Chapter 6: My Awakening

Dear God, Darius heard us, what am I going to do now?

My heart rate rises once more, I might as well get a heart transplant now that I am in a hospital, because I don't know how long this one in my chest will last.

Darius walks over to us, no longer dawning his suit as he always does, but instead dawns a white T-shirt which he folds the arms up to his elbow.

I'm supposed to be afraid, but a small stupid part of me can't help but admire.

Rosemary rises and bows her head.

"What did he say to you?" Darius asks me, staring straight into my eyes, a gaze which I am unable to keep.

What am I supposed to say? He will break me out of here, he won't stop, he loves me?

"Answer." Darius says, walking past Rosemary and resting his rump on the seat beside my bed.

"He..." The words choke in my throat. "He...said...he loved me." I say, trying to filter the truth in bits and pieces.

"Is that it? Surely, he must have said more. I mean, you two kept a NeuroPath with one another for at least ten minutes, were the two of you just saying I love you back and forth for six hundred seconds?" He says leaning in, with a smile on his face, as though being amused.

And amused he is, because I realize, he had been watching us.

Dammit, what else was I expecting?

I can't speak, because I don't know what else to say.

He rises off the chair, towering above me.

"Forget it." He says, no longer amused. "I hope you enjoyed your time with him, because if he returns..." He pauses, grins, then walks away.

Not paying Rosemary any mind, as though she didn't even exist.

When the door closes behind him, Rosemary makes her way to me, teary-eyed.

"I...I'm sorry Abigail."

"No, it...wasn't your fault." I sink into my pillow. "He would have found out eventually, I just know it."

I pat on the bed again, wanting Rosemary to take my side.

And she does so.

"I'm glad you're here." I say with a smile, trying to find something to think about, so as to dull in aching in my heart, bones, and head.

"Me too, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see you again after you became Darius' mate."

"...wait." I lean off my pillow, realizing Rosemary is not supposed to be here, my father. "how...father." I stumble over my words.

"Calm down," She puts her hand on my shoulder. "Believe it or not, I will be working for the Leviakon pack from today henceforth, something about a shortage of maids in Darius' mansion."

The way she is telling me this, I take it is supposed to be good news, but I know better.

Now I can't tell which would've been better, my father's wrath, or Darius'.

I grin, it isn't even up for debate, father never killed any of his subordinates, but Darius does.

If anything were to happen to Rosemary, I don't believe I can ever recover from it.

I'll, somehow, have to protect her, from Darius.

"You're lost in thought." She breaks my focus, making me realize I had spaced out.

"I...was just thinking about all the shenanigans you and Harry must be getting into as of late." I force a smile.

"Haha." She rolls her eyes. "We haven't been into any." She raises her hands, "Shenanigans." and air quotes the words. "As of late, he actually traveled."

Her expression goes dull, and so does mine.

"Why?"

"Something about making enough to get me out of my duties." She feigns a crooked smile. "Stupid if you ask me."

"You'd prefer he stayed here, and watch you suffer under the hands of selfish wolves?" I ask her.

"So you're taking his side then?"

"I'm just being fair."

"I don't want you to be fair, you're my friend, I want you to support me, and help me convince my mate to return." She turns away from me, now furious, as her hair rises.

"I am your friend Rosemary, but I can't be unfair because of that. If I were in his shoes, I'd have done the same thing."

"I just remembered why I hate you." She says, now turning to me so I see the same crooked pain-filled smile.

"I'm sorry Rosemary."

"Don't be." She cleans out her eyes. "It's not like any of this is your fault."

Her words somehow bring me out of my head, and makes me remember I am in a predicament of my own.

"Wonder what we must have done for both our lives to be so messed up." I say, avoiding her gaze.

"Yeah, I'm not sure either." She says, leaning into the bed.

I make space for her to lie down, happy she did so.

I take her place, sinking into the bed, as we both face the ceiling, staring at particularly nothing.

"Do...you think, it'll get better someday?" Rosemary asks me.

I wish she didn't, I have never been one to see things the way I wanted them to play out, but how they realistically are going to play out.

Except, she knows this, which means, she is expecting my answer.

But, I don't want to tell her how I truly feel, so instead, I say.

"I don't know."

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the shock in hers, my response is unusual, and she expresses her surprise vividly.

"Let's just." I search for her hand, and when I find it, I lock fingers with her. "Hope for the best." I say, still not meeting her gaze.

But she finally removes it from me and points it towards the ceiling as well.

"Right, let's." She says, a faint voice in the air.

***

Four hours passed, and I open my eyes, I hadn't realized I had been asleep because there was nothing, no dreams, no nightmares.

Just blackness.

Which, I actually find a relief, I didn't, at all cost, want to remember that moment, I wouldn't in fact.

Least it would kill me.

I shuffle in my bed, then rise, only to find Rosemary is gone.

Probably using the facilities.

Which, actually, I would likewise want to use, as my bladder is screaming.

I make my way off the bed, and head into the hallway, lined with several doors leading to several more rooms.

I don't know exactly where it is I am going, as I have only visited this hospital twice in my life, and each time I never stayed for more than an hour.

So having a map in my head is out of the question.

I don't waste time searching for a map either, because I just follow my nose.

The smell of feces and urine is quite a strong one, no matter how much said facilities are cleaned, the smell will always linger.

I follow my nose, and I keep at it, feeling myself getting closer, as my nose has started to burn.

My attention is taken away when I come across a garden, yet again.

One could say I am a sucker for nature.

The sweet smell of flowers flows into my nostrils, alleviating it of the horrid smells of the latrines.

I forget my screaming bladder, and head into the garden, soaking up the moonlight and the night's cool air, at this point, I really wish to turn, and bask in the beauty of the moon.

But, I can't, not now, besides, this space is too small.

So I force myself to be content with the moon on my normal skin.

As I continue to soak in the moon and sniff in the beautiful smell of flowers of different varieties, something creeps in through the crowd of smells, which at once makes my stomach churn.

I know what that smell is at once.

"Blood." I gasp.

I follow the smell, making my way to the back of the garden, where I find the origin of the smell behind a row of rose bushes.

And what I behold shatters me into pieces.

"Rosemary." My heart sinks when I behold her on the ground, covered in blood.

"No no no no no no." I reach for her, getting on my knees, and place my head on her chest.

My soul forgets me when I don't hear a heartbeat.

I get off of her, tears now stinging my eyes, but I force them back.

I place my hand on her neck, the part meeting her jaw, and I find no pulse.

"No no no no no, Rosemary." I can't hold the tears back any longer, she is gone. "Rosemary, Rosemary." I call out, I call out, I call out.

Then I clutch her, lifting her off the ground and taking her into my arms.

"Please please don't do this, wake up, wake up. Rosemary." I caress her face as my tears stream down onto her forehead.

"No no no, Rosemary, WAKE UP!" I scream, and I find I am surrounded by darkness.

There is nothing underneath my feet, and I swirl my body as though I am swimming in an ocean of nothingness.

As I peer in every direction, I find a light in the distance.

And with that light, comes a feeling that becomes my everything.

At once, I knew it was Rosemary.

I find my tongue is a lock when I try to call out, but as I do, I find myself beside her.

She is made of light, her features barely distinguishable from the brightness burning off of her.

Her eyes are closed, and she descends and continues to descend.

I reach for her, and as I do, chains spring up from every direction.

They encircle her, and when enough of them have surrounded her, they tighten and lock into place.

Holding her steady, and stopping her from descending.

I awaken with a powerful gasp, as though breathing life into my lungs.

I grow weak, feeling as though my limbs have never been a part of me, when I crumble to the ground.

"What...what..."

"Whoa, you've done it again." A female voice emanates into my ears, then, shadows rise out of the ground, forming a figure, and in a split second, the shadows disappear, and a woman is formed. "Charon wolves, never cease to amaze." The woman says with a smile, as her green eyes turn gold, and her teeth grow ever sharper.

The two words she uttered snap whatever little energy is left in me.

Charon wolves