Shifting Boundaries

Chapter Five

Felix

First, I was aware of movement and a sudden lack of warmth.

I drew in a breath so I could complain about the change, and with that breath came a new awareness. The most wonderful scent in the world was heavy in the air. I inhaled again, trying to place it. I was still groggy and my mind was sluggish, refusing to cooperate, but one word pushed itself to the forefront of my mind: mate.

Joy like I had never felt before spread through me. My mate was here. After waiting for so long, I had finally found him. Or... maybe he had found me. I struggled to get my body to cooperate. I wanted to open my eyes, wanted to reach for him, but all I managed was flexing my hand.

I gritted my teeth, refusing to accept such weakness in myself. The harder I fought, the more my body woke up, until finally I opened my eyes. They settled automatically on the man who sat next to me, his hand resting on my arm while he looked at the screen of his phone. Tingling heat radiated out from where our skin met.

How was he touching me so casually, like this wasn't something new and wonderful? Irritation swelled as he continued to pay attention to his phone instead of to me.

Finally, he put the phone down and lifted his gaze to my face. Our eyes met and the tingling sensation of his hand on my arm faded into the background of my awareness. All I could focus on were his eyes, the warm amber shade of them sending heat skittering through my core and radiating throughout my whole body.

He seemed just as caught in my eyes as I was in his, at least at first. Then his eyes widened with shock and filled with tears. Before I could ask him what was wrong, he leaned over my body and pressed a button on the side of my bed.

For the first time, I looked at my surroundings, taking in the wide hospital bed, the tubes going into my skin, the machines that were humming nearby. I looked back at my mate, who had withdrawn his touch from me and was staring at me, the shock still dominating his beautiful features.

The door was flung open hard enough that it hit the wall behind it. Paula came rushing through, her eyes wide. When she saw me, she burst into tears.

I looked between her and my mate for some kind of explanation, but none was forthcoming. Paula hurried to my side and reached toward me, pulling her hand back before it made contact with an apologetic glance at my mate.

"How do you feel?" she asked me.

"Confused," I answered honestly. My voice came out hoarse and broken, so I cleared my throat before I spoke again. "What's going on?"

I couldn't focus on Paula long, not with my mate sitting right next to me. I reached for him with my right arm, which was free of needles and tubes, brushing my palm against his cheek. My mate tensed at the contact, his neck pulling taut with tension and his eyes snapping shut. He leaned into it, though, and I took that as an invitation. I let my thumb caress his high cheekbone before sliding my hand up to feel his hair, which was cut short and tickled against my palm.

"Felix?" Paula asked hesitantly. "Do you want me to come back in a little while?"

I blushed, but couldn't give up touching my mate now that he was right here with me. I reached for his hand, entwining our fingers before I turned back to Paula. "That's okay. What's going on?" I asked again.

"You've been in a healing sleep for almost two weeks," she said.

I froze, shocked. That was a long time. I shook my head automatically. It couldn't be. But Paula wouldn't joke about something like this, and when I looked at my mate, his gaze burned into mine. There was no humor in his gaze, just worry. Worry for me? What had happened to me?