SWNOVELS Chapter 32
The silence sends my heart into overdrive.
Knuckles press hard against my eyes.
This has to be a dream. It has to be.
"Hunter!" I scream as I take in my bare walls.
He has to be okay.
My eyes scan the area around me and relief washes through me I am in my room. I try to sit up quickly but my body slides off my bed. I drop hard to the floor the pain on my side does not stop me. I jump to my feet and run to the door and pull it open.
Get to the infirmary!
Andrew is in the hallway staring at me as if I have gone completely insane. I run to him, my hands clutch his shirt as I shove him into the wall, "Why the hell am I in my bedroom? Where's Hunter?"
I shout at him as anger gets the best of me. I told him that I wanted to stay by his side. Andrew's surprised eyes widen as he stares at me bewildered.
"Erm, what?" Andrew looks at me confused, "I went straight to bed after I talked to you."
Whatever, I do not have time for this. I push past him and run to the infirmary.
Nothing will stop me as I run in I see Drake and his mate walking out. He gives me a small smile and I nod back at him. I do not stop until I make it to the back of the room. My hand grabs ahold of the door handle. My heart quickens and my palm becomes sweaty.
I open the door and my eyes take in the sight before me.
I don't understand.
The room is spotless.
No machines.
The bed is made.
No chart and most importantly no Hunter.
It is as if he was never here. My heart jumps to my throat as my eyes start to burn.
Dr. Graham!
"Yes." I spin on my heels and Dr. Graham is standing at the door looking at me.
"Wh-where is he?" I stammer as my emotions are at the brink of sending me into a full panic attack.
"Alpha Hunter woke up early this morning and left after I did all my checkups." She states rather coolly.
"He left?" My voice goes up an octave and I clear my throat.
"Yes." The pain in my chest is a stabbing one. I take a deep breath and give her a thankful smile.
I walk out of the room and then out of the infirmary. There is a lump in my throat but I hold myself together as I pass some pack members. I make my way back to my bedroom to get ready for the day's business.
He just left? My wolf cannot hide her pain.
He left without even a goodbye. He is worse than my mate. Marcus has the decency to tell me he wanted to leave.
You can't compare Hunter to Marcus. Hunter was here on a mission, he did what he said he would.
I know.
With that said I'm sorry. My wolf feels my pain and I try to shake it off.
Andrew is not in the hall when I make my way through it. I walk up to my door and open it up. My room is in its usual mayhem but there is something that makes my heart stop beating for a second.
His golden sleepy eyes are on me. My eyebrows scrunch together.
"Hunter?"
He closes his eyes and chuckles silently as he nods. The breath I take makes my whole body feel lighter.
"The one and only...unless you know another?" His eyes open up a bit and he stares at me for a moment. "Do you?" I shake my head.
He smiles weakly. "Why are you here?"
His smile drops, "Do you want me to leave?"
Hell no.
"No, I just thought you left already," my hand goes to the back of my neck scratching an imaginary itch, "without saying goodbye again."
"I wouldn't leave without saying anything and for before I'm sorry that was an asshole move to do."
"You're sorry? I'm sorry for being a complete bítch and not listening to what you had to say. Maybe we could have avoided all of this."
My eyes go to his bandaged chest and the bandages are clean of blood.
He lifts the blanket telling me to get in. My body does not hesitate I walk over to my bed and get in. Hunter pulls me closer to him. He takes a deep breath and relaxes my chest is against his side. My hand goes to his chest. He groans loudly.
"What hurts?" I am ready to jump out of bed.
"Your hands are freezing." His musing smile tells me that he is fine.
"I'm sorry," I lift my hand from his chest but he grabs them and puts them back.
"But I'm getting used to your coldness. I am getting to know you very well."
The heat radiates to my cheeks. He knows me better than I know him.
"Do you know what I thinking before you showed up?"
I shake my head, "No."
"I need to keep my promise to you and I failed."
His promise?
My eyes go up to him, "What promise?"
"You said to bring your pack back safe, so I took as many hits from the rogues as I could but Drake wanted to get some action and when I jumped in he got distracted and got hurt." He grimaces as he swallows down hard.
"It's okay he's fine. I saw you get hurt and I hated myself for letting you leave the house mad. I saw through Jonah's eyes how you took his attack." This all could have been avoided if I just kept my cool. If I knew how to run my pack better.
My breath hitches and he swallows loudly.
"I hate to break promises especially when I make them with someone-" he stops and I nuzzle closer to him.
We lay there in silence for a moment.
Hunter appears not to want to finish his statement so I ask him a nagging question. "How did you wake up? I mean the doctor said that you were fighting your wolf and that you weren't letting him heal you."
He nods and shrugs slightly as he groans in pain.
"I went into my darkest corner. I wanted nothing to do with my wolf. I felt like a failure to you and your pack. After a while I completely shut my wolf out of my mind but then there was this little spark in the darkness that I hung onto. Do you know what it was?" He tilts his head as I look up at him.
"No, I don't."
He smiles, "You. You brought me out of my darkness the way your voice said my name with sadness and so much pain. I did not want to be the reason why you were in pain."
"I woke you up?" He nods.
"In a short time, I've spent with you all you ever said in your sleep was Marcus. This time your dreams were being tormented by me. I held on to your voice and woke up in the infirmary."
I said his name in my sleep. I can feel my cheeks getting hotter.
You were his lifeline.
"When I saw you slump over the chair I pushed the call doctor button so the doctor could release me. Once she finished looking me over I carried you to your bedroom and here we are."
He was here the whole time. Hunter saw my panic...Oh no.
"So you saw me..." I point to the floor.
He laughs and nods. "I didn't know what you were doing." He yawns loudly.
He needs his rest.
"Do you want to sleep?" He nods and I try to get out of the bed but he pulls me closer to him. My nose and forehead press against his neck as he takes a deep breath.
"Stay," his sleepy voice makes me smile.
"Okay."
"Your heartbeat is the best lullaby," he says with his raspy voice. My heart burst in my chest.
"Like yours," I snuggle closer to him as his breathing evens out and we both fall into the darkness.
This slumber is like the rest I have experience with Hunter, peaceful and content. With the exception that this time he wants me there just as much as I want him here as well. He makes me feel safe and warm inside. Something I thought I would never get again.