5

Drake's POV 

...

Last night, after I'd gotten her admitted, I stood outside the ward, pacing up and down. I wanted to know what had happened to her.

So I made a call, asking the recipient to help me find out what happened to my mate.

Every minute that passed felt unusually long, and my tension was on the increase as my pacing became faster.

"Sir, please, calm down," a nurse told me as she stepped out of the ward, holding a medical tray in her hand.

"How is she?" I asked, my voice desperate as I paused in front of her.

"She..."

The door opened just at that moment, and the doctor stepped out, prescription glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, a stethoscope hanging around his shoulders, and his hands in his white coat.

Seeing this, the nurse started to leave. After all, the doctor was there to feed my curiosity.

The latter didn't wait for me to ask. "Mr Sawyer, she's fine now. You can go in and see her. But be sure not to disturb her, she needs rest." 

I gratefully nodded in agreement. "Thank you, doctor."

"And one more thing, she just lost her relative. Be sure to console her well when she wakes up," he apprised me before walking away.

My lips parted in disbelief. Yaria's aunt was...dead?

As the doctor made a turn in the hallway, my phone rang. I saw it was the person whom I'd last called.

"Gerald, what did you find out?" I questioned, my tone impatient.

And so he apprised me of the situation with Yaria.

When the call ended, I was left in disbelief. 

So her company not only burned down, but there was also a bomb planted in her home. And worst of all, he'd lost her only relative to the cold hands of death.

I felt terrible. 

How could all this happen to her in just one night? Who was targeting my mate, wanting to break her so badly?

I proceeded into the ward and I saw her, lying in the hospital bed, unconscious.

I walked to the bed and sat in the chair beside it, watching her.

Whoever hurt my mate tonight, I will find that person.

And the goddess bears me witness that when I do, he'll regret ever being born!

Yaria's POV 

... 

My eyes slowly peeled open, and I took in my surroundings. The pristine ceiling came into view, and then the smell of antiseptic. 

An IV drip was fixed to my left hand. 

I felt something on my other hand, so I looked to my right, and a surprised gasp flew out from my parted lips. 

"Drake?" I muttered almost inaudibly with my brows creased. 

What was he doing in the ward and holding my hand as he slept on his right elbow? How dare he take the opportunity of me being unconscious to hold me?

"You fool, don't you dare say anything upsetting to him, you hear me?!" It was my wolf speaking inside my head. "He brought you here. I told you Drake isn't a bad person!" she preached in his defence.

I almost rolled my eyes. "Even in my dreams, I won't believe that an offspring of the Sawyers can ever be good."

"Yaria, come on." My wolf was becoming frustrated. "If he wasn't good for you, why then are you mated to him again, huh? Tell me!"

A sigh emitted from my mouth. "What would it take me to convince you, Tricia? We're better off without him in our lives. And I believe our mate bond case, though unheard of, might simply be a mistake from the goddess."

"How many times do I have to remind you that the goddess never makes mistakes, Yaria!"

"Tricia, I just awakened, and I don't want a fight. So please, go back to slumber,"

"You... You better not reject him while I'm slumbering, because if you try that, I will do everything possible to sever our relationship as wolf and host. You will become a weak, regular human, I promise you that!" she warned me.

I was too lazy to reply or try to convince her further.

Now that there was finally some peace and quiet in my head, I finally focused on reality.

For one thing, I didn't want this spawn of vile people to keep holding my hand just because I'm his mate, a privilege I never desired.

He was my enemy, and there was nothing that would change that fact in my heart.

Though feeling a little weak, I decided to try extricating my hand from his hold.

But in the process, he stirred awake, snuffled and then looked up to see me. I frowned. This wasn't what I wanted.

And why was he looking at me like he'd found a lost, treasured item.

"Yaria, you're awake?!" he exclaimed, his face radiating happiness. "I'm so glad. I was so worried when you collapsed..." 

"So you followed me?" I interrogated, a brow lifted.

He heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry, I know you didn't want to see me at the time. But I couldn't help but follow from a distance. And I'm glad I did."

"Because your wish to hold me came true, isn't it?"

"Please, stop thinking negatively of me all the time. I know I messed up in the past. Badly. I did things I shouldn't have done. I said things I didn't mean to you. Just thinking about it makes me feel terrible."

"So when you called me a fat witch at the time, did you mean it or not?" 

"I..." he lowered his gaze. "I didn't mean it. I was so obsessed with maintaining my circle of air-headed friends. I... I was too proud to admit that my heart wanted you. I foolishly believed that being with you would not make me look cool." 

Then he looked at me again, eyes reddened. "Believe me, if there were a time travel pill, I wouldn't hesitate to ingest it. But there's none, Yaria. I know I hurt you a lot and..."

He did something unexpected— he dropped to his knees before me.

Though I was a bit shocked, I didn't let it show on my face. 

"I'm very sorry about everything. Please forgive me, Yaria. Please..." He was now holding my left hand in his palms. Tenderly. 

"Please give me a chance to make amends in any way I can. Just one chance, please. It hurt me so much to have to reject you days ago, but I didn't want you to hate me more. And when I found we're mated again, I was happy because I'd planned to pursue you even if we're no longer mates. I know my face right now only brings up ugly memories, but I promise I'll right that. Please, don't push me away, I beg you!"

It was surprising.

Drake Sawyer, kneeling before me. Asking frantically for my forgiveness. And crying while at it.

He looked miserable like this, and a part of me wanted to soften towards him and let him into my world. A part of me wanted to hug him and pat his back, telling him it's okay.

The mate bond made me want to tenderly kiss him and say I forgive him.

But I just couldn't, not with everything he and his parents had done to ruin my life.

His father made me an orphan, and thanks to his mother, I lost my scholarship. If it weren't for my aunt Lisa...

Now thinking about it, I recalled the horrible fact— she was dead. My only relative in this world was cruelly taken from me just like that.

Memories of how she cared for me when I was sick and depressed popped up. The fun we had together, the successful projects we celebrated...

A tear rolled down my cheek before I knew it, but I fiercely wiped it off as I snuffled.

No, I couldn't break down now, especially in front of Drake.

"Yaria, are you alright?" My mate asked me concernedly.

I looked at him again. There were still tear stains on his face, and his eyes were reddened as well.

"It's... none of your business, Drake. And even if you kneel a thousand times, I still won't forgive you," I told him determinedly.

He looked...sad, but then, he brought himself to smile a little. "It's alright, dear mate. I know... forgiveness won't come easily for me. I'll work hard to earn it even if it'll take my whole life," he vowed resolutely.

I could only avert my gaze. 

No way was I going to become soft for him!