“How are you?” Angeline asked Ian. Her voice was just as soft as her hand on his shoulder.

“I’m broken,” he answered easily because it was true.

Angeline hugged him as Killian glared at him from behind his wife. Ian didn’t blame Killian for hating him. He knew he would feel the same way if he were in Killian’s shoes. “Will she think that when she wakes up?” Ian asked Angeline hoping she could tell him more.

“I don’t know what she will think, Ian. I only know that the woman who you love, she loves you too. She will forgive you if she’s angry. Just like you’ll forgive her.”

Ian nodded. He didn’t know how to make them understand that he already had forgiven Nora. When she’d contained her own pain as she’d struggled for breath and relief just to ease his suffering as he watched her feeling so helpless, he’d forgiven everything in that moment.

Perhaps before that moment.

Nora was his predestined mate which opened his heart well beyond what any person is ever brave enough to do. With his heart this open to her there was no way to hold onto any anger. Watching her so vulnerable over the past seven days, waiting for her to wake up, there was no way he could be mad at her.

Her coloring returned though, warming her face that had grown so pale for those first two days. Killian as mad as he probably was with Nora, he was still looking out for her. Her bloodwork came back fine, showing that her body accepted the werewolf gene and the spirit wolf companion that would share her body.

Her auburn lashes fluttered.

She’s waking up.

“We should leave them alone,” Angeline said turning to push Killian out of the room in front of her.

“I am her physician, Angeline,” Killian complained. “Her cognitive-”

Angeline closed the door with them on the other side. “I have visions, remember? She’s fine.” Ian heard her say to Killian and it gave him comfort too as he took a seat next to Nora’s bedside.

“Ian?” She said his name even before her eyes opened.

As soon as her green eyes focused on him Ian leaned forward and kissed her hand. “I’m so sorry for what I said, Nora. I never want you to leave my side again.”

She swallowed her mouth and throat sounding dry.

“You must be thirsty, of course.” He held the glass of water to her lips and tilted it up for her. Nora drank the water, watching him over the top of the glass. “Better?”

“Am I paralyzed?” she asked her green eyes wide.

“No,” Ian gasped. “Why would you think that?”

She sighed. “Because I can’t lift my arms and you just held my glass for me.”

Ian remembered the restraints and quickly opened them. “You were clawing at your skin in your sleep. The dreams of the poison in your system must have been very realistic.” Reaching down to the bottom of the bed he unstrapped her ankles.

“Where are we?”

“This is Rizer fortress. It’s the home of the Rizer pack.”

Outside the door, he could hear the pack gathering, trying to be quiet. “Did he tell her yet?” Errol whispered.

“No, she just woke up,” Killian answered.

“Shut up, I can’t hear,” Onyx insisted.

Nora lifted her eyebrows at Ian. “You have something to tell me?”

“Yes. Like I said, you had poison in your system. You were dying and I know you hate shifters-”

Nora pushed the blanket from her body, sliding her legs off the bed. “Are you trying to tell me you bit me?” she asked him her green eyes looked sad.

“I’m sorry,” He said and laid his head in her lap.

“Don’t be sorry. I don’t know how long I was asleep but it felt like a long time. There was this voice, this energy with me. She helped me through all the pain. There was so much pain. Not just the physical pain.” Nora combed her fingers gently through his hair. “There was no hiding anything from her.”

Ian listened not sure yet how she felt about her spirit wolf he didn’t want to say anything that might upset her. He didn’t know how much her spirit wolf explained to her and how much she didn’t.

“She’s my spirit wolf and I have her because you bit me. You saved me from dying even though I deserved the fate I was given. You don’t owe me any apologies.”

Ian straightened and lifted Nora from the bed and into his lap. “So, you’re okay with being a shifter?”

“Okay with it? I’m not sure how I feel about it if I’m being honest. I think I’ll accept anything if it means being with you, Ian.”

“I hope you’re sure about that because I turned you without permission from the alpha and we may be cast out by the pack.”

Nora wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sure. I’m so sorry my actions led you to this. I don’t want to cost you your family.”

Ian tipped her face up so he could look into her eyes. “You’re my family too, Nora. Where you are is where I will call my home.” He kissed her feeling her lips coming to life under his more than they had before. Like she wasn’t holding back anymore.

He opened her legs holding her straddling his lap and made a mental note to thank Nora’s spirit wolf for loving Nora enough to help her heal so well.

There was still so much they needed to talk through but with her whole again he wanted to claim her again, he wanted her to know that this time when they made love that they would be bonded forever by their spirit wolves.

The call of the alpha froze them both where they were.

“He wants to see us now?” Nora asked.

Apparently, he does.

“Better to find out where we will make our life together now than to be kept waiting.”

Nora nodded smoothing her red hair down. “Do I need to change into something else?” She asked raising the skirt of the nightgown.

“No. You are better dressed than most of the pack has ever been. Don’t be afraid. No matter what happens I will protect you.”

“And I’ll protect you,” Nora said taking the hand he offered.