Chapter 10 - Waiting
Brent's POV:
Two weeks had passed. Tenley stayed almost every night in her mother's room. I had them move us to a larger suite to make things more comfortable for everyone. My Beta was back at the pack four out of seven days a week, with me going for two agonizing days a week to oversee the pack duties while I waited on my sleeping beauty to wake. For the most part, everything had gone very well except for one minor mishap that was remedied quickly. Tenley had taken my hoodie from her mother’s bed, not understanding why it needed to stay. This resulted in Alyssa having a minor episode, but it was quickly taken care of.
The interrogations were...going...to say the least. Caitlin tearfully denied the entire thing. Swearing she woke up to find her best friend's husband in bed with her and had no memory of how he got there. Dalton had clammed up and refused to talk. I was ready to resort to torture but had to wait on approval from the official Alpha Council. They were set to arrive tomorrow and I couldn't wait.
A knock at the door stirred me from my thoughts, "Come in, Dr. Grace."
"Alpha, I am here for today's report," I nodded for her to continue, "I believe the Luna should be waking any day now." I leaned forward in my chair, holding my breath, "her labs look incredible and with only the one other setback, she is almost completely healed. "
I sat back in my chair trying to sort through the emotions in my head, "how much longer?"
"It may be as early as today or a week from now, but my best guess is within the next few days."
Sighing heavily, trying to wrap my head around the new challenges this would bring, but also the excitement of seeing her beautiful eyes was almost too much to handle. I reached out and grabbed her hand, imagining what it would feel like to have her grip my hand back.
"The nurse will be in soon to change her bed linens and hang a new IV bag. Can we get you anything, Alpha? Breakfast? Coffee?"
Blinking back to my reality from my daydream, "both, please and thank you."
"Yes, Alpha," she said as she exited the room.
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The rest of the day passed uneventfully. It was very late. I had found it impossible to go to bed at a decent time, anxious I'd miss her waking up. Dinner had come and gone and I was taking advantage of this downtime being next to my mate. The council was set to arrive tomorrow and much of my time would be spent interrogating Dalton. I was positive the council would side with me and allow us to move forward to more 'persuasive' tactics for getting the information we needed. Tenley would be staying the remainder of the week with her grandparents. We felt it best to shield her from possibly overhearing any conversations about her father's potential fate.
I lazily returned to holding my mate's hand again. I loved feeling the bond dance over my skin every time I touched her, I wondered if she could feel it too. Once again I let myself be overcome with the daydream of her gripping my hand back.
‘Her wolf is awake!’ My wolf yipped. Jumping around wildly in my mind.
‘What are you talking about?’ I responded confused.
I feel her wolf!
Then I felt it. The squeeze. Was this real or was I dreaming?
I quickly scooted toward the bed, doing my best not to make too much noise, but I was in shock.
"Alyssa," her name tumbled awkwardly from my mouth, hoping I was not making all of this up.
'You're not making anything up. Her wolf called out to me.'
Tears fell faster than I could even register I was crying. Her wolf had come back and was calling out for me. Not Dalton. Me. Maybe we had a chance after all...
"Alyssa, baby, can you hear me?"
A squeeze. My heart jumped to my throat. I knew with every fiber of my being this was real. I knew that I should probably shout for the doctor, but selfishly I wanted, no needed, to be alone with her when she woke up.
I was standing now. Stroking her hair and whispering to her. What had I been turned into? I am not the sappy type. What had this woman done to me?
"Alyssa, my love, open your eyes. Please."
I held my breath, waiting for the slightest movement .
I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her hand repeatedly, I was desperate to see her eyes.
"Alyssa, please wake up..." I barely whispered into the quiet room.
The clock kept ticking. The only sound in the room, taunting me with the passing minutes as my mate continued to remain unconscious. I had just about decided to smash the thing into a million pieces when she began to mumble.
"B-Brent?..."
Oh, Goddess, my name from her lips made my knees go weak. This woman could ask anything she wanted of me and I would happily comply.
"Yes, it's me! I'm here!" I said a little too frantically.
She began to struggle to open her eyes, "it's really really bright in here. I can't see."
I ran the short distance to flip the light switch off and made my way back to her bedside, not wanting to miss one moment with her.
"How is that, my love? Is that better?"
She croaked out, "a little," her eyes opened with barely a squint.
"Let me get you some water, just a moment." Again, I ran to the sink in the corner of the room, spilling water all over me in my haste. I swear the hold she already had over me was going to be the death of me. She had an Alpha spilling things on himself like a child...
I gripped the straw between my thumb and forefinger offering it to her as she struggled to lift her head to drink. How stupid of me, of course, she would be weak from the incident and being bedridden for weeks.
"Here, let me help you," I scooped my arm behind her to help her sit up enough to drink. A gasp fell from her lips.
"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" I asked, alarmed that I had done something.
"No, no... I, I thought I was dreaming this entire time. I heard you. I heard you talking. I heard you telling others I was yours. I heard you tell me I am yours. I heard you talking about Tenley. I simply thought I was in the afterlife... but you're here and, and..." tears started to fall now, "I felt the bond on my skin as you lifted me, this, this is real? You're real?" She choked through sobs and confusion.
I placed the forgotten water on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed and took her in my arms.
"Yes, my love, this is real. It's so very real. I've got you," I stroked her back as the bond began to calm her.
She suddenly stiffened in my arms, and I loosened my grip on her to look into her eyes.
"What's wrong? Do I need to get the doctor?" I frantically began to make a move toward the door.
"Dalton. He will find me. He is going to be so mad at me. He- he's going to yell at me..." She whispered. With tears threatening to fall again, she wrapped her small arms around her midsection like a scared child.
My wolf threatened to shift and go rip Dalton to pieces. I knew my eyes were pure black.
"You do not have to worry about that sack of shit. He is currently locked up in an interrogation room, as is Caitlin," she winced hearing her best friend's name but didn't ask any questions.
I walked back toward my mate, taking her in my arms once more, and grabbing the forgotten water. I offered her a drink which she gladly accepted. My wolf feeling extremely satisfied to be caring for his mate, "let's not discuss all of this right now. You've only just awoken."
Nodding her head in agreement she seemed content to know Dalton was locked away and could not hurt her.
"Who are you? How did you find me?" She asked, breaking the comfortable silence we had fallen into.
My eyes widened, slightly stunned that a wolf, mate or not, didn't know who I was as their packs Regional Alpha but I was careful not to let that shock seep into my response, "I am Alpha Brent O'Connor of The Valley Wolf pack and Alpha of Alpha's for the Northern Region."
Her eyes grew huge as the realization sank in, and she bowed in submission, "Alpha! I am so sorry. I should have known. In the official picture in the pack house you are clean shaven and have shorter hair. I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean any disre-."
I quickly cut her rambling off and lifted her chin to stare into her dazzling green eyes once more, "Brent, I am Brent to you. You will never bow to me again, do you hear me? You are my equal, my Luna."
This earned me yet another wide-eyed stare, "A-a-a Luna! I couldn't possibly be a Luna! Maybe at one point but I'm far too weak now..."
"My dear, you are a Luna, unless, of course, you reject me." I winced at finally having my greatest fear out in the open .
Taking my substantially larger hand in hers, and after a painful amount of silence, she finally spoke, "I know that I just met you, but I have heard you for weeks, regardless of thinking it was the afterlife," she lightly giggled. Goddess, I could listen to that giggle for hours, "I have heard you, in and out, for weeks. I haven't heard everything, I’m sure, but I have heard enough to know you are worth getting to know. To be honest with you, I am quite broken, and I can't promise you that my wounds will be easily mended, but I am willing to try if you think you can be patient with me?" She looked up from our entangled hands giving me a small smile, and I couldn't help myself...
My mouth crashed into hers. The bond ignited across my lips. I pulled back almost as quickly as I pressed my lips to hers. I hadn't meant to kiss her so suddenly. I had planned to give her time and work our way up...but before I could apologize for my haste she was pulling me in again. This time entangling her hands in my hair and I followed suit…
After a few moments, she pulled away, face red with passion and a hint of embarrassment, "I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry...I just have never felt this deep of a bond before. Dalton never really opened his side of the bond to me. He actually never marked me, I was only allowed to mark him..."
The incredibly feral side of me loved hearing she had never been marked by another, but I was furious at yet another selfish move by Dalton. How the hell did he get off letting her mark him, to feel all of the wonderful aspects of a bond, but not allow her to feel those same benefits? It had to have been torture for her. Sure we had not marked each other yet, but I poured every ounce of my feelings through our bond for her to feel me. I couldn't imagine what it would be like once we finally marked and mated. Wolves thrived on an equal and open bond. How she hadn't already drunk silver or gone insane before now was beyond my comprehension. The strength this woman had...she was going to make an amazing Luna.
"Do not apologize, my dear," I lovingly stroked her cheek, trying to lean into our bond as much as possible to calm my anger at the worthless Gamma.
"Mates are supposed to feel this way. There is nothing to apologize for." I rested my head against hers as we silently took in the moment.
"So you have for sure met Tenley already then? I didn't dream that?" She asked apprehensively.
"Yes, and I am quite enamored with her if I must say." I chuckled lightly thinking of the ginger haired spitfire.
"So you do not despise me for carrying another wolf's child?" She quietly asked.
"Quite the opposite actually." She gave me a confused look but didn't question me further. I was grateful because I wasn't sure how she would take the news that my wolf sees her as our pup and we'd already covered some pretty heavy things in the limited time that she'd been awake.
She stifled a yawn, mesmerizing me as I wondered how I could be so infatuated with a person's yawn.
"Why don't you get some rest and I will go get the doctor. As much as I want to keep you to myself, I have a feeling you will need plenty of tests." I stood up as she watched me carefully and her eyes widened as I stood to my full height.
"What's wrong, my love?" I asked, my brow furrowed in concern.
"Nothing, you're just very, very tall... "
I laughed, letting the concern leave my body, "yes, I believe I am just under 6 foot 5."
"That means you are over a foot taller than me… Dalton is barely 5 foot 10. That will be different for sure."
"That's not all that will be different," I chuckled darkly as the realization sank in and her adorable cheeks flamed red with embarrassment.
"Don't you have a doctor to go find, "she mumbled sheepishly as I left the room laughing in search of said doctor.