Chapter Four - Reviving Her

Alexandrios’s POV

Cerelia Belmont!

I smiled at her name. It suited her. It was as exotic as she was. 

The door opened and Dr. Sylvia rushed in with two nurses before I could ask Cerelia anything else. I swore under my breath out of frustration. There were so many things I wanted to know about her. She was too innocent and vulnerable to be a spy. While I was sure she wasn’t one, Zephyrus was adamant in his belief. 

I couldn’t go against Zephyrus, not because he was the Alpha of the pack. It was because he was like a big brother and a guardian to me. 

Leandros and I would have died that night twenty years ago when the Whiteridge Pack had attacked us. We lost our families and were forced to flee Lucania to save our lives. Zephyrus took us to his ancestral home in the kingdom of Aromania, Greece, which became our home for the last twenty years. I was indebted to Zephyrus and his extended family for educating me and helping me fulfill my dreams. 

“Doctor Vasiliou, the patient has lost her consciousness again,” said Dr. Sylvia as she checked Cerelia. 

“Shit! Shall we induce hypothermia?” I felt guilty for not paying attention to her after Dr. Sylvia arrived.

“No, what did you do to gain her consciousness?” She tried chest compression, but it didn’t work. 

“CPR.” 

I watched Dr. Sylvia try what I had done a few minutes ago, but Cerelia didn’t respond. How was that possible? How had she responded to me? 

‘Now, do you believe we’re fated mates?’ prodded Rio. 

‘Where did that come from in this context?’ I scolded him. He had to drop the notion. It would never work. I would never accept this young girl as my mate. She wasn’t even eighteen!

‘Are you dumb? She responded to us because she could feel the mate bond between us. She will be eighteen in two days. Does age matter? She needs us, Alex. Will you hand her over to Zephyrus?’ I knew he had a point. I couldn’t hand her over to Zephyrus. He would punish her for no fault of hers. She wasn’t a spy. I knew it. 

‘I won’t hand her over to Zeph. Happy now?’ 

“It’s not working, Dr. Vasiliou,” said Dr. Sylvia, giving up and handing the patient over to me. 

“I’ll take over.” I sat at Cerelia’s bedside and picked up her hands to rub them. 

I tried to establish a mind-link with her as I rubbed her hand to stimulate the nerve endings there. ‘Cerelia, wake up.’ There was no response. 

‘Cerelia, open your eyes for me. Won’t you see your mate?’ My throat choked with strange emotions as a sense of dread swept over me. Would she sink into a coma? Would I lose my mate forever? 

“No, you can’t die on me, Cerelia!” I whispered desperately, patting her cheeks to revive her. I didn’t care about the jaw-dropped looks on Dr. Sylvia and the nurses’ faces. Yes, she was my mate. Even if I didn’t accept her in my life, I had to revive her because I was the only one who could. 

“Mate!” came a soft whisper, making me freeze. I blinked and looked at the sweet creature in front of me. She had opened her golden eyes again to look deep into mine. I drowned again in her hypnotic gaze. 

“How are you feeling, Cerelia? Will you let me check you?” I soothed her hair backward, and she nodded shyly. Dr. Sylvia smiled and walked away, leaving the two of us alone. 

“I’m sure you can handle her better, Dr. Vasiliou.” 

My cheeks flushed as the nurses too followed her out. I turned my attention to my mate. “Are you experiencing pain anywhere, Cerelia?” She nodded and touched her legs, arms, and head. 

“I’ll give you a painkiller. Do you want to shift into your wolf? It will help you heal faster.”

She shook her head. “Lia, my wolf is traumatized now. She doesn’t want to shift.” 

Rio thrashed inside me with desperation. ‘I’ll heal Lia. Please let me out, Alex.’ 

‘No, she doesn’t want to shift now, Rio. Let’s not force her, please.’ Thankfully, Rio understood and retreated to his place, allowing me full control. 

I injected a painkiller into her channel while she gazed at me in silence. It made me acutely aware of myself for the first time in my life. “Why are you being so nice to me? Aren’t you a Lucerian?” 

I sighed and looked at her to gain her trust. “I’m a doctor first, Cerelia. Taking care of you is my duty.” 

“Are you only doing your duty towards me?” I could feel the hurt in her tone. I wanted to cradle her against my heart and comfort her. No, I wasn’t just doing my duty as a doctor. I was doing my duty as her mate. Yet I couldn’t admit that to her. How could I encourage her when I knew I would have to reject her? All this while, I was just trying to revive her. Now that she was in her senses, I had to downplay the mate bond between us. 

“Yes, Cerelia. But I will protect you from everyone here, including Alpha Zephyrus. I won’t let them punish you.” She blinked at the tears that had formed in her eyes. 

“Why will you do that? How do you know I’m not a spy?” I gulped, unable to answer her questions. I knew because I could feel it in my heart. 

“I know. I’ll send the nurse with your food. You need to regain your strength to go back home.” The tears spilled from her eyes and I stared at her for a minute. Had I said something to hurt her? 

“I have no home. Please don’t throw me out of here. I have nowhere to go.” I was dumbstruck by her admission and all my resolve to not accept her as my mate crumbled to dust. 

“I won’t throw you out, Cerelia. You can stay with me as long as you want. This is my hospital and my decision is the ultimate here.” She closed her eyes with relief and I rose to leave her and tend to my job. I still had to complete my rounds. But the moment I rose, she grabbed my hand to stop me. 

“Don’t go, please. I’m scared.” A jolt of electric current shot up my body at her touch. How was that possible? No, I shouldn’t encourage her, nor could I leave my work and sit with her. I was in a strange dilemma. 

Despite my inner battle, I sat down beside her on the bed to comfort her. “Relax, Cerelia. You’re safe here. I’ll send a nurse if you want someone. I have to go on my rounds now.” 

“No, please. What if they come in here to get me? Don’t go, Xandrios.” My heart skipped a beat at the way she pronounced my name. I loved it. No one had ever called me that in my entire twenty-six years of life, and I didn’t want to correct her.

“Who’ll come to get you?” I dreaded her answer. Was she afraid of the ones who had sent her here?

“The Red Wolves!” she whispered, her eyes wide with fear. I gripped her hand with concern. Who didn’t know about the notorious red wolves? But why were they after her? Before I could ask her, Cerelia lost consciousness for the third time in a row.

My phone buzzed with an incoming call from Zephyrus. I blinked and released her limp hand immediately to take the call. I knew what Zeph wanted to know, but I wouldn’t give Cerelia away and protect her, even if she worked for the Red Wolves. 

I would keep my promise at all costs. 

I accepted the call, and Zephyrus barked into the phone. “What’s the update, Alexandrios? Has the spy girl opened her mouth?” I could understand his frustration since I hadn’t updated him at all. 

“No, she’s still unconscious, bro.” 

 Zeph grunted in frustration, and I felt guilty. Yet I couldn’t give Cerelia away. “What are the chances of her survival, Alexandrios? I hope she survives. I need to know who she is.” 

“I’ll call you if she wakes up. Have you punished the prison guards who tortured her?” 

“Yes. Okay, talk later.” He disconnected the call before I could ask him more. I wanted to know what punishment he meted out to them. If I were the Alpha, I would have ripped them apart for torturing an underage girl.

“Xandrios, thank you!” murmured Cerelia, and I gazed at her with awe. Was she awake? Did she hear my conversation with Zephyrus? My heart somersaulted with happiness to hear her call me again. I could listen to her all night and day and never tire of it. I was glad she didn’t lose her consciousness.

“Anything for you, Cerelia.” She gripped my hand, although her eyes were still closed.

“Then stay with me.” 

This time, I couldn’t ignore her plea. I sat with her, watching her sleep in peace.