Zahra and I continued to chat casually for a while, both distracting one another from our own problems. We were both very different, yet similar at the same time. It was evident that we both shared a certain strength and confidence, but I felt Zahra was more on the spoiled side.
"So, what makes your mate so terrible?" I asked her, plucking a stray wildflower from a grassy patch to my right.
Zahra sighed, "We're complete opposites. It would never work out."
Her reasoning intrigued me, and I couldn't help but wonder...
"It's Alpha Ryder, isn't it?" I asked with a smirk. For her to just find her mate today of all days, and for him to be her complete opposite...it was too easy.
Zahra gasped, obviously taken aback by my sudden claim, "Do not tell him!" she shrieked.
I chuckled lightly and shook my head, "It's not my business. Your secret is safe with me."
"Although, I will say this – Ryder seems like a good man, and he's an Alpha. It really can't get much better than that. You should give him a chance," I added.
Zahra threw up her hands and shook her head rather passionately, "If he finds out, he won't leave me alone, or my brother. If Zane finds out, he will ship me off with Ryder without hesitating. I'm not interested in Ryder's pack or his morals."
I cringed a bit at her tone. I hadn't been too keen on discovering my mate at first either, but at least I gave him a chance. After experiencing Dean and Zane, I was convinced that Alphas like Elijah and Ryder were rare. Zahra should really be thankful for the man the Moon Goddess blessed her with, but then again, perhaps an asshole like Dean would've been more her style.
Not knowing what else to say, I stood up from the ground and dusted off my pants, "I'd better get back to Elijah."
Zahra laughed sarcastically, "There's another reason – I'm not ready to be tied down like that."
I rolled my eyes before forcing a smile, "One day you'll see things differently."
With that, I turned around and walked back towards the door I'd come from. Walking inside, I found myself back in the familiar hallway of the infirmary. I walked at a casual pace back to Elijah's hospital room, wondering if I'd cross paths with Ryder again on the way. I couldn't help but wonder if he sensed his mate nearby. I imagined that'd be rather unnerving.
Much to my surprise I made it down the twisty hallways without getting lost, and I didn't encounter anyone on the way. When I reentered Elijah's room, he was still laid back in his hospital bed, but he had now turned on the television.
"I was beginning to think you'd run away," he teased before patting the edge of his bed for me to join him.
I couldn't help but feel guilty at his comment. I had, after all, been contemplating it. Guilt was still eating away at me, but after my conversation with Zahra, I felt obligated to stay with my mate.
I loved him. He was my entire world, and I didn't think I could truly live a happy life without him. That didn't change the fact that immense misfortune had been brought upon him since finding me. I couldn't help but constantly remind myself that he had almost died because of me.
I sat on the bed and snuggled into Elijah's side, finding comfort in his warmth and forcing my negative thoughts to the back of my mind. He quickly wrapped his arm around me and held me, and we just laid there like that for several minutes, in silence. Only the TV provided any sound.
"Has anyone said when we can go home?" I asked, finally growing tired of the eerie silence.
Elijah began to rub his hand up and down my side, sensing my anxiety, "They want to monitor my condition overnight, so if everything goes okay with Ryder, we should be able to return home tomorrow."
I sighed and nodded. At least they didn't plan to keep him in the hospital too long. With him being an Alpha and his condition steadily improving, there wasn't much of a threat for complications at this point.
"Ryder and Zane told me that you played a big role in my healing," Elijah said softly near my ear before pressing a warm kiss on my temple.
"Ryder and Zane talked to you?" I asked, not bothering to comment on the other half of his statement. Knowing I helped heal him wouldn't erase my guilt.
Elijah nodded, "They came by briefly while you were gone. We will have a more formal meeting before we leave tomorrow to see how Ryder has planned to proceed with matters."
That idea made me anxious as well. Ryder seemed to be a kind and fair man, but I had no idea what the consequences of an unauthorized war could possibly be. I felt like war was a pretty big deal and not a matter to be taken lightly, but given Dean's wrong-doings, I could only hope Ryder would go easy on Elijah.
If not, that was another thing I could blame myself for.
"And what was said?" I asked.
Elijah shrugged, as if none of this was a big deal, "They were mostly just checking on me. Ryder updated me on why he was here and planned the meeting for tomorrow."
"So what do you think is going to happen?"
Elijah furrowed his brows at me, "What do you mean?"
I simply stared at him for a moment. What the hell did he mean, what do I mean?
"You and Zane illegally started a war! There will surely be serious repercussions!" I shrieked as I felt myself slowly losing composure.
I loved this man, but he was acting like a dumbass.
Elijah sighed and rubbed his face, looking a bit frustrated with my reaction.
"Ryder understands the circumstances. I'm not saying there won't be any consequences, but it's obvious that Dean's actions were worse, not to mention they were the cause of this entire situation," he explained, attempting to sound calm and reasonable.
That was when I lost it.
"No! I am the cause of this entire situation!" I yelled as I felt hot tears begin to pool in my eyes.
Elijah's eyes widened. He hadn't expected such an outburst from me. In fact, although I was always full of attitude and didn't put up with bullshit, I hadn't snapped at Elijah since the first week we found each other.
Before I could do anything to stop it, the tears broke loose and began to stream down my face. I knew I was looking more and more like a mess as the seconds passed, but perhaps this was what I needed. I needed to break down and get everything out in the open.
"If you'd never met me, you wouldn't be dealing with any of this! No ghosts, no missing parents, witches, kidnappings, wars, or near-death experiences!" I yelled again as my body collapsed to the ground.
There I sat on the floor, feeling utterly pathetic as I held my knees to my chest, rocking myself and crying. Seeing me in such a state, Elijah immediately began to make an effort to get out of his hospital bed. Despite the numerous cords hooked to him, he slid out of the bed and onto the floor, holding me close to his chest once again.
"Don't say those kinds of things, Lena. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," Elijah insisted, his tone stern as he held me tightly.
There we both sat, on the cold tile floor of his hospital room. If anyone were to walk in the room, I knew we'd receive a number of looks, but I didn't care. Having Elijah's arms around me was the most comforting feeling in the world. I felt at home. I felt loved.
But it didn't eliminate the guilt.
"And you're the best thing that's ever happened to me," I sniffled. "But that doesn't change anything that I said. I've caused you nothing but trouble since we met. I'm the reason you almost died."
Elijah groaned, "Please stop blaming yourself for this. What if the roles were reversed? Would you want me feeling guilty for you defending me?"
I froze. The man had a point.
"Everything I've done, I know you would've done the exact same if you were in the situation. We are mates. We do whatever it takes for each other. For all we know, in the future you may have to go through a lot for my sake, and I can guarantee that you won't blame me for it, just as I don't blame you. You didn't ask for any of this," Elijah explained.
The fucking tears just kept coming. It was almost as if my tears had been locked up for so many years that they had to use this chance to escape.
"I wish for once, you'd just let me worry about you and take care of you," Elijah whispered in my ear as he brushed my hair back.
Surely someone like me didn't deserve such a kind man as her mate? Elijah was everything a she-wolf could ever want in a mate. He was loving, kind, understanding, even funny at times, although I'd never admit that to him. Surely, he deserved someone better than me.
"I love you!" I gasped in-between sobs.
There were no other words appropriate for such a moment. Elijah was right. Although he hadn't said it in such a way, maybe I should be grateful for what the Moon Goddess had given me. Perhaps I should be thankful, rather than feeling guilty and questioning her motives. I knew she didn't make mistakes. I knew mates were paired together for a reason. Why couldn't I just accept that through the hard times as well?
"Oh baby, I love you more than you know," Elijah whispered as he cradled me in his arms before standing and walking back towards the bed.
I wanted to scold him. He shouldn't have lifted me in his condition, but I let it go. I enjoyed the moment. Elijah sat down on the bed and made himself comfortable, cradling me all the while. He stroked my hair gently, causing my exhaustion to take over. My eyes felt heavy as I fully gave into the effect my mate had on me. There was no better cure for anxiety.
"Rest, my love," Elijah whispered as he pulled the blanket up over the two of us.
I adjusted my body slightly so that I was lying next to him, one leg straddled over his and an arm across his chest. In this position, I drifted off to sleep.
~~
The next morning, I awoke to Elijah trying to adjust his position without waking me. Obviously, he failed.
Knowing he'd been discovered, Elijah allowed me to stretch out on the bed while he swung his legs over to the side and sat up, preparing to go take a shower. He looked so much healthier today, it was truly unreal. All of his cuts had healed beautifully, and his skin and face seemed radiant as ever.
Elijah casually ripped the needles out of his arm and the stickers off of his chest before wandering into the bathroom to clean himself up for the first time in a couple of days. I allowed him to do so while I relaxed on the bed, preparing myself for the meeting to come.
After about fifteen minutes, Elijah exited the bathroom in nothing but a towel tied around his hips. Tiny beads of water still dripped down his chest, causing my wolf and I both a bout of excitement that we hadn't been expecting.
When we got home, I was going to ravish this man.
Elijah smirked. He knew just the effect he was having on me.
"Are you ready for the meeting?" he asked as he started to pull on a fresh set of clothes. I could only assume Zane had left them for him.
"I suppose. These are the only clothes I have with me," I told him.
Elijah chuckled and nodded. Of course, he hadn't expected any other kind of answer from me.
With no other words exchanged, Elijah held out his hand for me to take. I complied, and followed as he exited the hospital room and made his way through the twisty hallways of the Night Fire Pack, and this time, on foot.
Once we were out of the infirmary wing, I was amazed that Elijah knew where to go. He was an Alpha though. He'd probably had meetings here before. Regardless, I found his navigation skills to be quite amazing. Goddess knows I'd be lost as hell if I had to find the way by myself.
After only a couple of minutes, we found ourselves in front of another set of double doors. Elijah didn't hesitate to push them open and lead me inside. I felt a bit uncomfortable with the abrupt intrusion, but I knew I needed to trust Elijah as an Alpha.
Upon entering the room, I saw Ryder and Zane were the only ones present, which made me slightly more comfortable. Ryder was seated at the head of the table with Zane to his left, leaving plenty of open seats for Elijah and I to his right.
Ryder smiled at us as we approached our seats, his sea-green eyes gleaming under the light of the chandelier.
"Welcome, Elijah, Lena," he said, nodding to each of us.
"Now, today we will discuss the circumstances under which an unauthorized war was enacted. Do all members present agree?" Ryder asked.
All three of us nodded in unison.
"Very well," Ryder said with a smile.
"Each of you will be given a moment to testify your reasoning," he told us while scribbling something in a spiral notebook.
"But first, shall we discuss the potential consequences of these actions?"
Sorry for the slight delay, once again! Classes have started back for me, but I will continue to update as much as I possibly can! Once a week for both Lena and Audrey for sure, but hopefully more if I can find time!
Please continue to read, VOTE, comment, and follow!!! I appreciate it all so much.
xoxo -V