Their Mate And Luna

CHAPTER 26

AWAKE 1

My eyes slowly creep open, heavy as if tiny anchors weigh down each lid. The world in front of me is a blur as I blink, trying to shake off the last bits of a drowsy spell. It’s a struggle to really see, like my sight is playing catch-up with the world after a blurry snooze.

My entire body feels like its made of lead, every movement I make is followed by a loud protest from my muscles and joints.

I am not just tired; I can feel weariness seeping into my bones. Aching all over as if I have carried the weight of ten bags of flour for an entire night.

When my vision finally clears, I find myself in a brightly lit room, smelling like a hospital.

“Ugh,” I groan squeezing my face, attempting to stretch my stiff limbs. Something heavy and warm restrains my palms, and, with another slow groan, I lift my head a bit to see two masculine hands with intricate tattoos, holding onto mine. Tracing the owners of these hands with my eyes, I see two heads, with shiny dark hair, each resting on either side of my thighs.

Panic sets in instantly. It can’t be.

What are they doing here?

“No way,” I mutter, my weariness giving way to confusion and fear. I start pulling my hands away, and both heads jerk up, awake abruptly.

“Nicole,” Vince speaks first, tightening his grip on my palm as he stands.

“Brown eyes! You’re awake,” Vance adds, joining him by my side.

Blinking heavily, I process what my eyes are seeing. This has to be a dream. Just like the one where I fought and killed that witch. Wait. Was that a dream? It felt too real. There was a portal. My wolf…

Sparks and tingles dance up my skin, bringing my thoughts to a stop.

No way.

The sparks and tingles of the mate bond.

“How do you feel?”

“Does anywhere hurt?”

Are they really talking to me? Is that worry and concern I see on their faces as their voices cut through the quiet atmosphere of the room?

“Please, say something, brown eyes,” Vance implores, holding my brown eyes with his grey ones.

Who is brown eyes? Why is he calling me that? And why do they have dark circles underneath their eyes? Why do they look exhausted? Why are their eyes bloodshot?

And even as rough and tired as they appear, they still had their handsomeness intact. Must be an alpha male thing or just a male wolf thing.

Vance raises a hand to reach for my face making me pull back sharply, halting his movement. I see a dash of pain flash across his eyes before he pulls it back.

Why are their grey eyes full of an emotion I have never seen them have towards me? Not one emotion. Emotions.

This is Vince and Vance Stone. The future alphas who inexplicably hate me for no reason I know. They also rejected me on my birthday.

What are they doing here? Why are they touching me? They always put a distance between them and me. This is the closest I have ever been to them.

This is the first time they will both be touching me.

I snatch my hands away from theirs, losing the suddenly soothing sparks and tingles on my skin and hate it. I notice the shocked looks on their faces, replaced by an emotion I never imagined I would see in their eyes.

Regret.

My throat feels dry and I lick my lips in thirst.

“Here,” Vance picks a glass of water with a straw from the table near me.

“Let me help you up,” Vince puts a hand under my back and the other around my waist as he lifts my upper body up, gently from the bed. Unconsciously, I inhale his scent, which I can’t really identify but find as soothing as the sparks on my skin. He flashes me a small smile, purring as his eyes flash gold.

Vance guides the straw to my lips for me to drink. When my hands clamp round the glass, resting on his fingers, his eyes flash a pure gold. A purr escapes his lips just like his brother. Both of them looking intently at me as I sip.

Satisfied, I let go of the straw, “Thank you.” I whisper to the two of them. Vance helps me lay back down. I close my eyes wondering what next now? Knowing their eyes are on me.

Even in my wearied state, I know there’s a huge white elephant in the room. And I don’t think I have the strength to deal with it, right now.

I start rising from the bed when both stop me.

“Where are you going?” Vance asks, a hand on my shoulder.

“The bathroom,” I whisper as I drop my legs to the ground.

“I will carry you,” Vince scoops me off the bed before I can protest, crushing me to his chest and heading for the small restroom in the room. His fingers gently massaging my skin.

Why do I feel safe in his arms?

“I can walk on my own,” I protest, wondering where to put my hands. Around his neck or on his chest. I finally settle for my laps.

“And I can carry you,” he protests also, hoisting me closer to his chest, as his brother tags along.

“The bathroom is not far.”

“He is not complaining,” Vance adds as he opens the door for his brother and I. He flips the toilet seat over, pulling back for Vance to place me on the seat.

“Call us when you’re done.”

I quickly empty my bladder, not wanting them to come fetch me and try to stand on my own, but fall back down on the seat.

Great.

I hold on to the wall, using the little strength I have and reach for the sink to wash my hands. The door opens the moment I turn on the water and Vance walks in while Vince remains at the door.

“Done?” Vance asks.

I simply nod my head as I finish washing my hands.

“Come on. I am carrying you this time,” he says as he scoops me up into his arms. Unlike with Vince, Vance’s scent is repulsive and feels unnatural.

Back in my room, he puts me down on my bed and both of them help me settle in well.

What the hell is going on? I ask myself again at the strangeness of what they are doing.

I snatch the covers in my fist, raise myself up and lean my back against the head of the bed. Bending my knees against my chest, ignoring the sharp pain on my side. There’s no way I am going to make them see me in pain.

Their eyes follow my movements. Both of them opening and closing their mouths, wanting to say something but nothing comes out.

The sterile white walls of the room seem to close in around us. I feel their presence taking up all the air around.

Vance clenches his fist. “Brown eyes,” he whispers, lips trembling and eyes pleading.

“Don’t call me brown eyes,” I whisper back, avoiding his eyes, trying to understand what this sudden closeness means. I am no brown eyes to him.

“That’s what you are to me.”

“I am nothing to you,” I murmur, my words carrying the weight of rejection.

“Look at me please,” Vance pleads, but I shake my head, feasting my eyes on the white sheet covering my legs.

“You’re everything to us,” Vince says, reaching for my hand again, but I snatch it away. His words hang heavy in the air, creating a whirlwind of conflicting emotions within me.

“I am nothing to you.”

Vance turns away from the bed, running his palms over his hair and the back of his head, breathing heavily. Somehow, I can feel his inner turmoil.

But why? They rejected me already, I shouldn’t be feeling their emotions.

“Nicole, please don’t run from us. We…there’s…we…” he stammers, stops and closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and opens them. “We are sorry.”

Sorry? Like that is going to change anything? Or everything?

Vance comes back, his breathing normal, but the tension remains in his eyes. “How do you feel?”

“Can I leave?”

“You can’t leave, yet. The doctor has to see you,” Vince says quietly as he sits down on his chair back, with a heavy sigh. One full of remorse and regret.

I have to stop feeling their emotions.

“I am fine.”

“No, you’re not!” Vance half yells at me, in frustration.

Something boils inside of me at his tone of voice and the audacity to tell me I can’t leave.

“Why? I don’t need your permission to leave,” I counter back, meeting his eyes this time around.

“The doctor has to check you!”

“I said I am fine!” I don’t know where this newfound boldness or fire is coming from, but I like it. Liking that I can control my choices.