Chapter 129
"I'm here, Chris. You won't lose me." I whisper, gripping his shoulder tightly as he pulls back and kisses my forehead and cheek.
We hear a quiet sob and look to Linda who is silently crying, she chuckles before walking over into the outstretched arm Chris holds out, hugging us both as we cry and laugh together. I glance at Gabriel who winks at me, an amused smile on his lips.
"Guys, I can't be wiping everyone's tears. I'm too lazy for that, so stop it. I'm alright." I whine, trying to lighten the mood. And it works. We all laugh and pull away.
"How long had I been out?" I question with the startling realization that I never asked, frowning in confusion.
"Almost three weeks." Gabriel murmurs, looking at me sadly.
Gasping, I look at Chris and Linda who are both nodding in agreement. I was out that long? No wonder everyone looks so surprised to see me awake and sick with worry at the same time.
"The shock of the vampire biting you was too much and the side-effects you went through exhausted your body. You almost died in the car when I Kelvined you again. My bite exhausted your body even further as it tried to flush out the toxins and repair our bond. It took a lot on you and you needed time to heal." Gabriel explains, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles soothingly.
"Oh..." I trail off, not knowing what to say.
We talk for a while, catching up on what happened while I was in a coma before Chris and Linda leave and let the rest of the people waiting outside to visit us. Elizabeth and William are the next to follow, fawning over Gabriel and I, repeatedly asking us if we are comfortable enough.
Next up are Dag and Daisy followed by Isabella and Nero who had all traveled over the minute they heard what had happened. Valeria, Paloma, Vanessa and Ryan are the next bunch of visitors and there is a lot of hugging involved, everyone asking if Gabriel and I are doing okay and if we need anything.
Kaden is the last one to walk in and I meet him halfway, embracing him in a tight, bear hug. Both men greet the other with a small smile and a nod, making me wonder what had happened to make their hostility towards each other disappear. After everyone has come and gone, I start to feel overwhelmed and am relieved that our pack members are thoughtful enough to keep the infirmary free. There were some who wanted to visit us but Ryan had kindly asked them to come by another time.
Slipping off my flats, I let Gabriel pull me towards him and lie down on the space he has made for me in the double bed. I curl into him, wrapping an arm around his waist, careful to avoid a healing gash. I cover us with the blanket, making sure he is comfortable and doesn't need anything.
He presses his lips to mine to silence my questions of concern, giving me a short and sweet kiss that I have missed so much. Pulling away, he pecks my forehead before a loud sigh escapes his lips. I cuddle with him, closing my eyes and letting him rest his head on my chest. We are silent for some time, content with just being there for each other. Eventually, he pulls me closer so that we are facing each other. Sleepy grey meeting exhausted green. It's ridiculous how tired I feel even though I have been in a coma for almost three weeks.
"I heard you. Everything that you said to me, whenever you would visit and just talk...I-I heard it all." I murmur, cuddling into his chest as his hand grips my hip in realization. "I would crave to hear your voice but...I would only be able to hear it after what felt like forever."
He sighs heavily, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "I'm sorry, my moon. As soon as you were brought to the infirmary, my beasts went crazy and wanted to take over. I couldn't let any more harm come to you and jeopardize any chances of you getting better so, I stayed in the dungeons, chained up and withheld from coming up here. The only time I would be allowed to visit you was when my body and beasts were exhausted from over-exertion and weakened from Wolfsbane and silver."
"But we were already mated and marked." I frown, pulling away to look up at him in confusion. "Why would they want to take over completely?"
"Because of this." He taps my neck, where he has Kelvined me again. "Boris wanted to take over because he felt threatened that some other vampire Kelvined you and that I had not done enough to protect you. He's the more wild and irrational part of me that's hard to control when he comes out. That's why I have been suppressing him all these years."
"It hurt, didn't it? That's why you look so exhausted?" I whisper, cupping his cheek and looking at him sadly.
"Being injected with Wolfsbane and doused with silver didn't hurt near as much as not being able to hold you did." He whispers back, giving me a chaste kiss.
I know something has happened to me, something big. But right now, everything can wait. I want to focus on my mate first and make sure he is okay before worrying about myself. He matters most right now, my top priority. I smile gently as I feel emotions of relief and love in the bond, knowing it's coming from Gabriel. Our mind link had returned as soon as his beasts had given him control and I felt at peace when his presence entered my mind once more.
Everything is okay now but all hell will break loose if someone ever tries to tear us apart again. I will make sure of it.
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