“Rest,” Sam said, and Alice nodded in agreement. “Nothing but rest for the next few days. Eat what you can, when you can.”
Aaron frowned, and Marshall ran a finger across the furrow on his brow. “Hey, less of that, Mr. Alpha. You’re sick. You need to take a few days off to heal.” He pressed a kiss to Aaron’s temple. “And look at it this way, we can binge the rest ofRandall’s Quest.”
Aaron gave a groan, and Darcy squealed in glee. “Oh, I love that show. Have you read the books?”
Marshall grinned at her. “Yes. I introduced Aaron to it a few nights ago. He’s not a fan, but I’m sure I can convince him just how good it is over the next few days.”
“Okay, everyone out,” Sam said, grinning. “I’ll check back in with you later this evening. I’ll get Josh to arrange some fresh snack trays for you, and I’ll let Saint know you’re okay and going to be resting for the next few days.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Marshall said. He didn’t bother getting up to see them out. He was too comfortable, and Aaron had a tight grip on his hand, so he wasn’t going anywhere, even he wanted to.
“Thank you, Alice. Darcy, you’re improving in leaps and bounds. I’m proud of you,” Aaron said, making the young witch blush and duck her head.
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Alice promised.
Marshall made sure Aaron was sleeping as he rose from the bed. Aaron gave a quiet whimper and stretched an arm across the empty space, searching for his mate.
“Shh. I’m just going to check in with Saint. I won’t be long,” Marshall reassured him, stroking a hand through his hair. Aaron sighed and gave a sleepy nod before dropping back into a deep sleep.
Leaving the room quietly, Marshall crossed the living area and poked his head into the hallway. He was surprised to see Blake sitting on a chair just outside the doorway, a book propped in his hand.
“Hey, Marshall, how’s the Boss?”
“He’s okay. He’s sleeping. A few days’ rest and he’ll be back on deck.”
“Good. He was really grumpy when you left.”
“So I hear. I’m sure he’ll soon be back to his sunny self.” Marshall gave Blake a considering look. “Why are you out here?”
“Pack protocol,” Blake replied. “The Alpha is incapacitated, so we protect him until he’s not.”
Marshall nodded his approval. “Thanks. I’m sure he won’t mind me saying we appreciate it. Although, I doubt there’s much of a threat here in the actual pack house, is there?”
“No, not really. I’m more of a deterrent to over-enthusiastic well-wishers and busybodies.”
“Ah, yes. I can understand that.”
“Where are you heading off to?” Blake asked.
“Just going back to my suite to catch up with Saint. Reassure him I’m okay.”
“Good idea. He finally went to get some dinner a little while ago. How do you cope with him when he’s pacing? I’m sure Aaron’s going to have to replace the carpet in here with the number of laps he did.”
Marshall laughed. “I’ve grown up with it, so I have to admit, I don’t notice it. In fact, I tend to pace as well. I’m sure it’s a learned behavior from him.”
It was Blake’s turn to laugh, his dark features lightening and dimples appearing in the scruff that lined his jaw. If Marshall wasn’t so hung up on Aaron, then he would have looked twice at Blake. Surprising really, considering he hadn’t had the same thought when he’d met Rafe briefly two years ago, but despite being identical twins, Blake appeared more easy-going than his brother, and this shone through in his demeanor.
“I won’t be long. Do you want me to bring you anything back?”
“No, thanks. I’m good. I swapped out with Rafe after dinner. He’ll be back in a couple of hours to do the next shift.”
“I’m coming back to spend the night with Aaron, so you don’t have to be here all night,” Marshall told him.
Blake raised an eyebrow at him. “With all due respect, Marshall, you’re not the Alpha-Mate yet, and until Aaron himself dismisses us, we’ll be here to protect him… and you.”
“Sorry, yes, of course.” Marshall sighed and ran a hand over his face, kicking himself for offending the panther. “Old habits die hard, and you’re right. Until we sort out this bond nonsense, neither of us is at full strength.”
“No harm, no foul. I’m sure you’ve got lots of adjusting to do. The main thing is to get you both healthy, then I’m sure we’ll have a discussion or two about how things are run around here.”