Beloved

13

Awakening

Gaia

Gaia could sense someone, or something, calling to her. The voice, or thought, possessing a lyrical quality she found pleasing. It felt feminine, and loving, like a mother. She followed it through the darkness.

Gaia, my dearest beloved daughter, you don't have much time. Your wolf is needed sweet child.

Gaia opened her eyes, instantly mesmerized by the beauty surrounding her. All the colors she'd ever seen, and many she could only imagine, shimmering like jewels in every leaf, tree, branch, and blade of grass against the vast expanse of forest clearing she found herself in.

It's too soon. I'm not ready. I shouldn't meet her for many months.

My beloved child, I am so sorry to put you through this trial, on top of the task that is yet yours to face. You will be meeting your wolf very soon. She is needed. You are needed. Stay strong, my dearest one. Have courage. Don't give in to despair.

The voice and the vision faded away, leaving Gaia conscious, but not awake. She had no idea how long she'd been floating in darkness, but was grateful for the painless safety of it.

Still embraced in the darkness she became aware of voices. A few she recognized, but others she'd never heard before, and she never wanted to hear the angry lady again. She couldn't make out what anyone was saying, but she didn't feel interested to know their conversations.

She was also aware when she was being touched. She could feel someone gently holding one of her hands, or stroking her cheek. At some point she'd felt her hair being combed. Right now she was feeling the tell-tale tingles of her mate, as though she was surrounded by him. How very odd.

The sensation was waking her. She didn't feel ready to leave the comforting dark.
___

Gaia's breathing pattern changed.

Dante's eyes opened, immediately focusing on the small form pinned against him under his arm. There was faint light from the crescent moon streaming into the room, but it was bright enough for his werewolf eyes. It was earlier than he usually woke, but he'd fallen asleep earlier than his usual time. He studied the small she-wolf laying beside him, his brow twitching when a small whimper met his ears. He reached for her face, caressing her temple and cheek.

Gaia's eyes fluttered open at his touch, and she whimpered.

"Gaia," Dante murmured, "You're safe, Gaia." He rested his arm across her body once more.

Gaia let her eyes roam the room she was in, taking in everything she could see without moving her head. Her mind slowly registered the machinery and the needles in her arm.

"I'm in the hospital." Her throat was dry, her voice raspy.

"Yes, you are in the hospital."

Realizing she wasn't going to relax back to sleep, Dante lifted himself up and crossed the room for the water jug and a cup. He filled the jug with water and brought it and two cups to the bed. He filled both cups before setting the jug and one cup on the table. He helped Gaia lift her head so she could drink.

"Why am I in the hospital?" Gaia took the cup from Dante, but her hand shook with the effort so he held the cup steady for her.

"You were knocked out pretty hard, and you don't have your wolf to help heal you."

Gaia took small sips of water as she thought. After a moment she began to remember.

"There were girls... they cornered me..." She indicated she had enough water, so Dante set her cup down and drank from his own.

"Mhmm you had some pretty serious injuries, including a concussion."

"I had a concussion?"

"Yep. You've been out for nearly three days."

"Does my mother know?" Gaia was concerned that if her mother had been called, Michelle would return home and forfeit the work program she'd worked so hard to get into. She wanted her mother, but she didn't want to burden her.

Dante set his cup down and sat on the bed, facing her. "My parents notified your mother. She's worried, and wanted to return, but my mother convinced her to stay there and work on that program. Your mother will visit soon."

Gaia's eyes drifted to the window. She could see the moon, a sliver of white against the dark sky. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here so you heal faster."

"Was I in danger of dying?"

"There was a possibility."

"Do you want to be here?"

"You don't want me here?" The thought she didn't even want him to help her heal felt like a knife blade twisting his gut.

"If you don't want to be here, no. The last thing I want is to burden anyone-"

"You're not a burden, Gaia. I brought you in. I'm choosing to be here."

"I'm in the way of you mating with Angelica." She felt tears building up. She traced the stitching on the sheet to calm herself.

"No, you're not."

"Right," she scoffed, "you're just waiting until it's safe to reject me."

Dante's shoulders slumped. "No longer the plan."

"What?" Gaia's full attention snapped to Dante.

Dante raised his eyes to meet her gaze. "Quite a bit happened while you were sleeping."

"I was out for two days."

"Two and a half."

"What could possibly happen in two and a half days?"

Dante shrugged. "My parents came home. Angelica's true mate was here and -"

Gaia blurted, "Angelica found her true mate? She left you?"

"Well, no. My father ordered her to leave. Her mate is the alpha of our closest ally."

Gaia stared at him, eyes wide and lips parted, unable to translate thoughts racing through her mind into words. "Wow. I'm guessing that was really... something else." She reached for his hand, lightly touching his fingers. "Are you okay?"

Dante lifted his gaze to look at Gaia. She was watching him, concern evident in the wrinkle between her brows, waiting for him to say something.

"I'll be okay." He shrugged. "Had a long talk with my parents."

"I'm sorry."

"It had to happen."

Gaia studied him for a few moments before asking, "What now?"

"I... have a lot to make up for," Dante said. "I've been a massive jerk, and I've been selfish. I haven't even attempted to give you a real chance, and I haven't been behaving like a leader for my pack. I'm sorry for that. I hope some day you can forgive me, and I hope maybe we can start with trying to be friends."

"I wouldn't say you've been a massive jerk, just a regular one. Thank you for apologizing."

"I should probably alert the staff you're awake." He reached for the com panel on the bed and pressed the button that would alert the nurse.

"Please, not yet. I'm not-"

"Too late." He smirked at her pout. She was adorable when she pouted.

The door opened, "Alpha, there had better be a good reason-"

"I just thought you'd like to know she's awake," Dante said.

The nurse stepped into the room, gaping at them before he sprung into action. He ran from the room, presumably to grab her chart. He returned before the door had a chance to catch, chart in hand, flipping on the light and adjusting his stethoscope as he crossed the room to her bed.

"Did you just wake up?"

"No, I've been awake for a little while," Gaia answered, squinting and blinking in the sudden light.

"She woke up approximately half an hour ago," Dante said. He stayed beside her and watched every move the nurse made.

The nurse glanced at Dante as he adjusted the bed so Gaia was sitting upright, then aimed his penlight in her eyes. Next he took her pulse and blood pressure, noting all the data down.

"The doctor has made it known you need solid foods as soon as possible."

"Oh, sure."

"I'll alert the kitchen you're to have a meal. And plenty of water. Two days isn't an overly long period of time to go without regular food or water, but the IV's are a poor substitute, so eat what you can without making yourself sick."

Gaia nodded.

"All your vitals are normal, which is good. The doctor is scheduled to be here in about an hour, and she'll likely want to check on you as soon as she gets in."

When the nurse left, Dante smiled. "See? Now we know we have about an hour before we have to deal with anyone else."

"That was your brilliant plan?"

"And it worked."

"Does it ever bore you to always get what you want?" Gaia's eyes widened when she realized what she'd said.

His brows lifted.

Her eyes still wide, the emotion in them softened, "I'm sorry you don't get to be with Angelica."

Dante scanned Gaia's face and eyes, seeing the sincerity of her words, and there wasn't a trace of animosity or resentment. She spoke from her heart, and there was only ever room for love. He reached his hand up to cup her cheek, feeling the tingles dance in his palm, "You have the most beautiful heart of anyone I've ever met." He smiled to see a blush bloom across her cheeks.

"Thank you. Could I have some more water?" She was feeling a headache coming on and water usually helped her headaches.

"Sure," Dante refilled her cup and handed it to her. He noticed some tension forming around her eyes.

Gaia raised her eyes to peer Dante over the lip of her cup as she drank. He was watching her. She finished quickly and handed the cup back to him with a meek "thanks," between gasps of breath. "Will you turn off the light?"

Dante refilled the cup and set it on the table before turning off the light. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Mm, I have a headache coming on. It's probably from sleeping two days straight."

"It might be that, but my wolf says he can sense your wolf awakening."

Gaia felt as though she'd just been drenched in cold water. Her wolf was awakening? Already? Fragments of a memory swept through her thoughts, but... "But ... I told her I'm not ready!"

"You told who you're not ready? Not ready for what?"

Gaia replied slowly, "I don't know. I guess it was just a dream."

"Will you tell me about it?"

Gaia's brows pinched together as she tried to piece together her memories of the brief conversation she'd had, a break from the darkness. She closed her eyes, thinking it might help her recall bits of her vision.

"I was in a beautiful forest clearing, the most beautiful forest I've ever seen, the colors were intense, and crisp, truly sublime, and I heard a voice, it sounded like ... like my mother's voice when I was very small. Very motherly, gentle, kind.

"She called me 'dearest beloved daughter'. She said my wolf is needed, that I don't have much time. I need to stay strong." Gaia frowned, pursing her lips.

Dante's subconscious honed in on the cryptic aspects of the relatively straightforward message, mulling over the endearing phrase. Her wolf was needed. What did that mean? What was she needed for? Special wolves often came at a time of need, was she a special wolf? Was "dearest beloved daughter" code for a particular special wolf?

He studied the small girl sitting before him. What special wolf did her personality fit with? One of the healers, obviously, but which one.

Gaia scrunched her face and entire body, groaning softly in pain.

"Hey, what can I do?"

"Will you let down the blinds, please? The sun coming in -"

Dante rose and went to the windows, "I'm closing them." Closing the blinds and drawing the curtains closed, he kept an eye on Gaia. His concern for her grew as he watched her withdraw under the cover and curl in on herself.

"Will you sit with me? It wasn't as painful when you were sitting with me."

Dante felt his chest puff hearing her words. "I'll sit with you." He sensed his wolf practically skipping with joy.

He sat on the bed with her, holding her hand for awhile. By the time the morning nurses arrived he was laying beside her, his body wrapped around her protectively. Gaia whimpered when the overhead light was flipped back on. Dante held her head to his neck and asked them to work by lamplight.

The doctor arrived as the staff began asking him to move, at least sit up so they could check her vitals, but she whimpered in pain and her heart rate spiked when he moved away from her.

The doctor advised Dante to stay beside Gaia, and asked him details of what had transpired since she had woken up. She listened intently as Dante related to her details of what the young alpha's wolf said to Dante, and the dream he said Gaia had told him about.

"Well, we've got ourselves a case of early emergence. Young Alpha, I know this won't be easy for you, but the more you're in full contact with your mate as you are now, the easier this early stage of transitioning will be for her."

"We'll support you in any way we can," Arianna said.

Dante peered over his shoulder. He hadn't noticed his parents enter the room. He expected the teary emotion of his mother, but he wasn't prepare for what he was seeing of his father. He'd never seen that soft gaze on his father's face before. Florian had soft a gaze for his mate, and one for Dante he had used more often when Dante was younger, but this was a new soft gaze. He shifted his attention back to the doctor.

"Uh, I'll do the best I can, but I will need breaks."

"Of course." The doctor explained they would have her on a low dose of pain meds that would help her sleep through the worst of it when he wasn't in contact with her. Dante should be able to take care of his needs, but he shouldn't leave the suite.

"How long do you think this will continue for?"

"Her wolf is waking early. Our goal is to keep her as comfortable as possible while she's in the initial stages. We should have first shift within six months, but she could shift as early as four months."

Dante felt his blood run cold. "Four to six months in the hospital?"

The doctor chuckled, "Not likely that long, no. Just until her wolf comes forward. We'll keep her another night or two after, but then she can go home and we'll just schedule her to come in every week for monitoring check-ins."

Dante watched the doctor leave the room, then peered down at the girl snuggled against his chest. "You're lucky you're cute." He shook his head as she nuzzled closer.

Florian asked, "She's awake?"

Dante heard her soft voice murmur, "Tell them 'no'."

He stifled his mirth, answering, "She doesn't want to be awake."

"Well, we brought breakfast," Arianna said. She began digging through the bags she'd brought.

Dante murmured, "I'm really hungry, I'd like to eat. Do you think you could sit in my lap and eat a little food with me?"

"I will try," Gaia whispered. She winced as she tried to move.

"Let me, I've got you, Gaia," Dante held her against him, tucking her legs in, and sat up, settling her curled in his lap, nuzzled against him.

"Why does it hurt less when you do it?"

"Because I'm doing most of the work for you. Here, do you want some water?" He'd pulled the table over the bed, and reached for her cup. She nodded, so he held the straw still for her.

His mother brought him a plate laden with food, and a cup of coffee. She refilled the water cups and told Gaia her friends were excited she was awake and would be in to see her soon.

Gaia smiled wanly. She managed to eat a half slice of toast and a few bites of eggs before sleep reclaimed her.

Dante gently settled her with a pillow under her head and the linens clear of crumbs. As soon as he was satisfied she was laid comfortably he went to the bathroom, grabbing a change of clothes on the way.

His wolf urged him from wasting any time throughout his entire morning toiletry.

Relax Cordut

Mate needs us,, protect mate

I know, I get it

Human! Wolf-mate needs us,,Protect Mate!

Oh... His wolf wasn't just spouting general mate bond possessiveness concepts right now, he was feeling genuine concern for Gaia's wolf. Cordut, please. Will you share with me?

Cordut didn't answer, but Dante could sense his wolf nipping at his heels, and quickly gathered his things together. As soon as he opened the bathroom door, his eyes landed on her, laying asleep in the bed. He settled his things neatly on the couch, telling his parents his wolf was demanding he be by Gaia's side. He didn't wait for a response before turning to the bed and climbing in beside her.

Florian and Arianna watched their son in surprise, sharing a perplexed look before quietly letting themselves out, shutting the light off as they left.