Kade’s POV
As I started to wake up, I could hear someone crying next to me as they softly shook the bed and someone else in the room was whispering soft things to them. I was able to open my eyes and look down at Joey, whose forehead laid against the bed while his body shook with sobs. I was able to reach over and place my hand on top of his head, but when he didn’t pick his head up and continued his sobs, I started to run my fingers through his hair.
Cody, don’t touch me, he said between sobs.
I looked over at the beta who had a huge smile on his face as he looked over at me. Uh, that’s not me.
Joey’s head shot up and I finally saw his beautiful face that was puffy and wet with tears. He lifted his hand and placed it on mine that was on top of his head. He placed my knuckles against his forehead as he gripped it and continued to cry.
I’m okay, baby, I promise you that I’m okay, I whisper to him as I rub my knuckle over the middle of his brow. He shakes his head as he grips it tighter. I look over at Cody who has a sympathetic look on his face along with Melissa who sat behind her mate’s standing form.
You died, Kade, your heart wasn’t beating for six minutes, Cody told me.
I gave him a confused look because if my heart wasn’t beating, then Joey’s shouldn’t have been either. That’s how this true mate thing worked. What about Joey though ?
Melissa and Cody shared a look before Melissa walked around to the other side of the bed to take my other hand. Since Joey’s a wolf, sedatives and drugs don’t affect him, which means if you were to be killed by them, he wouldn’t be affected through your bond.
My mind starts to race because we were told that if one of us died, then the other one would too and now, this is what I hear. If this was to ever happen again, Joey would be devastated and scared and things that I can’t even think of. I look up at Melissa again. But I thought-
We know, she interrupts me, tightening her grip on my hand. we talked to the elders this morning and they told us that it makes complete sense and they don’t know how generations of elders haven’t realized that. If one of you is killed in a way that the other being isn’t affected by, then you won’t be dead due to it.
I give her another confused look because she just basically told me that there were more things that could happen like this. What else could happen that wouldn’t hurt us both ?
Cody cleared his throat, taking a step forward as he crossed his arms. Verbena is a plant that hunters and other beings use to weaken wolves. It isn’t dangerous to humans until a certain point, but just one drop for us could harm us. If someone was to use that on Joey, you wouldn’t be affected.
I think for a second because I’ve definitely heard that name before. Melissa chuckles, squeezing my hand. The other name for it is vervain.
I practically facepalm when I realize that it’s a thing from Vampire Diaries. I decided to just ignore the whole subject and focus again on my beautiful mate. I gripped one of Joey’s hands and guided it away from his face and placed it against my chest where he could feel my heart beating in my chest. He gasped, looking up at me before I pulled him up and into the bed with me. He carefully wrapped his arm around my stomach and placed the side of his head on my chest as my heartbeat calmed him down.
The door opened and Dr. Moore walked in along with Lila, who smiled when she saw the way her son laid next to me. My hands ran through his hair to calm his breathing down because it must’ve been really hard to have to stand there while your mate is literally dead on the ground.
How’re you feeling, Kade ? Dr. Moore asked.
Tired and weak, I whisper as I realize that my throat is still very scratchy. There’s an oxygen tube wrapped around my face and going up to my nose that was helping me regulate my breathing.
So what happened was the hunters gave you multiple sedatives repeatedly that led you to overdose because they obviously weren’t skilled at knowing how much and when. Your heart stopped beating for six minutes but we were able to help you and once you got back here, we put a tube down your throat to reach your stomach and used activated charcoal to soak up the excess drug, Dr. Moore explained to me.
I nodded my head. How long have I been out ?
It’s been three days, Lila said as she walked up to me and my mate. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned down to kiss his head before doing the same to me.
Elder Collins explained the situation to me, the true mate stuff, and because wolves aren’t affected by sedatives, Joey wasn’t hurt by the overdose, Dr. Moore said to me, confirming what Melissa and Cody just said to me. I keep running my hands through my mate’s hair and noticed that he was staring out of the window while he listened to what was being said.
Also, your parents are on their way here along with Emilie. They said that they didn’t want to disturb you while you were sleeping, but now that you’re awake, they really want to see you, Lila tells us before motioning for everyone to leave.
Once the door closed, Joey sighed and snuggled closer to me as I stare down at him. I’m here, Joey. I’m alive.
His shoulders slumped and he pressed further into my chest. I felt it all. I felt when you took your last breath, how bad your chest hurt while you were getting compressions, when they were putting the tube down your throat, everything. If you hadn’t come back, Kade, the last thing I would’ve felt of you was that breath leaving you.
My eyes softened and I placed my finger under his chin and tilted his head up to look at me. That’s not the last thing though, I’m here, I’m alive, I’m breathing. I’m going to be here for a long time to continue to annoy you, okay ?
He chuckled, nodding his head. You better.
I cupped his face and he sat up to place a soft, feather-like kiss against my lips that still felt numb. His hand ran down my shoulder to my arm and to my hand to grab it in his before he pulled away from my lips to kiss around my face.
I’m so happy you’re okay, he whispered, setting our foreheads together.
I am too, I couldn’t even imagine never seeing you again, I told him, snaking my hand around the back of his neck to pull our lips together again.
Joey and I lay in bed with the TV playing some game show as Joey massages my shoulders and Cody and Melissa sit in the chairs next to the hospital bed. The doors open and my parents and Emilie rush in to give me big hugs.
Oh, my sweetheart. As soon as we heard what had happened, we wanted to rush straight down here but we were told that you probably wouldn’t wake up for a few hours, Mom whispers to me.
Hi, Mom, I said, holding her as tight to me as I could. Joey moved off the bed so Emilie could snuggle to my side with my arm wrapped around her shoulder.