Chapter 32 Never Left POV: Echo An uncomfortable churning feeling in my stomach, combined with the sensation of moving too quickly, is what finally wakes me up. Lying on my stomach on something warm which wraps around my torso and meets across my lower back, I can’t help but feel relaxed and nuzzle against the calming warmth below me, sighing contentedly as it chases the nauseating feeling away. I pause when a purr vibrates out of the warmth below me, sending my heart racing as I feel the warmth chuckle, before unwrapping itself from my torso. Breathing in the calming scent of damp forest and fresh coffee, I relax as someone gently runs their hands over my hair. “You are safe, Little Warrior. We are on our way to our home,” Atlas says softly, kissing the top of my head. I gradually opened my eyes, feeling embarrassed when I understood the heat was coming from my mate, and I had just snuggled up to his brawny chest. Glancing up at him through my lashes to see him grinning down at me

POV: Echo We’ve been driving down the dirt path for a while now, and I can see a clearing up ahead. As we approached, I noticed a huge multistory house, sitting to one side with the forest behind it. A second, smaller, two-story building sits next to it. Rows of fair-sized homes with green yards that are well-maintained and full of life fill the rest of the clearing. There is a crowd of wolves waiting in front of the pack house to greet us. I lean into Atlas’s chest as I see more wolves joining, both in wolf and human forms. I don’t think I have ever seen so many wolves in one place before. Panic bubbles into my chest, as I realize I am too injured to even move on my own, never mind get out of the car and meet my new pack. I don’t want to answer the inevitable questions that will come up from the pack seeing me being unloaded from the car in this condition. “We aren’t stopping at the pack house, Little Warrior,” Atlas says. “You are heading straight to the pack infirmary next door

POV: Echo Even though I had just spent the last four days unconscious, I was completely overcome with pure exhaustion after having woken up and met Noira. She seemed to notice and politely excused herself from the room, leaving Atlas and I alone. He watched me closely, as though I’d disappear if he blinked too long. Looking him over, I realized he was still wearing the same black shirt and jeans he’d put on before we left the Red Stone pack. The outfit is crumpled and wrinkled, and his dishevelled hair and stubbly chin complete the look. I can tell he has been sleeping in the chair beside my bed, waiting for me to wake up. I place a shaky hand on his cheek, and he leans into it, the tension leaving his body. “I’m here, Atlas, and I’m not going anywhere!” I whisper, leaning forward to kiss his forehead before releasing him. Chuckling, he smiles at me, eyes sparkling in amusement. “You’re the one in the hospital bed, and yet you’re comforting me!” I can feel my cheeks turn pink a bit

I buried my face in his broad chest, breathing his scent and listening to his steady heartbeat as he carried me through the halls. He only stops once to let the nurse at the desk know that Healer Cordelia was to come to check on me in the Alpha’s quarters when she returned. I find it is beyond calming, which I realize is probably because of the mate bond. When he steps outside, I am shocked to feel the heat of the sun mixed with the coolness of the breeze on my skin. Groaning as my eyes burned from the sudden bright light, I slowly peeked through them to see the sun high in the sky. I look at him surprised, and he raises an eyebrow and turns his head at me quizzically in return. “It was so dark in the room… I’d assumed it was nighttime!” I gasped, blushing as I ducked down to avoid the curious stares of pack members passing by. Atlas steps out onto the walking path as I look straight up, gasping at the span of the sky. It had been ten years since I’d been able to see so much of it

POV: Echo Atlas wouldn’t let me leave the walk-in closet until I’d picked a new outfit to wear after my shower. I struggled immensely as I had no memory of ever owning more than a couple of tops and bottoms at a time. Wanting nothing more than to wash the smell of the hospital off my body, I grab a plain shirt and leggings, much like what I was used to wearing minus the holes and transparency. Atlas raises his eyebrows at me and clicks his tongue. “Little Mate, you are supposed to be picking something you want to wear, some you actually like!” He says with a gentle smile, putting the offending clothing back. I can’t help but feel anxious as I look more closely at the items in the closet. It’s filled to bursting with such a wide variety of colours, textures, and styles that it completely overwhelms my system. Even though it seems to be organized into categories of clothing, from lounge wear to formal wear, the options are overwhelming and intimidating. Hell, the only time I have se