Chapter 5

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.