The Lycan Kingpin's Captive: A Baby For The Beast novel Chapter 62

My body feels like it's been put through a fucking meat grinder. Every inch of my skin is like it’s on fire and when I breathe, it feels like I’m gargling vodka. Flashes of memory appear in my peripheral vision and I vaguely recall getting home, but that’s about it.

I open my eyes and groan at the harsh sunlight streaming into the room, and it’s only when my eyes adjust that I realize I’m back in my bedroom. I lift my hand to shield my eyes from the light, but it feels like my arm is being held down.

Sweet jasmine and lavender.

Turning my head to the left, my eyes widen when I see Xiomara on the floor with her hand on my arm and her head resting against the mattress. It’s like she fell asleep right here, but why would she? Not only that but her hands are bloodied, almost as if…

I look down at my body only to see the bandages and when I lift the covers; I notice that I am naked. All the silver shrapnel and bullets have been removed from my flesh and my body cleaned up.

Xiomara tended to me. This can be the only reason she’s here passed out on the floor.

I turn on my side with every nerve ending flaring up, screaming out in pain at the movement. Those fuckers got me good, but I can tell I’ve been healing with the silver removed and wolfsbane burnt from my bloodstream.

Drawing my hand to her face, I stroke her hair and the ghost of a smile teases my lips. Gods, I’ve missed this firecracker of a woman. How did she manage to burrow herself so deeply into my heart?

“Xiomara,” I murmur in a hoarse tone, my throat feeling dry as hell. “Hey, wake up, Bambi.”

She lets out the cutest groan and her eyes flutter open and shut again; but as soon as she peers up at me, her head whips up and her mouth falls open.

“Maxim!” she exclaims, moving away from the bed. Her cheeks redden when our eyes meet, and it makes her morning face look even lovelier. “How are you feeling? I apologize, I didn’t mean to fall asleep here.”

I shake my head and offer her a smile. “Did you tend to me last night?” She’s still covered in my dried blood, which tells me she must have simply passed out after removing the shrapnel and bullets, cleaning my wounds, and stitching me up.

But she could also have helped someone else clean me up and somehow, I don’t like the sound of that.

Biting her bottom lip, she nods. “I did. You were passed out on the living room floor and broke a glass coffee table on your way up here. I found you there and brought you up to your bedroom,” she says, but why is she nervous?

“I… I hope you don’t mind… I had to cut all your clothing away to remove the silver and bullets.”

Oh… She’s apologizing because she saw me naked?

I shake my head and swing my legs over the bed and she rushes to her feet to help me because I let out a struggling groan. Fuck, this is more difficult than I thought it would be. She places a hand on my shoulder and I sigh, my body screaming out in pain.

“Thank you,” I say, doubling over and struggling to breathe. “There’s nothing to apologize for, Xiomara; you saved my life.”

At this, she jerks her hand back and I look up at her, noticing she’s still blushing. I never would have thought a strong woman like her could blush this much, but I find it endearing.

“I couldn’t just leave you there,” she murmurs. “You could have died and I…”

Why is she struggling to speak like this? In the short time I’ve known her, she always speaks her mind and yet now she’s babbling. Wait, could she be nervous right now? My sense of smell is messed up because of the wolfsbane burning my sinuses, so I can’t tell.

“Hey,” I say, placing my hand on her thigh. “It’s okay. I’m grateful that you tended to my wounds last night when you could have just left me for dead. So again, thank you.”

Her eyes widen slightly. “Left you for dead? We might have our differences, Maxim, but I could never have just left you there to die,” she says with a sigh. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

Oh, I never answered that question when she asked me earlier.

“I can feel myself slowly healing, but I do need to clean up,” I say, getting to my feet but swaying. “Fuck.”

Okay, shit; this is going to be more difficult than I thought. I need to use the bathroom desperately and then shower, but at this rate, I may be too weak to do it all myself.

“Let me help you,” she says and my head snaps to her so fast that I see white spots dancing in my eyes. “Well, to clean you up. I can help you in the shower if you’d like?”

In normal circumstances, my cock would have twitched at that suggestion, but right now I feel way too thankful for the help she wants to offer me. No Beta wants to go out slipping on the shower floor and hitting his head on the wall.

“If you’re comfortable with it?” I say. “I don’t want you to feel like you’re forced to help me-”

“I want to help you, Maxim,” she interjects, slowly rising to her feet and holding her hand out for me. “I’ll leave you in the bathroom to do your business, but as soon as you’re done, call me and I’ll help you clean up. Is that okay?”