Juniper

Eight

When Juniper awoke, she was considerably less clothed than before. She laid in a bed, in a t-shirt that wasn't hers.

Bear was laid at the foot of the bed, she sat up with a groan.

"If he fucking changed me I swear-"
Juniper was cut off by a grunt.

"He didn't. The nymph did," Raphael cut her off in a low voice.

Juniper covered her face as her head ached, "Why did you call them?"

She stood up slowly, her legs buckling.

Raphael was quick, wrapping his arms under her own. She winced and felt his grip tighten on her, they both froze for a second.

He lifted her back into the tall bed gently.

"I was supposed to let you die?" he snarled back.

"I didn't think you'd care," she snapped.

He clenched his jaw, leaning over her as their eyes clashed. Glares evident on both of their faces.

"Are you mated to me?"

Juniper's indifferent facade cracked in shock, her lips parting for a moment.

Raphael's own eyes widened at the confirmation. Her silence spoke louder than any excuses she could spew.

"Fuck!" he turned swiftly and began to pace.

"Why wouldn't you tell me?!" A vein in his neck pulsed as his voice rose at her.

"There's more to it than that!" She yelled back, sitting up on her knees in the bed.

"So you weren't going to tell me we were soul mates? Keep me in the dark and-and leave?"

She pressed her hands to her forehead, rubbing her fingers through her hair. "Don't you think if I could tell you I would have? It's not like you were the most welcoming anyway!"

He too ran his hands through his dark locks, he hissed out a response. "You were still going to leave!" he pointed an accusatory finger at her.

Juniper shrieked in frustration and threw the nearest pillow at him. He swiped it out of the way, refraining from throwing it back at her.

"I need to leave to keep you safe, you fuck!" she bellowed.

His eyes blazed in anger, fists clenched before a knock sounded on the door.

He gripped a near set of boxers and threw them to her, "It's the doctor. Put these on."

"So only you get to see me in my underwear now?" Juniper sneered under her breath.

He ignored her and went to open the door. Juniper watched him closely, eyes trailing over his form. His shirt was halfway unbuttoned, his tan chest exposed. His chest was muscular, straining against the shirt and his hair was a mess.

She frowned as she laid on her back, putting the boxers on haphazardly. Uncaring of who she flashed.

The doctor cleared his throat as Juniper crawled towards the end of the bed, glaring at the men while reaching for Bear. Lying on the bed, she began to pet him.

Raphael, angrier than he has ever been in a while, still swallowed hard at the sight of the woman lounging on his bed and in his clothes.

"Juniper," the berserker managed to get out.

She frowned but looked at the doctor.

"I just need a blood sample to make sure the toxins are out of your blood stream."