Page 45 of Rejected by My Stepbrother Alpha (Billionaire Shifter Club #1)

T he Fog

Asher

Time meant nothing.

That was what I’d learned in this endless state of darkness and fog. It felt like I was lost, stumbling around in my own head, searching for a bright light, but when I found it, I didn’t move toward it. Because I remembered that old saying.

Never go toward the light.

Sometimes, I would hear snippets of conversations, but I had no idea what was real and what was a dream.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make out what the voices were saying.

Occasionally, I even heard a door opening and closing.

After a while, a sound broke through the fog in my head, and I sprinted toward it, trying like hell to capture it.

It was the sound of my Mate sobbing.

Ivy!

I tried to reach for her, but I was lost in the fog again.

Then, an unexpected voice floated through my head.

Healer Emery.

“I’m so sorry, Ivy. I’m not sure if Asher will ever be able to wake up from his coma,” my pack healer said with remorse in his voice. “The dosage of drugs in his system was enough to be fatal. I’m not sure how he managed to transform into his wolf and fight in the battle.”

“Because he was protecting his family,” Ivy said thickly. The love of my life was in emotional distress, and all I wanted to do was reach out and comfort her. But I couldn’t fight through the fog. “He was able to break through his restraints and fight because he loves his son and me.”

I do! I love you and Adrian more than anything!

I wanted to scream this out loud, but I couldn’t. The fog was closing in on me, and I was losing my fragile grip on consciousness.

“His injuries are extensive,” Healer Emery explained in a gentle voice. “I don’t know if his body is strong enough to heal itself as well as the damage to his brain. I’m doing everything I can, but the results of his latest MRI are very concerning.”

“He’s strong enough to wake up,” Ivy said fiercely through her tears. “He will come back to me. I don’t have any doubts. He just needs time to heal.”

“I truly hope you’re right,” Healer Emery replied, but I could tell that there was doubt in his voice.

Fear that I’d never wake up paralyzed me, and I began to panic because I couldn’t feel my body. Then, I felt the slightest pressure, and from the way my heart raced, I knew that the pressure was from Ivy holding my hand. I tried to reach out to her. I tried to ask her if our son was all right.

But the fog enveloped me in its strong embrace, and I knew no more.

After that, I was in and out of consciousness. I tried my best to focus and wake myself up, but I couldn’t find my way through the heavy fog that covered my mind.

The next time that I was aware enough to hear someone talking, it was Beta Flynn.

“I’m not sure if you can hear me or not, Asher, but it feels wrong not to give you an update on the outcome of the battle,” he said in that no-nonsense way of his.

“Ivy took care of Evelyn, and as soon as Silas’ guards saw that you killed their Alpha, they tried to run away in fear because our guards vastly outnumbered them.

Our warriors managed to gather them all up, and they are now in the pack’s prison.

” He paused. “Your family and your pack need you, Asher. Please…please wake up.” Flynn’s voice held more emotion than I’d ever heard come from him.

I wanted to thank him for the update, and I had a lot more questions, but I blacked out as soon as he finished talking.

The first time I heard my son speak, relief spread through me that was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.

He’s all right!

I felt another slight pressure on my hand and knew that Adrian was gripping my hand with his small one.

“Dad, please wake up,” Adrian said in a quiet, shaking voice.

“I can tell that Mom is trying to be strong for me, but she cries all the time ever since you fell asleep and can’t wake back up.

” I could tell that my son was crying now, and it killed me that I couldn’t comfort him.

“Everyone says that you need time to heal, but can you please wake back up? Please? For me and for Mom. Uncle Damian got me a slice of key lime pie from the diner, but I don’t want to eat it without you. ”

My heart shattered, and I tried to run through the fog toward my son’s voice, but it was impossible.

The next thing I was aware of was Ivy’s sweet voice.

I tried hard to focus on what she was saying, and after a moment, I realized that she was reading Goodnight Little Shifter.

I held onto those familiar words and allowed memories of my father and my son to calm me.

Right before I blacked out again, I silently swore to my Mate that I would find my way back to her and our son.

Two deep voices floated through the fog next. After a moment of concentrating, I realized that it was Damian and Mason.

“Asher, I hope that it’s true what they say and that you can hear me,” Mason said. “I wanted to thank you for helping save Adrian and Ivy…I don’t know what I’d do without them. Just like I don’t know what they’d do without you. ”

“After working with you and fighting beside you, I know that you’re a good man, Asher,” Damian said. “My sister and my nephew need you. Please, wake up for them.”

As soon as he was done speaking, the fog overtook me.

The voices I heard most often were Ivy’s and Adrian’s.

They spoke to me so frequently that I wondered if they were living in my hospital room.

My Mate and son spoke to me about anything and everything.

Ivy told me about how impressed Anya and the Alpha king were by how well our enhanced drone worked.

Adrian talked to me about how the hospital staff let him set up his racing track in my hospital room so that he could play with his cars with his mom, Grandpa, and Uncle.

He said that he hoped I’d wake up soon so that I could race cars with him, too.

Ivy would tell me stories about when she was pregnant with Adrian and felt him kick for the first time. Or about how, when Adrian was three, they went to the zoo, and a monkey reached through the bars and stole Adrian’s hat off his head.

I lived for these stories, and simply hearing my family's voices was the only thing that was keeping me from going insane. Ivy and Adrian were the people I wanted to wake up for more than anything. But the fog always overpowered me when I tried to grit my teeth and fight through it.

One day, I could tell that Ivy and I were alone in my hospital room because the energy was different when our son wasn’t there.

Even though I was in a coma, I could sense my Mate’s mood.

When Adrian was there, she did her best to put on a brave face and be optimistic.

But when we were alone, she was quieter and allowed herself to feel the pain of how unfair this whole situation was.

There was a strong pressure on my hand, and I felt Ivy’s warm hand in mine. All of a sudden, the fog in my head lifted slightly, and for the first time since I’d been in the coma, I could feel my heart slamming in my chest.

“Asher,” Ivy sobbed, her hot tears dripping onto my arm. “Please wake up. I can’t live one more second without seeing your smile or hearing your laugh. I need you. Adrian needs you. Please, baby. Come back to me.”

I was running through the fog, trying to get to the love of my life.

“I love you so much,” Ivy continued through her tears. “You are my Mate. You are the only man I have ever loved…who I will ever love. Please, Asher, please wake up. I want to start the rest of our lives together. I want to be a family with our son.” She squeezed my hand again. “I love you.”

My stomach jolted because this was the first time that Ivy had actually said she loved me.

As my heart continued to race, I experienced a strong stirring in my chest. The fog was slowly lifting from my mind.

It tried to fight me, tried to keep me in my mental prison, but I struggled against it.

I had to get to my Mate. I had to comfort her.

I had to hold her and kiss her. I couldn’t miss out on watching my son grow up.

I couldn’t miss out on living my life with my family.

As my eyes slowly opened, I found enough strength to squeeze Ivy’s hand back.

She let out a loud gasp and gripped one of my hands in both of hers.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Ivy. She was sitting in a chair next to my bedside, looking more beautiful than I’d ever seen her.

“Asher!” she said, wiping her tears from her pale cheeks. “You’re awake.” Her face lit up with surprise and happiness.

“Did you mean it?” I managed to rasp, my voice weak. “Did you mean what you just said?”

My head was pounding, and my body ached with pain. I knew that I needed medical attention immediately, but I had to know if she meant what she’d said. I had to know if she truly loved me or if her fear that I wouldn’t wake up made her say something she didn’t mean.

Ivy’s gorgeous blue eyes softened, and a small smile played on the corners of her mouth. She was still crying, but her tears seemed to be slowing down. My Mate leaned down to kiss me softly on the cheek. She put her lips right next to my ear.

“I meant every word,” she whispered. “I love you, Asher.”

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her soft body into mine. I gripped her close to me, never wanting to let her go.

“I love you so much, Ivy.”

There was an intense feeling in my chest. It was like my heart was being stitched back together. Ivy and I let out surprised gasps and clutched our chests.

Ivy pulled away slightly from our embrace. “Our mating bond…”

I looked down at the scar on the palm of my hand. It was fully intact now. My heart burst with happiness as I showed Ivy.

“It’s repaired,” I said with awe in my voice. “Our mating bond is repaired.”

Ivy lifted her hand to show me that her scar was as bold as mine.

“Our mating marks are back,” she said as a wide smile blossomed across her face.

“We’re connected in every way possible now. Come here,” I murmured, threading my fingers through her hair and bringing her mouth down to mine.

When our lips touched, I could tell that Ivy was still smiling, which made our kiss even sweeter. She tasted exactly like I remembered, and I was whole again now that she was in my arms.

Soon, I had to pull away to draw in a breath, and Ivy leaned her warm forehead against mine, looking deep into my eyes.

“I’m so thankful you're awake,” she whispered and gently trailed her soft fingers down my cheek. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“It was your love that made me wake up,” I said, and tightened my arms around her. “I only found the strength to wake up because of you and Adrian. I couldn’t have done it with you two.”

We stared at each other for an immeasurable moment, and gratitude flooded through me at the fact that I was still alive and able to enjoy my life with my family.

“I should go get Healer Emery so that he can check on you,” Ivy said reluctantly and began to pull away.

But I squeezed her tight, and she looked at me questioningly.

“I can’t wait one more moment without asking you to be my Luna,” I said, and Ivy gasped. “Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?”

Tears formed in her eyes again, but this time, they were from happiness. Ivy threw her arms around me and pulled me close.

“Yes, Asher. Of course, I’ll be your Luna. I love you more than anything.”

I smiled and knew that I’d never get tired of hearing her say that she loved me.