My Alpha's Wolfless Daughter
My Alpha’s Wolfless Daughter – Chapter 65

Alpha Nate

It’s been three days since Ayla fell into a coma. I haven’t left her side. Everyone has come to visit her and her room looks more like a floral shop than a hospital room. The guilt has been overwhelming since the moment I saw her hooked up to all the machines. But seeing her skin grey and deep purple bruises on her cheek and neck put into perspective what she had gone through.

She was no longer on the ventilator and her skin was now bright with life, but her eyes still didn’t open. Her bruises are healing and every day, Xander comes in to soak her bandages in seawater to increase the healing. I feel useless as I watch Ayla sleeping. I’ve been holding her hand, praying she will just open her eyes.

I was deep in thought when Xander came in. The kingdoms had launched an investigation, returning to the scene where Ayla was being held. Xander and all of his warriors from before the kidnapping stayed behind to protect Ayla. I wasn’t taking any chances. We didn’t know who was still alive or who else would want to harm her.

Alpha Atlas had to head home since Luna Thea was approaching her due date. Alpha Jim and my father went with him. There was nothing they could do here but wait. Alpha Matt comes every day to see her since he lives so close. Even Bluey is staying with Xander.

Then I have Max and David still here to help run the pack in my absence. Mitch had to go home since Ruby was being needy. I do understand though. I almost lost Ayla and I knew Ruby was feeling anxious. She texts me every day to check up on both of us.

“Why don’t you go have a shower and I’ll ask one of the nurses to help me change Ayla’s bandages.” Xander finally spoke. I looked up at him.

“Even though this room smells like a flower shop, I can still smell you.” He chuckled and I g*****d.

“How’s the investigation going?” I asked, changing the subject.

“King Kaden is hell-bent on taking down the remaining hunters. And all the kingdoms are still ripping apart the house where he had Ayla. They still haven’t found out why he wanted Ayla so badly. From everything we know about him, he’s a vampire. So why would a vampire want Ayla?” He answered.

“Would he have been able to change her?” I questioned and he shook his head.

“She’s already a mermaid and a wolf. And without being able to change her, she would eventually die while he would keep on living.” He said and I sighed.

“The only one who would be able to answer that would be Ayla.”

“Really, though. Go take a shower and get something to eat. I’ll sit with her until you get back.”

“I won’t be able to relax if I leave this room,” I told him.

“Then just go have a shower in the bathroom here. The nurses and I have to change her bandages. And then, after, I’ll get you something to eat. Ayla would hate that you weren’t taking care of yourself.” He gave me a pointed look. I sighed before standing up and grabbing the bag my father packed me off the couch.

I started the shower before texting Max and David to check on the pack. There was so much still happening with my takeover and going through all this Hunter business.

While stripping off my clothes, my phone dinged on the counter by the sink.

David: everything is good Nate. How is Ayla?

Me: still not awake.

Sighing, I hopped into the shower. Duke hasn’t said a word to me in the past three days. I just hear him whimpering and whining for his mate.

I let the hot water run over my stiff body for a few minutes. I’ve been sitting and sleeping in the same position for days. Once my body started to relax, I started to wash. Xander was right, I was starting to smell. And I hope Ayla likes beards, mines growing thicker by the day.

While rinsing off, my heart rate increased as I heard the frantic beeping of the machines on the other side of the door. The water was still running as I ran out of the bathroom, barely grabbing a towel that hung by the door. Xander had moved to the side of the room while a few nurses and doctors attended to Ayla.

“What the hell happened?” I yelled, rushing over to Ayla. Her body was shaking and her lips were turning blue.

“We don’t know, we were changing her bandages and she started to seize.” Xander rushed out, panicked.

“Nate, mark her now! If you don’t, she will die!” Duke demanded. Without asking questions, I pushed a doctor out of the way and pulled down the collar of her gown. Duke came forward as I sunk my teeth into her neck.

Her seizing stopped as soon as I ran my tongue over the mark to seal it. Looking down at her, she whimpered before her nose scrunched up. A moment later, all the frantic beeping had slowed down to normal and Ayla was sleeping peacefully again.

I fixed the towel wrapped around my waist before leaning down and kissing her forehead. This woman was going to be the death of me as my heart pounded in my chest and my breathing was harsh.

“Nate, I don’t know what happened. We were changing the bandages on her back. Wait, did you mark her?” He asked, looking at her neck.

“Duke told me too. He said if I didn’t, she would die,” I told him, flopping back in my chair. I took her hand in mine.

“She seems to be stable now, Alpha Nate. We are going to run some tests.” A doctor informed me. I gave him a nod. A nurse took some b***d before they left the room.

Xander placed my bag on the floor beside me. Before he left the room. I just needed a moment with my mate, alone. I went into the other room for five minutes and she almost died. Grumbling, I pulled on a pair of sweatpants before discarding the towel around my waist. I pulled on a shirt before taking my seat again.

I leaned forward, placing my head beside her h*p as I held her hand.

“I can’t lose you,” I whispered, bringing her hand to my lips.

I woke with a g***n, my neck and back stiff from my sleeping position. Tingles moved from my scalp, down my body to my toes. I squeezed my hand to replace I was no longer holding on to Ayla’s. My eyes snapped open and I found Ayla’s beautiful eyes staring down at me. She had a small smile on her lips as she ran her fingers through my hair.

“Please, don’t let this be a dream.” I rushed out, moving to sit beside her on the bed. I cupped her cheeks and rested my forehead against hers.

“Please, tell me this is real. That you’re real?”

“Nate,” her voice was barely a whisper and it was rough.

“Let me get you some water,” I told her and she gave me a nod. I hit the call button beside the bed before turning my attention back to my mate.

“Are you in any pain?” I asked her. She held up her hand, giving me a so-so.

“I’ll make sure you get something for the pain,” I said, kissing her cheek. Tingles covered my skin where hers touched mine and I’ve never been so grateful for someone to be awake. This last week has been hell without her and then when I got her back, I almost lost her again.

I heard a nurse enter the room and she let out a gasp. Without lifting my head, I asked the nurse for a glass of water for Ayla.

“Right away, Alpha Nate. I will also inform the doctor about our Luna,” The nurse said before leaving us. Ayla gave me a look before I answered her.

“You are now the Luna of the Crimson Tide pack. Duke and I killed the former alpha when he wouldn’t give us details about the hunters.” She cupped one of my scruffy cheeks before rubbing her nose against mine.

“Are you okay?” She stammered, her voice catching in her throat.

“I’m more than okay, baby. I have you. I didn’t expect to get a pack but I needed to replace you. But you found me.” I said and her eyes narrowed.

The nurse came back in and handed me a glass of water before checking Ayla’s vitals. I held the glass with the straw up to her lips. She drank the entire glass before the doctor walked into the room.

“All Luna’s vitals look good,” she informed the doctor.

“Luna, it’s good to see you awake. How are you feeling?” He asked her.

“Sore,” she rasped out.

“I’m sorry about your voice. When you were being intubated, it was fast as you were fading quickly. It can bruise your vocal cords. It should be better in a few days,” he explained.

“It’s okay, thank you.” She whispered and I squeezed her hand. The doctor pulled up the chair Xander usually sits in and sat down.

“I know this is hard but we found lacerations and swelling.” He didn’t get to finish before Ayla had tears running down her face.

“I just wanted to let you know that all the tests came back negative. Are you experiencing any pain in the area?” He asked her, his voice was gentle. She wiped away her tears before shaking her head.

“Okay, my dear Luna, I’ll let you get some rest. I’ll have some food sent in for you. Take it slow. And please drink more water. It will help.” A nurse came in and handed him a syringe.

“It’s something for the mild pain you are feeling. And if your numbers are still good by tomorrow morning, we’ll get you unhooked and walking.” He informed us before pushing the clear liquid into her IV line.

“There’s a lot of flowers,” Ayla grumbled quietly and I chuckled.

“I’m not the only one who has missed you. But I have been missing you the most.” I said, kissing her cheek. She smiled.

“I missed you.” She whispered.

“Nate,” she rasped out, her eyes filling with tears.

“Can you just initiate her into the pack so our poor mate doesn’t have to use her voice?” Duke scolded me.

“Ayla, I want to bring you into the pack so we can mind-link. That way you don’t have to keep trying to speak.” I told her and she nodded.

“Ayla Waters, will you do me the honor of being my Luna of the Crimson Tide pack? To protect and love our pack members.” She smiled and nodded her head.

“This might hurt as the mink-link is formed. I cut my palm with my claw before pricking one of her fingers. She winced, but I mixed our b***d together with the finger along my cut. As I felt the tug of the mind-link to her, I lifted her finger to my lips and licked the b***d. My palm was already healing.

“It wasn’t as bad as the first time that happened.” She giggled in my mind. I wrapped my arms around her neck and squeezed her tight. She hissed but she wrapped her arms around me.

“I’m so glad that you are awake. You have no idea how scared I was thinking I would never see you again.”

“Nate, what happened the night when you went back to your pack?” Her voice filled my head. She sounded worried. I pulled away and rested my forehead against hers again. I watched as she rolled her bottom l*p between her teeth.

“I would never cheat on you, Ayla. I love you more than I’ve ever loved another being. The same witch who broke our bond manipulated the bond.” I answered her.

“I’m so sorry, Nate. I thought the worst.” She cried, tears running down her cheeks and I was quick to wipe them away.

“I understand, baby. I would have thought the worst if I had felt that. Our bond would have been too strong to break so they had to give you a reason to doubt it. I thought you died when the bond broke. I almost died when they broke the bond.”

“I’m sorry for all of this. I feel like everything was my fault.” She sobbed, and I held her close.

“None of this was your fault, baby. And you can explain everything to me when you are ready. I’m just so happy that you are awake.” I told her.

“I have my wolf,” she whispered through the link.

“What?” I took a big whiff and I couldn’t smell a wolf. To me, Ayla smelt human.

“Her name is Kaia. She woke up when I needed her the most. She says I will always smell human.”

“She awoke when he,” I couldn’t say his name or the act. My b***d was boiling with just the thought of him brutalizing her.

“It’s my fault he did that. I had to save Xander.” She confessed, digging her face into my chest.

“Please, don’t hate me.” She cried, her tears soaking through my shirt.

“I could never hate you. What he did wasn’t your fault. And I hate that you feel like you had to endure it to save someone’s life. I should have been there to protect you.” I told her, as I held her as tightly as I could. She still has three bullet wounds that need to heal.

“Ayla, why hasn’t your wolf healed you?” I asked her. She pulled away and looked at me.

“The breaking of the bond made her weak. I don’t think she was supposed to come forward until I marked you under the full moon. But she fought to come forward so she could take the trauma of what he did to me.” she told me through the link and I watched as her lips started to tremble.

“She protected you when I couldn’t. I’ll be forever in her debt.” I told her out loud, as I pecked her lips. She gave me a small smile before leaning her head back on the pillow. She closed her eyes as her hand rested on my thigh. She hissed as she moved her shoulders to get comfortable.

“How are you feeling?” I mumbled, kissing her forehead.

“Tired, and my shoulders and back feeling stingy.” She answered. The mind-link was proving helpful in her condition.

“You were shot protecting Collin,” I said, and her eyes snapped open. Panic filled her eyes as she gripped my thigh.

“He’s okay. Dante and Ezekiel are both dead. The kingdoms are investigating. I need you to focus on just getting better. I also marked you again, so hopefully, that will help your wolf.” I told her, and her hand immediately went to her neck. She whimpered as she traced her fingertips along the fresh mark.

“Why would you mark me again without having all the information?” I didn’t expect her question, as I looked down at her. Her eyes couldn’t meet mine.

“Do you love me?” I asked, turning her head so she would look at me.

“More than anything. But you are too good for me, Nate. I’m broken.” Her whisper filled my mind as tears filled her eyes.

“Baby, you might believe you are broken, but I don’t see it. Anyone who knows the real you doesn’t see it. You are perfect, my perfect and I will spend the rest of our life together proving just how perfect you are.”

“Thank you” she mouthed as I cupped her cheeks, wiping away her tears.

Ayla jumped when the door to her room was pushed open. The heart monitor beeping increased as her breathing became rapid.

“Nate, I brought you something to eat,” Xander said, and I waited for him to notice Ayla awake.

“Her heart rate is elevated. Did something happen?” He asked, looking at the screen.

“Nothing to report,” She rasped out as best she could. His eyes snapped to Ayla’s as she watched him. I chuckled when his mouth hung open, and he was stunned into silence.

“Hi, Xander,” she reached out a hand. He took it gently as it was the one with her IV and kneeled on the floor beside her bed.

“Ayla, you have no idea how relieved I feel. How are you feeling?” Xander breathed out.

Ayla was using the mind-link to answer his question. Usually, I would have been jealous, but Xander has been nothing but helpful. I know he cares about her and as long as he respects that boundary, I’ll be able to hold back Duke.

“We may have to pee on her.” He grumbled. And I snorted. Ayla and Xander were both looking at me when I ended the chat with my wolf.

“Duke said something ridiculous,” I shrugged. Ayla smiled, squeezing my thigh. She closed her eyes before she yawned.

“Baby, I think you should eat something first,” I told her, but she was already asleep.

“She’s awake.” Xander breathed out, more to himself.

She’s finally awake.