Arabella's POVAs I dialed Leo's number, my heart raced. When he answered, his voice was husky and trembling. "Hello?""Leo," I uttered softly, feeling a lump form in my throat."Arabella?" His voice broke. "Is that really you? Are you okay?"Tears welled up in my eyes at the sound of him crying. "I'm okay, Leo," I replied, trying to steady my own trembling voice. "But I before you say anything, I needed you to know that I need to stay here. There are things I need to do, things I need to figure out."Leo's voice wavered as he spoke, his concern evident. "The doctor said you were lucky to be alive, Arabella. How could you even consider staying after that?” There was a moments silence before he continued. “Please, come home. I can't bear the thought of you being in anymore danger."His words tugged at my heart, but I knew I couldn't abandon Trudy when she needed me the most. "Leo, I know you’re worried," I said, my voice shaky. "But I can't turn my back on her. She needs me."Leo's ton
Leo’s POVDespite my best efforts to contain my worry, the thought of Arabella alone at the hospital was unbearable. I tossed and turned in the bed we shared, her absence a constant reminder of my concern. The moonlight had always calmed me down, but this time as it filtered through the window, it did little to soothe my restless mind.I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was 2am, the rest of Spring Lake blissfully unaware of the turmoil I was in because we had made the decision to keep what happened between Sara and I. So, giving up on the pretense of sleep, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my mind made up. I quickly found a small bag in the bottom of the wardrobe and packed it, throwing in a few essentials. I knew this wasn't my place, that the boundaries between packs were not to be lightly crossed. Arabella could cross it with no worries because she was related by blood, whereas I should wait to be invited to Trudy’s pack. But this was Arabella we were talking
Leo’s POVAs the hours passed, the absence of one particular person began to gnaw at me. Trudy, the person that led to my mate being in this hospital, was nowhere to be seen. I found it odd, and a sense of unease began to settle in. I glanced at Arabella, who seemed lost in her own thoughts. "Has Trudy been to see you since the fight, Arabella?" I asked, my voice cutting through the silence of the room. She looked at me, surprise evident in her eyes, before her gaze fell to our intertwined hands. She was quiet for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she spoke, her voice quiet, "No, she hasn't."I waited, expecting her to elaborate, but she didn't. Instead, she continued to stare at our hands, her grip tightening around mine. “Arabella?”"She... she drank herself into a coma after we fought.”I felt my heart drop at her revelation. Trudy, in a coma? It was hard to comprehend. "What?" I stammered, my mind reeling. "Why would she...?""Guilt," Arabella answered quickly, her gaz
Arabella’s POVAs Leo turned and walked out of the room, my heart shattered into a million pieces. "Leo, please stop," I cried out, the desperation evident in my voice, but he kept walking away. The sound of his retreating footsteps echoed off the tiled floor, leaving me feeling lost and alone.Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched him go, my pleas falling on deaf ears."Leo, don't leave me like this," I called out, my heart breaking. But he didn't turn back, his absence leaving a gaping hole in my chest.How could he just walk away like that? How could he not give me a chance to explain, to share my side of the story? The silence left behind was deafening, and it echoed the turmoil in my heart.I knew I hadn't done the right thing by keeping the pregnancy a secret. The moment I found out, I should have told him. It was his right to know, and I had robbed him of that. The guilt gnawed at me, adding to the pain of his departure.But I had my reasons for keeping it a secret. Reason
Arabella’s POVHaving finally shared what scared me with Leo, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. And finally, I couldn’t breathe.It was a conversation I had dreaded, one I had hoped to put off until much later. But as usual, life had other plans, and I found myself pregnant sooner than expected.Admitting out loud how the memory of my mother's loss had impacted my reaction to the pregnancy was hard. But seeing the understanding in Leo's eyes, feeling his reassuring grip on my hand, it gave me the courage to face my fears.As we made our way back to my room, I felt calm. Yes, the future was uncertain, filled with challenges we would have to face. But for the first time since I found out about the pregnancy, I felt ready to face them, knowing I wouldn't be facing them alone.As we reentered my room, I found Susie and Sara waiting by the empty bed. I was about to ask them what they were doing there when I saw the smile on Leo's face."Did you tell them?" I asked Leo, my
Leo’s POVAs the morning light filtered through the hospital room, I blinked my eyes open, slowly becoming aware of my surroundings. It took a moment for reality to sink in - I had spent the night on Arabella's hospital bed with her. I’d taken remaining by her side to a whole new level. Chuckling to myself at the absurdity of the situation, I carefully extracted myself from the bed, trying my best not to wake her.After freshening up, I returned with a tray of breakfast in hand, the aroma of coffee and croissants following my every step. To my surprise, I found Arabella sitting up in bed."Good morning," I greeted her with a grin, setting the tray down on the bedside table.Arabella raised an eyebrow as she eyed the cup of coffee I handed her. "Coffee? Really?" she quipped, a playful glint in her eye.I chuckled, defending myself, "It's decaf, I promise. Besides, the nurse said it was okay."She gave me a mock glare, but took the coffee nonetheless. "Fine," she teased before taking a
Arabella’s POVI couldn't believe it. Susie had always been open about dating men and women, but this took me by surprise. One of my best friends, someone I considered a sister, was mated to my cousin. It should have been a happy thing, so Susie’s reaction confused me.As Susie left Trudy's room, the look of devastation on her face was unmistakable. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t even know Trudy liked women. We’d always been open and honest with each other, but relationships she always kept to herself.Trying to break the silence, I began to speak. "I'm going to talk to her, she's just...""Arabella, please don't," Trudy interrupted. "She doesn't want me. If she did, she would have noticed me weeks ago." Trudy's words hung heavy in the air, revealing a deep sense of hurt and rejection.Having spent the afternoon with Trudy, exhaustion eventually crept in and so Leo, wheeled me back to my room. However, upon our arrival, we were met by Mara who handed me my di
Leo’s POVBeing back at Spring Lake without Susie was more challenging than I had anticipated. I understood her need to stay with Trudy, to help her mate heal, but that didn't make missing her any less significant.Arabella was back in her office, burying herself in her work. I admired her dedication, but I couldn't shake off the worry that gnawed at me. I feared she might overwork herself, potentially causing distress to the baby. So, as her mate and co-Alpha, I took over most of the face to face meetings.Every time I passed by her office, I would pause, listening for any signs of distress. Each time she skipped a meal or worked late into the night, my worry would intensify. I found myself constantly checking on her, reminding her to take breaks and eat properly. I would even sink to the level of hiding her office keys.I knew Arabella was strong and capable, but I also understood the toll that stress could take on both her and the baby. My attempts to get her to slow down were met