Two days later, Alpha Kaidan returned to work.
Naomi had expected him to wait another day, if not longer, but when she entered his room that morning to check his wound, she found him dressed in a dark shirt and black trousers, fastening his watch.
She paused at the doorway. "What are you doing?"
Alpha Kaidan glanced at her. "Getting ready for work."
"I can see that. I’m asking why."
A faint smile touched his face. "The pack hasn’t stopped needing an Alpha because I got injured."
"And the wound hasn’t stopped needing time to heal because you’re impatient."
"I’m not planning to spend the entire day at the office."
Naomi walked over and gestured for him to sit. "Then let me check the dressing before you make any decisions about how much work you can handle."
Alpha Kaidan sat without arguing. She carefully removed the dressing and examined the wound. It was healing, though the area remained tender. She cleaned it, applied fresh medication, and secured a new dressing.
"It’s healing," she said. "But that doesn’t mean you should spend hours sitting behind your desk without a break. Avoid straining your arm, and come back if the pain gets worse."
"I will."
Naomi looked at him, unconvinced by how easily he agreed.
"Alpha Kaidan, I’m serious."
"So am I."
She finished securing the dressing and stepped back. "You can return to work, but you still need to be sensible about it."
"I’ll try not to disappoint my healer."
"I’m not joking."
"Neither am I."
For a moment, they looked at each other. His expression was lighter than it had been in the days following the shooting, but Naomi wasn’t ready to mistake a few pleasant exchanges for a change in their marriage.
She packed away the supplies. "Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
"Then eat before you leave."
"I was going to."
"Good."
She turned towards the door, but his voice stopped her.
"Naomi."
She looked back.
"Thank you for taking care of me."
"You needed care. I gave it."
"I know." He held her gaze. "But I still wanted to thank you."
She gave a small nod before leaving him to get ready.
By the time Alpha Kaidan reached his office, John had already arranged the morning’s reports on his desk. He looked up when his Alpha entered, surprise briefly crossing his face.
"Sir, I thought you were returning tomorrow."
"I decided to come in today. How much has piled up?"
"Enough to keep you occupied for a while." John glanced at his injured arm. "I’ve separated the urgent matters from everything else. The rest can wait until you’re fully recovered."
"Good. Let’s start with the urgent ones."
John handed him the first report and began explaining the matters that required his attention. Alpha Kaidan listened, asked questions, and made decisions where necessary. For anything that could be delegated, he instructed John to handle it rather than insisting on doing everything himself.
By late morning, he had worked through the most pressing reports without aggravating his injury.
When John brought in another folder, Alpha Kaidan glanced at the clock.
"Move the afternoon meeting to tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, Sir?"
"Yes. I can manage the office today, but I won’t spend the entire day here to prove I’m recovered."
John gave a small, approving nod. "I’ll inform them."
"And make sure no one brings me routine matters that can wait. If something urgent comes up, let me know."
"Yes, Sir."
After John left, Alpha Kaidan returned to the report in front of him. His attention remained on the work, but his thoughts briefly turned to Naomi.
That afternoon, Alpha Kaidan finished earlier than he normally would have. John had advised him to leave the remaining reports until the next morning, and, for once, he had listened.
Before leaving the office, Alpha Kaidan asked John about Naomi’s schedule.
"She’ll be at the healer quarters until her duties are finished," John replied. "Healer Evelyn sent over the updated schedule this morning."
Alpha Kaidan considered it for a moment. "Send a car to pick her up at the close of work."
John looked at him briefly, then nodded. "I’ll make sure of it." Alpha Kaidan left the office.
At the healer quarters, Naomi continued her work with Healer Evelyn, concentrating on the responsibilities she had returned to after spending several days at the pack house.
By late afternoon, she was finishing up when a staff member came to inform her that a car had arrived to take her home.
Naomi looked up in surprise. "Who sent it?"
"Alpha Kaidan, Madam. He said the driver should wait until you’re ready."
She thanked the staff member and gathered her things. Alpha Kaidan hadn’t told her he would arrange transportation, and she hadn’t asked for it.
Still, she appreciated that he had considered how she would get home rather than leaving her to make the arrangements herself.
When she arrived at the pack house, she found Alpha Kaidan in the sitting room, a folder resting on the table beside him. He was dressed casually, his injured arm supported comfortably against a cushion.
"You’re home early," she said.
"I finished what needed to be done."
She set her bag down. "How did work go?"
"Busy, but manageable."
"Did you follow the instructions I gave you?"
"I took breaks. I delegated what I could. I even cancelled an afternoon meeting."
Naomi raised an eyebrow. "You cancelled a meeting?"
"Postponed it."
"That sounds more believable."
He laughed quietly, and she found herself smiling before she could stop it. The expression faded into something more restrained as she remembered how unfamiliar it still felt to share an easy moment with him.
Alpha Kaidan noticed, but he did not question her or try to hold on to the moment longer than she wanted.
"I was thinking of having dinner a little later," he said. "Would you like to join me, if your schedule allows?"
Naomi studied him. He had asked rather than assumed, and he had left room for her to decline.
"I’ll join you," she said. "I just need to put my things away first."
"All right. I’ll let Grace know."
Naomi picked up her bag and went to her room, carrying the day’s events with her.
It was a small change. Alpha Kaidan had returned to work, respected her responsibilities, and asked for her company without treating it as something owed to him.
She wasn’t ready to trust him simply because he was trying.
But she could acknowledge that, this time, he had made room for her to choose.