06~Complication from the poison

They all take turns taking care of Hercules, monitoring his condition, and administering the herbs to help him recover. Martin spends most of his time researching and coming up with different ways to cure Hercules, while May helps Audrey and Mia with the daily tasks around the house.

Alexandros, on the other hand, spends most of his time outside, running errands and hunting for food. He rarely talks to others and when he does, it's usually in short, curt sentences. Audrey still feels uncomfortable around him but tries not to show it.

Days pass by and Hercules' condition slowly improves, but he still doesn't wake up. Martin tells them that it's a good sign that he's responding to the herbs, but it's still too early to tell if he will fully recover.

Despite the tense atmosphere, they all try to maintain a sense of normalcy. They eat meals together and sometimes even play board games in the evenings. May and Martin go on runs together to explore the woods and get some fresh air.

May had become a mess after the incident with her brother, and it seemed like nothing could comfort her. She talked to herself and cried at the slightest provocation, and Martin was always there to console her.

One day, Martin found May sitting by herself, staring off into space. He walked over to her and crouched down beside her. "Hey," he said softly. "How are you holding up?" he asked

May didn't respond at first, but after a few seconds, she looked at him with teary eyes. "I don't know what's happening to me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't stop thinking about Hercules and what happened to him. It's like my mind is stuck in a loop."

Martin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to feel that way," he said. "What happened to Hercules was traumatic for all of us. But you have to remember that he's still fighting, and we have to fight for him too."

May nodded, but tears continued to fall down her face. "I know," she said. "I'm just so scared. What if he never wakes up? What if he's gone forever?"

Martin pulled her into a hug. "We won't let that happen," he said firmly. "We'll do everything we can to help him, and we'll be here for each other in the meantime. You're not alone in this, May." he comforted. She nods her head while he decides to give her space to think.

But he doesn't leave immediately, he stood at a distance watching her, until he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Audrey.

"I'm sorry if I distracted you; I was trying to be quiet." she apologized. Martin just shrugged and turned back to May.

Audrey followed his line of vision and landed on May. She watched as Mia sat quietly with a straight look on her face, "What's wrong with her?" she asked in a whisper without taking her eyes off Mia.

"I honestly don't know," he replied 

She finally turned to look at him. "What do you mean you don't know?" she asked "I took to caring for Hercules because thought you were looking after May. You two are always together lately so you should know something," she argued. Martin sighed deeply before turning to her with a sincere sad look. He had a defeated look, "I'm scared, Audrey. This whole thing has affected us all, but I feel like May has it worse. She's not just grieving for Hercules; she's losing herself in the process." 

Audrey looks at May, who is still staring into space with tears streaming down her face. "What do you mean?" Audrey asks.

"I mean that she's not eating or sleeping properly, and she talks to herself as if she's lost touch with reality. It's like she's slowly slipping away, and I don't know what to do," Martin replies, his voice shaking with emotion.

Audrey nods, understanding the gravity of the situation. "We need to get her help. Maybe we can talk to her, and make her remember we are all in this together," she suggests.

Martin sighs, "I don't know if that would help. But we have to try something. I can't lose her too."

Audrey turned to him, "Losing your mate? What do you mean?"

"Ever since we came here, May has been getting worse. She's not talking sense anymore, and she's always crying. I'm scared that she's slipping away from me, Audrey. I don't know what to do." Martin replied sadly.

"Have you talked to her about it?" Audrey asked

Martin sighed "I have, but she just cries and says she's fine. It's like she's not even there anymore."

"Maybe we should take her to see a healer. Something's not right with her, and we need to find out what it is before it's too late." She suggested.

"That's a good idea. I don't want to lose her, Audrey. She's my mate, and I love her."

Audrey nods in understanding, "I know, Martin. We'll do everything we can to help her." she assures him.

She pats him on his back before walking away. She decided to gather wood since she was out in the forest because they were running out of it.

Audrey takes a deep breath of the crisp forest air and sets off to collect wood. She walks along the forest path, scanning the area for any suitable wood. As she walks, she enjoys the peace of the forest, feeling a sense of calm wash over her.

After a few minutes of walking, she spots a large fallen tree that looks perfect for firewood. She approaches it, looking for any branches that can be easily broken off. As she picks up a branch, she hears a rustling noise in the bushes nearby.

Feeling cautious, Audrey takes a step back and watches as a small deer emerges from the bushes. The deer looks at Audrey with curious eyes before bounding away into the forest. Audrey smiles, feeling grateful for the unexpected encounter with the gentle creature.

Audrey continues collecting wood, enjoying the peacefulness of the forest. She picks up enough wood to last them for the night and makes her way back to the cabin. 

=== 

As the days passed, Audrey found herself drawn to Hercules, visiting his room more frequently than before and staying there longer. She felt a deep sense of pity for him, seeing him lying there so helpless and vulnerable. She also began to feel a strange attachment to him, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

At first, she tried to push these feelings aside, feeling guilty for even having them. After all, Hercules was her Alpha who made life difficult for her and even if they were mates this feeling was new. But the more time she spent in his room, the stronger these feelings became.

She found herself talking to him as if he could hear her, telling him about her day and what was happening in the pack. Sometimes she even read to him from one of the books she had in Alessandro's house.

It was a strange feeling, and Audrey couldn't quite make sense of it. She didn't know if it was just her feeling sorry for Hercules, or if there was something more to it. All she knew was that she couldn't stay away from him. With the constant feeding of the herbs, the dark look on Hercules' body has faded completely. His skin had regained its natural color, and he looked like he was sleeping peacefully. Audrey had taken it upon herself to ensure that he was fed the herbs regularly, and she spent most of her time by his bedside. She also felt a deep sense of pity for Hercules. He had been betrayed by his pack, and his sister May was struggling to come to terms with what had happened to him. She wished there was something more she could do to help him wake up and take control of the situation. 

As she removes his covers to clean his body, she notices his ribs projecting on his skin. She knew this meant that Hercules was getting thinner despite the herbs and water they were giving him. She decided to try feeding him some liquid food to help him heal better. She went to the kitchen and prepared a warm broth with some vegetables and meat. She then went back to Hercules' room and sat beside him, holding the bowl of broth in her hand.

"Hercules, I made some soup for you," she said softly, hoping he could hear her. "I know it's not much, but it might help you get better faster."

She carefully lifted his head and brought the bowl to his lips, trying to pour the broth into his mouth. At first, he didn't respond, and the liquid dribbled down the side of his face. But Audrey persisted, spooning the broth slowly into his mouth until he finally swallowed.

"Good boy," she whispered, wiping the soup from his chin. "Let's try some more."

Audrey spent the next hour feeding Hercules the broth, feeling relieved as he slowly started to take it more easily. She hoped that this small act of kindness would help him heal faster and eventually wake up. As she fed Hercules the broth, Audrey couldn't help but think about the poison that had nearly killed him. She wondered what else had been added to it, and if there were any other long-term effects that they needed to worry about. It was clear that the herbs were helping him heal, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than they knew.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Hercules softly, wiping his mouth with a cloth.

He didn't respond, of course, still in his comatose state. Audrey sighed, feeling a twinge of pity for him. He had always been such a strong and confident leader, and it was heartbreaking to see him reduced to this state.

But she was determined to help him recover, no matter what it took. She continued to feed him the broth, hoping that it would nourish him and help him regain his strength. And she made a mental note to keep a close eye on him, watching for any signs of further complications from the poison.