Chapter 133
Gideon’s POV
After Ivan said those things to me, I knew for sure that he wasn’t going to be convinced to allow me to cross the border. So I pretended to leave so as to not cause problems.
But I didn’t return home. Instead, I lingered in the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to sneak back and cross the border.
Several times I tried to cross, allowing more time to pass between each attempt, hoping to catch them off guard. Unfortunately, each time, I was stopped.
Eventually, it became so tiresome from Ivan that he returned to the border near where I was hiding and announced, “Alpha Gideon. If you do not give up this foolish game, you risk starting a war.”
I didn’t want to give up, but most of my soldiers were still wounded from our battle with the rogues. Even if I wanted to call Ivan’s bluff and bring my army to the border in a show of force, I simply couldn’t risk them. They needed rest. And I couldn’t justifying bringing them here for such a personal matter.
No matter how much I wanted the truth, I had to let this go. For now.
With my heart feeling somewhat heavy, burdened by the lack of answers I so badly wanted, I hung my head and retreated.
Returning to the heart of my pack, to the capital, to the hospital, I was once again at Leo’s side. He looked the same, which made me feel even more weighted down. Subconsciously, I had hoped that in my absence, perhaps Leo would recover.
It had been a fool’s hope.
I returned to my chair at Leo’s bedside, and to diligently watching over my slumbering son.
Xavier stayed in the room for a while, watching me. I knew he was worried. Most people who knew me had been giving me the same look. Despite my own recovery, I hadn’t been sleeping or eating much. I was neglecting my own health to watch
over my son.
I think I could tell that something was wrong, even before the healers came in to do their routine checkups of Leo, and the head healer stayed behind afterwards to talk to me.
That was never a good sign, and I braced myself.
“Did something happen?” I asked, unable to wait patiently while he gathered his thoughts. I couldn’t stand the waiting, the not knowing. I felt like I was in the dark about far too many aspects of my life already.
“No, his condition remains unchanged,” the healer said.
“Then what’s the issue?” I asked. Why did he look like he was about to deliver bad news?
“I’m sorry, Alpha, but… We’ve dealt with these kinds of comas before. Every day that passes without Leo waking up diminishes the chances for a full recovery.”
“What are you saying? Be clear.”
The healer cleared his throat. Then, holding my gaze, he told me, “If Leo doesn’t wake up soon, it’s like that he never will.” I didn’t really remember what happened after that. I thought the healer left the room but I didn’t know how long that took.
38 pm G P p
Chapter 193
One minute I was standing there, and then I was sitting at my son’s bedside, his firry lead in nine 1 warhed ham doy. praying to the moon goddess that he would awaken. But he didn’t. It didn’t seem like he was going in
It wasn’t fair.
Why should my son be punished for my mistakes, my shortcomings? Why couldn’t the moon goddess punish me incea
He was so young. Only six years old.
He didn’t deserve any of this.
My thoughts spiraled downward into dark places. Even after all the bleakness I had confronted over my years of life. I ha never felt as lost as I did in this moment.
“Alpha,” Xavier said after a while, though I had no idea truly how long it had been. “Maybe you should go home and rest
“I don’t need rest,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Sir, but you look like hell,” Xavier said.
His bluntness startled me from my own dire thinking and I looked up at him. Usually he had more tact, but in his face, i could see the growing concern.
I must have really looked like hell.
“I will stay with Leo,” Xavier said. “You should at least go home and shower. I don’t know if you’ve seen yourself, but you are dirty, Alpha.”
I looked down at my hands, and at the mud and dirt that had caked into my skin. I was mostly immune to my own smell but if Xavier was bold enough to tell me about it, it must have been something bad.
Leo was going to wake up. He had to.
I didn’t want to be this way when he did.
“Very well,” I said and stood.
At home, I stood under the boiling hot water of the shower, watching the dirt pour from my body and swirl around in the
drain.
My worry, my shame, and my guilt were battling inside of me, making me feel somewhat numb.
I was at a low point.
I was Alpha. I would remain strong, but things were somewhat difficult for me now.
Without Leo…
I’d never felt this broken before. This alone.
As strong as I was as a werewolf and an Alpha, I had been unable to protect my son when it had mattered the most.
How would I ever live with myself again?
When the water cleared, and I had finished showering, I dried myself and changed into fresh clothes. I wanted to go back to the hospital right away, but something – perhaps my own shame or guilt – called me into Leo’s room.
2/3
38 pm G P p p
Chapter 133
45 Vouche
stood there in the center of the room, looking around at Leo’s things and at the space he should have been occupying at his very moment.
My son was too bright and wonderful to be lost to a hospital bed.
hung my head in shame.
And then I heard a chime. Like a notification alert from a cell phone.
following where I had heard the son, I found Leo’s cell phone tucked into a drawer. The phone was meant for children, with
ton of protective features. He was only supposed to message and receive messages from approved numbers.
Opening the phone to read the texts, I saw that the most recent ones had come from Nova.
Had they been talking all this time, without Raven or I being aware of it?
Nova had sent several messages, all worried about Leo.
Where are you?
Are you OK?
Say something ok?
On and on they went.
I didn’t want Nova to worry, and.. since I couldn’t cross the border, maybe this was a way to reach out. If Claire knew Leo’s condition, she would care, wouldn’t she?
She had a right to know.
Nova’s POV
When my phone buzzed with a text, my heart jumped up in my chest. Immediately, I snatched my phone and opened it. My hope soared when I saw it was a text from Leo.
Finally.
But that hope crashed right back down when I read the message.
Nova. This is Gideon. Leo is in the hospital in a coma. Please tell your mother that Leo’s condition is worsening.
AD
Comment
Send gift
