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I slowly came to, but couldn't open my eyes yet, feeling weaker than ever. Only heard sounds that scared me, like a beeping sound mimicking my heartbeat.

The fact that I wasn't dead reassured me a little, but I was still scared because it was all too much for one life. I kept watching Caleb die, the whole horrible scene playing over and over in my head, making it impossible for me to think about anything else. My breathing quickened and the beeping of the monitor quickened.

Suddenly I heard heavy footsteps on the right, running around my bed and then stopping, but now someone was lying next to me. At least my sense of smell still worked and told me it was him. He gently stroked my arm, rested his head on mine and whispered over and over that everything would be fine.

"How is she?", I heard Damiano's voice further away, but his footsteps were coming towards me now. He sat down on the bottom edge of the bed to my right.

"Better. Kirsten says she'll wake up soon."

My Alpha's voice sounded different than usual, not strong and powerful at all. It was more the voice of a broken man who was scared and I wanted nothing more than to finally move to put my arm around him, but it didn't work. Direct thoughts didn't work either, and I was starting to panic about being in a coma and never being able to move again. The beeping got faster and faster and I thought my heart was about to have a heart attack and tried to calm myself down, but it beat even faster.

My mate got up and I heard him calling for Kirsten in the distance. Several steps came towards me and briefly I felt something cold run through my arm and then immediately fell asleep again.

***

This time I woke up and could see the white ceiling above me, glad to see something other than black again. With great effort, I turned my head to the right and saw the monitor whose beeping had driven me insane last time. Behind it I recognized two people sitting on the couch. As my vision cleared, I recognized Damiano and Killian sleeping side by side. It calmed me to see her like that. Breathing peacefully and calmly.

My mate's hair fell a little over his forehead, as usual, while the light blue hoodie showed off his tan skin. I stretched out my hand in his direction, wanting him to be with me immediately and wouldn't be able to stand it all without him for another second. But no one noticed my movement, which made me whimper softly.

"Killian," I tried to say, but my voice was too quiet and I didn't have the strength to speak up. I could empathize with Brando in that bitter moment, who also lacked the strength to tell me anything. I pulled my arm back and thought back to the day for a moment and didn't even know if it was yesterday or a long time ago, didn't even know how long I had slept here.

Rosen

Brando had whispered that word in my ear. He didn't have the strength for more information, but I knew immediately where to find Caleb. Again the images of his dead body flooded my mind and I reached out to Killian again as tears streamed down my face. With an effort I tapped the metal of my bed and Damiano immediately looked at me with wide eyes. His hand grabbed Killian's shoulder and shook him awake, without taking my eyes off of me.

My mate looked at him confused until he followed his gaze and our eyes met. His also immediately filled with tears. He jumped up and immediately came to my side, kissing my hand and gently taking it in his. Smiling, he took a few deep breaths and then lay down close to me. Feeling his warmth made me close my eyes, I just wanted to enjoy this moment. He was so far away from me for so long and I promised myself I would never let him go again.

He told Damiano to tell Kirsten and then tried to speak to me, but I didn't let it go, wanted to ask him something first and cleared my throat to find my voice again.

"How's Noah?" I breathed without taking my eyes off of him, but he looked away and slowly shook his head. For a moment I didn't understand what he wanted to tell me, but then it came like a stab in my heart. My hands grew cold and trembled violently, while my face was wet from the tears that kept pouring out of me. A piece of my heart died in

that moment. Crying, he took me in his arms and tried to calm me down, but the beeping got faster again and the alpha broke away from me, startled, and stared at the monitor.

The next moment I saw Damiano coming back with Kirsten. She was about to take my arm, holding a syringe, but I didn't want to sleep again, so I pulled my arm away from her and gasped a soft no.

She took my hand reassuringly.

"It's not a sleeping pill, it's just a sedative."

I shook my head, didn't want any more narcotics, I had every right in the world to mourn and if my heart was beating fast, then so be it. She looked questioningly at Killian, who nodded at her and it infuriated me that she needed his permission to take me seriously. She raised my backrest for a moment and turned around again when she left.

"Talking will be easier in a moment. Get her something to drink and take it slow. Don't strain and Killian, don't forget the pills."

Damiano left the room with her and my eyes went back to the Alpha, who was sitting next to me on the bed and holding out a glass of water. I took the glass and drank it down in one go, wanted to ask him so many things and with such a quiet voice it would be far too exhausting for me. The water in my throat immediately felt soothing. It loosened all the mucus that was stuck and immediately made breathing easier.

"What happened?" I asked him while handing the glass back to him.

"You were shot, it was critical for a short time and-"

He got up and walked to the window, finding it difficult to talk about it.

"You were hurt badly, but everything is fine now."

"How long have I been lying here?"

"Today is the 5th day," he answered, still looking out the window.

"What about Noah? How.... How did it happen?"

My voice trembled and tears came again.

The Alpha now came back to me and took my hand while he carefully sat down at my side and took a deep breath.

"The injury was too bad. He was in bed just like you after his surgery, but he kept having seizures until his heart just stopped beating. The shot was supposed to hit my mother, but he threw himself in between."

His voice cracked and he looked down. My gaze fell straight ahead to the blank wall and I remembered my time with Noah. As my tears trickled down, I found the strength to ask him something again.

"Can you please do me a favor, Killi?" I cried out. He turned back to me and wiped the tears from my face.

"Anything you want, my love."

"Can you bring me a bouquet of roses."

His eyes became sad because he knew immediately which roses I meant. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and walked out the door without taking his eyes off me.

As soon as the door closed, I tried to get up in my blue nightgown and even managed to sit on the edge of my bed. My stomach hurt terribly, but I didn't care because lying down I felt like I was choking on my tears.

Only when there was a knock on the door after a short time could I regain my composure.

"Come in," I tried to say out loud, but my voice still wasn't quite back. When I slowly realized who was standing in front of me, I widened my eyes in disbelief and wanted to get up immediately.