The only word that could be used to define Dimitri's state was – numb. The last time he felt numb was when he was ten-year-old, a mere baby. Lance was assaulted and got severely injured.

Looking at Chris was proving to be difficult, but moving his eyes away from the werewolf's face wasn't an option either. How can Dima not look at Chris? He was so very handsome. How can he not look at Chris when he looked so peaceful? How can he not look when Chris was lying in front of him like that, all helpless and in need of care?

Dimitri took the steps that were separating them towards; four steps with trembling legs.

There was a chair beside Chris' bed. Dima took a seat on it. Bending down a little, he whispered something in a voice so low that only Chris could hear. If he could hear, a dejected voice bemoaned in his mind. Not being able to bear the weight of reality introduced to him by that voice, Dimitri straightened up and asked the only other occupant of the room without looking away from Chris, "What happened?" The vampire was sinking in the shadows of agony to the extent that he forgot he won't get an answer and even if he got one, he would still be lost. The language barrier between Elio and him was a hindrance to communication. Luckily, the beta entered the room at the exact time and heard the vampire.

"There was a breach at the border in the early hours of the morning, we all felt it." Dimitri almost stopped breathing, his stomach churning and wanting to spill his guts out. The beta, unaware of his inner turmoil continued – "But the Alpha told us to let it go. We did exactly that because he knows better. After a few hours, there were screams and shouting. Rogues were everywhere. Nobody knows how it happened but the rogues infiltrated through all our securities and reached the innermost circles. They were wreaking havoc. After making sure that children and those unable to fight were at a safe place, we all dived into the fight. We got outnumbered but were still winning. Everything was going smoothly until a group of five rogues ambushed Chris. He fought, he did but something happened. Alpha suddenly froze and started looking in a certain direction and the rogues didn't spare a moment in bringing him down."

Dima nodded solemnly, his eyes looking at the bruised face of Chris in despair.

Chris' whole face had turned blue due to injuries and some places even started turning black. The left side of his lip had a little cut; he looked harelipped. His nose was looking distorted to some extent. It has an oxygen tube connected to it. His hair, his flawless hair, has blood marring it. Only wearing pants, the upper part of his body was bare except for a bandage wrapped around the wound on his torso. A bite mark was on his arm. His hand had an IV tube attached to it and two needles connected to some machine at the other end.

Seeing Chris in his current state was making Dima's blood boil. He was angry and at the same time sad. Heavier than those two emotions was remorse. It was cutting through his skin like a knife. The possibility of 'what if I was here?' and the regret of 'why wasn't I here?' were giving him a headache.

"When is he getting up?"

"Um..." the beta trailed off. His hesitation gave the vampire time to think of hundreds of scenarios, all of them worse than the other. He turned restless and angry.

"When?" The vampire's eyes flashed.

"He is in a coma." And Dima's soul left his body right then and there. There was no numbness anymore, he felt emptiness fill him.

"Call the doctor." Mitchell didn't move. "Call the doctor, dammit!" Dima eventually shouted, running out of patience. The shout was more out of helplessness than anger but the beta did not need to know that. Moreover, it worked like magic.

A doctor was standing in front of Dima within the next minute, waiting to be queried by him.

The doctor was a man who looked like he was in his early forties but you can never predict the real age with the supernatural.

Dimitri demanded to be told everything about Chris' condition in detail.

"You can see all the outer wounds, the deepest is the one on his torso. He got hit on his chest repeatedly if the condition of his lung is anything to go by. They took the hits and got a few damages, so he is having trouble breathing. Then there is the nose, the bone has dislocated but that can be fixed. The most lethal hit was the one his head took. It caused damage to some nerves, some important ones. He slipped into a coma because of those. Now, we can perform surgery but it might cause a lot of blood loss and he might die."

Dima was internally shaking after hearing the forsaken words. A physical pain grew in his chest and an emotional ache akin to heartache settled within him.

"But what about healing himself, can't he do that? Werewolves can heal themselves, after all."

"Yes, werewolves can heal themselves but their human side has to be conscious somewhere. That means the human inside must not be sleeping inside the mind. The only other solution is having their mates near. Mates can help in healing because the wolf half is always conscious in mind. If the wolf half gets to connect with their mate, they can help in healing their human side. Unfortunately, our Alpha has not found his mate yet."

"Then what do we do?"

"We just wait some time and see if the witch's magic is working. Maybe after a few days, his body will start healing. For now, keeping him alive is more important."

"Witch's magic?"

"As you know he is in a coma and by my explanation, you must have realized by now that he is critical. Patients in critical condition slip easily, so we asked a witch to cast a protective spell on him that will keep him alive. His body is bound by magic."

The good doctor took Chris' vitals and left after making sure that Dima does not have any more questions.

Taking his phone out of his pocket, Dima called his dad to inform him that he will have to stay a few days. However, convincing the beta to let him stay was harder. Mitchell gave in albeit a lot of hesitation. Dima had to remind him how the enemy is recognized as a vampire by some people and having a vampire on their side might come in handy if something goes wrong.

Hours passed by, Elio and Dimitri didn't leave the room unless it was for bathroom breaks. They took turns taking care of Chris and sitting by his side. Elio was smart, Dima had to give him that; he somehow understood the vampire's need to be there. He was smart enough to figure out that Dima cared.

Hours turned into days. Forty-eight hours and there was no sign of any recovery was seen. The only thing keeping Dima sane was the magic surrounding Chris and keeping him alive. When the doctor told him about this magic, he had doubts. However, they vanished in thin air as soon as he felt it himself.

The incident took place a day into his stay. Keeping away from Chris when he was right there was a feat for Dima. He didn't think he could do it any longer. He couldn't stop himself from touching the overly gorgeous man lying in front of him. Just once and maybe for a second he wanted to touch his hand, hold it, feel it in his. The moment Dima touched Chris' hand, he felt a slight bolt of electricity shocking him. The bold was radiating warmth and promising protection; Dima knew then. He knew that a shield of sorts was surrounding Chris, helping him thrive.

Two days turned into three; Dimitri was going out of his mind. "When are you going to wake up, Chris? I wish you had a mate to heal you."

The words pained him greatly but they were sincere. It was desperation speaking. He was dying to see Chris back to good health and his usual perverted self. He could take it if it means that Chris is up and running. Any type and amount of assurance were enough for the time being.

On the verge of insanity, he needed relief from it. The first person that came to his mind after thinking of a safety cocoon was his mother. Slipping out of the room, he dialed Sonja's number.

"Hey, mom."

"Hey, Dima. How are you doing and when are you coming home?"

Squeezing his eyes shut, he whispered "I miss you."

"I miss you too." Her weird tone spoke volumes, she knew something was bothering him. Before she could ask — he knew she would — Dima made an excuse and ended the call.

When he re-entered the infirmary, his whole body froze. Sitting against the headboard of the bed was Chris, a crying Elio was hugging him around the waist like his life depended on it. Feeling another presence in the room, Chris turned his head towards Dima and growled.

Dima's whole world crashed. Chris was giving him the idea that he didn't want the vampire here but then he spoke a word that had his crashed world turning upside down, resulting in debris falling from above and right onto him.

“Mate.”

What the fuck!

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