419 You Promised You Wouldn't Leave
At Axel’s request, a scan was done on Alice’s brain.
The news was not good.
They found that both the frontal and temporal lobes showed signs of lesions. It was likely a side effect of long-term damage to her brain from the Bitter Night.
Her body had stopped healing almost altogether now. The surgery was finally finished, but the end result was impossible to guess. The surgeon was brutally honest with Axel and told him there was a very strong chance that she might never wake up again.
For three days, Axel waited by her bedside. He sat beside her in a chair all night. He held her hand and talked to her.
Axel dipped the rag into the warm water and rang it out as much as possible. Then, gently stroking her cheeks, he washed Alice’s face. Next, he moved down to her neck and shoulders, wiping away the sweat and humming to her as he did so.
He paused, catching the scent of the soap in the water. It was a fruit smell, berries, he guessed.
“I wonder if you like this smell,” he whispered.
He looked down at Alice’s peaceful face.
“I don’t love it,” he said. “I prefer something a little sweeter.”
Axel leaned forward and sniffed at her neck.
“Your scent is much nicer,” he smiled. “It always has been.”
He sat beside her, putting the washcloth back in the basin and taking her hand in his.
“That was my first Blood Moon,” he said. “My parents were really busy, and I was actually very lonely. So when I met you… it was…”
Axel smiled.
“Perfect,” he said. “Your smile was contagious and warm. All I wanted to do was keep it on your face, no matter what. Even if it meant that you were laughing at me.”
Axel chuckled, and then he paused, taking a deep breath.
“All those years without you….” he swallowed. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, bringing her hand to his lips. He kissed her. “Even without knowing what I was missing, I felt it every day.”
Axel took a deep breath.
“You told me to remember you through chocolate,” he laughed. “And I did. I became obsessed with the stuff and never knew why until we met again.
“Until I got my memory back. Then, I finally understood that every bite of chocolate, every time I smelled that delicate sweetness, I was trying desperately to bring you back.”
Axel clenched his jaw as he felt the heat in his face and the familiar prickling in his nose and eyes. He was holding back tears. Holding back the fear of losing her.
He moved his chair closer to the bed, placed her hand on her belly, and then laid his head on top of them. The tears, no longer in his control, rolled down his cheeks.
“You promised you wouldn’t leave,” he whispered.
There was a soft knock at the door. Axel closed his eyes and then slowly sat up. He wiped away the tears and took a deep breath before acknowledging the knock.
“What is it?” he asked without looking back.
“What is it? That’s a hell of a greeting, and after I came all this way!”
Axel quickly turned at the familiar voice.
“Bell?” he called to her as the sight of her registered. He stood from the chair in shock. “What are you doing here?”
“You know that’s not much of an improvement, right?” she smiled with a raised brow. “First, you start grumpy, ‘what is it?’ then you switch to making me feel like I am unwelcome. So rude.”
Axel smiled.
“You are always welcome anywhere I am,” he said.
“That’s more like it,” Bell smiled.
“So,” Axel said, moving toward her, “at the risk of sounding rude again, what are you doing here?”
Bell shrugged her shoulders.
“Oh, ya know… Galen really wanted to introduce Fiona to Ren and check in on Summer as a whole. Make sure Caleb hasn’t let the pack fall into complete chaos while he’s been gone,” she sighed. “And I thought I’d get in a little sightseeing, check out these crazy medical research labs I’ve heard so much about….”
She paused, then her lips curled into a slow, amused grin.
“I also thought, just for fun, ya know…. That I would maybe… save your mate?”
Axel’s eyes widened. His heart started beating faster.
“What did you say?” he asked softly.
Bell walked further into the room to stand just before him and looked up at him. She gave him a gentle grin and grabbed his hands.
“I said,” she began. “I am here to save Alice.”
“How?” he asked.
He knew she was brilliant; she was by far the best doctor they had in Winter. But the fact was that Summer had better facilities, more technology, and advanced training. He didn’t doubt Bell’s skills. He just wasn’t sure how she could save Alice when no one here seemed able to.
Bell took a deep breath.
“I have a very rare kind of blood. One that is particularly effective at supercharging the healing factor of another wolf. From what I read of Alice’s condition and her records in Winter, her healing is stunted because she isn’t a pure werewolf, right?”
Axel nodded.
“She was born human,” he said.
“Right, well,” Bell continued. “From what I understand, the damage she has taken in the past few weeks, combined with all the prolonged exposure to Bitter Night, has essentially silenced the part of her brain that recognizes her abilities as a wolf.
“She can’t heal because her brain doesn’t remember it can. So I believe that if I give her a direct transfusion, my blood might be able to kickstart those natural systems.”
“But she’s had transfusions already,” Axel said. “It didn’t seem to make a difference.”
“Right, but, like I said. Rare blood type. Trust me on this, Axel, even the synthetic version of my blood won’t ever be as strong as a direct transfusion,” Bell said.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Caleb called out from the door, “I came to check on Alice, and I couldn’t help but overhear. Did I hear you right? So you are offering to give blood to Alice?”
Caleb looked at Bell, and she smiled.
“Is there a problem?” Axel asked, concerned. “Is it not safe?”
“It’s safe,” Caleb said. “And Bell’s right. A direct transfusion would be much more potent than the synthetic blood.”
“Are you sure about this?” Caleb asked Bell carefully, knowing what this meant for her.
Bell nodded, appreciating his concern.
“This is something I want to do,” Bell smiled. “Because Alice deserves every bit of help we can give her.”