Book 5: Chapter 56 – What Was Wrong With Me?

Book 5: Chapter 56 – What Was Wrong With Me?
Cerelia’s POV

I stirred, but my body ached tremendously. It seemed like the last drop of energy was wrenched out of me. Was I dead? Did Grandpa’s deathly grip or the touch of his sword to my skin kill me?

I could hear faint voices near me. It seemed I was far away, unable to open my eyes or move my body. A cold metal touched my chest, and I gasped, filling my lungs with a lot of oxygen. What was it? I tried to shout for help, but no sound came out of my lips.

“She’s responding!” someone cried out close to my ears. I recognized that voice instantly. It was Nikos’s. So I wasn’t dead. I was still at the mansion and my brother was with me.

“Nikos,” I croaked into the deafening silence. “Water.”

There was a shuffle, and someone held water to my lips. I drank a sip and then another. It energized me, and I slowly opened my eyes. Everything was blurred and I could hardly focus on anyone. The room was full of my family members. Was my grandpa here too? Fear gripped my heart as I blinked to refocus.

“Thank you, Sophia. You saved her life,” said my aunt Elena.

Aunt Sophia? Was she here? I immediately panicked, realizing what it meant. Aunt Sophia would know I hadn’t followed her therapy. She would complain to my grandfather. This time, surely, he would kill me.

My vision cleared, and I saw a woman checking me with a stethoscope. She smiled at me the moment our eyes connected. “Hello, sweetie. I’m Dr. Sophia Belmont, your aunt. How are you feeling now?”

My mouth hung open as I stared at her warily. Could I trust her? “Hello, Aunt Sophia! I’m feeling drained. There’s muscular pain too. What happened to me?”

She sighed and put her stethoscope away, getting up from the stool beside me. “Your grandpa’s cursed sword scraped your throat. It made you lose your consciousness in your critical state. Since you’re a mated wolf, I’m sure your mate might have been unconscious, too. I’m glad you both could recover from the ordeal. It’s been so long; we were on the verge of losing hope of your survival.”

For a moment, my heart constricted with fear. “Are you sure my mate has recovered as well?” A strange fear gripped me. I couldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to Xandrios because of my evil grandfather.

“Yes, Cerelia. The curse affects both mates similarly. If you have recovered, so has he,” explained my uncle Alarik.

“Oh, how long have I been unconscious? Where’s Grandpa?” I looked around, clutching my heart with fear. He wasn’t there in the room I was in. It wasn’t the room he usually locked me in. This was a cheerful room with lots of windows.

They glanced at one another while I watched them impatiently. What was going on?

“You’ve been unconscious for fifteen days, Cerelia,” said Aunt Elena with a sad smile.

My jaws dropped with horror. I had been lying here for fifteen long days? Was Xandrios unconscious for fifteen days as well? “Fifteen days! That’s a hell lot of time.”

“Yeah, we had to summon Aunt Sophia urgently,” said Nikos with a relieved smile.

“Now the ordeal is over. I’m glad Cerelia is fine,” said Uncle Viktor with a smile. The moment I saw him, I remembered how he had saved me from Grandpa. Everything came back to my mind, the way they had cornered Grandpa, and how he consumed poison. I remembered seeing the froth erupting from his lips before I lost consciousness.

“Where’s Grandpa? Please don’t tell him I’ve declined the purification process. I don’t want to do it. Please, I beg of you, Aunt Sophia, don’t force me to follow it. I love my mate and I don’t want to forget him.” Helpless tears formed in my eyes as I pleaded for mercy.

She gaped at me, trying to understand what I was rambling on in a dazed state.

Aunt Elena sat on the bed beside me. She wiped my eyes lovingly and caught my hands in her own. “Calm down Cerelia. It’s all over now. No one will force you to do anything. If you don’t want to follow the purification process, it’s fine. Just relax and breathe deeply.”

I nodded in a state of daze. What did she mean? What was over? “I’m sorry. I didn’t understand you, Aunt Elena. What’s over? Won’t you complain to Grandpa about me?” I watched them hang their heads while Aunt Elena sighed.

“Your grandpa died two days ago.”

I gasped with horror, not sure how to react. I had no idea how I felt about this sudden news. Although relief flooded my heart and mind, I couldn’t show them openly. “Oh, what happened?”

“He consumed Wolfsbane and battled for life for almost thirteen days. The poison spread all over his body and finally, he breathed his last,” informed Uncle Alarik.

“There’s no need to mourn his death. I’m happy that he’s no more to torture us,” cried Nikos.

“Yes, I agree with Nikos. I hated him all my life,” said Alekos vehemently.

“Does that mean I’m free?” I whispered, almost to myself. My heart filled with hope and excitement. I was free to leave this wretched place and go to Lucania. In my excitement, I tried to tear off the intravenous support and get off the bed.

“No, stop. You need the life support, Cerelia. You’re still critical,” said Aunt Sophia, immediately stopping me.

My head reeled, and I fell back to the bed. Why did I feel so weak? “Critical? But I have recovered, haven’t I? Why can’t I move about freely?”

She smiled at me, soothing my head to comfort me. “It will take time, dear. Trust me. Soon you’ll be better and up on your feet. Until then, you can rest.”

I gave her a suspicious look. “I’m perfectly fine, Aunt Sophia. Are you sure you aren’t forcing me to follow your purification process?”

“No dear. You don’t need it. I’ll never prescribe it to you in your condition.”

The others left, leaving me with Nikos and Aunt Sophia. She injected something into my channel and I sagged onto the bed. “I’m sending you some food to energize you, Cerelia. Nikos, will you ensure she has her meal?”

“Sure, Aunt Sophia.”

She walked away, and Nikos sat by the bedside. “What’s going on, Nikos? Why have they kept me here forcefully? If Grandpa is dead, I want to go to my mate.” I gave him a desperate look, but Nikos shook his head.

“You can’t travel in such a delicate condition, Cerelia. First, get well. I’ll take you to Lucania to your mate. I promise you.”

I gaped at my brother. Was I in a delicate condition still? “But I’ve gained consciousness, bro. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a day or two. So what’s stopping you from releasing me? If you can’t send me, can you call Alexandrios? He’ll come over to get me.”

Nikos sighed and looked away. “Two things actually. Your health and the curfew outside in Pieria.”

“Curfew? I don’t understand.”

“After Grandpa’s death, Granny died too. There’s a huge unrest among a section of our pack who used to support Grandpa blindly. They feel we’ve killed him. There’s so much violence and damage done that Dad had to reach out to them. Things are barely under control, Cerelia. Under the circumstances, I cannot summon your mate here. Do you realize he’ll be ripped apart for disobeying the rules Grandpa had made? Dad will never go against those rules willingly. He won’t imprison you or stop you from going to Lucania when things die down. You have no option other than to wait.”

I felt agitated and impatient. This was something I hadn’t expected at all. “I’ll go crazy waiting for it to die down. How long do you think it will take?”

He rubbed his chin, considering my question. “Maybe a fortnight or a month.”

“Shit! A month is too long, bro. Please, can I have a word with Uncle Alarik?” I wanted to escape this place as soon as possible. Why hadn’t Alpha Alexios arrived to rescue me?

“You can’t go before a month, anyway. Pregnancy usually lasts four months. And you’re expecting twins,” he whispered as if it were a secret.

My mouth hung open, and no words came to my lips. I was too horrified to speak. Pregnancy? Twins? What was he talking about? “I’m not pregnant. I’m sure you’re mistaken.”

“No, Cerelia. Aunt Sophia has examined you. You’re three weeks pregnant with twin pups. We can’t announce it to anyone yet. It has to be kept a secret. If Grandpa’s supporters found out you’ve disobeyed his rules and mated with a normal shifter, there would be mayhem and bloodshed in Pieria. Do you understand the gravity of the situation now?”

I sank to the pillows, my head swooning with confusion. I was petrified of my condition. How would I pull through a twin pregnancy? I wasn’t ready for this. I needed Xandrios so badly.

“Nikos, please call Alpha Alexios and explain my situation to him. Please, can he rescue me from here?”

Nikos nodded. “I’ll try to reach out to him.”