All in the Chemistry [The Royal Wolves 4] (Siren Publishing Allure) (17 page)

Cupping her cheeks Kristof used his thumbs to wipe at her cheeks. “Baby, please don’t cry,” he begged her. Her tears cut through him like a blade, decimating everything in their path. “We can do whatever you want, love, I promise. We will change you as soon as the doctor says you are good to go. Then we will see about children, just please stop crying,” he whispered the last leaning in to kiss her gently.

“They aren’t sad tears, Kris, I swear they really aren’t.” She licked his lips and grinned. “I love you, Kris, you have no idea how happy you’ve made me,” she whispered. There was a pause. “If you change me, won’t I heal faster?”

Crap, he wondered when she’d think of that. “That is a yes and no answer, love,” he said carefully. “Yes you would heal faster but it would likely cause you more damage to heal from. Unless your bones are almost a hundred percent set, I can’t in any good conscience change you, it would be agonizing and would make you insane before it was over. People can come out of the change messed up even if they started out in perfect health, Courtney. I can’t risk you, I need you too much, love,” he told her softly, careful to keep his voice as neutral as possible. “If I changed you now and something happened…” Kris just shook his head, it didn’t bear thinking on.

She understood what he was saying and stopped him with a “shush.” “I know, darling.” She sighed and shook her head. “All right, we will wait.” There was a moment’s pause before she asked, “I think that since we will be waiting I should take a pain pill. The pain’s getting harder to move past, can you get me one, please?”

Nodding he got up carefully and, moments later, held a pill out to her and a glass of juice to take it with. When she had swallowed and finished the glass he set it aside before rejoining her. He hated that she had to take the pills, they left her woozy and it was something his Wolf detested, hating having his mate so out of it. Wrapping her in his arms again he let her settle her head to his shoulder and just held her in the silence. 

“I don’t like to take them either.” She watched the rigidness of his body when he gave her the pills and knew that it was bothering him that she had to take the pills. “I don’t like giving up the control, the ability to stay in control of myself either. Kris, but I’m hurting, badly.”

“I didn’t say anything,” he pointed out softly as he stroked his fingers lightly up and down her arm. And he hadn’t, he’d kept his mouth shut and his displeasure silent. Kissing her temple gently he nuzzled her hair. “I just want you to get better so we will do whatever we have to do to get you there.”

“I just want to get better, too,” she whispered and nuzzled lightly against his chest and body. “I want to get better so that we can change me to be like you and then, then we can work on getting our business off the ground before a child.” She looked at him and nodded. “It’s only right that we begin the business first so that it’s on stable ground before I get pregnant, Kris.”

Kissing the tip of her nose, he smiled slightly. “Of course it is, love, we will need time to devote to our child when he or she comes into the world. We will get the business off the ground, get it stable and then we will have our babies.” Looking at her he had a flash of what she might look pregnant, full, glowing and so beautiful he actually felt his heart stop for a moment before it began to pound again.

It was a soft sigh and the laxness of her arms that suddenly signaled her surrender to sleep. The pain was dulled for the moment and it was right to simply be there in his arms, sleeping as she should be. 

* * * *

She looked at the doctor and watched him carefully as he approached with the hand saw. She watched the way that Kris tensed when the man laid a hand on her knee and shook her head to look up into her mate’s eyes. “It’s all right, Kris, he has to be able to adjust my leg so that he can get that cast off.” She knew just what it smelled like when a cast was removed and had asked Kris to stay in the other room, not wanting to offend his Wolf senses, but he wouldn’t hear of it and now, now he was going to get to see just why Nair was her friend. 

Eyeing the doctor with intense dislike, Kris took a breath and held it as the saw was started and applied to the cast. He knew that the hot smell of plaster being cut was nasty and all animals hated anything that smelled too much like it was burning, it was that protective instinct. Fires were the same unless carefully contained in a hearth, which is why any Wolf that had a fireplace had all the bells and whistles to keep it safe. When the doctor finally shut the saw off and set it aside, Kris wrinkled his nose slightly as he took a careful breath and then lifted a brow as he caught sight of his mates uh…“furry” little leg. He remained silent though, he was not a stupid Wolf.

She literally let out a breath of relief at the absent cast and closed her eyes. “I ever mention just how often I have to shave, Kris?” She asked with a grin. Holding out her arm she said, “The arm, too, please.” 

It was nearly two hours later when she was discharged from the office with a clean bill of health. Wearing jeans which covered her ugly leg, she walked carefully, with more than a little pain but it was to be expected. “First things first.” She grinned up at him. “I really need to get home so that I can be rid of the fur on my leg.”

His lips twitched again but he took the high road and went diplomatic. “Do we need to stop for any supplies?” he asked her quietly as he helped keep her balanced during her walk with a light hand at her elbow.

She shot him a look and then laughed. “A lawn mower maybe?” She loved the amused glint that was dancing in his eyes, the way that he was looking at her and his lips twitched. “Seriously though, yes. I need some more Nair so that I can get rid of my furry leg.” She waited a moment before, “Who would have thought that I would have the hairiness of a wolf before my mate even turned me?”

He fought the urge to laugh as he opened the door to the car and helped her sit. Once she was in he shut the door and walked around the car taking deep breaths to control himself. Sliding in he looked to her as he started it. “Well, one thing that is a bonus, when you are turned you’ll never have to shave again,” he told her. “All the hair that is in spots normally shaved, waxed or otherwise removed on a woman sheds within the first two weeks and then you won’t have it there any longer.”

“All of it?” she asked hopefully and then, “Really? You mean even”—she touched her hand to her mound—“even here?” Oh heavenly day. She would be able to go without waxing, shaving or anything? Really?

“Anything that you normally remove goes,” he told her as his cock jumped hard at the thought of what she was telling him. “That’s why you’ll still have your eyelashes, brows and the hair on the top of your head,” he said and tried to keep his eyes from crossing as his mind shot into the gutter.

She could have danced a jig sitting there in the car seat as she was but instead said, “That is a wonderful side product of all of this, Kris, it’s so good.” Her hand reached over and she touched his hand with hers. “I love you, Kris, before we”—she bit her lip—“before we change me can we make love again? I need and want to feel you inside of me again, please?”

Glancing to her, he smiled. “If you wish, love,” he said, softly catching her hand and giving it a light squeeze. Like he was going to refuse such an offer. He was just as starved for her touch as she was him, likely more because the Wolf had been circling inside for days now knowing he’d soon have her with him for all time.

“Oh I very much wish.” Shifting in her seat, she shivered. “I’ve missed you so much, Kris. I know we’ve had our dreams but they aren’t reality and I need you to hold me and love me in the here and now, in reality.” And they needed to get the shaving supplies so they could get home to do just that. “We need to make our shopping trip fast so I will give you a list of what we need so you can go in and get it. I will only slow you down, my love.”

While he knew she was right, he really didn’t want to leave her alone in the car. “I know this is going to sound completely overprotective or boarish, but whatever you want to call it, I don’t want you in the car alone, love,” he said softly. “There is a bench just inside the store, you can sit there and I’ll know you’re safe, but after the attacks on the others, love…” He shook his head. “Don’t ask me to just leave you sitting alone in a parking lot.”

She could understand that and nodded. “All right, I will do that but I need you to keep one thing in mind.” When the question was on his face, she grinned. “Even though I am hobbling and am not fully and completely up to par, you are not getting out of making love to me tonight, Kris.”

Shaking his head, he smiled. “I’m not trying to get out of it, my love, I’m just trying to keep you safe until I can get you into our bed and have you at my mercy.” And with all that seemed to be happening in the Wolf community things were tense right then especially rumors were starting to circulate about the King retaking the Throne.

He felt for Laszlo, ever since they’d found out Desi was pregnant the Wolf community as a whole saw it as a sign that his big brother would be finally stepping up to take the Throne. Tensions were running a lot higher now between the various bands of Wolfs. Those that were on the Royals’ side were staying closer than normal, doing the little extra things to watch over the Princes’ and their mates. Unfortunately they couldn’t always be there all the time, they did have lives and jobs after all. But, after he and his brothers had talked with the lead Pack, they were keeping a closer watch over Desmonda and the future heir to the Throne.

“All right.” She believed him, he had that same hungry look in his eyes that she carried around with her. “Then help me inside, Kris, do our shopping and then get me home.” She licked her lips. “God I feel like a teenager about to lose her virginity at the prom, pretty silly of me huh?”

Lifting her hand he kissed her fingers lightly. “Darling, nothing you think or feel is silly,” he told her quietly. “Your feelings are important, always important to me, my love,” he murmured with a smile. “Especially when it involves sex and us.” His smile got a little wider.

She snickered and nodded. “Oh yeah, you have the starring marquee in my thoughts, Kristof, and they are anything but PG rating, hell, even the XXX industry would balk at the desires that I have right now.” Of that she was more than sure of.

“She tells me this when I have to walk through a public place,” he groaned in a grumbling tone but was secretly pleased, some part of him inside squealing in glee, a very childish and goofy place. Sliding from the car after he parked, he went around to her side and helped her out before moving with her slowly into the store. “All right, what do I need exactly?” he asked as he helped her to settle in the seats near the front section of the pharmacy and general store.

She tugged out a receipt and pen to jot down what she needed, razors, shaving cream with aloe, and Lemon Head candies. When he raised an eyebrow she shrugged. “Hey, a girl has her needs you know.”

“Uh-huh,” he said with a lifted brow as he took the list. “All right, I’ll be right back,” he told her and headed off for the appropriate aisles. Whistling softly under his breath, he kept an eye on her with the use of the security mirrors in the store. It didn’t take him nearly as long as he’d thought and, minutes later, he was at the checkout handing over the cash to pay for the items.

She watched him and it wasn’t until he was once more in line that she leaned back and closed her eyes, a smile on her face and thoughts of them being together on her mind. 

She didn’t even hear the man as he slid into the seat beside her, but she did hear, “If the King takes the crown again, you are all dead.” 

When she opened her eyes and sat up straight, the man who had spoken was already up and moving out of the store.

The scent of Courtney’s fear had Kristof’s head snapping up and around. Growling softly he took his change and bag from the cashier. Moving to her quickly he touched her cheek. “Are you all right?” he whispered as his nose twitched at the scent of a strange Wolf.

“Kris.” She touched his cheek and found herself shaking, “Someone just sat beside me, nothing strange I know but what he said.” She shivered. “He said that if the King takes the crown again, we are all dead. Kris, what does he mean?”

Wrapping his arms around her he hugged her close. “Not here, we’ll talk in the car,” he told her softly looking around at all the ears. “Come on, baby, let’s get us someplace safe,” he said and got them walking to the doors.

She couldn’t have agreed more, so with her arm around his waist she moved out of the grocery store with him, leaning more on him than she ever would have before. She was hurting, ached and was terrified. She wanted to go home where they were safe, curl into his bed, and just be with him for a moment before they moved through the change.

Guiding her out to the car he took a slow and deep breath, no one had touched the car but for him and her. Opening the door he helped her inside, and then moving quickly, he got in and pulled out of the lot. Looking to her he reached over and took her hand in his. “You know that I’m a Prince, one of the last five of the Wolf kingdom, right?” he asked her softly.

“I had heard rumors.” She hadn’t had confirmation but yep, she had heard the various rumors that were being spouted. She’d even asked Desmonda. Mina, and even Harker about the few she’d overheard. Of course the ladies had had some other ones from various sources as well that they had shared with her. “Go on. I don’t know a lot of the story, Kris. To be honest I never paid much attention. I was always too busy in the lab to care about anything outside of my very small bubble of influence.”