*Eva*
What my brain registered first was pain—a lot of it. Even before I opened my eyes, my side was screaming with agony. I flexed so of my other muscles experintally and imdiately wished that I hadn’t.
Whatever part of that wasn’t in pain was just extrely sore and tender.
It took a little longer to open my eyes. I was montarily confused when I saw a tan sheet over . I blinked hard, willing my eyes to focus. My confusion only grew when my ears processed the sounds of birds chirping cheerfully.
When my eyes finally adjusted, I was able to confirm that I was inside a tent. I was lying on a thin mat and had a scratchy blanket draped on top of .
“Eva?”
I moved and lifted my head slightly with difficulty. Rion ca into the tent, his eyes widening when he saw that I was awake. He hurried toward , lowering himself on his knees by my side.
“Thank the Goddess you’re awake!” he exclaid, looking over. When he t my gaze, his eyes turned sorrowful.
I felt my heart pound in my chest as panic settled in. “What’s wrong?” I squeaked. “Is it the boys? Are they alright?”
Rion’s face tightened with regret, but he quickly grabbed my hand and squeezed it consolingly. “No, no. The boys are alright thanks to you. You really had and Jasper worried there. Please don’t ever put through that again.”
My heart ward slightly at his concern, but I shook my head. “I would have done it all over again if I had to,” I said firmly.
Rion’s face softened and he tousled my hair fondly. “I don’t doubt that,” he said. Then his mouth tightened with concern when I winced slightly. “Are you alright? How are you feeling?”
I adjusted my body slightly, feeling stiff, but all the movent did was reactivate the intense pain in my side. “Like hell,” I admitted finally. I gritted my teeth against the pain. Even breathing seed to set it off.
“I don’t doubt that either,” Rion said, smoothing my hair away from my face tenderly. “You took quite the fall after that bastard Varge swiped your side.”
I nodded. I felt like I’d been hit by a train on top of my side being all torn up. I smirked up at Rion. “Wanna trade powers for a little bit?”
Rion chuckled but then frowned down at . “Believe , I would do that in a heartbeat if it was possible.” He averted his eyes then and I watched his face take on the sa sorrowful expression as it had just minutes earlier.
“What’s going on?” I asked, trying to make my voice firm but my throat was thick, so it didn’t sound very tough at all.
“Later, Eva,” he said, narrowing his eyes slightly in a very brotherly way. “You need to rest and not concern yourself on other matters.”
That imdiately got worried. “You can’t do that,” I snapped. “Now I’m going to be freaking out until you tell .”
Rion sighed heavily before muttering sothing about being stubborn before he relented. “A bunch of our n have co down with so kind of illness.”
I felt my eyes widen and I struggled to sit up. “Illness? What illness?” My voice went up an octave as fear caused my throat to tighten up. Were the boys affected?
Rion could read easily. “The boys are completely fine,” he assured . “It seems like this particular illness isn’t affecting myself or the boys. Since that’s the case, I feel like it’s also safe to assu that you won’t catch it either.”
I was relieved to hear that the boys seed to be immune, but we still didn’t know if that was permanent. I felt my heart start to pound again. I braced my elbows against the mat and started to push myself up.
Rion put a firm hand against my shoulder, gently pushing back against the mat. “You shouldn’t get up, Eva,” he told , disapproval heavy in his voice. “You got hurt pretty badly.”
I felt tears prick the backs of my eyes. “I can’t just lay here while all the n who helped save Aster and Tarik are suffering from an illness. I need to see if I can do anything to help.”
Rion held down, and due to my injuries, I couldn’t really fight him. I felt my lower lip poke out as a couple of tears trickled down my cheeks.
Rion’s face softened and he pushed my hair away from my face again, more tenderly and consoling than he had earlier. “We don’t know everything yet, but it’s possible that Varge is behind the illness. People started to show symptoms not long after we left the site of the battle, and many of the affected n recall being surrounded by the dark magic coming off Varge’s monster form.”
My despair dissipated briefly, making way for my anger to return with full force. I made a move to get up once again, but Rion just held firmly by my shoulders. “No, Eva,” he said in a hard voice. “I know how you’re feeling, but there’s nothing we can do right now, especially you. You still need to focus on allowing yourself to heal.”
I scowled at him. “My sons,” I said in as strong of a voice as I could muster. “I want to see them. Please, Rion. We’ve been separated long enough.”
Rion gazed at for a long mont but then finally nodded. He carefully helped sit up, propping a couple of bags and pillows behind so I wouldn’t fall back down. It hurt to put any kind of strain on my side.
Rion gave a stern look as he stood at the tent’s opening. “Stay put,” he said, pointing a finger at .
“You say that like I can move very easily,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Rion smirked at . “I still wouldn’t put it past you to try,” he quipped before disappearing.
I shook my head at my brother but then imdiately started to get nervous. I wanted nothing more than to see my boys face to face, but I couldn’t help but fear whether they rembered . They were so young when we were separated, and it had been so long since then. What if they didn’t know at all anymore?
I didn’t have very long to dwell on those fears. I could hear the boys’ tiny voices as they asked Rion questions that I couldn’t quite make out.
Rion poked his head into the tent first, giving a nod before two much smaller heads appeared.
As soon as my eyes locked with theirs, all the fears I’d just had dissipated completely. My boys had grown so much. The top of their heads were level with Rion’s hip as the three of them stood in front of . They were each clutching one of my brother’s hands and peeking at almost uncertainly.
I felt myself lting as I gazed at them. Aster was looking right at almost expectantly, while his brother was hiding slightly behind Rion’s leg. Rion crouched down and gently guided little Tarik forward so that he was no longer hidden from view.
“That’s your mama, rember?” Rion murmured to him. He looked at Aster, whose expression was sparking with recognition.
I felt my heart soar as he stepped toward .
“Hello, Aster,” I said, hearing my voice choke up slightly toward the end.
Aster’s large eyes flashed, widening slightly as he looked at . Then, his tiny face broke out into a wide grin, and he grabbed Tarik before pulling him across the small space separating us.
I opened my arms to them both and felt my heart soar when they both dove into them, allowing to crush them to my chest. I felt the pain in my side multiply exponentially at the movent, but I couldn’t care now that my babies were in my grasp.
They were both giggling madly as I wrapped my arms around them and murmured quietly to them about how much I missed them and loved them.
I wasn’t sure how much ti passed as I held my sons. Despite the pain in my side and the grueso battle we were all still recovering from, I didn’t want this mont to end. I relished in the feel of Aster and Tarik’s warmth and innocent laughter as I held them close.
“Alright, careful with your mother, you two,” Rion ordered, gently pulling the boys away slightly.
“Rion, I’m fine,” I said with exasperation.
“Your wounds were deep, Eva,” Rion said with a frown. “You need to take it easy and not move around too much. The boys understand. I’ve already explained to them that you got hurt.” Rion gazed at his two nephews. “Didn’t I, boys?”
“Yes, Uncle Rion,” they chirped in unison.
“We don’t want to hurt Mama more,” Tarik said with widening eyes. He looked at , his lower lip poking out. “You’re okay, Mama?”
My heart ward with pride. Little Tarik was so young and already so compassionate. “Yes, Sweetheart. I’m doing a lot better now that I have my boys to help look after .” I felt my face scrunch up with concern when I locked eyes with my eldest and saw that his large gray eyes were filling with tears. “What’s wrong, Aster?”
Aster’s eyebrows were starting to pull together, and he gritted his teeth. “Mr. Varge lied to us,” he said, his tiny voice shaking with anger. “He told us that you were dead, that we’d never see you again.”
“Shh, it’s alright now,” I murmured, hating the pain that my son seed to be experiencing. I pulled him into my arms again, stroking his hair. “Varge is a bad guy. Don’t believe anything he might have told you while you were with him. He probably told you all kinds of lies.”
“He said that he would be our dad now,” Tarik added, a deep frown settling on his mouth. “But I didn’t want that!”
I gestured for Tarik to join in our embrace and the little boy did so enthusiastically. “You’re both here now. It’s going to be alright. We’ll never be apart again. I promise.”
I felt both of them relax in my arms and couldn’t help but feel like nothing could go wrong now, not when I finally had my family back.
“I want the boys to stay in the tent with ,” I said to Rion. “Even if they seem immune to whatever illness is spreading over the warriors, I won’t risk it.”
Rion was quick to agree with . “Sure, I’ll find so bedding that they can use.”
Aster looked up at , pulling away slightly so he could see my face better. “ and Tarik know how to help the sick guys.”
I felt my eyebrows go up and I shared a surprised look with Rion, who looked just as shocked. “You do?”
Tarik and Aster glanced at each other aningfully and they stood up straighter. “We can help them, Mama,” Tarik assured with an adorable confidence.
Rion and I quickly led the boys out of the tent and over to where Oliver was lying. He looked weak, but he looked up at us from the mat he was resting on.
Rion had an arm behind my shoulders, supporting so that I wouldn’t be straining my side too much. He looked down at the alpha. “Aster and Tarik want to try and help you feel better,” he explained to the Alpha.
Oliver chuckled before coughing hard. “By all ans,” he said tiredly, smiling at the boys.
Aster and Tarik nodded to each other before getting on their knees on either side of the Alpha. They each took one of his hands and then closed their eyes.
Rion and I watched in astonishnt as before our eyes, Oliver’s previously pallid complexion blood with a healthy color, and his eyes brightened and widened. He stared up at Rion and with a shocked expression and then down at the boys.
We watched in complete amazent as the Alpha, who had been completely unable to move just seconds earlier, stood up with complete ease.
Oliver looked down at himself for a mont, his brown eyes almost bugging out of his head. “I don’t understand what you boys did, but I feel amazing! Thank you.”
Aster and Tarik just bead at one another at the praise while Rion and I just stared on in shock.
Reviews
All reviews (0)