REID POV
“Listen, Buddy,” Dad says as he pulls away from me.
His nose is tipped with pink, his eyes are puffy, and his cheeks are stained with tears. He sets his hands on my shoulders and takes a deep breath.
“You should go. Spend some time with your mate.” His eyes flick to Taryn over my shoulder, and he smiles at her.
I shake my head, and Taryn rubs my back. “I don’t want to leave you. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone.”
“I’ll be fine,” he says, squeezing my shoulders. “Bonding with your mate is more important than—”
Another coughing fit hits him, and he lets go of me, covering his mouth and gripping onto the bedding again, his knuckles turning white. Taryn moves around me and rests her hand on his arm, pulsing more of her golden healing magic into him.
“We don’t mind st
