Chapter 31 Chapter 31
"I-I was so worried about you daddy! You scared me. Please don't ever do anything like that again. I don't want to lose you." She says, her voice breaking with each sob.
"I'm so sorry baby." Tiberius whispers and I see him weakly squeeze Leilani's hand. "I will be okay baby. Don't worry about me okay?"
Leilani nods her head. "You have to get better for me okay daddy? You have to promise me you are going to be okay."
Tiberius hesitates and I know it's because he doesn't know if he can keep that promise. He loves Leilani more than anything in the world. He has never made a promise he couldn't keep. Tiberius takes a shaky breath. "I promise baby."
Leilani sobs harder, her shoulders shaking. She lays her head down against his hand and Tiberius makes eye contact with me. He may be weak but that doesn't turn off our mind link.
"You better take care of my girl. I need her to have someone in case the worst happens. She will need someone to help her be the strong female alpha I know she was born to be! Don't let her focus all her energy on me. It is time for her training to start. I need you to be the one who does it. I trust you Malakai. Take care of her."
I silently reply through the mind link. "Yes alpha. I will make sure she is the best alpha any pack has ever seen. Focus on healing for her and our pack. I will take care of her!"
Tiberius thanks me and disconnects our link. Doctor Miyo comes in and Leilani sits up. "Tiberius I am happy to see you are awake! I will take you for some more tests and if all goes well you will be headed out to the Shadow Lands Cancer Research Hospital first thing tomorrow morning." Doctor Miyo says and Leilani gasps.
"He's leaving tomorrow morning?" She asks her voice still shaky.
Doctor Miyo nods his head. "Yes, if all his tests come back good enough for travel. We will be transferring him to the Cancer Research Hospital, because they have better equipment and doctors that can help your dad better dear."
Leilani's shoulders shake, as the tears start falling again. "But I won't be able to see him if he goes to that hospital."
Tiberius turns to his daughter. "I need you to be strong baby. No matter where I am, I am always in your heart. Just like your mother, you know this baby. I need you to start training for the alpha position baby. You need to prepare to take over the pack baby."
Leilani sobs. "But it's not my time, I'm not supposed to train to take over until I am twenty-five daddy. It's too early. I can't do it. I need you." She chokes out between sobs.
Tiberius nods his head slowly. “I know it is early baby. I don’t know how long I will be at the Cancer Research Hospital. Someone needs to be here to take care of the pack. Everyone in the pack knows you are supposed to take over as Alpa, so what if it is a few years early. I need you to be strong. Malakai will be there every step of the way.”
Leilani turns and looks at me. I nod my head assuring her, that her father is right. I mind link her, so her father doesn’t hear. “I will be right here with you Angel. Don’t worry okay.”
Leilani sniffles, but answers back. “Thank you, Malakai.”
“Don’t worry Tiberius I will take care of our girl. We will start training immediately.” I tell him, trying to assure the both of them that I am here for both of them.
“Thank you, Malakai.” He says softly, his usual strong voice getting even weaker.
“I will start my training, but you have to promise me you are coming back daddy. Okay?” Leilani asks, trying to force a promise out of her dad that he doesn’t know if he can keep.
Doctor Miyo who has been standing here watching our entire interaction nods his head. “Tiberius I will take you for some tests now. There is transport arranged for in the morning if all goes well, you should be at the Research Hospital by nine tomorrow morning.”
Tiberius pulls Leilani’s hand up to his mouth, kissing the back of her hand softly. “I will see you in just a little bit baby. I love you.”
“I love you too daddy. I will be here waiting for you when you get back.” She says trying to sound strong.
Doctor Miyo brings a team of nurses in that wheel Tiberius out of the room for testing. Leilani and I stay in the room cuddled on the couch for what seems like hours, but it was only about forty-five minutes. The nurses bring Tiberius back into the room and Leilani jumps up away from me. In any other situation I might have laughed at how quickly she moved.
“How did the tests go? What did they say?” She starts asking a million questions and Tiberius laughs.
“I won’t know the results for a few hours baby. Until then we will just have to be patient.” He says, pulling her close to him.
Tiberius mind links me again. “Before I forget there is a letter from Leilani’s mother in the top drawer of my desk. It is under a bunch of paperwork. I was supposed to wait until her twenty-first birthday to give it to her, but I think it may be good for her to see it now. When you guys go back to the house, I want you to give her the letter.”
I respond. “Okay, I will give her the letter as soon as we get back to the house.” A letter from her mom? I wonder what is in the letter. I want to ask Tiberius, but honestly it’s not any of my business.