Alpha's Hidden Precious Luna-Chapter 153

Lily POV

Everything hurt

Brightness. That was the first thing I became aware of—a harsh, glaring light that seemed to pierce straight through my eyelids. Pain followed, radiating from what felt like every inch of my body, a dull, persistent throb that intensified with each shallow breath.

I tried to open my eyes, but they felt sealed shut, heavy and uncooperative. My mouth was dry, as if lined with cotton. I attempted to lift my hand to shield myself from the light, but my arm was surprisingly heavy, refusing to obey my commands.

"She’s awake," a faraway voice said, the words floating to me as if through water. "Get the doctor."

The sound of hurried footsteps, then more voices, murmuring too low for me to make out the words. I tried again to open my eyes, managing only a sliver this time. Blurry figures hovered above me, their features indistinct.

I blinked slowly, each movement requiring enormous effort. Gradually, the world began to come into focus—a white ceiling, medical equipment, the antiseptic smell that could only mean one thing: a hospital.

The faces above me sharpened into recognizable features. Celeste was closest, her familiar blue eyes—so like Kai’s—filled with relief as she noticed my awareness.

"Celeste," I whispered, my voice a rasp that barely carried beyond my lips.

"Hey, there you are," she said, her hand finding mine and squeezing gently. "You’re okay, Lily. You’re safe now. Don’t worry."

The memories came flooding back in disjointed fragments—Lucas, the room, the pain, the fear, and then... Kai. Kai bursting through the door like an avenging angel, fighting Lucas with a fury that terrified and awed me in equal measure. Kai collapsing to the floor, blood pooling beneath him.

And then me joining him too. Somewhere in between, I thought I had seen Kevin – Kai’s cousin. I couldn’t remember that last bit.

"Where am I?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Hospital," Celeste confirmed, brushing hair from my forehead with a tenderness that nearly brought tears to my eyes. "You’re going to be alright. Kai saved you."

Kai. My heart lurched at the mention of his name, and I turned my head, searching the faces gathered around my bed. Luna Helen stood near the foot, her regal features softened with concern. Next to her were Grandpa Marcus and Grandma Elena, Kai’s grandparents, their eyes watching me with a mixture of relief and something else—something that sent a chill down my spine despite the warmth of the hospital room.

But no Kai.

"Where’s Kai?" I asked, attempting to sit up only to be gently restrained by Celeste’s hand on my shoulder.

A heavy silence fell over the room. The four of them exchanged glances, a wordless communication that made my heart rate spike, the monitor beside my bed beeping in response.

"Where is he?" I demanded, my voice stronger now, fueled by rising panic. "What happened to him?"

Luna Helen stepped forward, her hand coming to rest on the bedside rail. "Lily, you need to focus on healing right now. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal—"

"Tell me," I interrupted, something I would never normally dare to do to the pack’s Luna, but fear overrode protocol. "Please, just tell me where he is."

Another exchange of glances, then Celeste sighed, her fingers tightening around mine. "He’s here too. In the hospital."

Relief flooded through me, followed immediately by fresh worry. "Is he okay? Can I see him?"

"He’s... stable," Grandpa Marcus said, his deep voice rumbling through the small room. It was the first time he’d spoken, and something in his careful tone made my stomach clench with dread.

"What does that mean?" I whispered.

Celeste bit her lip, clearly struggling with how much to tell me. "The silver wounds were bad, Lily. He lost a lot of blood, and the doctors said—"

"Silver?" I cut in, confusion and horror mixing in equal measure. "Lucas didn’t have silver weapons."

"It wasn’t Lucas," Luna Helen said, her voice tight with controlled anger. "On his way to rescue you, Kai was ambushed by assassins. One carried a silver blade."

Assassins. The word hung in the air like a curse. Who would dare target an Alpha within his own territory?

"But he’ll recover, right?" I asked, searching their faces for reassurance. "Our kind heals from almost anything, even silver wounds, given enough time."

The silence that followed my question was answer enough.

"The doctors are doing everything they can," Grandma Elena finally said, her eyes filled with worry. "But it’s been three days, and he hasn’t regained consciousness."

Three days. I’d been unconscious for three days, and all that time, Kai had been fighting for his life somewhere in this same hospital. Because of me. Because he’d come to save me from Lucas.

"I need to see him," I said, attempting once more to sit up. This time the pain hit me in earnest, stealing my breath and making spots dance across my vision.

"Not yet," Celeste said firmly, helping me lie back down. "You have three broken ribs, a concussion, and more bruises than I can count. The doctor said you need complete rest."

"I don’t care what the doctor said," I argued, though even that small act of defiance exhausted me. "Kai needs me. Our wolves share a bond—maybe if I’m near him, it will help."

The four of them exchanged another look, this one different from before. There was consideration in their expressions now, as if my words had struck a chord.

"The wolf  bond," Grandpa Marcus murmured thoughtfully. "It’s powerful medicine, older than any doctor’s science."

"It might help," Luna Helen admitted reluctantly. "But Lily is in no condition to be moved."

"Then bring him to me," I pleaded, tears filling my eyes. "Please. I have to see him. I have to know he’s okay."

A doctor chose that moment to enter the room, clipboard in hand, expression stern as he took in my obvious distress. "What’s going on in here? This patient needs rest, not excitement."

"Doctor," Luna Helen said, her voice taking on the authoritative tone that reminded everyone she was not just Kai’s mother but the pack’s Luna, "we need to discuss moving my son into this room with his mate."

The doctor frowned. "Luna Helen, as I’ve explained, your son is in intensive care. Moving him would be extremely risky in his condition."

"I understand the risks," she replied evenly. "But there are... considerations at play here. It’s our belief that mates heal better when together. It’s a matter of great importance to our family."

The doctor looked like he wanted to argue, but something in Luna Helen’s steady gaze made him reconsider. "I’ll... discuss it with the chief of medicine. But I can’t make any promises."

After examining me briefly and adjusting something in my IV, the doctor left, promising to return soon with an update on Kai’s potential relocation.

"Thank you," I whispered to Luna Helen once we were alone again.

She moved to the side of my bed, taking my hand in hers. "Kai risked everything to find you, Lily. The least we can do is try everything to bring him back to us."

"What exactly happened?" I asked, needing to understand the full story. "After... after Lucas collapsed, I remember Kai falling, and then nothing."

Celeste settled into the chair beside my bed. "Kevin was there. He said he followed Kai after the assassin attack, trying to help. When Kai collapsed, Kevin called for backup. Our warriors arrived just minutes later, but by then..." She trailed off, her expression darkening.

"By then what?" I pressed.

"By then you were both unconscious, and Lucas was gone," Grandpa Marcus finished for her. "Kevin couldn’t have left both of you alone to go after him.”

“Did he go back to Golden Moon?” I asked.

“No one knows,” Celeste side. “Vanessa claims she hasn’t see him yet.”

"There will be consequences," Luna Helen said, her voice hard. "Golden Moon is in disarray with Lucas missing, but Vanessa has taken control. She understands her mate acted without pack sanction and has offered reparations."

Politics. Pack diplomacy. It all seemed so distant and unimportant compared to the fact that Kai was lying somewhere in this hospital, fighting for his life because of me.

"I just want him to be okay," I whispered, tears spilling over despite my efforts to contain them. "Everything else can wait."

Celeste squeezed my hand. "He’s strong, Lily. The strongest wolf I know. And he has something worth fighting for—you."

I closed my eyes, focusing on the bond that connected me to Kai, to my true mate. It was there, faint but present, a golden thread stretching between us even now. I sent every ounce of love, of strength, of healing energy I possessed along that thread, willing it to reach him wherever he was.

Come back to me, Kai. I’m waiting for you. I’ll always wait for you.