Chapter 70

Julian

"Where is Cassie?"

Cathy glanced up at me as I was helped into the house and shrugged off my coat. The shoulders were damp from the short walk from the car to the house and it was making me chilly.

"Welcome home master." She helped me , shaking out the coat and moving away to hang it up. It wasn't any different to any other time she had greeted me at the door but tonight it felt like she was dodging the question. Which meant my wife wasn't here.

At my side my hand clenched into a fist. It would just be Cassie all over if she wasn't here to take care of me like I needed. Like a wife should.

What kind of doctor was she?

A good kind, a small voice hissed at me. It was the same small that had been berating me all day. It sounded very much like my wolf.

"I've made some soup for you and-"

"Where is my wife?" I asked again.

Cathy's lined eyes fluttered away before she answered. "She wasn't feeling well."

Flexing my fingers, my knuckles cracked. It sounded like an excuse and a pretty lame one at that but it didn't surprise me. Cassie had never really been the doting wife. I mean what kind of loving wife couldn't even be bothered to meet her husband after a car crash that had almost killed him. I'd got off pretty lucky and my wolf had already mostly healed me but it could have been worse.

For the others it had been worse.

Both would be in the hospital for at least a few days to come.

"She really shouldn't have been driving around after what happened yesterday. That kind of trauma." She shook her old head. "I think she was just in shock until she came back from seeing you at the hospital." Cathy met my eyes, something she rarely did. Instantly I felt like I was being chastised. Mainly because that's exactly what she was doing. Telling me off and making me feel guilty for thinking about myself when I should have given Cassie a thought.

"She was so pale and drawn and I have to be honest she felt-" a small pause. "Off. I really think she might be ill. Of course." Another glance in my direction. "You announcing you are bringing guests to come and stay is a little- well it's bad timing don't you think."

I did think but I was stuck between a rock and hard place. I owed Megan more than I could ever repay because if it hadn't been for me she wouldn't have lost the baby but I realised that my cruelty to Cassie was unfounded at the same time. It wasn't even that I meant to make her life a misery. It just kind of happened.

"So Cassie has gone to bed. I think she needs to sleep and regain her strength. To deal with your guest." She gave me a pointed look.

"Don't start Cathy." I murmured. Her look spoke volumes. She knew and was trying to make me feel guilt.

I already felt guilty enough.

"I didn't say a word, your highness. Will you want your dinner in the dining room or -?"

She may as well have given me the I'm not angry I'm just disappointed speech. "Neither but thank you for making it. I think I am just going to check on Cassie and get some sleep myself."

Wearily I trudged up the hairs. Moving as quietly as I could towards my room. I wanted to watch her sleep for a while. Weird as it was when I had just invited my "mistress" to live with us but sometimes watching Cassie gave me peace. When she was asleep anyway. When she was awake she got on my last nerve.

My room was empty. The bedspread pulled tight and increased. There was no Cassie shaped lump under those blankets.

Confused I glanced around. If she wasn't here in my bed then where would she be? I had seen the panic in her face last night in her own room.

Retracing my steps I opened her door as quietly as I could and peered inside and there she was. Curled up in a small ball with her back to me. Her body was shaking, whole body tremors that had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with fear.

She was afraid but she had forced herself to sleep in this room anyway and those fears were so strong that they invaded her sleep.

Guilt ripped through me.

She needed me.

So did Megan.

It felt like I was being torn in two.

But tonight I would do what I could to help my wife because I knew going forward her life would not be easy.

For either of us.

Stepping into the room I closed the door softly behind me and started to strip down to my boxers.

Slipping under the heavy comforter I curled my body around hers. Keeping my arms loose so she wouldn't freak out and closed my eyes.

Almost instantly all the stress left my body.

Like magic.

Like this was exactly where I needed to be.

Holding my wife as she slept soothed my soul to its core. And it made me happy.

Holding her, feeling her body pressed against mine made me so unbelievably happy that it was hard to comprehend what I was feeling because I had never felt this kind of contentment before.

In my arms Cassie's body stopped shaking, a deep sigh escaped her lips as she relaxed in her sleep and my arms tightened around her even more. I pulled her body more snugly into mine.

There was a second where I just held her and then Cassie twisted in my arms. Curling her body over mine so I could feel her breasts pushing against my side.

And it was even better than before because now she was holding on to me like a life raft and I kind of needed that right now.

To be held.

"Huh?"

"Sssh it's ok." I smoothed my hand down her hair as she groggily came awake and stared up at me with sleepy eyes. The look on her face was the sweetest I had ever seen.

"Julian?"