Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Bronx’s POV

I feel so fucking helpless. Just like they always do, the doctors say to just let her sleep. I should be able to do more, be able to help my mate. I’m her Guardian, right? They tell me I was made for her. Sitting here holding her hand while she sleeps in a hospital bed is not helping her. There is no way this is what I was made for. This can’t be the type of help they mean.

“Come on, Kas. Please wake up, Baby. Please,” I whisper when I brush her sparkly gray bangs out of her face. She looks so still and peaceful, but it is distressing at the same time. I never know what’s going through her head. She hides twice as much as she shares with the world, even me. I know she thinks she is protecting everyone by keeping her emotions locked down. There is so much from her past she holds on to. I try to respect that. I can’t take it away from her, but there is so much future to look forward to if she would just allow it.

I look up at the clock, two-thirty a.m. She lost consciousness around seven p.m. but didn’t go Code Violet. She just seemed really overwhelmed and passed out once we got her away from the ballroom. I knew I shouldn't have let her heal me. It took too much out of her. This is my fault. I would give this fucking eye back a hundred times over if she would just wake up and tell me she’s okay.

I press my lips to the back of her hand and let the sparks of our mate bond reassure me she’s there and as she’s as good as she’s going to get for now. I just need to be patient. Not my strong suit. Saint's either. °

Ilay her hand back on the mattress and lean back in the chair. Anyone that would walk in would probably think I'm a creep for staring at her like this, but I can’t take my eyes off of her. What if she wakes up? Anything could happen if I turn my eyes away.

I rest my elbow on the arm of the chair and lean my head against my fingers. Cora is going to die soon, less than two years for sure. That means Kas is going to have a pup. That pup is going to be Cora? It doesn’t make sense. Did Zeus know this was Kas’s fate? Is that why he promised her a baby? Was it basically a double cross on a desperate woman? I can feel my temper surge when Saint understands my line of thinking. He doesn’t care if it's the God of Thunder, either. If someone thinks they are going to trick our mate, they can answer to me.

If giving birth to her sister is her fate, it's fucked up, but there’s nothing I can do about it, I guess.

“Does that mean I won’t get to bea dad?” Saint sighs resolutely.

“Well, I mean, if you think of Cora as your adopted pup, we could consider you a dad,” I try to appease him. Having an Alpha wolf pacing in your head going from rage to worried back to rage all night is exhausting.

“I like Cora. We have raised her a bunch of times. I guess I never thought of it as being her dad,” he stops pacing and muses.

Cora,” I breathe a sigh

about me? I look at Kas resting in the hospital bed. I have always supported her and I always will. If that is her fate, I will accept. It is what the Moon Goddess wants. Right? There should be no seeds of doubt in the back

to see Mom and Dad peeking in waving at me. Lenora told me she called them. They turned around from driving to the Denver airport to come check on me. Dad usually likes to stay

open a crack so I can keep one eye on my mate. Mom reaches her arms out for a hug. I oblige by wrapping my arms around her and picking her up, letting myself breathe in her comforting pine and cedar scent. I only let her go when she pats my back. “Oh, Honey!” Mom whispers loudly when she finally gets a good look at me. She grabs both sides

at the consequences,” I wave my hand into the room where Kas is sleeping. She looks

sure she would have kept on you about it until you caved,” she says, looking mournfully into the room, “Maybe there was no avoiding it, just a matter of

need to talk to

my arm around Mom and rest my head on top of hers, “They

posture I would get

arm fall off of Mom's shoulder.

pack matters. You're in charge and you're more than capable. Right now, I'm not talking about the Alpha and Luna of my pack. I'm talking about the wellbeing of my son and daughter-in- law. I love both of you too much

hand and gives it a squeeze, “Mind link me if you need me otherwise I will come back in the morning to check on things, okay?” “Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad,” I give Mom a kiss on the

look further down the hallway and see Cora sitting in a chair in the dimly lit Waiting area. I don’t remember seeing her there when I was talking to my parents. She is as still as a statue. I get the sense that time is different for her. Her scarlet eyes watch me expectantly. Her weathered features and sepia toned skin are carved into a

me. When she gets to the door, she peeks in at her sleeping

okay,” Cora says. I can’t tell if it’s a question or

gets that from Tessa, I suppose,” I try to make some sort of conversation. From all my interactions with her, Cora’s English is shaky at best. A sympathetic

for your fate in this lifetime,” she

you mean?” I ask,

they say, the wild child. Always,” she looks at me and smiles, then turns her eyes back to