87. Mommy!
Eros didn't feel like listening to his best friend and rushed into the hospital room. Eve was still sleeping, a couple of doctors and nurses looked at him as if he were the craziest man alive.
"OUT!" He roared in anger, startling the medical staff. Everyone left the room, leaving the king and his mate alone. Eros kneeled next to her bed and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips. Usually, Eros was strong, but he couldn't hide his emotions anymore. A couple of tears streamed down his cheeks. Seeing his mate in such a state broke his heart. Of course, Eros knew that he was part of the blame for her condition, but all he did was make sure that Eve was healthy. She wouldn't follow him willingly.
"I'm so sorry, my love," he whispered, pressing his lips against her skin. She didn't show any reaction- that was making him more worried. He knew for sure that he wasn't ready to leave the room and face his friend or the little girl. He would break down in front of them- not very Alpha-like behaviour. Eros decided to talk to his sleeping mate; deep down, the male hoped that she would hear his words. And maybe, if he's lucky, wake up.
"You have no idea how worried I was, but I didn't give up. I wanted to, but I never did. The sleepless nights, the days I spent like a sorry excuse of a man- drinking the pain away. The fucking feeling of emptiness and all those breakdowns when your scent faded nearly killed me, Eve. I killed Xavier because I thought that he took you. I killed my mother, who ended up not being my mother, but that's a story for another time. The number of packs I took over hoping that you'd be there is crazy. I know I haven't been the best mate out there, but I keep on trying. If only I could have taken you with me instead of letting you meet that lying pig. If only I had followed my instincts- you wouldn't have left. And our child- that's something I can't figure out up to this day. I wish you could tell me the truth about that." Eros averted his gaze from Eve's hand and looked up to her face. She was still asleep. So far, his words hadn’t changed anything. At one point, he wanted to grab Eve's shoulders and shake her until she woke up, but his common sense screamed how foolish the idea was.
"I met a little girl by the pack border. She was looking for her mother, so I decided to help a little. Tomorrow we will send out a team to see if that woman is anywhere near the territory. That child is sweet, a bit way too smart for her age, but adorable. Her name is Rose, and she's around four years old. She asked me to carry her here, and I couldn't help but think about how I would carry our children everywhere. Eve, that girl made me realize how much I want to be a father, how much I'd do for you to carry my pups. I'm so fucking sorry about this shit happening. Just know that I won't be angry if it turns out that the rumors were true. As much as it pains me, I'll understand if you tell me that you got rid of our child. It's your body and your choice, as much as I hate the possibility of the decision. If only you could hear me, if only you could, at least tell me off. If you hate me- please, do so, but don't you ever think that I don't care for you. I do, more than for myself or any other person in my life." Eros stood up and paced around the hospital room, his eyes glued on Eve, waiting for any little movement- anything would be okay for him now.
He could hear the little girl and Zander talking- they were having a seemingly heated discussion, and both broke out in laughter. Eros smiled, once again thinking about how precious his children would be. Rose reminded him of someone, but the male couldn't quite put his mind on the matter. Since it looked like Eve wouldn't wake up for a while- Eros decided to stay around a little more. He was looking after his mate and acting like a stalker- silently listening to Rose's and Zander's conversation. They talked about the girl's family- she refused to give out information, reminding the man that she couldn't talk to strangers because her mom wouldn't allow her to. Eros smirked, once again coming to the terms that Rose's mother was an intelligent woman- raising her child just like she should be. But what made the woman leave? Why did she leave her child behind? Eros felt like he had to get to the bottom of the issue. A woman who had put so much knowledge into a child wouldn't leave her pup.
"Okay, what's your mom's name? I can know at least that much," Zander didn't give up.
Eros half-opened the door of the room to hear them better. He felt genuinely interested in the girl's past. Meeting such young cubs in territories was a rare thing, not to mention someone so small getting into a claimed territory.
"Can't tell you," the girl giggled, unknowingly Eros smiled in an instant. She made him feel something- as if he were supposed to protect the child.
"Why?" Eros could hear the irritation in Zander's voice- that pup was challenging him. Purposely.
"Because you're a stranger and I can't trust strangers, you Dumbo the elephant. Imagine meeting someone for the first time in your life and trusting them enough to spill the beans. How clever is that type of behaviour, huh?" Rose had quite a fire in her- facing a Beta and talking back at him was a sight to see. Eros darted his eyes from Eve to both wolves outside the room and back at Eve again. He didn't want to miss the moment when Eve would wake up, the same as he didn't want those two children to get themselves into a problem. Instead of listening some more, Eros left the room and approached Rose and Zander. They were fighting about some science things now, each trying to sound louder than others. Yeah, standing next to screaming wolves didn't make the situation any better.
"Quit it, both of you! We're in the fucking hospital, not a playground," Eros snarled, his eyes dead set on Zander. He knew that he would hurt his best friend without taking a second glance, but it wasn't the same with Rose. The little girl made his day better, her smile making him feel warm.
"We weren't trying to fight, bro. It's just that the little devil here knows all the answers to questions we could ask. I swear her brain is some kind of supercomputer- taking in and storing the information. But other than that- she's chill, I like her.” Zander stood up from the floor and shook his best friend's hand. The best friend decided that it might be the time for him to leave, but as he spoke, Eros cut him off.
"I know you want to go, but please, look after Rose for a couple more minutes while I run to tell her bye. I know she can't hear me, but the action makes me feel a little better," Eros ran back to the hospital room, way too hopeful. Eve still hasn't moved a muscle. Eros sighed deeply, afraid that his mate might not wake up. Not today, not ever. He sat on the same chair as before and repeated the same actions, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips.
"Wake up, love. Please, for me," Eros whispered. He felt like he would have to keep on begging Eve to wake up until the end of his days. Even if something like that would ever happen- Alpha wouldn't leave his mate alone. Not anymore, he had made way too many mistakes already.
Eros felt how Ares scratched the walls of his mind, doing his best to ignore the beast. After all those months, the bitch suddenly decided to pop up because he was near to Eve.
"Oh, no, buddy, enjoy your privacy a little more," Eros thought to himself.
Ares growled, loud enough for Eros to hear him, but that, as with other attempts to gain the human's attention was ignored. Eros was about to leave the room when Eve's hand moved. Just a little, but enough to make Eros keep on waiting. He called the doctors and nurses to check on her.
"She's waking up slowly. We can send the child to have something to eat, Alpha. She can go with mister Zander if you don't trust us," a nurse ran into the room, preparing some injections as she spoke.
"Yeah, I bet Zander might be hungry, as well. Tell them to go downstairs and get something to eat. They can use my credit card; Zander knows where it is." Eros tried his best to sound friendly and polite. The nurse left, and soon he heard steps moving away from the hall. So, at least they decided to have some food. Eros watched how the doctors did the tests and injected some medications in Eve's system. His gaze was intense enough to burn a hole in someone's skin, but the staff didn't look back. All of them averted their eyes, looking down at whatever they did, or stared at their feet.
"So, how is she?" Eros asked, feeling the fear filling his body. If there was anything he truly wanted- it was his mate, safe and sound.
"Her vitals seem to be healthy, the blood tests came in, and there was nothing off the charts. I would say that we're over the uncomfortable part, and your mate is doing just great," one of the doctors reassured Eros. In an instant, Eros sank back into the enormous chair, his eyes following everyone who tried to touch her.
"The Queen will need more rest, and her diet must be well balanced for her to take in all necessary vitamins. She's weak, but she's a fighter." The doctor nodded at the grinning Eros and left the room with the nurses and other staff members following his lead.
The King to-be stared at Eve, waiting for the next move, but there was none, even five minutes later. He wouldn't give up or act like he didn't see anything- his mate should be awake pretty soon. Eros caught a sound of little feet running down the hall- Zander and Rose had finished their dinner, and now both decided to play some games.
When the girl was busy, she hadn’t thought about where Eros went. But now the curiosity was taking the best of her. Rose literally ran into the room, scanning the place to see if Eros was there. Her eyes stopped on the bed, and the little girl gasped.
"Mommy!" she called out; her voice sounded genuinely worried. Rose ran to the bed, jumped on it, grabbed onto Eve's shoulders, and shook the sleeping woman. Eros stood frozen. Shocked at what was happening in front of him. After all those months, driven by rage, Ares finally broke through the block Eros put on.
"I've been trying to warn you since you met her by the fucking border, asshole! That's our pup!" Ares growled, enraged of his human's stupid behaviour and blindness. How could one miss having such a considerable resemblance with a child?
"Holy fucking octopus sticks!"