DRAVEN’S POV:
Her words flew straight to my chest like flint knives.
In the last twenty-four hours, she had taken me through different emotions.
I felt a strong admiration, a pull I could not control, seeing her fight for Ella’s life.
She restored my hope.
In my eyes, she was a hero.
Compassion followed that admiration, watching her bleed and being wrapped in bandages to put her limbs together.
A sacrifice she made for my child.
All through the night, confusion was my companion.
‘Did Ella have a fighting chance?
Was there something special about Aria that made her able to revive Ella?’
Fear was my best friend.
I watched over Ella the entire night, dreading that her heart would stop beating and her breath would cease.
“Good morning, daddy,” when her eyes opened and her tiny voice hit my eardrums, I found myself a little in love with Aria, but now…
Now, I was in pain.
She hated me so much, her journey with me had just begun, but she couldn’t wait for it to end.
She was willing to have a wedding in an ugly dress, not because she cared about me that much, but because she lived in anticipation of when she no longer had to.
I stood in front of the room I had to share with her.
All her stuff was packed into the room and I couldn’t bear to look at her or anything that reminded me of her, not after what she just said.
I took a turn and knocked on the door twice, “sweetie?” I called with a calm voice and pushed the door open.
“Daddy,” Ella sat up immediately I walked in.
I was filled with relief, seeing that she was still alive.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” I probed.
I sat by the edge of her bed and carried her on my lap, holding her tightly.
“I’m okay.” She replied.
I sat in silence.
“Daddy, you’re squeezing me.” She called me back from the subconscious.
“I’m sorry,” I loosened my grip around her, but still had my arms wrapped around her.
My heart raced, like if I let go, it was forever.
We heard a knock on the door and just after, the door slowly opened.
“Baby!” Despite her broken arm, Aria reached for her, supporting her with the broken shoulder and wrapping her with her second hand.
“Are you okay?” Ella asked her, touching her bandaged arm.
“I’m fine, baby.” She responded in a pitch that matched Ella’s.
She raised her eyes and my gaze locked with hers.
“I didn’t know you were with daddy.”
”Oh…I was just leaving.” I hurriedly got up.
Ella seemed genuinely happy around her.
She hadn’t left her bed for me, but she fought her way out of my arms to be in Aria’s.
“You girls have fun, okay?” I walked to them, bent down to give Ella a peck on the forehead.
Ella pulled away after the kiss, but since she was in Aria’s arms, it left me a breath away from Aria.
For a second, it seemed someone hit the pause button on time.
Her breath fell on my face and Ella’s on my chest and its impact was healing.
I felt it again–the bond pulling me towards her.
My lips were about an inch away from her forehead.
Ella chuckled, shifting all our attention to her.
“Daddy’s mate,” she said.
I realized at that moment, how obvious I was.
“You girls have fun,” I adjusted and walked out of the room.
Knowing Ella was with Aria consoled me and terrified me at the same time.
Ella was in safe hands, but if we got too attached, it would tear Ella and I apart when it was time for her to leave.
I walked to my room and met Ragner waiting for me at the door.
“You want to tell me what is actually going on?” He asked, as soon as we walked into the room.
“Nothing,” I responded coldly, grabbing the water jug on the table.
“You have the chance to heal her. I mean I know it’s not your actual wedding. It’s temporary, but at least it can be picture perfect.” Ragner argued.
I stood there and stared at him for a while.
“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I can’t,” I defended.
You’re an Alpha.
The strongest wolf in history and last I checked, it usually came with healing abilities.”
”This argument is pointless, Ragner.
I can’t do it,” I wanted to walk away from the conversation, but I literally had nowhere to go, so I looked out the window.
Ragner paused.
“What are you not telling me, Draven?” His voice was subtle.
He finally figured it out.
He knew me better than anyone else in the world and he was right.
I had kept something from him and even now, I still couldn’t say it.
“Let this go, Ragner.
It’s best for all of us.”
”I’m not leaving until you tell me what is going on,” he took a seat and since it was not unusual territory for us.
We sat there in absolute silence until we both fell asleep.
“Ragner!” I tapped him to wake up.
“It’s past lunchtime,” I said.
He got up, forgetting what we were arguing about and after a good stretch, we both headed out for the dining.
“We should probably get Ella,” Ragner said.
When we opened her room door, we found her peacefully asleep in Aria’s arms.
Aria was deeply asleep too and never in my life had I seen something cuter than that.
“That’s a broad smile,” Ragner’s words made me quickly wipe off the smile I didn’t know I had on.
“I don’t get why you will not heal her, Draven? Do you enjoy seeing her in pain?” His question poked my heart.
First, because he remembered and secondly because there was nothing that I hated more at the time than seeing her in pain.
“The last time I tried to heal anyone was five years ago,” my voice was slightly above a whisper, so I did not bother the girls.
“That ended terribly…and since then, I haven’t tried to heal anyone.
It’s the reason the pack has the best physician money can provide.”
”Five years ago…” Ragner processed.
It took him a few seconds to grasp it.
“Oh my goodness!” He exclaimed.