The Whipping

Chapter 25

I sat by Theo's side in the hospital room, his limp body wired up to every machine imaginable, the only sound echoing throughout the room being a faint beeping, signalling Theo's heart continued to beat, but barely.

I gazed down at his scratched and bruised face, silently begging for him to open his eyes, but I knew it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

It had been a few days since the ordeal, and I was almost fully healed, but Theo's fate was unknown. Logan had got him breathing again, whilst I cried next to him, Rosalina comforting me as I watched Theo scrape death.

The doctor didn't know when he would wake up, or if he even would; she said his heart could give out at any moment; his body had been through too much.

I spent my days sitting by my best friend, praying that he would open his eyes. All I wanted to see were those shining emerald green orbs. Just one more time.

Logan would visit me, begging me to sleep or eat, which I would reluctantly, not wanting to be gone if Theo's body did eventually give up. I wanted to be able to say goodbye to him.

I lifted my head to see Rosalina walk through the door, smiling at me sadly. "How are you doing?"

I shook my head, biting at my lip, looking back towards Theo's lifeless body. "I just want him to wake up."

Rosalina nodded, dropping her gaze. "It must be hard not knowing whether your mate is going to wake up or not."

I furrowed my brows, confused, before my eyes widened and I composed myself, nodding. "Yeah, it is."

Rosalina studied me questionably, raising her eyebrows at my delayed response.

"I haven't seen you in a few days," I said, trying to change the subject.

Rosalina nodded. "I thought you might want a little bit of time with him, and I've also been helping Alpha Logan try and figure out who it was that did this to the both of you. He suspects it's the same rogues that attacked me."

I nodded, agreeing. "That would make sense."

"I heard Logan yelling for you that night. He sounded...different. I knew something was wrong. I'm just sorry I didn't find you in time to save Theo."

I raised my eyebrows at Rosalina, tears welling up in my eyes.

"I mean, I know he's not dead, but..."

"He could be," I finished, allowing the tears to fall, causing Rosalina to make her way over to me, engulfing me in a hug.

"I just hope he will be okay Eliza," she whispered as she squeezed me tighter.

The Whipping was fast approaching and I wanted Theo by my side. I didn't want to do this alone; he was the one who I needed support from the most.

Rosalina pulled away, smiling at me sadly, pushing her curly brown locks behind her ears. "Alpha Logan wants you to meet him at his house if that's okay? He said he wants to talk to you and then you must go home and sleep. It's late and you need some rest."

I sighed, closing my eyes, but I nodded, knowing in order for this plan to go well, I needed to be strong and well rested, and if Theo wasn't going to be there to help me, then I was going to make him proud by ending this tradition myself. It was what he would have wanted.

Giving Theo one last longing look, I exited the room, rubbing at my puffy and swollen eyes.

I made my way out of the hospital, and through the village, with Rosalina following closely behind me, the sound of my feet padding against the cobbled path giving me a headache, causing me to slow my pace.