29: He’s alive.
**Kala pov**
I didn’t want to let go of Zion, but eventually, I had to.
Our bodies separated slowly, neither of us clearly wanted to stay away from each other for any longer than we already had. However, I still stayed close and watched how his chest rose and fell like I was some creep.
Zion’s hands still lingered near mine for another heartbeat before he finally pulled away fully.
“You’re really here,” I whispered, as if I truly needed to say the words out loud to believe them.
Zion offered me a small and tired smile, once again reassuring me. “I am, my love, and I’m not going anywhere.”
I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat, trying my damndest to ignore the ache that still pulsated in the middle of my chest. I hated how looking at him, alive and still fighting, I couldn’t help but think about the fight between Zion and bane, the venom and the nightmare that followed.
As I stared at Zion like an actual creep, the brute stepped into the tent, his steps surprisingly light and quiet for his insane size.
I glanced over my shoulder and flashed him a tight smile as he stopped a few steps away from us, his body angled in the way that he could watch the tent entrance without disturbing our privacy.
That’s how the brute turned out to be - protective and loyal to a fault. I couldn’t quite explain why I felt calmer with him here, but I did. His presence alone put my mind at ease a little more.
“Stay close to him,” the brute muttered quietly, loud enough for me to hear. His voice was low and rough as always, but the tone wasn’t threatening, more like a warning.
“I know,” I mouthed to him and looked back at Zion.
My mate flexed his fingers and winced, but when his eyes met mine and he flashed me that tired yet bright smile, I finally felt like I could relax and breathe just a little easier.
Before I could ask Zion how he was feeling, the healer’s helper stepped inside, carrying a small tray with what looked like medical instruments. “I just need to check his vitals and adjust the bandages,” he said politely, eyes focused on me as he spoke.
The brute stepped closer to me, skillfully slipping between me and the healer’s helper. His large hand hovered near mine, as if he tried to wordlessly tell me I shouldn’t make any sudden movements.
“Go ahead,” Zion whispered, giving me a reassuring nod.
I tried to move closer to Zion, but the brute held me back gently, which was probably for the best anyway.
The helper moved carefully, first checking Zion’s pulse and the bandages over his wounds. My eyes followed every movement and my body tensed every time the healer’s helper’s fingers brushed against Zion’s skin.
“Strong pulse,” the helper mumbled, writing down notes in the small notebook he brought with him, then turned to Zion again. “I believe the venom is still in your system, which explains why you’re so weak, but it’s clearing faster than I thought. I think we can call this a miracle, since you didn’t get anti-venom.”
As the helper spoke, the brute leaned closer to me and whispered. “Your baby’s kicking again.”
I froze for a second, then looked down at my bump. Sure enough, a small, insistent push pressed outward. My hand moved almost instinctively to rest over it, feeling the movement.
“Do you want to feel?” I asked the brute as his hand reached out and hovered over my bump.
He hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Yes, if it’s okay with you?”
I smiled at the overgrown softie as he placed his large, rough hand on my bump. For his size, he was impossibly gentle. “The baby is strong,” he muttered and chuckled before adding, “definitely not shy either. You’ll have a fighter on your hands, I think.”
A soft laugh escaped me. “I hope so. I also hope he has some sense of patience too.”
The brute snorted out a laugh. “Patience isn’t guaranteed, it’s learned behavior. But strength, yeah, you got that covered. Just check out these kicks, he’s already testing my reflexes.”
I could feel him watching me as closely as he was watching the bump and I let myself relax. It was a little strange to trust him this much, but for some reason, I just did.
Zion’s hand found mine a little later, squeezing my fingers gently. “Are you okay?”
I glanced at him and nodded, “I think I am.”
In the meantime, the helper adjusted some bandages, careful to avoid Zion’s worst injuries. “I just need to make sure the wounds are properly bandaged. No sudden movements, please.”
The brute’s hand still remained on my bump and when I looked back at him, his eyes instantly met mine, crinkling in the corners as a genuine smile spread across his lips. The baby pushed again, and I couldn’t help but smile at the sensation.
“Feels like someone’s practicing their wrestling moves already,” I chuckled.
The brute muttered something that I couldn’t understand, then added a little louder, “better now than when he’s older and bites someone by accident.”
Zion watched us interact and grinned, “you’re both ridiculous.”
“Only a little bit,” I retorted teasingly, rolling my eyes.
Finally, the helper finished checking Zion’s wounds and cleared his throat. “Everything looks stable, just make sure he rests and doesn’t try to get up too soon. Also, the more calm you are, the faster he heals so whatever you’re doing over there, keep doing that.” He said and pointed at my bump.
As the helper left the tent, the brute stepped aside and returned to his self-assigned guard duties, watching the tent entrance like a hawk.
I turned my full attention to Zion as he shifted a little and winced quietly before speaking. “I feel better, there’s no need to look after me all the time if you maybe want to have a walk or sleep.”
My hand found his again, locking our fingers together as I refused to leave his side. “We’re in this together, I’m not walking away.”
Suddenly, the brute stepped closer to us, blocking the space between us and the tent entrance. His eyes flickered to Zion, then back at me, as if he was trying to warn us about something.
My hand instantly found my bump again, a reflex of sorts. The brute noticed instantly and grinned, “little shit already has strong instincts it seems.”
“Yeah and energy, loads of it, way more than his daddy,” Zion added and chuckled.
While the moment was truly nice, I still worried about the brute’s choice of position and it didn’t take much time for me to understand why. Seconds later, Aife and the beast stepped into the tent carefully. She held onto his claw tightly and tried to flash me a smile, but it looked too forced to be true.
The brute, in the meantime, shifted on his feet slightly, but didn’t move aside, still protective of us.
“We heard Zion is awake,” Aife spoke first.
“Yes, he is,” I answered and glanced at the beast, only for a brief second, not really wanting the monster who hurt my mate so much this close to him.
The beast’s eyes darted between me, the brute and Zion. Then, in that growly, ugly voice, he muttered, “he’s alive.”
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