Logan’s POV
A violent storm was raging inside my heart.
My Emma was struggling and there was nothing I could do. She kept whimpering quietly. She kept shivering and thrashing. Her fever kept rising and no matter how many cold towels I put on her body, it just wouldn’t go down.
“Come on, baby,” I mumbled as I tightened my arms around her. “Come back to me.”
I was lying next to her, pressing her whole body against mine. Our mate bond should be able to help with the fever. She should feel a bit better. It should help her. It had to help her.
I ran my hand down her back. I reached under her shirt and almost whined when I felt how hot her back was. She felt like she was on fire.
Another quiet whimper escaped her and I had to hold back a sob.
I couldn’t help her with whatever the fuck was going on and it was killing me.
“Dad!” I heard my daughter’s voice and I looked up.
My princess was standing on the other side of the window, staring at her mom with a terrified look on her face.
“What’s wrong with Mom?!” she cried out.
I looked down at my mate and kissed her forehead.
“She has a fever, princess,” I said as I caressed Emma’s burning cheek. “She is fighting so hard.”
Sophie sobbed and I looked up at her. Alex wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him.
I looked behind them and saw Daisy. She was wiping her cheeks with one hand and rubbing Andrew’s back with the other.
Andrew looked like shit. He needed to go eat and sleep.
“Can you please take him home, Daisy?” I said, making Andrew shake his head.
“I am not leaving her,” he said as he took a step closer to the window. “I am staying here.”
“Andrew, honey…,” Daisy spoke, but he interrupted her.
“No,” he said, glancing at her. “I am not leaving.”
“You need to sleep,” Alex said before I could. “We will be here and we will mind-link you if anything changes.”
“No,” Andrew said again. “I am fine.”
I sighed and narrowed my eyes a little. He was so stubborn.
“You are not fine, Andrew,” I said sternly. “You will go back home. You will get something to eat. You will sleep. You will come back after you ate and slept.”
He opened his mouth to argue with me, but I interrupted him before he could even start.
“I don’t want to hear it, Andrew,” I said. “Emma will kill us both if she sees you like this. Go home.”
Andrew tightened his jaw and looked at Emma.
“She wouldn’t want to see you like this honey,” Daisy said softly. “Let’s go home. We will come back later.”
Andrew took a deep breath and released it slowly.
“Fine,” he mumbled. “I am coming back as soon as possible.”
“After you ate and slept,” I said sternly.
Andrew nodded and turned around. I saw him clenching his fists as he rushed out of the cabin. Daisy kissed Sophia’s cheek before she followed Andrew. She glanced at Emma one more time.
Mind-link me if something happens, please. She said through our mind-link.
Of course. I responded. Take care of Andrew.
I will. She said before she cut our mind-link.
I focused back on my kids. I gave them a small smile, but they didn’t smile back.
“Where is Hunter?” I asked.
“At the packhouse,” Sophie said. “He is talking to his dad.”
I nodded and kissed Emma’s forehead.
“How long has she been like this, Dad?” Alex asked quietly.
I sighed and looked down at my beautiful mate. She was shivering, but being close to me helped her a little.
“Since last night,” I said. “Her fever won’t go down.”
Sophie sobbed quietly. Alex cursed.
“That’s just what happened with Fia,” Alex said. “She had a fever too.”
I nodded and looked up at my kids. Both of them looked so afraid and I just wanted to hug them and tell them that everything would be okay.
“Your mom will be okay,” I told them as I tightened my arms around her. “She is the strongest person I know. I don’t know anyone else who would be able to handle this. She will beat the darkness. I am sure of it.”
I wasn’t just convincing them. I was convincing myself as well. I meant every word that I said. She was the strongest person I knew. She would beat the darkness.
But there was a small piece of my heart that held so much fear and pain it was almost unbearable.
What if she never woke up? What if I never got my beautiful mate back?
No.
No, no, no, no.
I focused on that screaming peace of my heart and tried to soothe it by breathing in her scent. She was here. She would be okay. She had to be okay.
“She is going to be perfectly okay,” I said as I placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “She will come back to us.”
“When?” Alex mumbled quietly.
I looked up at him and gulped.
“Soon, buddy,” I said, my voice quiet and raspy. “She will come back soon. I am sure of it.”
I leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Emma’s lips. They were hot too.
“You will come back to us soon, won’t you, baby?” I mumbled quietly. “We are all here waiting for you. Fight for us, baby.”
Emma shivered and groaned quietly. I leaned my forehead against hers and took a deep breath.
“I will go talk to Anna,” Sophie said, making me look up at her. “Maybe she found a way for us to help Mom.”
I nodded immediately. I didn’t want her here. I didn’t want Alex here. I didn’t want them to watch their mom suffer.
“Go do that, princess,” I said and looked at Alex. “Go with her, buddy. Maybe you could help them search for something useful.”
“Dad…,” Alex spoke, but I interrupted him.
“There is nothing for you to do here, bud,” I said softly. “I will let you know if anything changes.”
Alex took a deep breath and looked at Emma.
“She will be okay,” I said. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Alex tightened his jaw and gave me a small nod.
I watched Sophie take his hand in hers. She started pulling him away. He was looking at Emma until he couldn’t see her anymore.
I looked back at my mate as soon as they left.
“I love you, baby,” I said as I kissed her forehead. “I am waiting for you. Come back to me.”
