Chapter 190

Fiona

Ryan’s body heat didn’t do much to warm me up as we trekked back to the hospital, not like Ethan’s usually does. And now, I can’t even snuggle with him. He’s too busy being unconscious and getting checked over by the healers.

Trust me, I tried. The healers forced me to lay back down under the heated blanket now wrapped around me. I curl into it, nodding along to the lecture Ryan is spouting.

“Do you realize how dangerous it was? I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if Laxus hadn’t been there to protect you. What were you thinking, Fiona?” I sink into the blanket, pulling it up over half my face when he huffs. “You could have died. The baby could have died.”

He points to my stomach area, his eyes wide with worry and anger. Honestly, he’s acting like a dad who had to pick up his injured daughter from a hospital. The worry comforts me but also makes me feel like a little kid.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, curling my arms around my belly.

Ryan groans and scrubs a hand down his face, “Don’t look at me with those eyes. I’m angry, but I’m not angry at you. I should’ve made sure something like this didn’t happen. I…” He glances at Ethan then back at me. “Next time, notify me before you run off. If Ethan and Laxus had not saved you, this would have ended very differently.

Of course, I know that. I know how close I came to dying tonight, but it still wasn’t as close as Ethan came. He died in front of me, stopped breathing and died. I never want to experience that again, which makes me more determined than ever to find the ingredients I was looking for.

“I just wanted to find the Moonlight Fire Lily. It has to be out there, and I don’t want to give up the search no matter what,” I tell him, sitting up a bit. The dizziness from earlier has subsided, but I feel a bit nauseous from the cold and probably from being jostled around in the water.

Honestly, it’s a miracle I wasn’t hurt more, but that’s all thanks to Laxus and Ethan. If I’d been alone, like Ryan said, I would have been in major trouble. Those wolves would have chased me down and from the bloodthirsty look in their eyes and how they tore into Laxus, I’m sure they would have done the same thing to me.

“You’re in unfamiliar territory, Fiona. You shouldn’t go waltzing around when you don’t know what’s out there,” Ryan growls, flopping down in the seat next to me. “It’s either stay inside or take guards with you, and that’s if I’m feeling generous.”

“Generous?” I laugh. “You can’t stop me from trying to save him! I thought he was your leader, your friend, and you don’t want me to find the one thing that could save him?”

Ryan sighs and settles his elbows on his knees.

“It’s not that I don’t want to save him, Fiona. I, we all, need you to be safe. As the future Luna of our pack, nothing can happen to you,” he says, his tone more serious than a plague. “If something happens to you, we lose Ethan. It wouldn’t matter if he is healed. Losing you would mean the end of him.”

Ethan had said something similar to that a while back, when he kidnapped me. I don’t recall exactly what he said, but I remember thinking he would be fine, that he would get over it after a while, but now… Now, I’m not so sure.

Healer Sarina walks over, passing me a mug and whispering, “Herbal tea for pregnancy.” I nod, letting the warmth from the mug seep into my palms as I take a sip.

“I think…” Ryan’s words trail off, and his eyes move to the floor, avoiding me.

“You think what?” I ask.

“It’s not your fault,” he says, and I become curious. “But we think the reason Ethan was so distracted during the fights was because you left.”

“Really?”

“He was acting erratic and aggressive. His wolf wasn’t responding, and it all started happening after you left his house,” Laxus speaks up from the doorway. He walks in and sits next to Ryan, leaning heavily on the chair because of his injuries.

I look between the men and sigh.

“You’re also not the only thing he has to lose now,” Laxus adds then nods at my belly. “If you both lost that baby, it would be devastating.”

Nodding, I take another sip of tea. I know it was dangerous but so is not curing Ethan. There is more than one way for this to go down, and I’ve already seen Ethan die once. I won’t do it again. I don’t mind staring death in the face to keep it away from Ethan.

“Next time,” Ryan speaks, getting my attention again. “Take some Gammas with you. Their entire purpose in the pack is to protect its members.”

Laxus nods in agreement, wincing when he shifts in his chair.

“But I’m not part of the pack.”

A low, irritated growl rumbles from my left, and I whip my head to the side to find Ethan stirring. He coughs and huffs as he turns to look at me, those gorgeous green eyes foggy and glazed.

I don’t even realize I’m moving until my feet are shuffling across the cold floor and stumbling against his bed.

“Y-you’re awake,” I mumble, wrapping my hand in his and squeezing gently. I didn’t think he’d be awake this soon.

Ethan nods slowly, “Fiona.”

“Hmm?” I find his eyes pinned on me, and I almost stop breathing.

“Just because we haven’t mated yet doesn’t mean you’re not part of the pack,” Ethan whispers, the rasp in his voice deepening it. “You are pack. You’re my mate and their Luna.” He nods towards the people behind me, and my heart squeezes in happiness.

He doesn’t hate me for leaving.

“I-I—” Ethan groans, his face contorting to a mask of pain as he begins coughing. He fights through the coughs, and speaking still, “I know y-you’ve had a hard time.” I bite my lip as another coughing fit hits him. “With some people not accepting a human, but they’ll change,” he continues. “They will see your strength and kindness once they get to know you.”

His hand squeezes mine weakly, a shaky smile pulling at his lips, “For Goddess’s sake, you… you risked your life tonight to save me. That’s more than enough to prove you’re amazing.”

Ethan falls into another coughing fit and someone finally presses a glass of water into my hands. I bring it to his lips, holding his head and helping him drink it.

“You shouldn’t talk anymore,” I murmur, not wanting him to be in pain. Ethan just shakes his head and slowly scans the room. His eyes move from me, to Ryan, to Laxus, then back to me.

“I am assigning Laxus to be your guard until I can get better,” he tells me, and I glance at Laxus. The man in question straightens in his chair, nodding at Ethan’s command. “He and two Gammas of his choice will be your shadows. Don’t fight them and don’t go anywhere without them unless Ryan is with you.”

Again, I squeeze his hand. The fact that he’s worried about me while he’s literally dying makes my emotions go crazy. Tears fill my eyes, my heart jumps, and my mind whirls. Happiness and sadness mix inside me. I love that he’s focused on me, but I’m also concerned for him.

“D-Don’t fight me on this, little mate.” Ethan’s eyes flash yellow, and I almost start crying right then.

“Zev.”

A content hum vibrates from Ethan’s chest just before his eyes fall closed and he passes out again, leaving us all in silence.