Chapter 104: It's okay to cry sometimes

Chapter 104: It's okay to cry sometimes
Gwendolyn was unconscious for a week. According to Cae, she had wandered through the forest of no return for days. 

The forest of no return was spelled with dark magic. Only those who had been touched by that same dark magic could navigate through it. 

Julian was able to because when he joined Ragnar's pack, he took an oath, and Ragnar initiated him with dark magic. 

With Julian's death, Gwendolyn couldn't escape the forest on her own. What seemed like hours was actually three days as she walked around in circles with no sense of time. 

Her ability to break out of the forest was still a mystery, but because she spent days wandering, she was severely dehydrated and weak. 

Kieran never left her bedside. He stayed with her, whispering in her ear because he knew she could hear him. 

Cae did all she could with her healing herbs, but after five days, she gave up. Gwendolyn's body kept rejecting every healing potion. 

Kieran sensed that her wolf was absent, making him wonder if she had transitioned fully into the Black Onyx. 

"What if she has taken her true form?" Cae asked one morning. 

They sat beside the bed, staring silently at Gwendolyn who lay on the bed. The room was dim, with a single lantern burning in the corner. 

"What?" Kieran asked. 

"If Gwen has taken her true form as the Black Onyx, it could be the reason why you can't feel her wolf anymore, and why she keeps rejecting every healing spell I've used."

Kieran sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "That's exactly what I was thinking." He murmured. 

Cae looked at him, and her heart broke at the sight. Kieran never showed weakness. He never showed vulnerability. 

But looking at him now tore at her heart. The ruthless Alpha now looked like a shadow of himself. His eyes were bloodshot, lacking sleep. His hair was messy. He didn't eat. He didn't drink. His entire attention was on his mate. 

This made her remember when her own mate had been alive years ago. Whenever she got weak from using too much of her healing spell, he would sit beside her bed for days, waiting for her to recover. 

The mate bond was such a powerful thing. 

She reached out and laid a hand on Kieran's shoulder. 

"I'm going to say this not as your healer, but as someone who has looked after you as a mother would, Kieran." She said, using his own name for the very first time. "You can't continue like this. The pack needs their Alpha. They need your strength. If you fall into despair, they will be left helpless."

"My life has no meaning without Gwen in it." Kieran murmured. "If she's not awake, if she's not beside me, then I have no reason to live. I have no reason to be an Alpha."

"Have you forgotten your duty to your pack, Kieran? You swore an oath."

"I did. But I also swore an oath to my mate. I swore to protect her, yet I failed. I chose to protect my pack from Ragnar, and in the process, I failed to protect Gwen who has given me a reason for my existence."

"Nothing will happen to Gwen." Cae assured him. "She will awake when her body is ready. Remember we know nothing about the Onyx. We have never dealt with one. We just need to have faith in the moon goddess."

"The moon goddess?" Kieran scoffed. "She knew what she was doing by pairing Gwen with me. And while I don't regret that, it doesn't mean I like the fact that being an Onyx puts her in constant danger. She carries my child. She's lying here, unconscious, and the moon goddess can't do a thing about it."

"Kieran, careful. You can't blaspheme."

"Cae, stop. I'm already in a rotten mood. I don't want to take it out on you."

Cae sighed and clasped her hands. "What I'm trying to say is this. The Immortals don't know about her yet. There's still hope. Ragnar is dead. As for Julian, he will definitely meet his end. Gwen won't be in danger anymore."

"We still have to rescue her mother from Tartarus." Kieran muttered. "Khal knows I will come. And he's waiting."

"Your father won't dare to harm Gwen, not when he once fell in love with a lycan himself."

"Except Gwen isn't a lycan. She's an Onyx."

Cae carefully caressed Kieran's face and smiled. "Kieran, you worry too much. Gwen might be an Onyx, but it doesn't mean she isn't a lycan. She felt the mate bond, and you did too. She's a lycan as much as you're a Wilding. Everything will be fine."

Kieran exhaled and took Cae's hand. "I used to think no one would ever fill the void left by my mother's death. But you didn't just fill it, Cae. You covered it. I might not say it much, but I'm grateful for your help."

Cae smiled and embraced him. She caressed his hair and pressed a soft kiss on it. 

"It's okay to cry sometimes." She whispered. "It doesn't mean you're weak. It just means you're strong enough to shake off the burden and continue."

Kieran chuckled as he pulled back. "Thanks for the advice, but that won't be happening. Ever."

"Kieran..." Gwendolyn's soft voice suddenly came from the bed. 

Kieran shot to his feet and moved towards the side of the bed instantly. 

Gwendolyn was awake. Her eyes were still closed, but she was awake. 

"Moon of my heart." Kieran whispered, pulling her into his arms. He caressed her face, pushing the damp strands of hair away. 

"I need water." Gwendolyn whispered. 

"I'll get it." Cae offered and hurriedly rushed out of the room. 

Gwendolyn lay in Kieran's arms, sighing softly as the sparks of the mate bond flickered across her skin. She felt like she just awakened from a deep slumber. 

"Are you in pain?" Kieran whispered. 

She shook her head. "Just tired. How long have I been asleep?"

"A week. You wandered in the forest for three days."

"Three days?" She repeated in shock. "I thought... It seemed like hours. How was it three days?"

"I'll explain everything to you, my love. I promise."

"What about the baby?"

"The baby is fine. Cae confirmed."

She sighed in relief. Her eyes remained closed as she snuggled into his embrace. "Do I stink?"

Kieran laughed and kissed her hair. "No, my love. And even if you did, I still wouldn't care."

She laughed softly and sighed. "I need a bath. I'm sweaty."

"Let Cae return with your water first. I'll take you to the bathroom."

"Will you give me a bath?"

"I will."

Cae returned then with a glass of water. She handed it to Kieran who gently placed it on Gwendolyn's lips so she would drink. 

The room turned silent, filled with an air of relief. Gwendolyn emptied the glass of water and sighed in contentment. Her throat didn't feel parched anymore. 

Then Cae noticed her eyes were still closed. 

"Gwen, do your eyes hurt?"

Gwendolyn shook her head and sat up. "They don't. It's just... I think they're different now. I feel they're different."

Kieran frowned. "What do you mean different?"

She took his hand and whispered, "Don't freak out."

When she opened her eyes, Kieran remained silent, but Cae gasped in shock. 

Gwendolyn's pupils were no longer brown. They were the darkest obsidian.