When Juniper awoke, she was considerably less clothed than before. She laid in a bed, in a t-shirt that wasn't hers.

Bear was laid at the foot of the bed, she sat up with a groan.

"If he fucking changed me I swear-"
Juniper was cut off by a grunt.

"He didn't. The nymph did," Raphael cut her off in a low voice.

Juniper covered her face as her head ached, "Why did you call them?"

She stood up slowly, her legs buckling.

Raphael was quick, wrapping his arms under her own. She winced and felt his grip tighten on her, they both froze for a second.

He lifted her back into the tall bed gently.

"I was supposed to let you die?" he snarled back.

"I didn't think you'd care," she snapped.

He clenched his jaw, leaning over her as their eyes clashed. Glares evident on both of their faces.

"Are you mated to me?"

Juniper's indifferent facade cracked in shock, her lips parting for a moment.

Raphael's own eyes widened at the confirmation. Her silence spoke louder than any excuses she could spew.

"Fuck!" he turned swiftly and began to pace.

"Why wouldn't you tell me?!" A vein in his neck pulsed as his voice rose at her.

"There's more to it than that!" She yelled back, sitting up on her knees in the bed.

"So you weren't going to tell me we were soul mates? Keep me in the dark and-and leave?"

She pressed her hands to her forehead, rubbing her fingers through her hair. "Don't you think if I could tell you I would have? It's not like you were the most welcoming anyway!"

He too ran his hands through his dark locks, he hissed out a response. "You were still going to leave!" he pointed an accusatory finger at her.

Juniper shrieked in frustration and threw the nearest pillow at him. He swiped it out of the way, refraining from throwing it back at her.

"I need to leave to keep you safe, you fuck!" she bellowed.

His eyes blazed in anger, fists clenched before a knock sounded on the door.

He gripped a near set of boxers and threw them to her, "It's the doctor. Put these on."

"So only you get to see me in my underwear now?" Juniper sneered under her breath.

He ignored her and went to open the door. Juniper watched him closely, eyes trailing over his form. His shirt was halfway unbuttoned, his tan chest exposed. His chest was muscular, straining against the shirt and his hair was a mess.

She frowned as she laid on her back, putting the boxers on haphazardly. Uncaring of who she flashed.

The doctor cleared his throat as Juniper crawled towards the end of the bed, glaring at the men while reaching for Bear. Lying on the bed, she began to pet him.

Raphael, angrier than he has ever been in a while, still swallowed hard at the sight of the woman lounging on his bed and in his clothes.

"Juniper," the berserker managed to get out.

She frowned but looked at the doctor.

"I just need a blood sample to make sure the toxins are out of your blood stream."

Raphael watched Juniper closely, how she stiffened. Recoiling slowly, to the top of the bed.

"No, I'm fine."

The doctor came closer with his bag, Raphael pressed a hand to his chest to stop his approach.

"We need to make sure you're healthy."

"No, I know I'm healthy," she narrowed her eyes. "In the next few hours I'll be fine. Shadow demons have subtypes. My family and similar demons are resistant to poisons. You can ask my friends."

"Juniper," Raphael pinched the bridge of his nose. "We need a sample." She looked out the window and rest her chin on her knees, ignoring the two men.

"What is it now?" Juniper did not appreciate how impatient her mate sounded, as if she asked to be here.

Raphael saw the way she was clutched both of her arms protectively. As if they were going to stick the needle in from here.

"You don't like needles?"

"I promise to keep it quick," the doctor offered.

"He's the best on the island," The large man came closer. He purposefully lowered his voice and slowly sat besides her.

She glanced at him, not speaking a word.

He sighed heavily, "Do you want me to hold your hand?" Raphael's tone was almost mocking.

Juniper frowned angrily. When she didn't answer with a sarcastic response he knew she was serious, he realized

He moved closer, "I just need to make sure you're okay." The words were quiet, almost reluctant to come out.

Her gaze softened at the conviction in his tone. "Despite everything, whatever you're feeling I'm feeling it just the same," he whispered hoarsely.

"I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

She huffed quietly, looking at the doctor who was facing away from them. Giving them space.

She sniffled reluctantly, holding out her arms.

"You have to draw from the hand, my veins are hard to see."

Seeing the slight shake to her hands, Raphael placed a hand on her back gently. Seeing her relax,  he knew the matebond was doing its job.

Raphael grunted and tugged the smaller woman between his legs, allowing her to lean against his chest. Her breath stuttered at the mere position, the doctor quickly got to work.

She shut her eyes as he sterilized the area, turning her head away into Raphael's bicep.

Other than her back against his chest, Raphael didn't touch her. He did stare down at her body against his own, trying to keep his thoughts at bay so their situation wouldn't be even more awkward.

His chest did tighten at how she rest her cheek on his arm, brows furrowed as he pressed the needle to her skin. He enjoyed the fact that she sought comfort from him and no one else.

"This is a change in attitude," she muttered under her breath to him.

"You can thank me later," he grunted.

At the pinch she grit her teeth but didn't make a sound, it wasn't the pain that put her off from this.

Within the next minute the doctor was placing a bandage over the back of her hand.

He was sent out as the two sat in silence.

"Would you like to explain any of this?" Raphael finally broke it as she frowned at the wound on her hand.

Craning her neck to look up at him, their eyes met. Trailing her tongue over her lip in thought, he couldn't help but look down.

Juniper shook her head at him, to answer his question.

He sighed lowly, even with a small amount of progress and an act that put him completely out of his comfort zone he got no explanation.

His head turned towards the door, hearing someone approaching the door.

"You're friends coming. We'll be downstairs when you feel like explaining," he moved her, albeit gently, out of the way and didn't spare another look at her before walking out.

She sat in silence for a few moments, her cheek rested on her knees.

She jumped a little when the door slammed open. Seraphina sobbed at the sight of her, running to crush Juniper in a tight hug.

"I thought you were gone forever!" Sera cried softly into Juniper's chest as she rubbed her back.

"I thought it was going to be a lot easier to leave," Juniper joked quietly.

Seraphina pulled away to look at the bandage on her neck, "This is getting insane."

Juniper nodded in agreement, "They fucking shot me in the neck."

"And you're mate carried you off and saved you," Sera was wide eyed speaking with hushed whispers.

"He didn't save me, I don't die from poison remember? Whoever tried to kill me was an idiot. I guess these people don't know Im a shadow demon, we can use that to our advantage," she rubbed her face in thought.

"He was up here the entire time," Seraphina informed her meekly.

Juniper laid back in a huff, "That asshole is so... ugh!" She pressed the heels of her hands over her eyes.

"He knows about the bond," Juniper husked.

"And...?"

"And I'm so confused Sera," Juniper whined lowly. "He comforts me but then we're tense. I mean, I'm not telling him the whole story and he knows that. I guess I don't blame him."

"That doesn't mean his attitude towards you helps at all," Seraphina frowned.

"Yeah well, we can't all be perfect. I'm lucky he hasn't killed me yet."

"Over my dead body!" Seraphina glared. "We have to meet the man of the hour downstairs to figure this mess out. Thanks to your adventure things just got a whole lot more complicated."