THIRST

Chapter Thirty-Nine Home is where the heart is (Setekh)

I wasn't sure exactly how long I'd been out for, but when I awoke, I realized that my head was spinning faster than a rollercoaster. I blinked a few times to try and clear away the haziness as I slowly took in the room that surrounded me. Long wooden beams supported the ceiling while a rich mahogany floor created a relaxed atmosphere, instead of trying to make it look like I was in a hospital. And the walls were painted in a nice warm, neutral color that blended in well with the art fixture's that took up most of the space.

Next to me was a heart monitor attached to an IV solution that fed a clear plastic tube into my arm as the steady beeping played in sync with that of my own heartbeat. I sniffed the air and could smell the cleaning supplies used out in the hallway for the stuff made my nose burn and wrinkle in disgust. But there was one smell that I recognized above all else, my mate, who slept soundly with his feet propped up on the edge of the bed, and his hands folded neatly in his lap. He just looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake him up.

When suddenly, I heard a knock at the door as the door handle disengaged and the door swung open, revealing Dr. Remus who paused after crossing the threshold as he noticed the dry look on my face as Bane jumped to his feet, shifting into a crouch.

"Oh! I'm so terribly sorry, Alpha. I didn't mean to disturb you," he said.

I held up my hand to silence him as I turned to look at Bane who was still in his fighting stance. Though I must admit, seeing him like that was giving me a monstrous hard-on, even as I tried to reach for his arm and calm him down. Afterward, Bane relaxed and remained standing by my bedside as Remus stood opposite him, checking my vitals and jotting down a few notes.

"Well, everything seems to be on the up and up, Setekh. Your vitals have stabilized and your blood workup came back fine. As for the bruises on your body, they seem to have healed quite nicely. However, are you in pain anywhere else?"

You mean besides my aching cock, Doc? Nope. I'm fine. Just have me sign someplace and send me on my way. Thank you very much.

"No. I'm fine, Dr. Remus," I replied. "Now, when can I go home and get out of this hospital gown?"

"I don't know, babe," Bane said. "I think you look sexy wearing that gown. It's hot."

"You're not helping," I said. "Dr. Remus, am I free to leave?"

"Yes. But I do wish that you schedule an appointment in two weeks for a routine follow up."

"Alright, fine. Where do I sign?"

"Actually, your mate can help with that. Just give the nurses time to unhook your IV and disconnect you from the heart monitor. And I'll have them bring you in a pair of scrubs to wear."

In the same instant that the door was closed after Dr. Remus had left the room, I lashed out with both hands and grabbed Bane as I forced him to straddle my lap. I even willed myself to sit up since the lower half of my body was still stiff from being on bed rest. But I didn't let that stop me from getting what I actually wanted. My ears were all too eager to hear about Bane's protest into letting him go, so I shut him up the best way I knew how. I took his face in my hands as I crushed our lips together, slipping my tongue into his mouth.

Bane muffled a chuckled as he pushed against my chest. "Easy there, big boy. You're in need of rest."

"I've rested enough," I growled.

Just then another knock at the door sounded as I lay back down with a sigh, crossing my arms over my chest as two female nurses entered the room with a friendly smile. They seemed to giggle at the position Bane was currently in as he quickly dismounted and rushed out of the room to fetch Dr. Remus and sign my release forms. Then the nurses respectfully bowed at the waist once Bane returned a few minutes later, telling me that I was free to go home.

I shoved the covers off, swung my legs over the side, jumped out of bed and ripped the damn gown off as I reached for a pair of form-fitting navy blue scrubs. But from the moment I slipped my legs into the pants, I knew Bane was watching me. He whistled at first, leaning against the bed with a smile on his face.

"You know, if being Alpha doesn't work out for you, you could always go to medical school and become a nurse."

Now it was my turn to laugh. "You only like me this way because of the uniform."

"True. But I've never met a hot male nurse who knows how to fill it out correctly."

I moved to stand in front of him. "Then let's go home and you can help me take it off."

His eyes measured my face but he eventually squealed in the end as I threw him over my shoulder and walked out of the room, sneaking through the back door of the hospital. The funeral pyre's for our fallen warriors were in the process of being built as I stuck to the tree lines of the forest, so the others couldn't see us. Eventually I would need to be down there in a couple of hours, but first there was something I needed to take care of. I burst through the front door of our home as I sprinted up the stairs and tossed Bane down on the bed as he looked at me with those beautiful eyes.

I crawled on top of him as I nestled myself between his legs, kissing and nibbling his neck as he moaned.

"What's got you in such a good mood?"

I eased back a bit, stroking his cheek. "You gave me my life back. And it's because of that, that I will always be forever grateful to you."

"I love you, Setekh," he said after a moment. "And I want you around for a long, long time."

I kissed him not once, not twice, but three times before saying, "You'll have to murder me, my Queen. Now let's get out of these clothes and have some fun."

And so we made love until the last bit of sunlight took its plunge beyond the horizon. Bane slept peacefully beside me as I lay on my side, watching him, running a finger across the length of his body. That's when I smelled the scent of gasoline being poured over the funeral pyres were the bodies of our fallen comrades were being carried to their final resting place. I sighed heavily as I ran my fingers through my dark hair and carefully slid out of bed and got dressed in my funeral garment. Afterward, I kissed Bane on the forehead before leaving and whispered in his ear, telling him to sleep and not to wake up until first light.

My heart pounded in my chest as it soared with vitality. I don't think I could ever thank Bane enough for what he did for me. He gave me a second chance at life. But in the end, I guess I finally understand that old saying, "Home is where the heart is" because Bane is my home and he owns my heart, body, and soul. And for that, I will always love and protect him to the moon and back.

Author's Note: Good evening, Angels! :D I hope you enjoyed this little chapter. Anyway, I was thinking about doing the graduation scene for the next chapter and I was wondering what you guys would like to see in it! So go on, lay it on me!