The Alpha and the Oracle (The Belesone Pack #1)

Chapter 21

Grene walked into the Alpha's house and was instantly bowled over by Josanna. He didn't blame her for being scared. This had never happened to Katarina before so he caught her in his arms, gave her a tight hug and looked around for the Alpha. He saw the Beta standing nearby instead.

"How is Katarina?" He asked, worried about the state his daughter would be in when she woke and what this new development meant for her. Thankfully, Milo seemed to know what he was doing.

"Still unconscious, sir. The Alpha has commanded that they are not disturbed." Leo explained.

"Well, the Alpha will have to live with disappointment. Katarina will need this as soon as she wakes." Grene decided to ignore the demand and put his daughter first. He was pretty sure Milo would agree that her health was more important than his commands being obeyed.

He bypassed Leo and made his way up to the room he recalled belonged to the Alpha. He didn't bother knocking or letting the Beta stop him. He walked in and headed for the bedroom, where he found Milo diligently holding a cold cloth to Katarina's forehead. He talked away to her, in a soft voice and Grene knew that he was taking good enough care of her that he didn't need to intervene.

"You'll be all right, little wolf. Sleep as long as you need to. I'll be here when you wake up." He promised.

"Alpha." Grene caught his attention before he frightened the poor boy or overheard something he wasn't supposed to.

Milo turned and accepted his presence with a nod of greeting.

"I brought her some of the strengthening shake. I wrote down how to make it for you." He explained, handing over a bottle of the mixture with a small slip of paper, with the instructions.

Milo managed a smile and lay them both on the bedside table. "Thank you. You can stay here until she wakes, if you want." He offered in return.

Grene watched Milo carefully as he took a seat on the other side of the bed. Alphas didn't usually show emotion in front of the pack members. He guessed that Milo was struggling to hold himself together, which was why he had ordered everyone to leave him alone. The tears were dry, but they had left their tracks on his cheeks.

"Josanna told me what happened, but I'd like to hear what you have to say." He wondered, from the tired, paleness of the Alpha's face if he knew more about what Katarina was suffering than her own sister did.

Milo nodded and sat back in his seat.

"Josanna told me that Katarina was having some kind of fit and before I could do anything I felt sick. Physically sick." He confessed, sounding troubled. "I was hot, sweating, I could barely stand up straight. Pretty soon I was on my knees, throwing up and feeling dizzy. All these images were going through my head," he said, rubbing his brow. "as if they were trying to tell me something. But they were going too fast. I couldn't make sense of them." He explained what he could.

Until Katarina woke up, it was the only answer Grene was going to get, to explain what had happened to her.

"I think Katie was overwhelmed with what she saw and she was trying to share the load. I told her I couldn't handle it and neither could she. Then it stopped." He confided, sounding guilty.

"She stopped sharing, to protect you." Grene guessed with a fond smile.

It was good to know that they were getting on well enough that Katarina had risked sharing that kind of experience with him in the first place. He hadn't been sure if she would tell him of her unique talents or not, but now he knew that she had and Milo was smart enough to understand them.

"I think she knew that I was the only one who understood what was going on and how to take care of her." Milo shrugged it off.

Grene could see that he felt like he had deserted Katarina to suffer on her own, without his help. He thought he was selfish.

Katarina had a thin blanket over her, since she was still dressed in her work out clothes.

Milo had a bowl of water on the bedside table so he could keep a cloth wet and cool. He drenched the cloth, gave it a ring and lay it over her forehead once again, letting his touch drift across her cheek.

"Grene..." He looked up and found Grene watching him closely. He hadn't been so informal with him before. But he could tell he was finding it hard to hold it together at the moment. "I know Katarina's my true mate." Milo confessed.

"Everything will be all right, Milo. Katarina has been chosen for this gift. The fates wouldn't have granted it to her if it was to take her life. She just needs some time." Grene tried to soothe Milo's fears, but it was obvious he wasn't doing very well. He looked as if he had started grieving already.