Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 40128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
“My sweet raven. You’ll always be my raven, even if you had chosen to dye your hair blonde. I don’t love you, crave you, need you just because of your gorgeous hair. I’ve always loved you and always will.”
Even though he says it, I’m still skittish to fall into his arms. My fears are strong, but Will is stronger, and I find myself picked up and wrapped in his embrace. “Don’t push me away. Whatever happens, we’re in this together. Please. I beg of you, Melanie.”
“I’ll try,” I answered with a sob, pressing my face into his shoulder.
His lips graze my cheek. “Rest. We’ll be there soon.”
The next thing I know, I’m at the Steeleville Hospital being brought in through a private entrance, and Dr. Grace, Uncle Ghost’s wife, is seeing me. “Hey, Jelly Melly. I hear you were causing a ruckus today. I’m going to send these guys out.”
“Do you want us to leave?”
“I think it would be best,” Dr. Grace says.
“Can you call my mom?” I ask.
“Of course,” Will says, nodding his head and stepping out of the room. The door closes, and she’s handing me a gown.
“I’m going to need your clothes, and I have to ask the questions.”
“I don’t know what they did to me if you’re asking, but I don’t believe they raped me. I recall him saying he wanted me awake when he violated me, but they’d drugged me too much.”
“I suppose we can count our blessings.”
She’s right about that. “I suppose so.”
I get undressed as she preps her equipment and makes some notes. “Let me examine your head first.”
“Can you check the other parts first? I need to be sure.”
She smiles and squeezes my hand. “Absolutely.” It’s uncomfortable, but once she’s done, she smiles and says, “There’s no evidence of assault, Melanie. I did a swab just to be sure, but since you were unconscious, he would have had to had used a great deal of lubrication to get inside you or there would have been serious damage. There’s no new bruising either.” I blush at the word “new.” With all the kinky fucking we’ve been doing lately, it’s a wonder I’m not waddling most days. I’ve been feeling saddle sore, but I didn’t want anyone else to know, so I’ve been trying to keep my gait normal.
“Thank you.” I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders. Quickly, I cover myself when she stands.
“You’re welcome. Let me check your neck and wrists, and then we’ll get to your head. You can wrap the sheet over you if you feel more comfortable. I know this feels extremely invasive after everything that’s happened today.”
After everything is done, I ask for Will.
He enters the room looking like he’s aged several years. “Babe,” he whispers, sighing as he runs his hand through his smooth brown hair. “How are you feeling?”
“They gave me some painkillers, so right now I’m feeling pretty good,” I answered, giving him a playful smile and wide eyes. He chuckles lightly.
“I…can…Melanie, can I hold you?”
“I’d love that,” I say, nodding rapidly with my arms out, needing his touch more than I care to admit. He sits on the bed and lifts me onto his lap, holding me close. “I should have never went to get coffee,” I sob against his chest.
“God, I love you so much. I was so damn scared that I’d lost you for good. Damn it, I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re everything to me, my beautiful love.” He kisses my temple and then clings to me. “Please tell me if I’m squeezing too tightly.” As much as it hurts, I need his embrace to feel safe. Goodness, I don’t feel protected without him. Have I developed a serious case of codependency? I don’t care, because William Steele is my world.
“Thank you for finding me.”
“Thank you for hanging on.” His lips brush mine, and we fall into a sweet, gentle kiss before there is a knock at the door and the doctor comes in to check on me.
Chapter Nineteen
Will
When Beast’s eyes land on his daughter’s bracelet, I watch his jaw tighten. Then his eyes lift to meet mine. “You’re a dead man, Will,” my brother chuckles beside me.
I look over at my blushing woman and give her a wink. “She’s no longer Daddy’s Princess. She’s Will’s Property.” I smirk at my soon-to-be father-in-law and take a pull of my beer. He’s lucky I don’t tattoo it on her because I’m tempted as fuck. The trouble that she put me through and the shit I did made it all the more real, and claiming her has been the most important thing on my brain. She belongs to me like I belong to her.
I want everyone to know it. There’s no way it will go unnoticed now. Soon, everyone will see it in a different way. In a few years, her belly will be rounded as fuck. I have plans for her that her father won’t approve of, but I don’t care because I did what he didn’t, what he couldn’t. I protected her. She’s mine.