Chapter 366: 2-2

I chuckle, lightheaded “What could’ve happened with you less that 30 feet away?” I slur and hear someone snort as well. “How’s Kieran?” Oakley asks and when I go to open my mouth, I’m happy that I hear Jack speaking to her instead. After telling her that by morning we would be waking him up, Ben comes closer. “Chelsea are you okay?” “Mhmm –hmmm,” I hum my eyes closed; I cuddled against Gabe’s hard chest. “Did you finish the surprise?” he murmured. For that I opened my eyes trying to find him, once I had, I nod. “Yeah I finished them all, but Ben if she doesn’t like them, don’t get upset okay? And maybe you should ask Chris or Rainy if they’ll join so she won’t feel intimidated…” he nods a small smile on his face. I lean back against Gabriel, and note that Oakley is asleep on the sofa opposite, her head on Julia’s lap. “Do – do you… would you like it if someone did that for you?” he asked his small face red, eyes worried. I lean my head back against Gabriel, and think of Ben’s surprise for her, a small smile on my face. “Yeah, I would,” I tell him honestly and see him sigh in relief resting his body against Gabriel’s side, a pillow between them. Two hours after leaving the auditorium, Tera Ryan came down the stairs, her eyes red, and face puffy. So unlike the last time I saw her, twitching and unsure she stopped a good distance, her eyes darting over to Oakley, Grant, the door to her brothers room, finally onto me, before looking away and staring at her feet. “How is he?” she whispered once her eyes found mine again, “I’m not going to hurt you,” I told her, I didn’t read her mind but after what she saw me do, there had to be some fear there. “I know,” she gave me a soft smile, you were saying? Avena laughed. Just as she replied, I heard more heartbeats nearing and came to see Mr. and Mrs. Ryan as well as Marlon and Leland, behind them. A bit more conscious than when I healed him, I lifted my head off of Gabe’s shoulder to eye the bunch, noting that Mr. and Mrs. Ryan both appeared to look like their daughter. “How is Kieran?” Mrs. Ryan asked me directly, “he’s still hooked up to the machines but I healed his brain injuries-” Her eyes widened, her mouth agape, “what? Brain injury?” she eyed Marlon who seemed to be in a daze himself. “He had partial brain death in his cerebrum, they drilled a few holes to drain excess blood and removed a small piece of his skull…” I said dryly. They both looked a bit green, while Tera just closed her eyes, looking away, “But he’s really okay?” Mr. Ryan asked his eyes off, glassy. “Yes… I mean we don’t know what his memory or speech function, those sorts of things will be, but he isn’t dead and he isn’t in any pain,” I whispered. “But… one hit…” Mr. Ryan said out loud and I finally tuned into his thoughts, one strike doesn’t cause what she’s talking about… “One hit what?” I ask despite knowing, I wasn’t ready to give away the fact that I could read all thoughts just yet. He toed the ground, “Connor, he said he hit Kieran-” I snorted, “Please… it wasn’t one hit, one hit probably brought him down, but he even broke Kieran’s shoulder-” taking a deep breath, I remain calm, “I couldn’t find Connors scent anywhere near Kieran, does – did he have a gift for that?” Mrs. Ryan shakes her head, “No, but there is a plant on the island that can mask your scent, we use it to make soap, and when you run patrol here on the island we use it,” Leland answers. There’s an awkward moment, Leland and Marlon say nothing and I don’t read their minds. Gabriel’s body jerks and when I pull away to get a look at his face I see the mirth in his eyes, you’re dying to know what they thought of what happened, you can read their minds but yet you don’t want to do that either? I just roll my eyes. I want them to approach me if they have a problem with what I did, I shrug. They think you can read their minds so they don’t need to bring it up, he countered. Nodding, I lay my head down again, closing my eyes – and soon after, sleep takes me. . . . Oakley POV “Your brother called me,” I hear the whispered voices but I can’t place it, and my head feels as though it weighs much more than normal when I try to lift it. “Why?” another voice replies, hushed and filled with concern. “Ethan… he found his mate, she’s human but your dad wants him to mate with some other wolf-” the first voice continues. “To Vera Larito?” Gabriel interrupts him, monotone and there’s no answer but then a loud sigh, “You’d think he learned…” Gabriel says with a slight edge to his voice, a growl. When the slight heaviness of my head seem to slowly wear off, I stretch out, and the memories of the night before invade my mind, one after the other. Holding Kieran’s hand. Walking home. The headache that felt down right painful. Gabriel coming to the house to give me pain medication but then telling us about Kieran being hurt. Chelsea healing him up, giving me time to see just what was going on… I sat up with a start, shaking my head and eyes darting around the sitting areas. Until I focused solely on Gabriel, no Chelsea or Ben, Grant and Aunt Julia are gone as well. My heart seized, ready to come up my throat. In the corner, Tera was asleep a light blanket thrown over her, “How is he?” I blurted out standing still a bit dazed. “Well about two hours ago they removed all the machines and now it’s only a matter of him Kieran waking up,” Gabriel said, his words calming me. Sighing, I nodded, “that’s good…” I’m not sure what Gabriel heard in my voice but he leaned forward, keeping his eyes on mine, “he’s alive… Chelsea fixed him up… we don’t know how his memories are going to disturbed by what happened but-” “Wait you mean… he may forget me?” I asked as my body seemed to sag, I – I didn’t want Kieran to forget me, and yet at the same time, I was happy he was alive and going to wake up period. I shook my head as Gabriel opened his, “Never mind, I’m just happy he’s going to wake up,” I whispered truly relieved. Yet I couldn’t push away the bit of disappointment that he could wake up and forget that he had let me hold his hand.