Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Awake

Nathan’s POV

The first thing I felt was a searing headache, which made me release a loud groan.

"He’s waking up." I heard the familiar high-pitched voice of my mom, but it was so far away.

I forced my eyes open, and the first thing that came into my sight was the bright white light of the hospital. And God, I hate bright lights. I groaned in displeasure and closed my eyes again.

"Switch off the bright lights," I overheard the voice of my father. He knew I hated bright lights.

Slowly, I opened my eyes again, and the room was okay now with just the afternoon sun reflecting through the window.

"Son... are you okay?" I heard the panicked voice of my mother, and it seemed she wanted to approach me, but another voice stopped her.

"Please wait, Luna... he has to gradually put himself and his memories together by himself with no interruption."

I believe those words stopped my mother from approaching.

Slowly, I forced myself to sit up on the bed and rested my back on the headboard. I felt no pain in my body, but my body felt heavy.

Slowly, I moved my gaze around the room, and with one glance, I knew I was in the pack hospital. A doctor and a healer stood in a corner, and on the other side were my family. Father, Mother, Clara, and even Dane. They all had a relieved but also cautious look on their faces.

I closed my eyes as I put my last memory together. I remembered the talk I had with Hailee in my car... dropping her off at her home where Callum was waiting for her, and then the accident.

A sigh left my lips as I opened my eyes, and I looked at my mother again. Her eyes were rimmed with red, filled with tears she clearly hadn’t let fall yet. She gave me a soft, shaky smile—the kind that begged me to say something, anything.

"Hi, Mom," I said, my voice hoarse.

That was all it took.

She rushed to my side like she’d been holding herself back for days. Her hands cupped my face gently, and she pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Oh, thank the Goddess," she whispered, breaking into tears. "You scared me... you scared all of us."

I managed a small smile, even though my head still throbbed. "I’m okay."

"No, you’re not," Dad said sternly, stepping forward. "You’ve been in and out of consciousness for three days, Nathan. You almost died."

Three days?

The words hit me like a brick. "Three...?"

Clara stepped closer too, her face pale. "The car was totaled. The driver’s side took the most damage. You were unconscious when they pulled you out." She sobbed out and hugged me tightly while Mother did the same. I hugged them back and felt their pain—it was obvious I really got them scared.

Father stepped forward, and for the first time in a long while, I saw raw emotion in his eyes. He wasn’t the stoic Alpha right now—he was just a worried dad.

He wrapped his arms around all three of us—me, Mom, and Clara—pulling us into a tight, protective embrace. "Don’t ever do this to us again," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "You hear me, son? Ever."

I nodded against his shoulder. "I won’t. I promise."

After a few more seconds, he slowly pulled away, brushing his hand down his face as if trying to regain his composure.

Then Dane stepped forward.

His arms crossed at first, but then, unexpectedly, he pulled me into a one-armed hug—tight, firm, and silent for a beat.

"Damn it, cousin," he muttered. "You scared the hell out of me."

I chuckled softly, my voice still raspy. "Sorry."

He let go and gave me a slight shake of the head. "Not good enough."

The warmth of their love surrounded me, and for a moment, I felt safe.

But then, as I looked around the room again, I realized there was one person missing.

The one person I wanted to see more than anyone.

Hailee.

My smile faded slightly.

I tried not to let it show, but it hurt—her absence hurt. I didn’t know what I expected... but some part of me had hoped she’d be here when I opened my eyes.

Even if she didn’t say anything.

Even if she just stood in the corner.

Just... there.

But she wasn’t.

"Alpha, he needs to rest," the doctor said with a slight bow. "Physically, he’s stable... but mentally and emotionally, he needs quiet."

My father stared at me for another long second before he slowly nodded.

"Get some rest," he said flatly. "We’ll talk again—soon."

Then he turned and walked out of the room.

After my father left, the room fell quiet again.

Dane remained by the side of the bed, arms folded, his expression unreadable.

He let out a low breath. "I’ll give you some space, man. Rest up."

I gave him a small nod. He gave me a short nod in return, then turned and headed for the door.

The doctor remained for a moment longer, quietly checking the monitor beside my bed and scribbling something into his chart. Then he turned to me.

"If you need anything, press the red button on the side," he said gently. "Try to sleep. Your mind and body need it."

I nodded once, and with a respectful bow, he stepped out and shut the door behind him.

And just like that, I was alone.

Alone with my thoughts. Alone with the emptiness in my chest.

I leaned my head back against the pillow, letting out a slow, tired breath. The hospital was quiet now—just the soft beeping of machines and the distant sounds of life carrying on beyond my room.

I hated it. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

I hated how still everything was. Like the world had paused for me to catch up, but all I wanted was to shut it all out.

Then—Click.

The door creaked open softly.

My eyes immediately shot to it, my heart pounding in my chest.