Healing His Mate
Chapter 19

Aaliyah POV

I wake to a soft thumping against my ear. Heat radiates over my body as I move further into the source. A soft groan echoes in my side when I shift. Lifting up my chin, I meet Aaron’s soft eyes watching me.

“Hey,” his voice is a soft whisper against my ears.

I give him a small smile in return, “Hi.”

His eyes widens as shock runs through my veins. I push off his chest lightly as I stare at his expression.

Moving my hand to lightly touch my vocal cords, I try again.

“Hi,” my voice comes out a bit croaked.

His smile glows as my voice is the only sound echoing in the room, “Hi,” I say again, a smile of my own growing as the realization of my hopes becoming real, “I can talk.”

“You can talk,” Aaron laughs as he lifts me up and places me on his lap.

Tears prick my eyes. I hug Aaron tighter as I bury my head into his neck as he laughs again, “It worked.”

Aaron pulls away just enough so he can place small kisses all over my face. I giggle at his ridiculous actions.

When he finally pulls away, the look he has in his eyes stops my breath. His gaze holds me in my place as he gently cups my cheek, “I was right,” he said softly.

“Right about what?” I whisper back.

“I knew the second I heard your voice, it would become my favorite sound in the whole world,” he smiles down at me as his thumb rubs gently over my cheek.

I smile back at him as a single tear rolls down my face before Aaron swiftly wipes it away. Lifting my hand to rest against his neck, I move closer until our noses are touching. I can feel his breath mix with my own as I watch his eyes darken.

We both come together at the same moment. Our lips move together as fireworks go off over my skin. I run my hands through his hair, tugging him closer as I rub my body against his.

His hands wander over my body. I open my mouth and Aaron takes the hint to deepen the kiss. His taste mixes with mine as I become instantly addicted to him.

Mate, a soft sigh echoes in my head.

The voice shocks me. I break the kiss and push off Aaron's chest to sit further back in his lap. I reach up to run my fingers against my temple as I wait for her to say something else.

"Aiya," I mumble out loud.

I reach back into my mind and feel her call back to me. I can feel tears falling down my cheeks as the happiness overtakes all other emotions.

"Angel, what's wrong?" Aaron panics, wiping away at each offending tear.

I look at him with such hope, "I can hear her. My fox."

"Fox? I've never met a fox shifter before," he smiles. He knows that I'm not a wolf, but I hadn't been able to explain to him that I'm a fox shifter, "What's her name?"

"Aiya," I tell him.

Mate, Aiya sighs in my mind again. Her voice is still quiet from being trapped for so long, but I know with time she will heal. Just as I will.

"Can you feel her?" I ask. Growing up surrounded by shifters, I know when two mates are different kinds, the connection between their animal spirits won't be strong until after they fully mate. Most spirits can't communicate with another until they meet during the sharing.

He takes a moment to answer. I assume he's asking his wolf to reach out. When he focuses back on me, his smile widens, "Kiba can feel her. He says it's not so much as words but more emotions and a sense of her."

"Our connection is still weak," I tell him honestly. He hasn't lied to me since I met him, and I don't want to keep secrets.

He places a comforting kiss against my forehead, "You're probably still weak from the spell. After you fell asleep, Ivy told me that the bind had been on for years. It's going to take time for both you and Aiya to heal from it."

"It was-was the reason I couldn't hear her?" I ask, stumbling over my words a bit.

"We think so. Apparently, the witch who spellbound you didn't know how it worked and trapped all your communication abilities. So not only couldn't you talk or writer, but you couldn't mind link with your own spirit."

"Because she was just a kid," I tell him, "She was m-maybe ten, but she had already come into her magic. The hunters made her do it, right before they killed her."

I sob at the memory of the little girl's mother crying in the cell next to mine. Aaron hugs my tightly and whispers sweet nothings in my ear to calm me down. I lean into the mate bond and focus on his strength to help me relax.

"I will make them pay for what they've done. I promise."

"Thank you," I sigh, snuggling my body into his, "But can we talk about something else? I know I need to tell you everything that happened with the hunters, but I just can't yet."

"It's alright, angel. Whenever you're ready, I'll be here," he says, "I do have a question for you though."

"What?"

"Will you move in with me?" he asks.

I look around our current room in question, "I thought this was your house."

"This is where I grew up," he explains, "When I turned of age, I started building my house a little further into the forest. I planned on moving in after I found my mate."

"You built a house," I state in complete awe of this wonderful man. He nods with a smile gracing his lips and I give him the only answer I can, "Yes."

"Yes?" he laughs before kissing me soundly. As I kiss him back, I know that my mate is slowly healing me. I trust him completely. He makes me feel safe in a world that I fear.

I'm starting to fall in love with him.

After a few moments, my body shakes with his light chuckle. I tip my head back to stare at him questionly.

"I just realized that I still don't know your name," he smiles.

I laugh with him, "Aaliyah."

"Aaliyah," he repeats softly, "My angel."