CHAPTER 213: IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME

(Author’s POV)

"I will stay in your room until you sleep," Wendy said as she looked at her sister’s paled face.

Myra immediately tried to protest, her words come of a bit hoarse, "No ..... you don’t have to do that, Wends. I am fine. It was just a coughing fit."

Wendy crossed her arms around her chest and stared straight at Myra, her head slightly tilted to the side, "Nope ..... I don’t want any argument on this. I am staying and that’s final or ..." she dragged ger words, "Are you ..... hiding something from me?"

Myra’s mouth twitched at how sharp her sister was in these kinds of situation but she remained composed and just shrugged off, "What do I have to hide about? If you want to stay ..... be my guest."

She thought by showing disinterest Wendy will get bored soon and go back to her room but her little sister didn’t budge. Instead, Wendy settled beside Myra, in Myra’s bed and waited for Myra to sleep. She had switched off Myra’s phone as well as hers.

Myra waited and waited, the anxiety of something happening to Brave due to her words was driving her crazy. But with Wendy still present she couldn’t do anything. So, she pretended to sleep.

But soon after she closed her eyes, she heard Wendy taking long and even breaths, she had fallen asleep beside her.

Taking her opportunity, Myra got out of her bed, walked towards the other side of her bed and picked up her phone, her steps light as a feather. But as she, turned, Wendy, in a husky, sleepy voice asked, "Why are you not sleeping, sis?"

Myra’s eye widened. She masked her expression calmly, turned around and said, "I was going to the bathroom."

Wendy nodded and closed her eyes, mumbled something. Myra sighed and went to the bathroom. As soon she switched on her phone, there were three missed calls from Nora and two from Sara. So, she called the later instead. Clearing her throat, she dialed the number and her anxiety shooting to its peak.

The ring buzzed, making her tense and her palms sweaty. Just when the call was about to cut, Sara’s tired and half-asleep voice greeted her, "Hello."

"Hello, Sara. Uhh~ ...... I just~ .... Just wanted to ask how Brave is?" Myra tried to sound as calm as possible.

Before picking up the call, Sara hadn’t looked at the caller ID. So, when she heard Myra’s voice, she was surprised a little. With her usually calm voice, "You must have been scared. Brave is fine now. Dr. Andrew even said that, he may wake up soon."

A huge weight was lifted off of Myra chest. Her legs wobbled a bit, the tension easing up. With her voice neutral, she said, "That’s good news. But what had happened? The call was cut mid-way so~"

"Even we don’t know what went wrong. Once Brave wakes up, we will know about his condition more. Ohhoo honey, you must have been anxious and not slept. But Brave’s doing good. You should rest. We will talk in the morning," Sara assured Myra.

Myra said anything more about the topic, said her goodbyes and hung up. Once she had confirmed that, Brave was fine, there was no reason for her to talk to Sara or Nora again, so she made a mental note in her mind to not indulge with them anymore than she had to.

She returned back to her bed, covered her sister with her duvet, tucked herself in and closed her eyes. For the first time, in a long while, she slept like a log. No nightmares, no bad thoughts.

_____________________

(Brave’s POV)

I hear whispers .... somebody is talking ... their tone is hushed. I slowly and steadily opened my eyes as I tried to fine the source. The scene is blurred a bit at first but gradually my vision clears and what I saw puzzled me.

I was inside my room and my parents and siblings all were present gawking at me. I blinked my drowsy eyelids lightly. There is Dr. Greg Andrew as well.

My every composed mother’s face was tears stricken as she pounced on me and secured me in her tight embrace, mumbling, "I am glad you have woken up. I am glad you are alive my son." Her shoulders trembled as she spoke each syllable with utmost pain and relief.

I am but shocked by her reaction. My eyes widened as I observed other’s reaction inside the room.

My stoic and strict father had his usual uptight expression but on further observation, I could clearly see his lips slightly curly upwards. Standing beside him, my twin brother Alaric, has an expression which I can’t quite decipher.

Then my gaze turned to the other side, Elio, Nora and Dion, their faces were etched with relief as Nora was sniffling a bit.

Dr. Andrew got me out of my reverie as he asked, "Young Alpha, how are you feeling? Are you experiencing any headache or any other ache?"

I shook my head. I just feel fatigued ..... maybe a bit lethargic ... my body feels heavy but no pain or ache. He followed with another question, "Do you remember anything before you fainted?"

"I ..... fa~in..ted?" my voice came off hoarse and rough. My throat ached a bit as well.

"Yes, you don’t remember? You have been in coma," he told me.

I tried to jog down my memory, but nothing came. So, with a strained and rough voice, I inquired, "Sin~ce ... when I .... hav~e .... been in coma?"

With a brief pause, he continued, "It has been around ten days. You don’t remember the incident that took place at all?"

At his question, a small memory flashed across my face. I fought with some shady wolves that were lurking on our territory. After battling with them and killing one of them, I limped my way towards the packhouse, where I found Nora and her friend, whose face I can’t clearly remember. After that, I tried to recall, but my mind is all jumbled up.

I told the same to Dr. Andrew and he reacted with a nod as he jotted down something. Dion who has been quiet until now, asked something fishy, "So, you don’t remember ..... calling Nora’s frie~"

His words were cut short by father. In his usually firm and imposing voice, he muttered, "Let, Dr. Andrew do the talking."

I looked at father with narrowed eyes, trying to search whether he is trying to conceal something from me, but his face remained poker. Then I looked at mother, she doesn’t seem that she is hiding something from me so just why do I have this nagging feeling that there is something.

"What about your wolf, Raw? Is he responding to your calls? Is he awake?" Dr. Andrew fired a flurry of questions related to Raw.

I closed my eyes and called out to him. I was expecting that just like before no reply would come but he answered. He answered with a, ’Brave, it’s been a long time.’

Disbelief and joy washed over me, as I couldn’t reply back to him for a few seconds. I was left speechless. ’You are ..... you are back, buddy.’

’Yes, I am,’ the reply came almost immediately.

I could feel my eyes were stinging and wet as rare tears appeared at the corner of my eyes. I wiped them away and saw everyone had a look of sorrow and disappointment on their faces. But when I replied to Dr. Andrew, their faces lit like a lantern in the dark night sky, "He is awake now."

A wide grin spread across Dr. Andrew’s face as well as he commented, "It is great news then."

This time, I asked him, my voice no longer hoarse, "What has happened since I passed out?"

There was complete silence in the room but Dr. Andrew said, "A lot has happened but for now you shouldn’t strain yourself with other things. You may have woken up, but your body still needs a bit of rest."

I nodded at his words. I do feel as if my body is filled with lead and my movements were restrained as well. Soon, he and my father exited the room.

Now, only mother and all my siblings were left as Nora, between her broken and light sobs, said, "Brother Brave, we all have missed you so much."

A smile crept up my lips. As I extended my hands towards her. She came towards me and hugged me. I patted her back, consoling her, "There, there. I am fit and fine now."

But the more I said comforting words, the more she cried. Alaric soothed her back as well as he said, "I am glad you are finally back."

"Me too," I replied.

Then another question came to my mind and without thinking much, I just blurt out, "Nora, where is your friend?"

I could feel her body stiffing in my embrace. Mother responded, "Ohh Myra, she had returned back to her hometown."

I nodded in response but everyone inside the room had a complicated look etched on their faces.

To Be Continued . . . . . . .