This is a short chapter, but on the other hand you got it faster than you've been getting the other chapters for the past like, year and a half.
I'm very tired, so goodnight.
And PRETTY PLEASE!!! Vote and comment. Or just comment, honestly. Your comments are my favorites. I've been getting a little down lately, since comments are down in the dumps. I love reading your comments.
Anyway... enjoy the chapter.
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I blinked my eyes open, inhaling deeply. I breathed deeply, enjoying the sensation that I actually could breathe. A little smile appeared on my lips, and I took the chance to stretch my arms and legs.
Waking up in a hospital bed probably shouldn't make me feel this relaxed.
When I turned my head, taking in the hospital room, I found that I was alone. But the signs of him were there. A fold-out bed, folded and put in the corner of the room. Blankets and a pillow neatly folded on top. A laptop on the table between the two chairs under the window.
I sat up in the bed a little more, touching my hand to my chest. Safe. I was safe. And Allen was nearby... but not here. I looked to the bedside table and just as expected found my phone. With a little smile I sent off a text message.
To: Allen
[Hey ❤️]
I laid my phone aside, resting my hands on top of my stomach, and began to wait. Counted the seconds. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8...
...23...
...43- 4
The door opened, Allen's concerned eyes meeting mine. "Love." The word left him in a breath of air.
I reached out my arms, wanting nothing else in the world than for him to touch me, hold me, never let go. He wrapped his arms around me, resting his knee on my bed as he pressed his lips to mine.
His hands come up to cup my face. He began leaning further in on the bed, climbing up with his other knee. His hands moved- one to the back of my head, gently tangling into my hair, the other wrapping around my waist, holding me close to him. His lips separated from mine, beginning to move everywhere else on my face; kissing the tip of my nose, my cheeks, my closed eyelids, along my jaw.
A wet sensation began to appear on my face, and for a moment I thought that Allen was literally drooling over me, until I heard a shaky breath. I pushed him away. "Allen, are you okay?"
His eyes were reddened. Gently, so so gently, his hand came up to my face, stroking down the length of it. "I'm just glad that you're here. That you're okay. Or, I know that you might not be okay, I know that you might be traumatized from this for the rest of your life, but you're here and, and you're alive, and I can make sure this never, ever happens again." He pulled me close and pushed my head into his shoulder. I felt his nose in my hair.
I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the tears pressing on the inside of my eyes too. "Yeah, I'm glad I'm here too." I buried my face deeper into the crook of his neck, reaching one arm up to begin caressing the hair at the back of his neck. The tears began rolling down my cheeks, and I just tried to hold onto him as tightly as possible whilst taking deep breaths. "A-a-allen," I whispered, hiccuping into his shoulder.
"I know, my love. I love you. I know." He whispered, stroking my back.
"Allen, I was so scared." I cried, clawing at the back of his neck, just to get the sensation of him against my skin. To make sure he was there, to make sure it wasn't some sick nightmare and I'dwake up back there.
"I know my love. I know. I'm sorry. It's all over now. I've got you. He's gone."
"He was gonna, he was gonna..."
"He's gone now, sweetheart. He'll never get near you ever again. I love you. I'm here, darling. I'm right here, always." He stroked my hair, nuzzled the back of my neck, kissed my hair.
I wanted to stay like that forever, to never leave his arms again. He pulled back a bit from me, my face leaving his shoulder. His hair gently pushed the tear-wetted hairs away from my face. "The hospital has given me the contact info of a trauma therapist you can speak to. He specializes in victims of violent or sexual assaults, and he does online counseling."
I nodded. "Yeah, I'd really like that. Later. But right now.. can you just hold me for a little while longer?"
His eyes softened, a saddened smile appearing on his face. "Always, for the rest of my life, and even after that." He pulled me close. I laid my ear against his chest and listened to his heartbeat.
We laid like that, enjoying the sensation of being in each other's arms again. We laid there for a long time, before I finally, my voice groggy with half-sleep, asked, "How long was I out?"
"2 days. You've actually been up a couple of times, where we got you to eat a little bit. But you were basically asleep each time. One time, you fell asleep mid-bite of a sandwich." He chuckled.
"Of course I did." I inhaled his scent deep into my lungs. "When can we go back home?"
He pulled back a little to meet my eyes. "Well, your infection numbers are down, thank the goddess. According to the doctors, if the WBC is down to a 10 or below in the morning, we can go home."
A sigh of relief left me. "Thank god. I just wanna go home and relax and never ever go to a hospital again."
A little smirk appeared on his face. "What happened to your dream of becoming a midwife?"
I shook my head. "I'll just work at a labor and delivery clinic. One that's not in a hospital... also, how are my parents?" I almost felt bad for not thinking about them till now. Although it was only fair, I suppose. Sort of had other stuff to worry about.
"Your parents are worried, but fine. I'm sure they'll feel all the better when you're back under the same roof as them."
I nodded, and then looked back up at him. "What about your parents? And Austin?"
He shrugged, averting my eyes. "My mother has been beside herself with worry, for you and Austin. And with regards to him... he's showing some signs of activity, but nothing conclusive yet."
"What does 'signs of activity' mean?"
His hand came down to tangle with mine, braiding our fingers together and giving my hand a squeeze. "If you squeeze his hand, he squeezes back. And he's reacting to pain stimuli, and my dad swears he saw Austin's eyelids twitching. But so long as he's not up and talking, the doctors still say that it can... go any way."
"I'm sorry, Allen."
He smiled. "Thank you my love. But worry about yourself first - as much as your concern is appreciated." He kissed my forehead.
A nagging feeling began eating away at my stomach, now that I was awake and more clear headed. The worries of the world began to enter my head, and most of all the weight of what'd happened within the past few days. "Allen?"
"Yes, my beloved?"
I furrowed my brows and met his eyes, feeling my organs tying themselves into a tight knot. "What's gonna happen now? Alpha Charles... he's dead, you shot him. Are you gonna... I mean, it was to defend me, but you still killed a person. There must be some sort of consequences for that? Are you going to prison? Are we gonna have to go through this in court? Will I need a lawyer? And oh god, how do you... are you okay? After, I mean, I know that you needed to, and I'm grateful he's gone, but are you okay, Allen?"
"Shhhh, shh, shh, love." He stroked my face and took a deep breath. "Having taken a life is not easy on the conscience, I'll have to admit. I..." He took another deep breath and licked his lips. "He was an awful person, and I would've gladly tortured him to death, but I'll have to deal with the fact that a person died at my hands. But you're more than worth living with that." He smiled at me, his face then becoming serious. "But no, no courts and lawyers. I've had a talk with all the American alphas, and they all understood the reasoning behind needing to get rid of Alpha Charles. Even his widow understood – truth be told, she almost sounded happy to hear of his bitter demise."
"Well, then, what? Did he have a kid who's gonna take over for him now?"
Allen clicked his tongue. "Yeah, that's where it gets a little more complicated. After a lot of speaking between the Alphas in the US, we've reached an agreement that perhaps the system we have now isn't working anymore. It might've sounded great in 1945, when my great-great grandmother proposed it, and it might've seemed like the sensible thing to do after the humans had just finished up their second world war, but nonetheless, the system is overdue for a change. A radical one."
I furrowed my brows. "What does that mean? What kind of change?"
He sighed. "We're still figuring out. Some are saying election cycles with an alpha for each state, but that's also so complicated. We're working on it. But we can't go back to the way it was. THe stunt Alpha Charles pulled, not only with you, but also with trying to force me and blackmail me into approving these sick laws... something needs to be done. There are some structural changes to the way the alphas, to the way I have power over so many people. Truth be told, I don't think any person should have that much power. Not to mention the reworks that the HSA's around the country are in need of, and the mating laws in some packs. But some of the other alphas like the status quo, obviously. It'll take time to figure out another way that can work for everyone. If we go about this wrong, we could end up creating more problems than we'd solve."
"Okay." I looked down at my hands and began fiddling with my fingers.
"Hey," he said softly, smiling at me with those loving, warm brown eyes. "It'llbe alright. No matter what, the two of us will have each other, right?"
It felt like a little bit of weight was taken off of my heart. "Yeah. No matter what."
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A/N
For the next chapter, prepare yourselves for some good news and some bad news (In the story, mind you)
I love you all so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much <3 take care of each other out there.