go home… I needed to see my family, to tell them what happened and let them see I was fine. Later tonight, I’d talk to Trent, explain how I felt, and beg him to take me to Keene Valley. Surely, he’d understand the need to speak to loved ones one last time, just in case. And if he was with me, I’d be safe. He’d protect me.
There was a knock on the front door, and everything inside the cabin ceased to move. I could feel the protectiveness radiating from Trent and Jax.
“Relax. It’s only Doctor Mattias,” Whitney said. She breezed past Jax and Trent and opened the door.
The doctor strode in like she was visiting old friends. “How’s my favorite patient?” She looked directly at me.
“A lot better. But these stitches itch like crazy.” I stood from the couch.
Doctor Mattias laughed. “Lucky for you, I’m here to take them out.”
“Thank God.”
“Shall we?” She nodded at the stairs, indicating I should lead her up to my room.
I did, and once we were inside, she shut the door. She crossed the room and plopped her medical bag on the nightstand. “Lie down,” she instructed.
I lay flat on my back and lifted my shirt.
She pulled up a chair and turned on the bedside lamp. “I’m going to do a quick exam, too, okay? Just to make sure everything’s all right.”
“Okay.” I blew out a breath and stared up at the ceiling.
She pressed on my stomach and felt around my stitches. “Any pain or tenderness?”
“No”
“Good.” She grabbed a tiny pair of scissors from her medical bag. “You might feel a little bit of tugging. That’s normal, so don’t worry.” She went to work removing my stitches. When she was finished, she wiped the area with something wet.
I flinched away. “Wow, that’s cold.”
“Sorry. I left my bag in the car overnight. I should have warned you.” She dropped the wet cloth into the trash. “Okay, all done.” She stood and zipped her bag. “No headaches or fevers?”
“None.” I sat up, and there wasn’t any stretching or pulling across my stomach.
“I’d suggest using a vitamin E lotion on that area. It will minimize the scarring,” she said.
“Okay.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood.
“All right. Well, if you need anything else, call me.” With a smile, she turned and left my room.
And Trent walked in. “All good?”
I nodded. “All good.” I lifted my shirt to show him that my stitches were gone.
“Finally.”
He rushed toward me, scooped me up into his arms, and then promptly deposited me back onto the bed, his lips hard and demanding against mine. Easing his hand up my shirt, he caressed my scar.
“I’ve been dying to do this, but I was afraid of hurting you,” he said.
With those few words, all my worries about losing him disappeared.
CHAPTER FORTY:
Take Me Home
I LAY BESIDE TRENT, FEELING SLIGHTLY better than I had in days. He stroked his
