Within seconds, he was behind me swooping me up into his arms. “What happened?”
I sighed. “It’s nothing. I just heard her scream and then a crash and I ran from the shower and fell. It’ll be fine.”
“Your knee?”
I bit my lip and nodded.
“Hey kiddo, come here.”
Macie peeked her head into my room. “Sorry Mom. I didn’t mean to scare you. We just wanted to surprise you.”
“Mission accomplished,” I told her with a smile.
Baine jostled me around and then tossed his phone to Macie. “Call Grant and tell him to get his ass over here. I’m going to rinse off your mom and help her dress, but I need him to take a look at her knee, okay?”
She grinned and nodded, then closed the door behind her as she left.
“I don’t care what you’re doing, my mom’s hurt and Baine said to get your ass over here.”
I glared at Baine who cringed under my scrutiny.
“Language. I’ll talk to her,” he promised.
Then he lifted me up and walked me into the bathroom.
“Baine I’m fine.”
“You were limping.”
“I just busted my knee. It’ll be fine.”
He wasn’t going to listen and my mind was still whirling over seeing him. I let him take care of me however he saw fit. Unfortunately, that didn’t include him stripping down and joining me in the shower.
He gave me a smirk and I didn’t even realize I was pouting about it.
“Save it for after our kid’s asleep for the night, babe.”
My cheeks reddened to an even darker color. I knew he couldn’t read my mind, but he might as well have just then.
He helped me rinse off trying not to soak his clothes anymore than carrying me already had. Finally, he gave up and stripped them off. I sighed happily at the sight of his naked body.
“This is staying PG right now,” he swore under his breath.
I giggled but relished in the feeling of being back in his arms.
The shower was far too short and soon I was shivering from the loss of the hot water warming my skin.
He stepped out then returned to wrap me up in a big fluffy towel.
“Are you always going to spoil me this much?” I asked dreamily.
He hugged me and his mouth descended towards mine, stopping to hover just above my lips. “Always.” His lips crushed mine. I sighed and he swept inside, swirling his tongue with mine.
Macie knocked on my bedroom door. “Grant’s here.”
Baine pulled back and then gave me one more chaste kiss. “Be right out.”
He insisted on carrying me to the bed and pulled out clothes. I expected him to try and dress me too, but he left me to find some clothes for himself. I was glad he’d left his things there. I didn’t want to admit I’d been sleeping with one of his shirts while he was gone, needing his scent surrounding me.
Fully clothed, I stood to walk out to meet our guest. I hated that the sharp pain was still there. Baine zipped up his pants and then lifted me back into his arms. Mine wrapped easily around his neck like it was the most natural thing in the world. I felt equally absurd and cherished having him carry me around the house.
“I can walk,” I stubbornly insisted.
“Maybe.” He shrugged, letting me know we weren’t going to test my theory any further.
“Hi,” I said to Grant and Taylor not surprised to see her with him.
“Macie said there was an accident or something?”
“I just fell on the tile getting out of the shower,” I confessed.
“Set her on the couch. We can prop her foot up on the coffee table,” Grant instructed.
“This is ridiculous and really isn’t necessary,” I protested.
“You haven’t made an honest man out of him yet,” Taylor teased. “Mating males are always the worst and most over-protective. Just let Grant take a look at it and help calm your mate.”
I huffed. “Fine.”
“So what happened exactly?”
I sighed. “I was in the shower and heard Macie scream followed by some commotion and then a loud bang.”
“Sorry, Mom. I knew Baine was coming home, but I didn’t think it would be that soon. I squealed when he walked in and jumped from the couch to the table and into his arms. He stumbled back and knocked us into the coat rack that fell to the floor. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”
Taylor laughed. “Well, that would be enough to scare the daylights out of anyone.”
“Well, I jumped out of the shower and was running to check on Macie and slipped and fell on the tile. I landed on my knee and there’s been a sharp pain ever since.”
He poked and prodded often causing me to nearly leap off of the couch.
“Honestly, I can’t be certain without an x-ray machine, but I think you may have broken your knee cap.”
I groaned. “That sounds like the dumbest thing ever.”
“I can talk to your Clan doctor and see if he has the equipment I need. The plane already returned home so mine isn’t here. I’m going to ask that you not shift for a few days at the least, and you’re going to have to stay off that leg for a while to let it heal.”
I groaned. “Fine. I can already tell this guy isn’t going to give me any other option anyway.”
Baine just grinned down at me.
“I have a test next week that I’d like to get out of. Any chance we’ll be moved by then?”
“Macie!”
“What? I’m serious. We’re packed and ready to go. How long until the move?”
Baine laughed. “Well, we’ll still be here at least a few more days. Silas is giving your grandpa a day or two to recoup before interrogations and debriefing begins. We’ll be heading home sometime after that.”
Macie gasped and I was stunned silent.
“You found grandpa?”
Baine grinned. “We did.”
“Wait, Dad’s home?”
“He is.” My eyes welled up with tears. Baine pulled me into his arms and kissed my temple. “And he’s alive and well. He’s weak, but his mind is far clearer than we expected.”
“Can we see him?” Macie asked.
“Yes,” Taylor assured her. “We can take you to him as soon as Grant’s finished up with your mom.”
“Overall, it was a smooth and easy extraction,” Grant told us.
“I still hate that we left the place operational. I may have been running point, but that was not my call.”
“Honestly thought Silas was going to retract that order. He was struggling on our exit,” Baine admitted.
“Is that what took you so long?” Taylor inquired. “I thought for sure I was going to have to send someone back in for the two of you.”
He shrugged. “I got him out okay.”
“It’s never easy knowingly leaving shifters in those places. It weighs heavily on all of us,” Grant confessed.
“Why didn’t you get the others then?” Macie innocently asked.
Baine and his friends shared a look like they didn’t know how to answer that.
“We’re monitoring them, short stuff. If we want to take them down for good, we have to be patient and that unfortunately means leaving some of them in there longer than we’d like. Do you understand?”