The Magic of Hecate

13 hours later,

I next woke to the sound of a beeping machine and the sanitary smell of hospitals. I could feel a dull ache in my stomach but more worryingly a sharp, stabbing pain in my uterus. I looked around the room to find it empty. Soon after, the door opened and Leo entered with a cup of coffee in his hand. He wore a weary, drained expression on his face and his eyes were red and puffy.

"I lost the baby, didn't I?" I asked him.

He nodded with a clenched jaw.

My eyes welled up with tears and I threw my head back in grief.

"I should never have done this," I said. "I knew it was dangerous and I wasn't putting the baby's needs first.”

"You can't blame yourself for this, Ella. It will only make it worse," Leo said kneeling beside me and taking my hands.

"You told me to never get involved with the Mafia again and I didn't listen. You told me not to run away and I didn't listen. You told me to stay in the car and I didn't listen. None of this would have happened if I listened to my mate.”

"If you listened to your mate, you wouldn't have the amulet and that girl in our pack would never stop suffering. If you listened to your mate, your cousin would be dead because you would have had trouble saving his life from the car. If you listened to your mate, you wouldn't know how to fight and would never have even made it back from Italy. Just because I told you to do or not to do something, doesn't make it right. What you have done is right and it is horrific that we lost our child as a result but we will get through it and there will be more babies one day," he said taking both of my hands and looking deep into my eyes. "Okay, Ella? I don't want you to ever hear you blame yourself for this again.”

I nodded and he hugged me tightly.

"Now can we talk about what the fuck went on with my blood?" he questioned.

I smiled through my tears and rested my head on his shoulder.

"I haven't the foggiest.”

"And one more question..." he began. "How do you know how to fight so well?"

I chuckled and buried my head further into his shoulders.

"Thank your sisters and that is all I can say," I replied.

He kissed me softly on the cheek before letting out a relieved and tired sigh.

"Is Max alright?"

"I knew it wouldn't be long until you asked that. Yes, he is fine. Better than fine actually. He has taken a fancy for one of his nurses and I don't recommend going anywhere near his room for atleast an hour,” Leo explained.

"Oh..."

"Yeah..."

"Well, that certainly sounds like Max..."