Hunter swiveled around in the chair he was sitting in. His eyes glittered with fury. When he had first woken, he had thought the difficulty he was having moving his legs was due to the medication they had him on. It took him two days to realize that things were much, much graver.
He hated Jesse seeing him weak. He was gaining more feeling every day in his legs but it was proving to take longer than Carp had expected. Carp had explained that several small pieces of bone from a cracked vertebra had pierced his spinal column and damaged some of the nerves. He was able to repair the damage but several nerves had required nano implants until the damaged nerves healed themselves.
He refused to admit he was afraid the damage was permanent even though Carp assured him that he was confident no lasting damage had been done. It would just take time for the nerves to reconnect and understand what he was telling them. Until then, the nano implants would do it. They just had to learn what the signals he was sending meant.
“Jesse,” Hunter began before his voice faded at the look of distress on her face. “Come here.”
He opened his arms as she rushed forward, his arms wrapping around her as she curled up on his lap. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he turned the chair back around until they were facing the large window again. They sat in silence for several minutes before he drew in a deep breath.
“I don’t like you seeing me like this,” he admitted roughly. “I should be protecting you. Right now, I feel as weak as a newborn babe.”
He felt Jesse thread her fingers through his and draw his hand down until it lay over her stomach. He frowned in confusion when he felt a slight swell to it. His fingers spread out over her stomach at the same time as it dawned on him what she was silently telling him.
“Gods, Jesse!” Hunter whispered in shock. “Why didn’t you tell me? You have stayed by my side when you should be resting.”
“I needed to be with you,” she admitted, huskily. “I’ve been resting when you do.”
“I haven’t been a very good Amate this past week,” he said in a voice filled with shame. “You should not have had to deal with my moods.”
Jesse leaned back so she could look him in the eye. A mischievous twinkle glittered in her eyes for the first time in months. She leaned forward and rubbed the end of her nose to his.
“I thought it was great practice for learning to deal with a toddler’s temper tantrum. You did a great impersonation of one,” she reflected with a giggle.
Hunter scowled before he began chuckling. “I did, didn’t I?” He commented before sobering. “This changes everything. Carp believes I will regain full use of my lower body over time. I must if I am to protect you, the babe and your sisters.”
“Then trust in him,” Jesse said, pressing a kiss to his lips. “He knows what he is talking about.”
Hunter groaned as he felt a part of his lower body responding to having Jesse on his lap. He didn’t want to admit he had been afraid at first that he had lost all sensation below his waist.
That fear had disappeared the first time she kissed him after he woke fully without the medication dampening his senses. He had scented something different about her the moment she had leaned over him. Her scent was richer with just a wisp of flavor that he didn’t understand until now. A shudder went through him and he cursed his inability to sweep her off her feet and take her back to their living quarters as his body reacted to the thought of seeing her without her clothing covering their creation.
“But you can,” Jesse said, pressing a kiss along his jaw. “I’m off my feet right now.”
It took a moment for Hunter to realize he had spoken his frustration out loud. It took another moment for Jesse’s words to sink in. He pulled back and stared down into her eyes.
“Jesse,” he murmured. “What if I…?”
He stopped when Jesse laid her fingers over his lips. “We’ll deal with the ‘What if’s’ when they come. This is about forever, Hunter. I love you. We’ll get through the ups and downs as they come. That is what families do.”
Hunter rested his hand over her stomach again. She was right. He had a family now. He just needed to be patient as his body healed.
“Now, about me needing more rest,” she said with a sexy smile. “I think I could use a little company to help relax me a little.”
“As you wish, my Amate,” Hunter chuckled. “Anything to make you happy.”
“You do that by just being here,” Jesse said, laying her head down on his chest. “When you aren’t being a pain-in-the-ass to everyone, that is.”