Page 83 of Winter Unleashed

I mouthed ‘thank you’ to him and watched the group leave the room. Once they were gone, I moved the chair to the other side of the bed so I could see Isaac’s face. I held his hand and leaned in close to him.

“Isaac? Can you hear me?” I whispered. “It’s Em. I’m here.”

He stopped his silent screams and moved the fingers of the hand I was holding. If he’d had any strength, I was sure he’d have squeezed my hand, but he did what he could with what little energy he had.

Tears fell down my face as I let out a sobbing laugh and leaned closer to him to touch my lips to his ear. “I love you, you big dork,” I whispered.

He grunted and moved his fingers again.

“Don’t die, okay?”

Another grunt.

“I’m sorry this happened to you.”

I stood and ran my fingers through his hair. It was something he’d always done to me when I’d run to him after my dad hurt me. He’d hold me and stroke my hair. The hair everyone else hated.

So, I played with his and caressed his neck and arms while I told him silly stories from our childhood. I just wanted to keep talking to let him hear my voice so he could have some peace. Because as soon as I stopped talking, he started straining again. After about twenty minutes, he fell asleep. I stayed where I was, running my hands through his hair and watching him sleep. Whenever he’d start struggling again, I’d start talking.

I lost track of time, but eventually the others returned. Ciara moved to stand beside me. “You got him to sleep?”

I looked at her and shrugged. “Yeah. I told him stories from when we were dumb kids.” I let out a little laugh. “It must have bored him.”

“Thank you,” she said and to my surprise hugged me. “You’re a good friend to him. He loves you so much.”

“I love him too,” I said, holding on to her. She clearly needed the contact, and to be honest, so did I.

Belial stepped up to the other side of the bed. “Not to interrupt, but it’s time to change his bandages again.”

“Oh… Do you have to? Can’t you let him sleep a little longer?” Ciara asked.

He looked at her with soft eyes and after a moment nodded. “Sure.”

Liam brought over another chair, and Ciara and I sat at Isaac’s bedside for the rest of the night. If he got too fidgety, I’d talk to him or talk with Ciara. Anything so he could hear my voice.

“Thank you for sitting with me,” Ciara said after we’d calmed Isaac for the fifth time.

“You’re welcome.”

She smiled a little. “I know you’re not doing this for me, but I’m still grateful.”

I slipped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her to me. “You’d do the same if it were Liam there.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, but he’d want to hear your voice too, not mine.”

I stiffened at her comment. I’d already felt bad about it being my voice that soothed Isaac. With her pointing it out, I felt super uncomfortable.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I made you feel bad. That wasn’t my intention.” She gave me a hug the best she could while we were in our chairs. “I don’t care whose voice helps him, as long as it helps. You’re his oldest friend. It makes sense for his subconscious to be more familiar with you.”

“Ah, what thousands of years of life can do for a person’s logical thinking,” I said with a weak laugh. “This whole fated mate thing is…”

“Weird?” she offered.

“Yeah, that’s a good word for it. I’d always thought it strange that we would supposedly meet them and be instantly bonded and in love.”

She grunted. “Then you found your mate and realized that’s not how it works.”

“Kind of. I think we got lucky, you, Stella, and me. But imagine if your mate was someone you couldn’t stand?” I had thought that was Liam in the beginning, but I had him pegged all wrong.