Chapter 9.
We walked into the hospital to see Alpha John and his beta Sven. We greeted them and I introduced them to Aggie and her husband James, who had been so quiet I hardly remembered he was there for a moment. Sven said his mate, Laurie was in the room with Lisa along with Luna Pam. I was anxious to see her for myself so when Alpha John was talking with Aggie and James, who I gathered knew each other somehow, I excused myself and went to her.
She was there in the bed, her body pale and still. I knew she was in an induced coma, but I wasn't prepared for how lifeless she looked. I had hoped, against all hopes, that she'd at least have some color back by now. My aura slipped a little causing Laurie to stiffen and look in my direction.
"Back it down Jas, we're all friends here. No one wants to harm her."
I instantly dropped it embarrassed that I lost it like that for a moment. Laurie understood and patted my arm soothingly.
"No worries Jas, if it were my mate laying there, they'd have had to tranq me by now. I understand it. She's a fighter, I can feel her strength. I don't believe you'll lose her. The doctor is running all manner of tests to see what she's been subjected to, poisons, wolvesbane, anything like that to be able to combat it. But I have to say Jas, she's not a wolf, or, not JUST a wolf, there's something else there. Her smell, it's more similar to mine than yours. But it couldn't be, no Fae from that territory was known to survive the genocides. Still, we should prepare for whatever she may awaken over time. I know of people who can help to sort this if you'd like?"
"Let's see what we can find on her past first, she was abandoned as an infant in the packlands supposedly. I don't know that I believe that, I think someone in that pack knows more about her history than they're willing to admit. And then there's her hair, I certainly have never seen a wolf with silver hair, fae either."
"There are…legends… among the fae, of course no one alive is able to recall it being true or not, of silver haired fae who hold powers normal fae do not. I will see what I can find on that and contact my cousin Lina, she's not one for populated places, she's to the south in the swamps. I'll reach out and see what she can tell me, but Jas? My money is on some sort of fae hybrid, she just feels kin somehow."
With that she walked off and I approached the bedside and Luna Pam. She was reading to Lisa from Pride and Prejudice. Pam was a great lover of the classics and I hope that if Lisa can hear her melodic voice reading, that she is at rest and is peaceful wherever she's at. I don't know if people in comas are even inwardly conscious or dreaming. I just pray if she is, she is at ease and realizes she's safe.
-Lisa's POV-
I could hear someone reading. A classic I remember reading in secret once, though I cannot remember the author nor title right now. Her voice is lovely and soothing, motherly in a way. Or, at least what I presume motherly would be. I had no experience of my own. As I drifted on the sound of her voice, another found it's way to me. With it a scent that vaguely smelled familiar. It stirred something beneath my skin. I felt like I did before one of my incidents happened. Oh Goddess, please no! Not here! Not while I'm unable to do anything to stop it or explain it away! They'd shun me, throw me out to the world, or worse, lock me away again or just flat out kill me. And I can't even defend myself.
But as I lay there fearing the worst, nothing happened. No one gasped or screamed, no one jumped or anything, the reading voice, I think her name is Luna Pam, kept going steadily to the end of the chapter.
The other voice belonged to a woman who I learned was named Laurie. She was the one who smelled familiar. So odd to think that from a woman I am sure I've never met. But something about her pulled me. It spoke to me. I can't explain it. But it felt like a connection of sorts.
As I drifted I could hear their conversation. No formal titles here, they were clearly close friends. My best guess would be that Laurie was a beta. They talked about my former pack, apparently, Jasper and his Alpha Sebastian went postal and arrested the former and current Alphas and Lunas, as well as several people throughout the pack. I wondered who else. With any luck they got Chloe too. I heard them say something about clearing the dungeons and arresting the guards. I hope not Johhny! He was the only really decent one in there….
They started discussing me now. How horrible it was I was treated like I was, how they couldn't imagine anyone treating a mate like that, or anyone for that matter. They said that had Jas not been there, I'd have never survived at all… his beta powers and our mate bond kept me holding on when I was going down fast. Was he only keeping the bond until I could survive? Surely he'd ditch me once I was well again. I was nothing. A slave. A weak nobody. But wait, the dream. Selene told me I was stronger than that and I would be powerful. I couldn't see how but I suppose I could only trust the Moon Goddess on it. I do wish she'd have told me more, how am I even supposed to figure this out on my own when I don't even know WHAT I even am.
My attention snaps back to the conversation as I hear Laurie comment that she felt some sort of connection with me. She then wondered if I were like her, a hybrid. Though, she didn't say of what. Pam said it would make sense as to why I didn't seem to have any sort of recognizable scent. Laurie said that if I were wolf, I hadn't accepted it yet, as she couldn't smell it on me, and she definitely would've. I wondered if that was the case. I hadn't felt anything that I knew of, maybe because I haven't accepted it. I wondered how I would do so, I would like to. It would be at least one answer to who I was.
My heart fluttered strangely and I wondered it was some sort of recognition of a wolf, but then I scented my mate. I chalked the heart flutter to his arrival.
He entered the room and I could hear a murmured conversation between him and Laurie but I couldn't make out what they were saying. It was frustrating. Luna Pam had resumed reading while they conversed and although I appreciated it, I couldn't concentrate on the words. My mind was foggy and I was tired, and all I wanted, in the whole world, was for Jasper to come sit down and hold my hand like he usually did. When he was touching me, in any way, my body didn't hurt quite as much, and I found that I like when he sleeps, his head on the rails snoring slightly, and it somehow feels right.
This not being able to wake up is getting old. There's so much I want to say, so much I need to do. I was frustrated and the beeping heart monitor started going off. The doctor came into the room, I could smell the wintergreen mints he habitually chewed on, he listened to my heart with the stethoscope and adjusted some tubes and mentioned something about administering something for calming me. It didn't seem medical he said, it seemed more like I might be in a dream or memory or something triggering a response of stress.
Minutes later I felt tired. I was drifting in and out, I felt my mate holding my hand, the small tingles on my fingers and palm and the feeling of being relaxed and safe. I drifted away.
I woke up in Selene's bed again. She was there, her hair a riot of golden curls this time, framing her face and I could see other differences. The room was the same, but she seemed different. As I pondered that fact, she laughed softly.
"Yes, Lisa, I do change my forms. I can take many forms. Today I felt this one. I am glad to see you again my child. You have fought so valiantly. There's more fighting to do, but you have come through so well already, I have no doubts you'll continue to. I imagine you have many questions. But I'll tell you now, you're so close to solving everything. So close. I still cannot tell you, but, I can give you hints."
"hints?" I asked. "Like what? What could possibly be helpful when I still know so little? I cannot feel anything definitive. At all. Sometimes I think I might feel something there, but it is gone so briefly I honestly don't know if I'm even feeling anything at all. It's so frustrating. And I just want to wake up and start doing something to figure this all out." I said pacing back and forth in the opulent room.
"I know, and I am so sorry, if I had the power to change this for you, I would. But fate and destiny must be discovered and chosen naturally. It is the way of things. If you had been raised by your parents, you'd know already, and that, I feel is why you're stronger than you think. There is a stubborn streak in you. A ferocity and tenacity that has and will serve you well."
"Can you…. Can you tell me if my parents even miss me? Are they even alive? Did they abandon me?"
"The do, they're not, and you, you were cherished so by them, they fought valiantly to keep you, but you were stolen from your mothers arms even as she was struck down trying to protect you. The one responsible will come for you again, once you find who you are, and what you possess. He's angry that you escaped his grasp as an infant. He abandoned you by the pack's borders to escape being captured. He's not a good person. He is silver tongued and will try to make you feel as if you can trust him. Use your intuition. Listen for the words he doesn't speak. You will know."
"I feel ready, I just want to do something. I can't stand lying there useless and broken."
"You need a few more days. Your body isn't able to recover. There's still something within you that is preventing you from healing fully. Once it's removed, your origin will make itself known. But Lisa, be careful who you have near. Not all with a friendly face has good intentions. A lot rides on you figuring out what you are and how to handle your abilities. You are a rare being, my daughter. Are you ready for your hints?" she said to me
"Yes, I am."
"Very well. You crave both day and night equally, earth and water are your treasures but ice is truly yours, frost and moonlight are half of your soul, just as fire and sun are the other. One cannot exist without the other, the balance must remain equal. Earth, water, fire, ice and even wind to an extent are natural to you, but of those only two must remain balanced. Listen to your instincts, they will guide you best." She said. Then I felt the pulling, and she spoke again: "I have to send you back, keep my words, remember them, study them. In three days time, you'll wake, this meeting, you will remember all of. Be safe my daughter. Be safe and find your destiny."
I came back to still being in the dark and trapped. It must be late because I can hear Jaspers soft snores. My hand was between his. I could hear the tv on, some news program talking about the details of the take down at Thorne. Apparently over 20 arrests were made. And they were looking into some sort of scandal about genocide. Jeez, I knew they were evil, but genocide? Really? Yikes…