3. Twenty- two

I woke up gasping from my dream. I couldn't believe what had just happened. Never before had the goddess given such a direct answer to any of my questions. She liked to talk in euphemisms and riddles which has always annoyed me. But something had changed last night. I had asked her a question and she had gone out of her way to give me the answer I required. With proof.

Bringing Harper into the spirit world had been the last thing I had expected her to do. I couldn't have even considered it a possibility but now that I had seen Harper go crazy as soon as he set his eyes on the moon goddess, I knew that she was right. 

Bringing werewolves in the spirit world was a risky move that no one could afford. The wolves would go crazy, eager to shirk all of their earthly attachments and responsibilities and offer themselves to serve the goddess. 

Last night, I had to watch Harper as he descended into madness to serve the goddess. He forgot everyone he loved to stay in the spirit world and serve the goddess. I had never felt more scared for him and I had never felt more scared of him. It was heartbreaking to see him like this. So, opposite of the thoughtful and responsible leader that I had come to regard him as.

I couldn't decide though, if I favored the smooth evasion of my questions the goddess has perfected or her giving me the exact answers to my questions, with proof. 

Sunlight barely filtered through the blinds of my room. It was still dark out and the sun was only beginning to rise. I knew that I couldn't sleep now. After the restless dream and all that I had learned from the goddess Aiden wouldn't let me be at peace. As to the matter of Harper's death, I was going to put it out of my mind for now, otherwise, it would eat me alive. I would overthink too much and end up making myself sick. 

The issue with Aiden demanded immediate attention, though. I flipped over the covers and got out of the bed.  Goosebumps rose over my arms as the cool wind danced around my skin. I hurriedly dressed up in a sweater and jeans. I put on my sneakers and put my hair in a messy bun. 

I walked out of my room and lingered for a moment outside Ethan's room. He had gone for a run, saying that his wolf was feeling restless. He had only returned late at night; he had eaten his dinner and went to sleep. I could understand that his wolf was feeling antsy being on a new territory, so I decided to let him sleep it off. I just hoped he would feel better when I saw him later in the day. 

I wrote a short note informing my parents I had gone out to the hospital and got inside my car. I drove out of my driveway in the direction of the hospital. The roads were empty and it looked like a scary ghost town. But no cars also meant that I reached the hospital quickly.

I had no idea the extent of Aiden's injury but for the goddess to mention that he was going to die, I reckoned his injuries must have been grave enough. I walked through the emergency room and questioned a nurse and she swiftly told me the directions to Aiden's room. 

I got into the elevator, willing it to climb faster. I walked into Intensive Unit Care and located the room the nurse had told me Aiden was registered in. I turned the handle and my eyes immediately moved to the boy lying on a bed, attached to various kinds of machines. 

His left thigh was heavily bandaged, that must be where the injury must be. His heart monitor showed constant beeping which must be a good sign. He looked quite pale, which was a sign of heavy blood loss and my suspicions were confirmed when I noticed the blood bag attached to his glucose bag. 

He looked awful, lying lifeless on a hospital bed like this. My eyes strayed to two figures sitting beside the bed. 

Samantha's eyes were red and puffy from hours of crying. She was hunched over, her hair a mess and I could see was crying herself to worry. She was hunched over, leaning support from none other than Natalie. 

My heart thudded painfully in my chest as my eyes met Natalie's. This was the first time in nearly five months I had come face-to-face with her. Her face was blank and I schooled my expression so no emotion could seep out from my cracked facade. 

It was unimaginably hard, standing here like this, in front of Natalie. We had been best friends all our life and to have this huge chasm between us felt extremely depressing. 

I wanted to flee from the room. I had come to give my support to Samantha, to be there for her in her time of need. It was true that I had abandoned her all those months ago when I had neither called nor texted but I wanted to mend the bridge between us. Samantha had always stood by me and I thought that this was a very good start. 

I wanted to turn around and walk out of this room. I wanted to keep walking and never return to this room, this place. 

My gaze moved to Samantha's and her tearful eyes pleaded with me. She raised her hand, her palm up, silently asking me to stay with her. Her shoulders shook with heart-wrenching sobs and I took a step forward and closed the door behind me. 

The feud between me and Natalie could come into play and be discussed another day. What mattered today was Samantha and I were willing to put aside our differences and be there for her. 

I took her hand in mine and sat down beside her. She leaned her head on my shoulders and broke down into heavy sobs. I hugged her back, showing that I was there for her now, even if I hadn't been here for a few months. She curled up against me and I closed my eyes at the pain she seemed to radiate. 

Samantha and Aiden were mates and they had completed the mating process by finally marking each other, which means that they were a part of each other now. To see a part of your soul like this, lying comatose on the bed must be heartbreaking. 

She clutched the back of my shirt and I let her wet me with her tears. My gaze moved from Aiden to Natalie, who was already watching. A large ball formed in my throat when our eyes met. Her lips lifted in a half smile and I closed my eyes in return, no idea what else to do. 

Samantha leaned back from me and wiped her eyes, to look strong and my heart ached to see her like that. "He's lost a lot of blood and the doctors have tried the best they could but he hasn't woken up yet." Samantha sniffled and I squeezed her shoulder in comfort. 

Neither of us said anything, we just sat there. Me and Natalie were trying to be there for Samantha, a friend who has stuck by us all our lives. We had put aside our differences momentarily and focused our attention on our friend. 

This all seemed so much like the premonition the goddess had shown me when she wanted me to come back home. Sebastian and Aiden had already fallen, with serious injuries. Who was going to be next, Samantha? Natalie? In fact, why did anyone have to be next, the goddess had clearly said that the people I loved would be in danger if I didn't come back, but I did come back. Then, why hadn't the mayhem ceased?!

The door swung open and all three of our heads looked to see who it was. Harper stood in the doorway, looking like he hadn't slept all night like I knew he didn't. His eyes first took in Aiden's prone firm on the hospital bed and his jaw clenched. Then his gaze rested on me and softened considerably. "Would you come out for a bit, Zara? I'd like to talk to you."

I nodded and slowly got up from my seat beside Samantha. I squeezed her shoulder in support and walked out of the room to talk to Harper. He was leaning on the wall outside but straightened as I came closer to him. 

"The nurse told me you were here. How did you know Aiden was here?" Harper asked. 

"I had a dream," I whispered, feeling strange because he was in the dream with me and he couldn't recall anything. 

"Ah! The moon goddess!" 

I nodded. "She told me that you were the one to help him?" 

Harper nodded and sighed. I waited for him to speak as he slouched tiredly against the wall. "I had to. We were torturing this rogue who was caught when we attacked the rogue camp. His rogue pals must have broken him out by switching on the vents which release Wolfsbane. Everyone was unconscious and the rogues were able to free their men. When I woke up, Aiden had this knife lodged in his thigh and he had bled out so much."

He squeezed his eyes as if to forget the vision of Aiden lying helpless on a prison floor. "Only the warriors and high-ranked pack members know the location of the dungeons, so I had to call a select warrior and take Aiden to a secure location before finally calling the ambulance. When we finally called him here, I knew I had to inform Samantha as next of kin and I knew how hard it was going to be."

I could only imagine telling your friend how hard it would have been. "So instead of calling her, I went to her and Aiden's residence in the pack house and made her come here. I explained the situation to her on the way and -," he sighed and shook his head. 

It broke my heart to see him like this. Harper had been practically living in the hospital these last few months, with every person he loved being admitted into the hospital. I had no idea how he could stand all of this. He had to be extremely strong to survive this and still stand tall to lead a pack of wolves. 

But at that moment, he looked so vulnerable, just like a little boy. It was unfair how he had to shoulder so much pain and responsibilities when he was only eighteen. 

I closed the distance between us and hugged him to show him that I was there for him. "I'm so sorry that you are going through so much." I put my head on his shoulders and put my hands around his muscled torso. His face was buried in my neck where he took a deep breath to calm himself down. His hands pulled me closer to him until my whole body was plastered against his own. 

He sighed against my neck and I tightened my hold over him. "Thank you so much, Zara."