The Mating Rights

Chapter 30

Taya's POV

   My head is pounding through my skull and the thought of opening my eyes pains me. I open my eyes and it's dark in this room. I reach out for Jesse but I don't feel him. I sit up in the bed and I'm immediately crushed. My breath has been taken by that simply little move. I am the sorest I have ever been in my life. I see Jesse sleeping on the couch on the side of the room and my heart is soothed a little. 

   "You're up. How are you feeling", Max asks me. He's sitting in a chair next to the nightstand near the bed. 

   I hadn't even noticed him sitting there, "Oh wow, hi. I didn't see you". 

   It is strange because I still kinda knew he was in the room. I think about it and listen. I can hear his heartbeat and the steady sound of his breath. There is someone else somewhere in the house, I can hear another heartbeat but it's faint. 

   "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Here is some medicine. The doctor wanted to wait with you until you woke up but he has other pack members to tend to. Once he saw you were in stable condition he sent a nurse. She asked me to make sure you took these once you woke", Max told me. 

   He handed me the medicine and a small carton of orange juice. I took the medicine and prayed that it worked because my body was a block of pain. Nothing compared to the change though. I thought many times of just giving up and letting God or the Moon Goddess take me. 

   "Thank you Max", I tell him quietly after I took the medicine. 

   "You were a fucking trooper Luna", he smiles at me. "I was so worried that you weren't going to make it but I should have known Jesse wouldn't have let that happen". 

   He looks at Jesse sadly then to me. He opens his mouth and closes it then opens it again. I can tell he wants to say something. 

   "Spit it out Max", I tell him. 

   "Taya, do you remember being in pain during the change and then the pain dulling slightly", Max asks me. He sounds scared and he keeps looking at Jesse who is still asleep on the couch. 

   "Yeah Max, why what's the problem", I say a little impatiently. I mean I just woke up from a traumatic experience and I don't understand what I'm being questioned about. 

   "Well, that was Jesse using the slight mate bond that you guys already have to take away some of your pain-" he starts. 

   "Well fuck, I didn't know that was possible. That's cool. I wish he could have taken more", I tell him. 

   "You're not understanding me, Jesse took your pain on as his own. That is incredible hard to do and was probably excruciatingly painful for him", Max tells me. 

   I look at him jumping up off of the bed. My body is protesting harshly but I don't care. My mate is hurt. 

   "Sit down, won't you. He is fine now. He is one of the most powerful full blood alpha's in the world. He heals rather quickly", Max informs me while holding my arms and helping me back to the bed. 

   I lay back down and my body punishes me with one last stab of pain as I fall back onto my back. 

   "Why would he do that", I ask more to myself than to Max. 

   "Because he loves you and he's going to do it again if given the opportunity", Max tells me. "You cannot let him. That power is one incredibly hard to tap in too and I've only ever heard of 2 other alpha's being able to do it. One of them died during the process. It is extremely dangerous and you cannot allow him to do it anymore", Max tells me. 

   "I won't. I promise, I'll talk to him-", I start to say. 

   "No, he'll do it anyway. If you completely close your mind to him he won't be able to do it. I just have to let you know this before the fight. Moon Goddess forbid anything happens to you, you have to keep your mind closed to Jesse. He will try it again", Max tells me sternly. 

   I look at Jesse then back to Max and nod. 

   "Good, thank you. Now I'm going to go wake Jesse. He asked me to wake him the second you woke up so just pretend I did please", Max pleads with me. 

   "Yeah yeah yeah, sure Max", I say reminding me of the time I first really met him and Tawny. 

   Max walks over to Jesse and tells him that I've woken up. Jesse is on his feet in a second and is on the bed in another. 

   "Baby, what. Oh my Goddess. I can't believe you made it. You're so strong. How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Medicine?", he rushes out. 

   He is laying on top of me but hovering so that his body weight is held in one of his arms. He is hugging me with the other. He brings me up to a sitting position carefully and fully hugs me. I shake my head into his chest. 

   "I just need you. This. It feels good", and it does. I'm surprised that I didn't feel much pain when he moved me to sit up. 

   He pulls away from me and says, "you were amazing. I can't believe how good you did. Your wolf is beautiful and my wolf is excited to meet yours". 

   I smile at him, "thank you for everything. I couldn't have done this without you".

   Jesse leans down to give me a kiss. It's magical as always but short because Max is still sitting on the couch. 

   "I love you more than I could ever say", he tells me. 

   "And I love you more than that", I respond. 

   Jesse kisses the tip on my nose lovingly, "impossible".