C12 MY MATE II

He gave me an encouraging nod, so I did what I did to Raymond. I wrapped my palm around the back of Dr. Linn's hand and held it as I stared up at him. Dr. Linn looked taken aback as he looked over to Raymond, who softly growled.

He moved his hand from mine rather quickly, and I tilted my head. Looking at my hand, I wonder why I didn't feel the sensation that I did with Raymond. Was that a mate thing? I closed my eyes and groaned softly at the pain that was starting to soar in my body. "The medicine is almost completely out of your system. I would like to see if you can eat on your own and swallow fluids. But, first, can you open your mouth very wide for me?" He asked.

Slowly, I nodded and opened my mouth, softly trying not to reopen the wounds. But Dr. Linn didn't seem to mind as he pulled my mouth completely open and shoved something over my tongue.

Pain shot through my face as I tried to touch the wounds at the edge of my lips. Whatever was in my mouth was gone now, and Dr Linn was stepping away from the bed.

He threw something black in the trash across the room and turned towards me, "It looks like the bruising and swelling at the back of her mouth is going down." He said and looked at Raymond, "I can't say if she lost her voice before or after her recent attack. Her mate would know this information." Dr. Linn said. I looked at Raymond, confused. I thought he was my mate.

Raymond clenched his fist and nodded, "I'm going to order some soup and water. You should be able to eat it without much difficulty. I'll be back later to check on how things went." Dr.

Linn said and gave me a tight smile as he walked out of the room. I watched as he closed the door and then looked at Raymond. He didn't say anything as he paced around the bed.

"Let me explain." Raymond said and leaned against the end of the bed, "I am your mate, but you have been marked by someone. Your shoulder." He said, I moved my head and looked at the wound Rick had given me. 'Only mates give those marks." Raymond growled as he looked towards me. I frowned as I looked down at my hands, "Did you mark him?" Raymond asked in a soft voice. I shook my head slowly, "Did you want to be marked by him?" He asked. I shook my head. I never wanted to be marked again. I could remember the pain I felt when the men took their marks away. Raymond seemed more relaxed as he looked at me. He watched me the same way I watched the blue sky the first day I escaped. But even though his face held nothing but admiration, I still felt scared of him.

Amanda walked into the room a minute later, carrying a white bowl. She blushed slightly as she looked at Alpha Aeron and bowed her head, "Alpha." She said in a low voice. I looked towards her, but she didn't sound like that earlier. She slowly moved the top of my bed up as she brought the food towards me and opened the lid, "I have chicken noodle soup for you.

We can try the noodles at the end." Amanda said in a caring voice. But I looked at Raymond and then towards her. "Have you contacted her mate yet, Alpha? I'm sure he will be very grateful that you stayed by her side. But I can watch her for now." She said in a soothing voice. Raymond looked at the nurse rather than me as he nodded.

"Thank you, Nurse Amanda." Raymond said and walked away from the end of the bed, "I have some business to take care of, unless you want me to stay." He said and looked at me. His eyes were pleading, but I looked at the food and shook my head. Raymond nodded his head and then walked towards the door, leaving the room.

He looked disappointed when he looked back at me. I touched my hand as I tilted my head.

Mate.

"You are one lucky woman." Amanda said as she blew on the hot soup, "Having the Alpha in this room with you alone." She gushed out. She brought the spoon to my lips and held a napkin to my lips as I tried to swallow the broth, "Too bad he never found his mate. They say if you don't find your mate by the time you're eighteen, you'll never get one. Sometimes the legend goes all the way up to twenty. Alpha was crushed when he turned twenty, but he occupied himself with some unmated females." She said and sighed as she looked down at her ring.

The ring looked so simple, but shone in the light. Amanda smiled softly towards me, "My mate Jon is his beta." She said and smiled towards the door, "When he found me, he made such a big scene. So many mates do that, they want to show off their love, I wonder what the Alpha would have done."

Amanda rambled as she fed me soup and held the napkin to my lips.

I tried to concentrate on the liquid in my mouth and not her rambling. But then I realized the name. The first man! Then I knew her mate was a true monster. I looked at her with wide eyes; she had a smile and seemed happy. How could someone be happy with a mate like that man?

That man, who- I closed my eyes and shook away the memories. I ate in silence as the last part of her rambling seemed to settle in my head. If what she said was true, then was Raymond keeping me a secret? Did he not want me as his mate?

Maybe that is why he wouldn't tell the doctor or the nurse that I was his mate; he was embarrassed. Slowly, I looked at the mark on my shoulder and scowled in annoyance as I then turned back to Amanda, who was touching my hair. Only then did I realize it had been cut.

My long locks were gone, the left side of my hair was chopped to my neck, and the other side had been unevenly cut to end at my elbow on the right side. I looked at Amanda and then back at my hair, "I can fix this for you." She said and smiled as I eagerly nodded.