Drawn to You

The Waiting Room

ALEXANDER’S P.O.V

The dark storm clouds roll in from the west, no doubt a gift of rain from the Goddess herself, the thunder booming echoing through the mountain range and cracks of lightening that leave flashes in their wake sends a shiver down my spine. The drum of rain falling with force on the roof above beat in tune with my heart, the rain drops slowly dancing down the tall glass window that frames the waiting room on the ground floor mirrors the tears escaping from my eyes. I needed a break from her room, I needed a break from seeing her laying like that on deaths door, I needed a break from my grief. Over the last six weeks her room has become a second home, I feel guilty being away from her the moment I leave. Every now and then I have to leave to get food, clothes or just space from everything.

It’s been tortuous 6 weeks since a pack member found Aurora bleeding clinging to life at the outer most grounds of the territory, they think she was assaulted and beaten to keep quiet, the old man rushed her straight to the hospital hoping to save her and then called the guards. The weeks since her accident I have been a mess and I can’t contain my rage I keep flipping out at everyone and I can no longer trust myself to act sane. I’ve handed the pack in the interim over to my Beta and Aurora’s brother Nathan, the pack is the last thing on my mind right now, I need her to wake up, I need to know that she wasn’t leaving me, and I need to find out what happened to her and then, only then may I be able to lead my pack again.

Drop-ins from Dylan makes everything progressively worse, I can’t force him to leave and not to see her even if I wanted to, her parents think it’s best if he stays around because it might help her wake up sooner, even if it doesn’t Aurora being around friends and family around will help ease her transition after her coma. They normally wouldn’t be given a say because Aurora as my mate and my Luna is my responsibility  but due to our relationship troubles, they have been deciding what’s best for Aurora as her next of kin. I have tried to just go along with it. It’s hard all the while, I can’t deal with Dylan being near her, whether she was leaving me or not, whether I was Alpha of this pack or not, my old best friend should have been respectful and stayed away from my mate no matter their joint history together, he should have just stayed away, but he didn’t. My daily routine consists of a lot of begging, I beg Aurora to open her eyes and stay with me, I beg Dylan to leave and never come back, and I beg my mother to tell me when Aurora will wake up. My mother Jane Lowell is a curious creature being both the former Luna and the lead neurosurgeon of the hospital makes her pick and choose which persona to draw from and unfortunately, when it comes to Aurora, she draws from the doctor persona rather than the motherly one. She refuses to give me any answers that way I won’t get false hope.

Thinking back to the day of the accident I wish I could say I regret hand cuffing her to the bed. It’s been six weeks and my anger with her hasn’t wavered and I still refuse to take them off until she wakes up. After promising me the world, telling me I was the only one and that she would love and cherish me forever, she was trying to leave, trying to leave me for my best friend. I hate her, I love her, honestly what I hate is that I love her, still after everything I want to be with her. My emotions are all over the place and after six weeks of this mess I feel slightly better about making my Beta take over the pack, he is worried about his sister, but it gives him something to do, sometimes he calls on me, to check up, I am not needed as most can be done from Aurora’s bedside, but I am glad he checks up on me, that he is trying to ensure I don’t suffocate myself with grief.  

About three weeks ago a mysterious stranger from Aurora’s past just showed up with no notice at the hospital during one of my visits in the early morning. I still can’t get over the look of shock he had on his face when he walked in, he stared straight at me with venom in his eyes, he puffed out his chest and stood tall, he is tall and built like a wall of muscle but still not as big as me or Dylan, with a determined look on his face I am sure we were about to start another fight. Looking at him I immediately identified him as Alpha Justin of Darkstone and welcomed him to the pack just to ease some of the tension between us. Like Darkwood, Darkstone shares a border with me and actually each other as well, our territory lines meet at the middle and share passageways between the land, we have had an alliance for almost two centuries and I am still trying to decide if I want to keep them intact. Truth is I had no idea what kind of person he was or who he was to my mate, but Aurora’s parents seemed to know him, so I let him visit. He doesn’t come often and when he does, he doesn’t speak, he just stares at her, the way he looks at her bothers me a little and I don’t know why, I don’t know much about their relationship, she hasn’t ever spoken about him. I can’t help but chuckle at the fact  that my minx of a mate somehow has three alphas visiting her hospital room, as the Alpha she ended up with I am proud that I have her hand but as her insecure mate I can’t help but drown in the waves of jealousy went they are around her.

Having Justin alone here isn’t so bad, he comes in says a quick hello then sits on a chair for a while, gets angry look on his face and leaves, simple, routine and now expected. However, when Justin and Dylan are together it’s like fire at water, I want nothing more than to kill both of them to be rid of their incessant bitching and moaning. We are all here Aurora, but those two dimwits let all of their testosterone and pent-up dominance get in the way, you would think Aurora would be their main concern but as soon as they see each other all they do is scream, shove and throw punches.

I used to threaten them with banning them from the territory, but they would just beg Grace and then Grace would come and beg me to let them stay, it was a terrible cycle really and I grew tired of there fighting and decided to no longer get in the middle, I will easily let them kill each other. All I do now is sit here pathetically all day, every day begging Aurora to come back and stay with me.

AURORA’S P.O.V

Beep...beep…beep. the sound from the ECG machine wakes me from my sleep and realization quickly clouds my mind, I have never been able to hear it so loudly as to make me up, the last time I was awake it was different it still felt like everything was muffled, just out of reach. There are no voices yet today, just the machines whirring and the sound of the ECG machine. It’s so noisy here I get distracted easily and I forget my train of thought and just float here listening to everything not even thinking. I still regret leaving the empty, I miss it, it was so quiet and peaceful and my thoughts where clear, when I stepped through the doorway, I thought I would feel the rush of my memories returning but nothing happened, I gave up on that hope long ago, I doubt they will ever return. With no one’s voice around to focus on I focus on the felling on my fingers and toes, trying to remember what they felt like when they moved, willing my body to make even those little actions to give me some resemblance of hope, unlike other days this for some reason has not drained me. I hear a door open, and footsteps approaching me, the faint smell of coffee and chocolate invades my nose, a chair is dragged along the floor and a hear the voice of an angel whisper to me “Aurora, please, Aurora come back please.” The angels voice breaks and sobs replace their words, I’m sure if I could, I would be crying to, no creature that’s voice sounds so melodic should ever cry. The sobs slowly come to a stop and the angel speaks again, “Aurora come back, I miss you, just come back."

The angel must have left because I haven’t heard them speak for a while, I went back to concentrating on my fingers and toes, willing my body to respond and move them, I feal a warm tingle spreads up my arms and legs, maybe just maybe I managed to move something. Confidence and determination consume my every thought, today is the day I will open my eyes, it just has to be. I take a deep steady breath and focus on the feeling of my eyes, the heaviness of the lids covering my eyes, the tickles of my lashes on my cheeks, I collect all of my strength and force my eyes opened only to be greeted by a blinding white light above me. “Ah! f**k,” I hiss as instinctively raise my arm to cover my face but the clang of metal and the force stopping my arms from moving sets in a slow burning panic. “Oh, goddess no,” I whimper out as I try again with no use, greeted by the sound of clanging metal again and my arms only lifting a few centimetres.

“What the f**k!” I shout at no one in particular while I lift my head to see what is stopping my hands. My stomach twists into knots, my throat goes dry, the sight in front of me makes my blood run as cold as ice. Hand cuffs. I thrash against hand cuffs around my wrists with everything I have left, but it’s of no use, they are clasped tightly to either side of the hospital bed holding my arms down preventing me from getting away. What was I going to do, run? Did they not see my unconscious state? I must be an injured prisoner or something. Why is this happening and why can’t I remember. Why did I come to this place, I should have known no one wants me here, If I knew that I would be trapped here like a rabid dog would I have chosen to stay in the empty? It isn’t like there are many differences anyway, one is a prison in darkness and the other is a prison of light? Beggars’ choice really.

Muffled voices walking outside my door is making my blood pressure climb and a machine is alarming along with it. Maybe if I think fast could figure out how to get out of theses cuffs and escape before they realise that I’m awake. Remaining as quiet as possible I attempt to pull my hands through the cuffs, they rattle against the metal bed guards louder than I hoped, stopping for a few seconds listening to the voices it seems no one heard me. One more time I will myself, one last shot to break these cuffs and run, I’ll run forever if I have to I won’t be a prisoner here, the bed shakes as I struggle to get out, trying again might have been a mistake because this time the voices are getting clearer and louder, my eyes widen they are approaching my door as it flies open slamming into the wall with a loud thud, I force my eyes shut and slam my head back into the bed, crouching down as much as I can, bracing myself for whatever, whoever is going to come through it.

A young woman in her early twenties with dark purple hair stormed into the room in a huff I peek at her through my eye lashes and take in her beauty she has the most beautiful alabaster skin that makes her hair and eyes stand out even more, I open my eyes a bit more only to find violet eyes staring back at me, the moment she saw I  was awake her eyes widened in confusion before she started screaming for help, as soon as the screams leave her mouth about twenty doctors and nurses rushed into my room, all whispering between themselves, suddenly nurses where taking my blood pressure, drawing blood, testing my reflexes, changing bandages as doctors barked orders for even more tests to run. I inwardly chuckle at the lady checking my reaction to light, if they just asked, I could have told them my reaction to light is fine, that is what got me into this mess I am sure of it. I was too loud, and that woman came in to investigate. Honestly, I do feel fine, a bit scared but physically fine. Once all of preparations for the next set of tests were done all of them left except one.

A woman in her late forties stood at the base of my hospital bed, the white coat gave away that she was a doctor, for a doctor she quite stunning, underneath the loose doctors coat she wore a body-hugging black pantsuit that showed off her toned figure and she paired it with red stiletto heels that screamed power. Her olive skin was practically glowing, her short silver pixie cut was just the right amount of adorable and bold as it framed her heart shaped face perfectly, but what drew me in most was her icy blue-grey eyes that sat behind thin framed glasses. They radiated warmth, love and under all of it an undeniable amount of authority.

“As you know my name is Dr Jane Lowell, as the lead neurosurgeon here at Darkridge I will be overseeing your case and as much as I hate procedure I must continue on in a professional sense, is that alright with you?” her eyes held a question I didn’t know the answer to as she grabbed the chart from the bottom of the bed me planted herself in the armchair cross-legged across from me.

“Name, date of birth, country of residence, go.” She stared at me with those icy eyes, but I couldn’t hold her gaze and I couldn’t answer her question, so I just looked away.

“Aurora, please. Answer so I can be done with the paperwork and talk to you” she pushed but I still refused. Looking down at my handcuffs I am not sure who handcuffed me and who can be trusted but I felt like I can trust her. Right? I saw her looking at the cuffs with a pained expression.

“Aurora dear, please don’t be mad I am sorry about the cuffs and I am sorry I am treating you the same as everyone else, that has nothing to do with you it is just hospital policy when anyone wakes up from a coma you know that.” She looks at me with a soft gaze. My mind is reeling coma, what? Was I really in a coma all this time?

“We will start off easy by finishing procedure, and then we will talk. Please tell me your full name and date of birth at least” she adjusted her glasses and began to write.

I don’t respond to her just shaking my head and looking down.

“You have always been stubborn I don’t know why I thought this time would be any different, if you want to get out of here you need to answer me” her eyes narrowed, she looked over her glasses with a disapproving glare like I was a naughty child who drew on the wall or stole a cookie. Even with her death glare I refused to talk to her, even though she seems lovely I can’t trust her, and I can’t answer her, so I just look down towards the handcuffs.

“I know you are frustrated but you need to talk to me, then you will be allowed to leave.” She snapped at. My refusal to talk made her lose her temper, I knew she couldn’t live up to that perfect act she was putting up. No one was that good.

she let out a loud sigh slammed the pen into the chart, crossed her arms and huffed at me. I slight smile spread across my face at her unprofessional behaviour, maybe she knows me well...she’s in for a rude shock isn’t she, poor lady, she might know who I am, but I don’t.

“You are right, I am frustrated but not for the reason you think” I take a deep breath in to calm down and keep my voice steady, I don’t want to say something I regret, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings, most importantly I do not want to seem weak. “I can’t answer your question because I don’t know the answer.” I follow up with a soft tone averting my gaze from the cranky doctor, I hated admitting to my downfalls but if I am going to get out of here, I should tell the truth.

“I see, maybe a different question, do you know the year perhaps? What country we live in?” Jane continued.

“Nope.” I say with a sigh and rest my head on the pillow closing my eyes. I want to cry and scream but I won’t, I can’t do that to her, she gives off the warmth of a loving mother, I can’t let her see me cry or she won’t let me leave.

“Fine! What is the last thing you remember?” She throws her hands into the air clearly frustrated with me, not understanding my words or possibly my hesitation.

“Waking up here.” I lied, seems easier than explaining the empty to someone, “look, Jane, was it? I don’t have any memories other than those I made today which aren’t very pleasant” I gesture to the hand cuffs. “For some reason I can’t remember anything about me.” I say as a stray tear rolls down my cheek.

“Okay, give me a few moments and I will be back” Jane put my chart away and quietly exited the room.

After a few minutes, My head starts to throb and I feel a bit dizzy, my eyes are starting to flutter I call out to the one person that could help “JANE!... someone anyone please help” I cry out, please let her come quickly I cannot be stuck in my own head again.

“Alexander! Stop right there you will only make it worse” Janes lovely voice is cold and stern, standing just outside the door, I see her stood tall with her hand out barricading my door to someone from entering the room. She rushes over to me her cold hands on either side of my face her eyes look panicked.

“Tell me what’s wrong” she looks like she’s going to cry.

“My head really hurts... I... feel a bit-“ cutting myself off as I pass out, damn it.

A hard slap connects with my face pulling me from my subconscious, beautiful icy grey eyes welcome me back, they are so full of worry I reach my hand out to her cheek. “I’m okay” I manage to breath out.

“You opened your stitches silly girl, I have numbed the area and stitched you back up” Jane shakes her head at me a hint of a smile peeking through her disappointed expression. “I am going to get someone to come unlock those for you before you do anything else stupid. I will be back soon.”

She clearly has experience dealing with this particular brand of stupidity, either as a doctor who’s many patients are just like me or all the more likely that I do these kinds of things often. She strokes my cheek and walks away. Realisation washes over me at the face that a lead neurosurgeon slapped me to wake up me. That’s a bit rude.

ALEXANDER’S P.O.V

I was slowly waring a circular path into the carpet with my continuous pacing back and forth around the dimly lit waiting room, I came here attempting to clear my head but all I am doing is walking and  groaning in frustration, it’s taking everything I have not to not flip out and break something, my mother runs out to find me and tell me the best possible news but before she could continue Aurora’s screams for help interrupted us, my body went into auto pilot as I ran to her, hoping to make her pain go away before being pushed away by my own mother telling me I would make it worse. Of course, I would, I make everything worse. My wolf stirs in the back of my mind.

“Have to go help mate” he demands.

“Mother said no! You know that stop trying to make me do something stupid” I plead.

He huffs at me and retreats deep within my mind, the stupid wolf is almost as stubborn as Aurora is, he is right though when I heard her cry out for help, I practically knocked my mother over before she pushed me out of the way and blocked my path to the room.  I wanted nothing more than to go help my mate. The feeling of eyes on me is gradually growing, I survey the room and I notice the worried expressions of those around me and decide to sit down in a nearby chair to ease some of my pack members so they don’t think their own Alpha will flip out on them. Staring at the floor the pit in my stomach deepens, I guess she doesn’t want to see me at all, I have ruined everything, I have lost my mate with my inability to talk to her about how she is hurting me. All I did was push her away.  I slouch back into the resting head against the wall. I have to figure out a way to fix this.

“Alexander!” the sound of my mother’s voice echoing through the halls of the pack hospital brings me back to earth.

“Alexander Logan Lowell, where are you child!” The frustration growing in her voice and the use of my full name sends shivers down my spine and my hands grow cold and clammy, dread sets in and I look towards the entrance of the hospital weighing up my chances of making a run for it or not, but the slam of the doors that resonates through the room stops me in my tracks, she forced the doors open so hard they almost came off their hinges when she came barrelling through them. staring into the eyes of my mother I feel as if I am hurled back through time to being five years old again, she stands there her arms folded scowling at me. She does not look delighted to find me at all, sometimes I wish she would recognise my authority as Alpha and leave me alone, but she never will, she will never stop treating me like a misbehaving child.

“Mother I-, “ I begin as I stand to approach her, she quickly cuts me off as she strides over to me before I can even build a defence for my actions.

“Enough!” she shakes her head at me “You are always so impossible to find, why is it you are always the opposite of what I need?” her eyes and her tone is soft but the smack over my head shows her true feelings. I let out a low warning growl to her, the constant display of insubordination in front of the pack members is starting to really piss me off. I should speak to my father to make him pull his mate in line, I wonder if his mother was like this too.

“Stop doing that” I sigh, purposely not reprimanding her for disrespecting me. She pulls me into a tight hug to lighten the mood and it does it alleviates some of my built-up stress but not enough.

“Mum, I’m sorry for almost knocking you over but you know you had no right to stop me going into that room! She is my mate and she needed me, I just wanted to comfort her, why won’t you let me see her!” I shout, pushing her away.

“Alex, I know you are just trying to be there for her but…“ She sighs gently pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose. “Son there is something I need to tell you, sit down.” She plants herself down in the nearby chair gesturing me to sit next to her.

“I’m not a child anymore mum, you can’t keep trying to run my life, and you certainly can’t keep things from me, especially about Aurora” I spat, sitting down in the chair next to her.

“Alex, I  know you are frustrated but I was only doing what’s right” She rests her head on my shoulder and continues.

“Aurora has woken from her coma different.”

“Mum what do you mean different?” The pain in her eyes is starting to scare me, I don’t think I want to hear what’s coming next.

“Her memories are being kept from her, she is unable or unwilling to remember anything personal about herself. I know where in the process of restoring your bond and you two will have a lot to talk about with what’s happened over the last year, but you have to do this right” gently she rests her hand on my shoulder and tears fall freely down my cheeks.

“You need your priority to be on making her feel safe, you need to be honest and open with her at all times and eventually in time address all of your problems together. The goddess has given you a second chance with her don’t let it be for nothing.” I nod my head, I desperately need to go for a run, it will give me some time to think, I get up to leave but she is holding my arm.

“Do you really think having the cuffs on will make you feel better, or will make her feel safe, you really need to take them off before you go, please.” She begs and leads me slowly to Aurora’s room.