His Apprehensive Mate - Brea Alepou Page 0,1

wished for death to take him, to whisk him away from the agony of his existence. But that was then, and now Morgan didn’t think he could happily greet death with open arms any longer.

Kenny helped him sit the rest of the way up, supporting Morgan. He was grateful for it; his body protested everything he was forcing it to do. Shifters had fast healing, but Morgan knew he’d been close to death. By all rights, he should be dead, but he wasn’t, and Morgan planned on keeping it that way. He could feel his body healing, his shifter genetics at work, but Morgan was a weak wolf, and because of it he knew it would take him longer to heal.

Ragged breath puffed out of Morgan. His chest too tight, he couldn’t even say which part of his body hurt the most. Every inch of him was in pain.

“Where is Ava?” Morgan asked.

He hoped she hadn’t gone back to the pack; her fate would soon turn out like his, and he didn’t want that for her. He hadn’t been around for her growing up, not that they’d allowed him to, but he loved his niece all the same.

“She’s asleep.” Dezi’s powerful voice echoed in the room.

Morgan tried to make himself smaller in front of the alpha lion but couldn’t get his body to cooperate. In the back of his head, Morgan knew Dezi wouldn’t hurt him, but old habits came back to him after what he’d gone through.

Kenny growled. “Dezi, he needs to rest.”

The room was silent, and Morgan wanted nothing more than to hide under the blankets.

“Yet he thought it a bright idea to sit up,” Logan grumbled.

Morgan flinched back from the words, and Kenny let out another growl, his hands tightening around Morgan and making him whine in pain.

“Sorry,” Kenny rushed out.

He withdrew his touch. Morgan felt the instant loss down to his very core. His wolf cried out for their mate.

“Kenny, let’s go. You need to eat, and Logan needs to change Morgan’s bandages,” Dezi said.

Morgan’s body went stiff with fear. He wasn’t afraid of Logan, but the thought of Kenny leaving his side made his stomach clench and bile burned his already sore throat. The smell of his own fear hit him, an acrid, putrid smell that riled up predators. Morgan held back a gag.

He had nothing to fear. They were all good shifters; they wouldn’t treat him like his pack had. Morgan tried with everything in him to remind himself of those facts, yet he couldn’t stop the stench of fear radiating off him or his hands trembling as he clutched the thin blanket.

“Please don’t leave,” Morgan said. His voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Kenny’s hands were back on him, gentle and warm.

“I’ll stay,” Kenny said.

“Okay, but Morgan, I want you to let Logan fix you up. We need you back to your old self,” Dezi said.

Morgan bared his neck in submission as much as he could before wincing in pain. Morgan swallowed audibly. He knew he had no right to ask, and he hadn’t pledged himself to Dezi or the pride yet.

“Wh-at about Ava?” Morgan clenched his jaw and forced open his eyes, pushing past the blinding pain to stare at a fuzzy Dezi. “Please don’t send her back.” Morgan wasn’t above begging. “I can pa—”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Dezi said, interrupting Morgan. “You’re pride, Morgan, and this pride is family. We take care of family.”

Morgan choked back a cry at Dezi’s words. Even if he hadn’t given himself fully to the pride or even mated with Kenny, Dezi still considered Morgan someone worth treating as family. Tears stung the back of his eyes.

“No need to worry about Ava. She’s welcomed here.”

“Not to mention Kash will make you sleep on the couch if you even think about making that sweet girl leave,” Logan said.

“There is that too,” Dezi laughed, and Morgan wanted nothing more than to join in. But he just wasn’t there yet. His brain and emotions were still trying to catch up to everything that had transpired.

“Kenny, you need to eat. I’m sure Kash will make his way in here to feed both of you,” Dezi said. “Make sure you both eat.”

“Yes, Al—” Morgan started to reply.

“Dezi,” Dezi supplied.

Morgan couldn’t quite smile, but he attempted, nonetheless. “Thank you, Dezi.”

“Thank me by making sure Kenny eats.”

Kenny could tell his mate was in a world of pain, even as he tried not to show it. Morgan tried to hide behind