Healing His Mate
Chapter 12

Aaron POV

I walk back into the kitchen only to replace my mate gone.

“Where is she?” I try to keep the panic out of my voice as I ask my parents the question. I knew dinner was a bad idea. I am pushing her too fast.

“I think she went to the bathroom, Aaron,” my mother says softly to me, knowing my wolf is near the surface, “Why don’t you go check on her?”

I nod to her suggestion as I leave the kitchen and head down the hall.

I shouldn't have left her alone. I thought she was alright. When my father and I were talking about the patrols, she started to shake when he mentioned the hunter sighting. But when I held her, she relaxed.

I know she's starting to trust me, but I have to remember to go slow. If I push too fast, she'll run... or worse.

I am walking towards the bathroom when I'm hit with a metallic scent. My blood runs cold as the image of my mate in the woods flashes in my mind. Her holding the knife to her throat.

I rush to the door. I attempt to twist the knob, only to be met with resistance of the lock.

I pound my fist against the wood, "Angel! Open the door!"

I twist the knob again, but it still won't open. The smell of blood floods my senses as panic rattles my body.

I barely register my parents running down the hall towards me. My focus only on getting to my mate.

Break the door down! Kiba shouts in my head.

"Angel, move away from the door!" I warn her. Giving her a second to move, I ram my shoulder into the wood.

The wood splinters under the force and breaks open. I hear the door crash into the bathroom wall from the swing. I rush into the room and the sight nearly brings me to my knees.

Blood runs down my mate's left arm as she digs her fingers into the skin. I spot a bloody kitchen knife thrown onto the sink as I grab her.

My angel struggles as I wrap my hands around her wrists. I pull her arms apart and move us away from the sink. Her sobs rack through the air as we slide against the back wall and to the floor. She cradles her injured arm close to her chest as I hold her as tight as I possibly can.

She hurt herself, my thoughts repeat over and over again.

"Why would you do this?" my question sounds as broken as my heart feels, "Why would you try to hurt yourself?"

She looks up at me as tears fall down her face.

"What did I do wrong?" my voice is barely a whisper as it cracks on the last word.

She shakes her head no as she lifts her uninjured arm to me. I look at her in confusion as she opens her hand. Her skin is covered in her blood, but in the center of her palm is a small, round device.

Before I can ask what it is, my father moves from the doorway and picks up the small object. My angel shakes against my chest as I tighten my hold.

"What is it?" I ask him, not lifting my eyes from my mate's.

"I think it's a tracking device."

Angel nods at his words as she lifts her hand to cup my cheek. I move to kiss her palm gently before I lean into her touch.

"Angel, please be honest with me. Were you trying to hurt yourself?" she answers no as she moves her hand back down to her cut arm, "Did you know about the tracking device?"

She starts to nod her head when a whimper escapes her lips. Her grip on her arm tightens and my grip on her does the same.

"Let me," my mother squats in front of us as she offers her hand out.

My mate nods once and my mom moves closer to place her hand against the wound. It only takes a minute before she pulls back. My dad pulls her into his arms and talks to her quietly.

I wrap my fingers around angel's arm and double-check that she is completely healed. My fingers run over the inked numbers on her skin.

VX02

She grabs my hand and moves my fingers against the skin. She runs them against the numbers and I feel a slight scar under them.

My mom can heal most wounds, but she can't heal something that was already there. Scars never truly go away.

"You remember them putting it in?" I ask her and she nods as I wipe the tears away from her face.

"I will have Thatcher take a look at this," my dad says, "Maybe he can get some data off it before we destroy it."

After that, both my parents leave the room.

I hold my angel's eyes as I feel tears fill my own. A single tear slips out and falls down my cheek. She turns in my hold to face me, her legs straddling my lap.

"You can't do this again, angel," my voice breaks, "When I smelled the blood, I thought you-"

I can't finish the thought. Even the idea that I could lose her breaks my soul. She leans her forehead against mine in comfort and I soak up the feel of her being there.

"I know we still have a lot to figure out and we still need to replace a way to communicate, but this can't happen again," I tell her.

She gives me a sad smile as she nods.

"I need you to promise me."

She bites the side of her lower lip for a moment before she leans forward. The heat of her lips radiates through me as she places the softest of kisses against my cheek.

She kisses me twice more there and the electricity racks me to my core. When she tries to pull away, I grip her waist and tug her against me. She wraps her arms around my body and nods her promise into my chest.

"I can't lose you, angel," I tell her, "I won't."