With each passing moment I knew I was fading away.
I knew Atlas was spent, and I was about to be as well.
I wished I could tell them how much they meant to me, how they shifted and changed my world completely. How nothing was worth it before them, I thought I had a life. I thought I knew peace and happiness, but what I had before them was just a shell of what real contentment was.
A warm light washed over me.
No, through me.
It pushed back the darkness and held it at bay.
I followed the light and tried to grasp it.
The dark red pain was replaced with warmth.
The sound of beeping, my heartbeat, and the smell of blood and bleach clawed at my senses.
“Cas?” The most beautiful voice lilted through the darkness.
(Willa)
“Holy s.hit The Alpha is alive,” Someone said, more panicked than I heard them sound even when he was dying.
I fell into the bed next to my son. Emmett sat up and smiled at me widely.
“Emmett, what happened?”
I still didn’t believe it. I didn’t understand.
“The tingles in me. They wanted to help.” Emmett explained.
Was he getting some kind of power already? I thought that wouldn’t have developed until later.
It didn’t matter. Whatever he did was working, I just hoped it held.
“Emmett,” I pulled him to me and buried my head in his hair.
I couldn’t believe it.
I had just lost him.
For Good.
“Check his vitals,” A nurse came next to me.
Everyone in the room looked shocked yet relaxed. They were staring at each other as if someone else’s face would have the answer.
I set Emmett on the floor to give them some space to check him over, but I didn’t drop his small hand.
I bent over and brushed some of Caspien’s hair away from his damp face. He felt warm again, and his breathing was deep and even. “Cas?” I tried, not sure what to expect.
After a long moment his eyes blinked open, his familiar blue eyes that I thought I would never see again. I felt like I could breathe again.
He looked around and blinked against the light overhead before his eyes landed on me.
“Are you an angel?” He asked, his eyes widening.
“Don’t do that,” I c.hoked, tears streaming down my face.
“What?” One side of his lips twitched up.
“Try to be cute. I almost lost you.” My voice sounded raw, foreign.
“Oh, well, I apologize for that.” He frowned.
“Forgiven, just don’t let it happen again.” I smiled, but sobs wracked through me.
I laid on his chest, and his strong arms wrapped around me. He embraced me in a way that was not feeble at all, the powerful warm embrace that I had gotten used to, felt at home in. He was back.
I felt a dip in the bed where Emmett climbed up, and Caspien wrapped Emmett in our embrace.
Disbelief and shock were still clouding my happiness. I was scared to believe that he was okay, that this wasn’t only a momentarily reprise and that he would be stolen from me again. He stroked my hair until finally, my breath evened out enough for me to think. Doctors and nurses flitted around us. I pulled back so they could check him over, but I wasn’t going to leave the bed.
They seemed satisfied enough, “Looks like you made a full recovery,” A doctor said, shock still plastered on his face, “I’m going to run some tests on your bloodwork and come back for another evaluation.” Caspoen nodded at him.
“What do you say?” Emmett asked.
Caspiens face widened into a genuine smile at his son.
“Thank you, doctor,” Caspien said.
“Alpha,” The doctor left, followed by everyone else in the room.
“How long?” Caspien asked, cupping my cheek.
“A day,”
“That’s it?” His dark brows pulled together, “We won though,” Doubt crossed his face, “Right?”
“Yes,” I smiled nodding, “Your dad and Griffen have it handled.”
“Good, I missed you,” He brushed a piece of hair behind my ear, “I need to talk to everyone,” He sat up.
“I’ll bring them here,” I frowned, trying to push him back gently, “You just woke up, I want to make sure that you’re okay.”
He gave me a look but didn’t protest. He was practically dead a minute ago, I needed to make sure he wouldn’t slip back, that this wasn’t just a temporary fix.
I linked his parents to come down and Grace was there at record speed, she slept here all last night, or tried to. She looked almost disheveled for the first time since I knew her, her eyes were wide and frantic and she almost slipped rushing up to the bed. I pulled Emmett back so that she could have some space. Her mouth hung open as she studied Caspien’s face, which had his full-color return.
“Mom,” Caspien said, and Grace broke down into his chest.
“You guys are getting dad’s chest so wet,” Emmett whispered in disdain. I laughed and tucked him into my chest.
“We’re just happy,” I stroked his hair, “Thank you for helping,” I whispered.
Rendell came skidding into the room, almost missing the door. He paused for a long moment before coming up to his mate’s side and clasping Caspien on the shoulder. Grace and Rendell were looking over him as if he was a newborn, and the sight clenched my heart.
“Mom, Dad, I promise I’m fine.” Caspien tried to sit up, but Grace placed a hand on his chest as I did before. Caspien gave her the same look he gave me.
“Let’s just talk to the doctors first. What happened?” She turned to me. I filled her in.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.