Chapter 26

*A jump in the time span.*

**Alpha River’s P.O.V**

It’s been two weeks since my mate’s mating ceremony. Two weeks since she collapsed and almost burnt herself to death and the hospital to ashes. Two weeks since she went into a comatose state and hasn’t returned. Not even a blink of her eye or a flick of her finger or toe. Two fucking weeks!!.

Her room has been spelled by her brothers who came to see her the next day after she went into her comatose state. I didn’t even know werewolves could do that. After all this over, I am going to look into it. And the only person who could enter the room was Kiara and a female doctor that came from her old pack to take care of her. I tried to forcefully enter once and I nearly died so I don’t think I will be trying that option any time soon.

Together with the rest of the pack, we all stand behind the glass window that overlooks into her room whenever we come to visit. It really is heartbreaking to come back every time and see that she is still in the same position you left her and that nothing has changed. Tricia comes by to visit sometimes and even apologized for what she did. She said she did and said all those things out of spite and that she didn’t really mean any of what she said.

But then the harm has already been done. She is now only partially part of this pack and she could be turned rouge on my mate’s word. She will always be in danger since she is partially protected because she didn’t complete the full mating ceremony. I wish I could help but there is absolutely nothing I can do. Besides she brought this upon herself.

I don’t like holding grudges so I forgave her on the second day she came to apologize again. I have one woman in a hospital bed barely hanging on a thin thread and I do not need the other one feeling neglected and possibly thinking of leaving. That will be too much to take.

Matthews and I haven’t spoken and it’s not like I’m not trying. I am but he avoids me like a deadly plague. He’s only around when I call for a meeting and is the first one to be out the door as soon as I am done. I can’t go to Kiara for help because the kind of heated glares she has been throwing me shows how gladly she would kill me if and when she got the chance. But that is just wishful thinking. She can’t possibly think she can take on an alpha like me.

Richie is still partly mute and after thorough examination, the doctors found nothing wrong. He can talk about anything and everything but as soon as something about my mate, Kiara or Matthews comes into question, he will start to fumble. so after sometime, he stopped trying to say what he wanted to get across and focused on his duties in the pack and I must say he’s faring fine but not like he used to.

I have noticed a disturbing change in him and I don’t know what to make of it. Richie is an all-time Casanova who had no intention of changing his lifestyle.

He would always pick a woman over money but now, he barely spares them a moment of his time or speech. He is so thoroughly focused on his duties that he barely comes out of his office. The only time he is out is when it’s time for training, meals or the periodical meetings.

So many things are changing around me and I don’t know what to make of it.

My father, well my father is disappointed in me and doesn’t fail to show it to me. There is also a strain on his relationship with my mum, but I know they will work it out. He hardly talks to me anymore and the only time he talks to me; he doesn’t say more than ten words. Yes, I counted. There is just so much on my plate right now that I am on constant edge. My wolf has gone radio silent and I barely sleep.

Because after every day’s work, I go to the clinic to see my mate before returning at dawn to get some sleep and even with that I hardly get any sleep. The longest I have slept during this dreary time is an hour tops before am locked up in my office working my ass off.

Today marks exactly three weeks and six days and it was starting to wear me down. The distance between my mate and I. We are a freshly mated couple and on a normal basis we were supposed to be stuck to each other like glue but no, my mate had to go into a coma for a reason no one is telling me. I walked out of my office and decided to pay my mate an early visit today because my radio silent wolf wasn’t so silent anymore.

Ever since I woke up, he has been whimpering at the back of my mind and the only name he keeps on mentioning is that of our mate’s. I decide to take the long way to the clinic so I could clear my mind before I got to the hospital. It took a while but I found my way there and was met with the regular smell of disinfectants and antiseptics which I have grown used to over the past weeks.

Sending a curt nod to the nurse at the front desk who never failed to send me pitiful looks, I made my way to the floor that held my mate’s room. I numbly found it and before I could fix myself in front of the glass window overlooking her room, Kiara rushed out with tears trailing down her face. I watched as she closed the door quietly before settling in front of the wall beside it. Taking the risk, I walked towards her.

And after kneeling in her line of vision, I asked;

“What is wrong Kiara? Is Chaos okay?”

“Yes… She… she’s awake. She woke up at midnight and she fell asleep just now” She replied all the while sending me glares. This woman is impossible.

“Oh, thank the stars above. So then why are you crying? You should be happy”

“I am but she’s not the same River”

“What… what do you mean by she’s not the same? She just woke up from a coma, of course she’s not the same”

“No!!… You don’t fucking understand. So why don’t you leave me alone and go take a look yourself”

Well I guess the friendly hour was over. I gingerly stood up and walked towards the glass to see for myself what Kiara was going on about. I would have fallen if I wasn’t gripping on to the ledge in front of her window. The person lying on the bed looked like my mate but at the same time didn’t look like my mate.

I’ve never seen anything like this before. No one goes into a comatose state and comes out like this. My mate had totally changed. A total 360-degree change… She looked….With a deep exhale of breath, I rushed downstairs to fetch the doctor that has been taking care of her ever since she went into comatose.

Things just keep getting worse and worse…