She swallows a few times before trying to speak. You idiot, she needs water. I hurry to pour some in a cup, and of course there’s no straw in sight. I slowly tilt the cup for her to drink. After she drinks most of it, she tries again. “Micah, please hold me.”
Her voice is still raspy but it’s her eyes that look as if a dam will break at any moment. I’ll do anything she needs. Thankfully most of the tubes and wires connected to her are running along her other side. The bed is wide enough for her to rest comfortably and someone of Ben or Liam’s slim size to lie on their sides next to her. I’m not as bulky as Eli or Keelan, but it doesn’t matter if I’m half off the bed.
Climbing in and lying on my side, I get as close to her as possible and reach my arm around her body, holding her to me. She turns her head further into me. Her scent is faint but there, under whatever the nurses used to clean her up with the other day. For once I don’t try to ignore it and let it envelop me—freedom.
42
THEA
My head is killing me but I just want my pack more than anything. I’m not sure what was more surprising, Micah at my bedside to begin with, or him holding my hand so tenderly. He’s holding me like I’ll break at any moment. Maybe I will. Flashes of what happened are pushing to the forefront of my mind, but I can’t face them yet.
Taking big lungfuls of his scent is helping. The pain in my head is actually starting to lessen, can that be real? Who cares? It hurts less. His scent, warm coffee, is swirling around me along with the other emotion his scent evokes—freedom. That scent more than anyone else’s in the pack could trigger a wave of different emotions in me. I’m free in so many ways that I didn’t think I’d ever have again.
I never want to lose this again. Silent tears flow freely down my face as I’m buried in Micah’s neck and chest. The soft strokes of his hand up and down my arms as he holds me grounds me to this reality instead of getting lost in my head. I pull back, looking up at him. His brows are pinched together and brown eyes are screaming concern. His normally perfectly styled hair and beardareanunruly mess. His hand moves to cup my face, and he’s so warm that I can’t help but lean into it.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you better,” he whispers between us, his voice cracking. This alpha is a piece of work, always putting the weight of the world on himself.
“You’re an idiot.” I roll my eyes, which triggered a flare of pain in my head. His eyes widen slightly in surprise before nodding solemnly. I don’t have the patience for this. “You’re my idiot who seems to think I blame him for something. One day you need to get it through that thick head of yours that I’m not mad at you. In spite of everything, I love you and you’re too blind to see it because you won’t get out of your own head.” Talking so much is exhausting. My whole being feels weak. I close my eyes, still leaning into his hand on my face.
Suddenly I feel something on my forehead. I open my eyes to find Micah resting his head against mine, his face incredibly close. It startles me for a second before his expression filters in. His eyes are radiating hope and fear. “You are completely correct. I’m an idiot where you’re concerned. I realized it before the heat and that guilt only got worse after. You being taken broke something in me; something I probably should have shattered myself a long time ago. Not knowing if you were alive or dead like the others was the scariest moment of my life. I won’t hold back from you again. I love you Thea, more than I can possibly ever find a way to say. But I’ll try for the rest of our lives to find those words and show you how much I love you. If you’ll let me,” he tells me, tears filling his eyes. Micah is crying. He’s so annoying. I just woke up and he’s going to make me cry because he’s crying.
“Of course I’ll let you, idiot,” I say through my tears, making him smile. Gods even in his lowest that smile lights up his face in a way I’ve never seen on him. I move just enough for our lips to press together. It’s a relatively chaste kiss. Yet, it doesn’t stop thelightness I feel in my heart, as one final piece slides into place. “As for our lack of bond, I’m ready when you are to fix that. Well maybe once I’m out of the hospital,” I add on, belatedly realizing what he said about the bond.
It’s funny because almost the entire pack was ready to bond me well before I was ready—and with Micah being the last, it’s the other way around. I was ready to bond him after we talked following the heat, but he needed time and I wouldn’t rush that for him or anyone. I know the feeling all too well.
“Now you’re the idiot. You need to get better before we even deal with that.” His tone is serious, but his eyes give away how happy what I said made him. Love how he basically said the same thing I did, but given all the love declarations going on I’ll let it slide.
I don’t reply, choosing to just bury my face back in his neck, taking in his scent. It really is helping the pain in my head. A wave of exhaustion comes over me. I guess that was too much excitement. My last thought before sleep claims me is Liam is going to love this latest development in scent matches.
43
THEA
The scent of warm coffee is the first thing I notice as I wake up again. This time the room is filled with natural light. Micah is still holding me. Does he know what it’d mean for me to have him here when I wake up again? When I woke up the first time, panic ran through me until I saw him at my bedside.
I hear hushed voices nearby. I can’t see with my face buried in Micah’s warmth. “He’s gone too far; he can’t be in bed with her while she’s in such a state. The nurses need access to her to check vitals,” Liam mumbles, trying to stay quiet but his frustration is bleeding through. How long was I actually asleep? Last night almost feels like a dream. If Micah wasn’t still next to me, I probably would think that.
“Relax, will you? We’ll just wake him up and everything will be fine,” Ben replies lowly. Where are they? The light in the room last night was low so I really didn’t see much of it. They sound close. I want to say something but I don’t want to wake Micah, but if they’re going to it anyways…
A scoff cuts off my train of thought. “You clearly don’t remember what he was like in college. He’s impossible to wake up.” Eli’s voice sounds different. Strained?
“You’re all dumb since none of you have noticed you actually woke Thea up,” Micah says, startling me. Moving slightly, he looks down at me with an easy smile. “Good morning.” Okay seriously what’s happening? This has to be a dream. Before I can respond, I see a hand clamp down on Micah’s shoulder and yank him back, making him nearly fall off the bed.
I can’t even check on him as Liam is suddenly taking up my entire field of vision. His green eyes look duller, like the lights gone out. There are bags under his eyes. Whatever the reason I’ve been stuck here in the hospital must have drove him crazy. His eyes move back and forth checking each of mine.
“Hi?” I blink, trying to break the tension. Suddenly the bonds are exploding with relief from all of them. Oh, I guess they’re all in the room then?
“Damnit. Liam move,” Eli says impatiently, making me laugh. Liam’s tired face softens at that. Then it’s as if he’s been electrocuted, he’s pulling back and now I’m able to see more of the room that he’s running out of it. I don’t have the brain capacity to wonder about that when the rest of my mates are all looking at me with varying degrees of relief and happiness.
They all look exhausted. Parker and Ben look a little rumpled for some reason. Micah is at my bedside, though a few steps away. Eli is the closest on that side, Ben next to him. Keelan is at the foot of my bed. Jake is sitting in the chair at the opposite side of the room, and Parker is on a small couch by the window. The two of them are quickly moving from their spots to get closer to my bed. The pain in my head that was starting to come back is receding the more their scents surround me.
Before any of us say anything, chaos bursts through the doors, led by Liam. A doctor and nurse are trailing him. I smile to myself. I should have expected that, my ever-diligent doctor.
Apparently when I hit my head on the dresser in my escape attempt, it was just the right spot and force to cause a severe concussion. I was unconscious for a long time and by the time I was treated, they had to wait and see if I’d wake up. I guess it took two days. By the time the doctor and nurse left, I was exhausted all over again.
“What’s wrong?” Micah asks worriedly.
“Tired all of a sudden.” I frown. “I don’t want to sleep. I want to go home and be in the nest with you all.”
