Time seemed to stretch out to Celeste. It felt like an eternity since Jeremy walked out of that door. But in reality, probably only a few minutes had passed since he left the room.
She had never been so clingy. She had never felt such a need to be close to Jeremy. She guessed her wolf had quite a lot to do with what she was feeling. Her wolf within her had become restless for Jeremy. But she couldn't help with it.
She didn't know if Jeremy was feeling the same, though. But when he turned back to look at her before leaving, she could sense his wolf wanting the same as hers did.
The memory of Jeremy's first shift flashed in her mind. She remembered Jeremy's wolf frozen when she tried to touch him. And she remembered herself standing in front of Jeremy's room, with just a thin door separating the two of them. If he had known they were mates, how much had he gone through to keep himself locked away from her? How on earth did he manage to control his inner beast?
Her wolf yearned for the company of Jeremy. But because of her injuries, her influence on Celeste was significantly watered down. But even so, the mere realization of Jeremy leaving her for a few minutes still led to an indescribable amount of pain. She could hear the wolf in her howl in protest. And she was already longing for Jeremy's return.
And Jeremy kept himself from her for about a month.
Celeste tried to shun what happened during Jeremy's second shift, but her effort was in vain. Memories crashed over her like a tidal wave. She remembered the full moon that night, which only strengthened the urge and desire from Jeremy's inner wolf. And she was standing right out of his door, testing his nerves and ignoring his pleas for her to leave.
Now she realized the danger she had put him and herself in. It suddenly dawned on her just how close she had come to being torn apart by the wild beast inside Jeremy that night.
How had he managed to resist sinking his teeth into her flesh and devouring her alive? What kind of strength and self-control had he drawn to hold back his lupine nature and walk away from her?
The thoughts lingered in her mind, leaving Celeste shaken and rattled at the sheer weight of this realization.
But she didn't have time to think further about it, because her wolf already sensed Jeremy getting closer. Her attention drifted to the outside of the door.
Yes, she sensed Jeremy's existence. She didn't need to listen. Celeste was in awe. That should be a special connection between mates, then. She felt him. She felt his strong, steady heartbeats.
Celeste gazed at the doorway with anticipation. As expected, Jeremy walked in through the door within seconds with a plate of… Wait. Was that curry? It smelled really good. Now she felt hungry.
She was a little surprised. She had expected nothing more than some sandwiches or cookies and milk.
"I made this for you," Jeremy said, his voice warm and tender as he placed the plate in front of Celeste.
"You made this?" Celeste raised a questioning eyebrow. Since when did he become so talented in food?
"Yeah." Jeremy shrugged.
"And exactly how?" she couldn't help with her skeptical tone.
"Urr… "Just put the food in the microwave and wait for a certain time," Jeremy replied in confidence.
Celeste's mouth twitched. "So technically, you microwaved. You didn't cook."
"Isn't that the same thing?" The man asked, a hint of confusion showing on his face.
Celeste didn't know what she was going to say without undermining his confidence in cooking.
"All right! All right! Stop judging me." Jeremy protested. He went to the side of her bed and raised it to allow her to sit up and eat.
Her right shoulder ached when she moved, so she lifted her left arm to reach the spoon.
Jeremy shook his head. "Let me help you."
Celeste felt embarrassed. She was injured, not disabled. And she was not a child. She could take care of herself. She didn't need Jeremy to feed her.
"No, I can do it myself. You can just hold the plate."
Jeremy held the dish as he was told while Celeste scooped food into her mouth. Even though it was microwaved, the curry tasted good.
"How about the food?" Jeremy asked in uncertainty.
"Tasty. I could get used to you microwaving."
A smirk lurked at Jeremy's lips.
Celeste was glad she was at least capable of feeding herself. But days of lying in bed had left her hand trembling. And some of the sauce stuck to her cheek. She huffed in frustration. Reluctant as she was, she set down her spoon and reached for a napkin to wipe away the sauce.
But to her surprise, Jeremy's fingers reached her skin first, and his thumb slid confidently on her skin, removing the curry from her cheek. Automatically, Jeremy put the thumb in his mouth and licked the sauce away.
The action was so sudden that Celeste sat in stunned silence, staring into his mouth as their gazes locked.
Jeremy was stunned, too, after a sudden realization of what he had just done.
But then Celeste broke the trance with a giggle. "Get your own food if you're hungry. Don't steal mine."
Jeremy did a double-take at her words. Something flashed across his eyes, but Celeste didn't pay attention to it.
"Well…, I was just testing how good my skills are," he said.
"Yeah, your microwave skills," she corrected him. But when she saw the feigned annoyance on Jeremy's face, she remarked, "But I have to admit, your microwave skills are beyond average. Keep up with the good work, young man…"
As they bickered back and forth, Celeste finally finished her meal.
Jeremy took away the plate and went back to her.