But he knew he had no one to blame but himself; he brought this upon his own head. He should have known that hurting one's mate would never end well. So, he remained silent, simply watching as Addison helped Mary remove the arrows one by one, gently coaxing her with reassuring words.
When Addison was done tending to her wounds, she made Mary drink another high-grade healing potion before helping her get dressed. Then, she asked one of the warriors to escort Mary to where the elders and the young were sheltered, so she could rest safely under their protection.
Once the warrior and Mary were gone, leaving only Addison and Zion behind, Zion cleared his throat loudly and subtly scooted closer.
"How are you feeling? Are you tired? Do you want me to massage your muscles a bit?" Zion blurted out, firing questions one after another. He was eager, almost desperate, to deepen his connection with Addison, hoping she would stop treating him with her hot-and-cold attitude.
