Chapter 31 Marked and Mated pt 1
Julian
Knowing that Kayla would want to check on Seren before anything else, I took her back to the Luna suite in the hospital. Truth be told, I wanted to check on her, too. She was going to be our Luna, after all, and Duncan would not be able to focus until he knew she was going to be okay. No wolf deserves the treatment that she received just for being an omega. I really hoped that she pulled through quickly.
We reached Seren’s room around the same time that Duncan did. He nodded at us, then entered. The beeps of the monitors and Seren’s slight breathing were the only sounds in the quiet. He settled in the chair beside her bed and took her free hand in his. Kayla moved to her other side and gently brushed her hair back from her forehead.
“You need to wake up, Seren. We’re finally safe here. We were able to get you out, and you need to see how beautiful this pack is. I want to introduce you to my mate, and you have your very own mate to wake up to now. And the best part is, we get to stay together! Our mates are in the same pack.” She whispered, as if she were afraid that any loud sound would make Seren’s condition worsen. A tear slipped down her cheek. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders so that she could lean on me.
“This is the worst I’ve ever seen her, Julian. She’s never been out for this long before. What if…” she trailed off.
“She’ll come back. She has to,” Duncan said confidently. “She’s strong. I feel it, and Conn is certain. We didn’t find her just to lose her.”
“Of course, Alpha Duncan. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Her voice trembled as she realized what she’d said in front of her new alpha.
“It’s okay, Kayla. I know you’re scared for your friend. Have faith in her. It will be okay,” Duncan reassured. He didn’t look away from Seren as he did so, but he wanted to put Kayla at ease, too. She would learn that he was a fair alpha and one she didn’t need to fear.
I pulled her in closer to me and kissed the top of her head. I could only hope that my scent and touch were calming her. It would be a rough road for both girls as they adjusted to a pack where they could speak and act freely.
“Kayla, I know it’s going to be hard, but remember, our pack is different. You can speak freely here. We’re not going to yell at or punish you for voicing your fears or concerns,” I said to her.
“I know.” She looked down at where her hand held Seren’s. “It’s going to take some time, I think. Some things are just ingrained in me.”
“Do you want to see one of our counselors? We have good ones here who would be more than capable of helping you work through things.” Duncan looked up at her then. “Julian can get something arranged for you if you would like.”
She thought for a moment, biting her lip. Then she nodded. “Yes, I think that’s probably a good idea. I want to be the best beta female I can be for Crescent Moon, and I don’t want to let Julian down.”
“You could never let me down, kitten,” I told her. “But I do want you to be as healthy and happy as you can be, and mental health is a huge part of that. We don’t shy away from that here at Crescent Moon, and have the resources to prove that. If you want to speak with someone, we can have that scheduled as soon as you’re ready.”
She just nodded again, looking at Seren. “I’m glad you found us,” she said. I only heard her words because of my enhanced wolf hearing, they were so soft. Once again, all I could do was hug her tight.
The door opened then, Alpha King Cian, Luna Queen Gwen, and Prince Gideon walking in. We all bowed our heads in acknowledgment of their entrance. Kayla released Seren’s hand and stepped back, making room for them.
“Any updates?” King Cian asked Duncan.
“She’s stable, but there haven’t been many changes so far. Doc Theo says that she may stay like this for a week or more; the damage was so severe,” he told them.
Suddenly, a bright glow filled the room. It lasted only for a moment, and when it was gone, Seren’s skin glowed faintly.
“What the fuck was that?” Gideon exclaimed.
“I don’t know, but I’ve linked Doc Theo,” Duncan responded.
Queen Gwen spoke up then. “Arienh says that it was an act of the Goddess. She won’t say more than that.”
The glow faded from Seren just as Doc Theo entered. He acknowledged everyone in the room. “Good morning. How can I help?”
“Can you take a quick look at Seren again, Doc? We’d like an update while everyone is here,” Duncan said.
Doc Theo came over to the bed while everyone stepped back. He listened to Seren’s breathing, checked her limbs, palpated her stomach. “Odd, that’s odd,” he muttered. When he was done, he stepped back and looked at Duncan. “Several of her wounds have just…healed. Her ankle is no longer broken, her breathing is steadier, and the swelling seems to have gone down around her stomach. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Everyone started looking around at each other. “What does this mean for her recovery, Doctor?” Queen Gwen asked.
“I’d say it’s brought her recovery forward by a few weeks, Luna Queen. She still has a way to go, especially with how malnourished she is, but this sudden healing is taking a lot of stress off of her wolf. Her wolf will be able to focus on her major internal injuries now. This is nothing short of miraculous healing with the state she is in.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Queen Gwen nodded at him, then reached for Seren’s hand.
“Appreciate your time, Doc,” Duncan said, a clear dismissal. Once the doctor left the room, Duncan turned to the rest of us. “The Goddess must have healed her partially. Let’s keep this to ourselves for now.”
“I agree. It’s enough that people will soon learn the princess has been found. If they learn there has been direct intervention from the Goddess, then she will have all manner of people coming after her,” King Cian stated.
Kayla leaned into me, her face against my chest. She trembled, the thought of even more harm coming to Seren clearly impacting her. “We’ll protect her, Kayla. She’s got the two strongest packs in the world behind her now. Don’t worry.” I kissed the top of her head. “Why don’t we head out and get some lunch, then get you settled in?” She nodded.
We said our goodbyes to the room and headed for the pack house.