Third Person's POV
It's been a little over two weeks, and he still hasn't woken up. Thaddeus has been by his side the entire time; he refused to leave. The only time he left was when Marcus or Xander forced him to go take a shower.
His mate's body has healed tremendously. Almost all the bruises have faded, and the swelling has gone down. The last of his bandages came off two days ago, so Thaddeus brought him home today.
Thaddeus had the doctors set his mate up in his bed. The feeding tube and IV were still necessary since he was unconscious. Nurses came in throughout the day to check on him, but Thaddeus never left his side.
During the day, he sat by his side, and the Alpha slept on his chaise at night. Thaddeus didn't want his mate to wake up in the middle of the night and find himself not only in strange surroundings but also with a strange man lying next to him. He knew that would more than likely scare him.
The first night was the furthest Thaddeus had been from his mate for a long period of time. Even though he was in the same room, he wasn't beside his bed and holding his hand like usual. He was on the other side of the room. Maybe that's why he heard him whimper and cry, or maybe it was a bad dream.
In a heartbeat, Thaddeus was awake and in his wheelchair, and the next, he was lying in his bed next to his mate.
“Hey, sweetheart, shhh,” Thaddeus said as he moved closer and pulled his mate into his arms.
His mate instantly relaxed and snuggled into Thaddeus, his face nuzzling against his chest.
It took Thaddeus by surprise, and the Alpha sucked in a breath. Thaddeus froze, unable to move or breathe.
Thaddeus slowly let out a shaky breath. His eyes closed, and his head dipped, pressing his nose into his mate's hair and taking a breath in.
“I'm here… I'll never let anyone hurt you again,” Thaddeus whispered as he tightened his grip.
….
Thaddeus nervously watched the doctors unhook his mate from all the medical equipment. Since he was starting to show signs of waking, they decided it was time to remove the feeding tube and the IV. They thought it was best. They didn't want him to panic and find a feeding tube down his throat. The doctor said if he's not awake by this evening, he'll try to wake him with smelling salts, but he'd rather give the Omega a chance to wake up on his own.
Thaddeus hears the door shut as the doctor leaves. He moves closer to his mate and then reaches up, brushing his hair away from his face. Thaddeus gently cupped his cheek and smiled when his mate pressed his face against his hand. The Alpha's heart swelled. He loves how his mate is responding to him, even though he's not awake. He reacts to his touch and scent, seeking it out, looking for more.
The Alpha grabs his hand and brings it to his mouth. His lips press against the back of his hand, holding them there for a moment, smiling against his skin.
The Alpha rests his head on his mate's arm and stares at his face. He's so beautiful!
….
An annoying beeping sound slowly brings Aiden to consciousness. He tries to open his eyes, but they're so heavy. He's too weak.
He felt someone's fingers moving against his hand as they held it. He could have sworn he heard the sound of someone crying next to him. Who would be crying? Aiden catches a word here and there, but nothing makes sense. Wake up. You're safe… Why would the person say that? He's never safe.
The sound of the man's voice was somehow soothing, but he didn't know why. His voice was like a lullaby, and it lulled him to sleep…
Aiden slowly woke up again, but this time, he didn't want to open his eyes just yet. The annoying beeping sound was no longer there, and he felt incredibly comfortable. He felt as though he was lying on a soft cloud.
Finally ready to move, Aiden goes to move his arms, but he feels a weight on one. He hears a soft mumble and slowly opens his eyes. His eyes blink a few times until everything comes into focus, and then he turns his head to see what's on his arm.
Aiden is shocked when he sees an unfamiliar person with their head resting on his arm. Instead of being afraid, Aiden finds himself unable to pull his eyes away.
The man sleeping on his arm was the most handsome man he’d ever seen. He's gorgeous! His long, light brown wavy hair has blonde highlights perfectly spread throughout his hair.
He has a short, well-kept beard, and for the first time in his life, Aiden loves a beard.
Aiden's eyes go to the man's lips when they begin to move against his skin as he whispers something in his sleep. The man's lips brush against his skin, and he feels a tingling sensation. It tickles.
Aiden lets his eyes wander again, taking in as much detail as he can of the most beautiful man he's ever seen. His skin isn't pale like his own; it's darker, with a beautiful tan complexion.
Aiden's eyes land on the hoop in his nose, and he finds it sexy. His eyes trailed to the man's neck, and his eyes widened. Tattoos! Holy cow, the man is covered in! They wrap around his neck, and his entire arm seems covered in them, disappearing underneath the short-sleeved t-shirt.
Aiden's eyes move back to the man's neck, and he's enthralled by the tattoos. He finds himself wanting to touch them, but he doesn't. He sees the tattoos move when the man swallows, and then his eyes go to his lips when he mumbles something again. This time, he caught what he said.
“Please, wake up,” his voice was so quiet Aiden barely heard it.
Aiden's not sure what came over him. It was like his body was on autopilot. His right arm lifted, reaching across his body toward the man. Aiden's fingers touch his hair, brushing it away from his face.
The man took a sharp breath, and his head jerked up, looking at him wide-eyed.
His eyes looked glossy, as if he were having a sad dream. He stared at him for a moment, almost in disbelief.
“You're awake!” The man finally spoke. His voice was so deep and rough. It caused Aiden's heart to skip a beat.
Aiden opened his mouth to speak but instead began coughing. His throat felt raw and dry.
Before Aiden was even done coughing, a glass of water was shoved into his hands.
Aiden didn't waste a moment. He brought the glass to his mouth and greedily drank it down.
Aiden nervously handed the glass back.
“Thank you!” The Omega whispered and swore he heard the man suck a breath in.
After a moment, the man set the cup down and turned his eyes back to him. His hand reached for him, but he stopped and pulled it back.
“How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?” Aiden was once again shocked by how deep and rough his voice was. He wanted the man to keep talking and never stop.
Aiden focused on his body and was surprised when he realized nothing hurt. The Omega can't remember a time when his body didn't hurt, at least in a few different places.
“I-I feel fine,” Aiden said softly and then looked down when he realized he had been staring at the man and he shouldn't have been.
It didn't take long for Aiden's eyes to wander upwards. It was hard not to look at him. He felt a strange desire to look at the man. But this time, he made sure not to look him in the eyes. He knows better than to do that.
Thaddeus couldn't stop looking into his eyes. They were finally open, and he never wanted them to close again. His voice was so soft and sweet. Thaddeus had never heard another voice so beautiful.
This moment he's been waiting for, and now the Alpha finds himself unable to think or speak. His name—that's what he's been dying to know—is a name for this beautiful face.
“What is your name?” Thaddeus eagerly waited.
“Aiden,” He said softly, and the Alpha's heart fluttered.
“Aiden,” The Alpha said, trying his name out and loving how it felt leaving his lips.
The Alpha thought he would die when he saw a small smile spread across the Omega's face at the sound of his name.
Aiden glanced around the room and then began playing with his fingers.
“W-where am I? W-What happened?” Aiden's memory was fuzzy. He couldn't remember exactly what happened. Brief images flash in his head of Winter running through the woods while being chased.
“My Beta and I found you floating down the river. You were in really bad shape. I brought you back here. You've been unconscious for a little over two weeks now.” The man with the sexiest voice Aiden had ever heard said. He couldn't stop staring at the man's lips as he spoke but snapped out of it when his mind returned to his first words, “My Beta.”
“W-who are you?” Aiden nervously asked, afraid of his response.
“My name is Thaddeus. I'm the Alpha of the Midnight Moon Pack.”
Aiden's stomach dropped when he heard the man before him was an Alpha. Everything that happened the day he left came flooding back. ‘What did I get myself into? An alpha!... No! Not again!’ The Omega began to panic. His heart raced, and his breaths became quick and shallow. His eyes filled with tears as he began moving away from the Alpha.
How did he not know? How did he miss his scent? Now that he's aware that the man in front of him is an Alpha, Aiden can smell it. It's been there all along.
The Alpha was confused by his mate's sudden panic. He could hear Aiden's heart racing, see his chest rapidly rising and falling, and see the tears in his eyes. It felt like someone was squeezing the Alpha's heart.
Thaddeus raised his hand, reaching out for Aiden to calm him, but it only made it worse, and the Omega scooted further away from him.
Aiden can barely see the Alpha through blurry eyes. Tears fall, and his panic rises when he sees the Alpha getting out of his chair and pulling his body onto the bed.
The Alpha reaches for him, but Aiden flinches away.
The Alpha repositioned himself, and that's when Aiden noticed something different about him. Aiden blinks his eyes, clearing them of his tears, and then looks at the Alpha's legs. He notices the awkward position they're in, and then his eyes go to the chair he was sitting in. Aiden realizes the chair isn't a regular chair at all; it is a wheelchair.
Aiden's fears turn to curiosity, and his eyes return to the Alpha's legs. His head tilts as he tries to figure out what's wrong with them.
Thaddeus's stomach dropped when he saw Aiden looking at his legs. He felt as though he couldn't breathe when the Omega's eyes went to his wheelchair and lingered there for a moment before looking at his legs again.
Thaddeus's palms began to sweat, and his stomach twisted in knots. He had already seen a change in the Omega, and he waited for the look of disgust. He knew it was coming—it was happening again.
The Alpha's head dropped, and his shoulders slumped. He didn't want to see the disappointment in those beautiful sparkling blue eyes. He prayed he wouldn't hear the same hurtful words from those beautiful lips.
“I, I'll just take my leave and let you rest.”
Aiden heard pain and sadness in the Alpha's quiet voice. It tugged at his heart, and for some reason, it hurt. He didn't want to see the Alpha like that. He looked so sad. Why?
He watched the Alpha move his legs with his hands and then began to move away, but Aiden quickly reached out and grabbed his arm, “Wait!” Aiden had no idea what he was thinking. But he didn't want the Alpha to leave, not like this.
As soon as the Omega touched the Alpha's arm, he felt a strange sensation. Tingles danced under his hand and slowly made their way up his arm. Aiden couldn't bring himself to move his hand away. He sat there, staring at his hand, which rested upon the tattooed arm. He was mesmerized by the sensation he was feeling. It seemed to travel through his chest and made it warm and fuzzy.
He found himself not wanting to let go, not ever. But the Omega blinked and then slowly pulled his hand back. Aiden's eyes slowly move up the Alpha's body, ignoring the rule of never looking anyone in the eyes. Aiden's eyes didn't stop until they landed on the Alpha's eyes.
“What, what was that?” Aiden asked quietly.
The Alpha was shocked by that question. ‘What does he mean, “What was that?” Does he not know what that feeling was? Does he know we're mates?’ The Alpha wondered.
“That was the mate bond… You're my mate,”
Aiden gasped, and his eyes widened.
He had heard of mates, but he knew little about them. No one had ever taught him how the bond worked.
Aiden opened his mouth to ask, but there was a knock at the door.
4/17/24 Hi my wonderful readers! I would love to hear what you think of the rewrite so far. I hope you enjoy the rest of the book! :)
Third Person's POV Thaddeus saw Aiden's shocked expression, which told the Alpha that the Omega didn't know they were mates. ‘How did he not know?’ Sure, it was the first time he felt the tingles from the bond, but couldn't he smell me? Couldn't he smell that I am his mate? Doesn't he feel the pull of the bond? Didn't his wolf tell him that I'm his mate? He had to have spoken the word at least once!’ The Alpha wondered, his thoughts racing. The Alpha had so many questions, so many things he wanted to ask his mate. Before the Alpha could open his mouth to ask the questions at the tip of his tongue, there was a knock at the door. Xander didn't wait for a reply. The Beta cracked the door open and popped his head in. “Hey, they're here,” Xander said, and then his face lit up when he saw his Luna was awake. Xander pushed the door open and entered the room with a smile beaming on his face. “Hey, kid! It's good to see you're finally awake!” The Beta said, and Aiden scowled at his
Third Person's POV Grace is an older lady in her 80s, but you would never know. Grace looks more like she's in her late thirties thanks to werewolf genes and the fact that they live much longer than humans. Grace is the head cook in the pack house kitchen. Before she became the head cook, she was Thaddeus's nanny and helped raise him. Grace is like a mother to Thaddeus. She is a kind and sweet lady with a motherly aura and a smile that makes you feel at home. The Alpha thought she was the perfect person to take Aiden something to eat. Anyone else may end up scaring him. But Grace will warm her way into his heart within seconds. …. When the Alpha left and closed the door, Aiden stared at it. The Omega was confused. He didn't know what to think. When the man said he was an Alpha, Aiden thought for sure he had just found himself in the same situation he just escaped from. He was terrified. He kept waiting for the Alpha to hit him or grab him by the hair and drag him down the sta
Third Person's POV The meeting with Alpha Michael only left Thaddeus with more questions. Michael believes the people watching his territory are scouts. But from where and why? The scouts weren't just watching River Pack from outside its territory. They have been caught deep within Michael's territory several times this past week. However, it seems their main focus is on the southeast corner, where Michael's territory connects to Thaddeus’s near the river—the same place Aiden was found. Could they be looking for him? If so, are these the same people who hurt him? The Alpha is exhausted by the time he finally makes it back to his bedroom. Thaddeus was disappointed to return so late and didn't get to say good night to his mate. Thaddeus enters his bedroom as quietly as he can. He approaches the bed and smiles at what he sees. Aiden is sound asleep, cuddling his pillow. The sheets are wrapped around him, tangled around his legs, with his foot sticking out. It's an adorable sight
Third Person's POV Aiden slowly opened the door and then peeked out. His eyes scanned the room. When he didn't see the Alpha, Aiden slowly stepped into the room. The Omega spots a stack of clothes neatly folded at the end of the bed. He brings the shirt to his nose and smiles when it smells like the Alpha. Aiden eagerly pulled the Alpha’s clothes on but frowned when he realized how large the sweatpants were. It seems no matter how tight he pulled the string, they still wanted to slide right off his hips. The shirt was just like the others. It hung to his knees, but he didn't mind. At least if his pants fell down, the shirt would cover his ass. Aiden was happy with how he looked. Even though the clothes were too big, they were better than anything he'd ever owned. Aiden looked around the room again, looking for the Alpha. He listened for a moment but couldn't hear anything. Aiden slowly walked to the closet and peeked in. He frowned when he didn't see the Alpha. The Omega turned,
Third Person's POV Thaddeus pushed all the plates aside after they were done eating. He was hoping to finally get some answers and find out who did this to him. The Alpha looked at Aiden, who looked content as he leaned back in his chair and licked his lips. His hands rested on his stomach as he let out a little hum. Thaddeus fought the urge to scoop his mate into his arms and squeeze him. ‘He was just too adorable!’ The Alpha thought. “Aiden, can you tell me who did this to you?” The Omega instantly tensed and nervously looked down at his lap as he began playing with his fingers. Thaddeus hated that someone hurt the Omega and made him afraid to talk to his own mate. “I know you are afraid to talk to me. I know you don't know me, but I promise I will never hurt you! You're my mate, sweetheart. I would never hurt you! I care about you… I need to know what happened. I need to know who did this to you. When I said I won't let anyone hurt you again, I meant it. You don't have t
Third Person's POV As Thaddeus approached the training field, he heard Marcus yelling at two warriors as he corrected their stances. The training field is packed with six teams plus their Captain. Each captain is responsible for 50 warriors. With six teams, that's 300 warriors on the training field, and Marcus is their Commander. As Commander of Thaddeus's army, every Captain and warrior is under Marcus’s command. Marcus walks up and down the center aisle, watching each team go through the movements and making sure they're doing them correctly. He nods at a captain helping a struggling Delta 2 through his movements. As Marcus walks a little further, he nods at his friend Roy, another Captain helping a dominant Delta 3. The commander makes it to the end of the line and then turns before commanding everyone to shift to their wolves and proceed with the second part of training. Marcus makes his way back towards the front and smiles when he sees Thaddeus waiting for him. He wa
Third Person's POV Aiden was sound asleep when Thaddeus entered the room, so the Alpha slipped into the bathroom for a quick shower. When the alpha came out of the bathroom, he found Aiden still asleep. The alpha made his way around the bed and stopped in front of Aiden. The Omega was lying in his usual position, face down near the edge of the bed, with his face in the perfect position for the Alpha to look at. The sheets were tangled around his body, and his foot was sticking out. He was adorable! Thaddeus raised his hand and lightly brushed the hair away from his forehead before trailing his fingers down the side of his face and gently cupping his cheek. His thumb lightly stroked the Omega's cheek, and his heart beat faster when his blue eyes fluttered open. The Alpha's heart skipped a beat when those beautiful blue eyes landed on him. The Alpha felt he could live the rest of his life looking into those eyes. They were so magical. They held so many emotions and caused the Alpha t
Third Person's POV Aiden wasn't sure what was going on or why the Alpha suddenly seemed angry. He was shocked when the Alpha yelled at him. The Omega flinched and then wrapped his arms around himself. His eyes stung as they filled with tears, unsure of what he had done wrong. The Omega wasn't sure why it hurt so much, knowing he had made the Alpha angry, or why it hurt even more when he yelled at him. It was nothing like a beating, but somehow, it hurt just the same. Aiden was shocked when the Alpha shifted right there in the dining room. He wasn't sure what was more shocking, the fact that the Alpha shifted inside, or the fact that his wolf was using all four legs… Or maybe it was how massive he was. The Omega had never seen a wolf so big before. Not even his old Alpha was that big. As big and scary as his wolf was, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful he was. He was so black and shiny, and his fur looked so soft and perfect. The Omega was surprised the Alpha wolf had fit