Page 17 of Charmed By Apollo

The flurry of activity was overwhelming, but Geri couldn’t tear her eyes away from her grandmother’s still form on the bed. She was paralyzed by fear and grief, unable to move even as a nurse urged Cade to get her out of the room for her own safety.

“Geri, we have to go,” Cade said gently, his voice filled with urgency. “We can’t help Grannie if we’re in the way. Let’s let the doctors do their job.”

But she couldn’t bring herself to move, her heart breaking at the thought of leaving her grandmother’s side. In the end, Cade scooped her up in his arms and carried her out of the room despite her protests.

As they emerged into the hallway, Geri clung to her brother tightly, her sobs echoing in the empty corridor. She was lost and helpless, praying silently for her grandmother’s recovery as they waited anxiously for news from the medical staff.

In the whirlwind of the next couple of hours, Geri felt like she was being pulled along in a haze, with no control over the events unfolding around her. She moved through the hospital corridors in a daze, her mind numb with shock and grief as she clung to the slim hope that her grandmother would pull through.

The doctor’s words hung in the air like a heavy shroud, confirming what they all already knew—that their grandmother’s life hung in the balance, sustained only by the machines that beeped and whirred around her. They stood in the sterile confines of the hospital room, and she remained silent, her heart heavy with the weight of their impending decision.

Cade tried to engage her in the discussion about their grandmother’s care. “Geri, we need to make a decision,” he said softly, his voice filled with concern. “What do you think we should do?”

But overwhelmed by the enormity of the choice before her, Geri found herself unable to speak, her throat constricted with emotion. She shook her head silently, unable to form the words to express the turmoil raging inside her.

It was Cade who made the difficult decision, his voice steady as he instructed the doctor to cut off life support. “Do it,” he said, his tone resolute. “It’s what she would have wanted.”

The words hung in the air like a final verdict, sealing their grandmother’s fate and bringing an end to their agonizing vigil. As the machines fell silent and the room grew still, Geri felt a fresh wave of sorrow wash over her.

In the days that followed, she found herself caught in a whirlwind of activity as the pack came together to honor the life of Mary Andersen, their beloved matriarch. Despite the numbness that enveloped her heart, Geri knew that she had to perform her duties, determined to give her grandmother the farewell she deserved.

The pack gathered in the sprawling grounds of their estate, surrounded by the vibrant colors of nature that Mary had loved so dearly. As they shared stories and memories of their time with her, a sense of bittersweet nostalgia washed over Geri, mingling with the grief that weighed heavily on her soul.

She performed her duties with a sense of quiet resolve, her movements steady and sure despite the turmoil raging inside her. She tended to the needs of her packmates, offering comfort and support to those who needed it most, knowing that it was what her grandmother would have wanted.

After the funeral, she stood amidst the somber gathering and found herself unable to continue the facade of numb acceptance. The weight of her grief pressed down on her like a suffocating blanket, and she couldn’t bear the thought of putting on a fake smile and offering empty thanks to well-meaning packmates.

With a sense of desperation clawing at her chest, Geri excused herself from the repast, needing to escape the suffocating atmosphere and find some semblance of peace. She decided to go for a run, and quickly changed into a workout outfit, and headed to the gym.

She had always liked working out in their gym since the treadmill was in front of a window with a great view of Anchorage. But this time, with each step, her mind raced with frantic desperation, searching for a way to bring back her beloved grandmother. She grasped at memories, trying to recall any tale or legend that offered a glimmer of hope in the face of loss.

And then, Persephone’s story of Orpheus and Eurydice sprang to mind—the tale of a love so powerful that it defied even the boundaries of death. Geri remembered how Orpheus had journeyed to the Underworld to plead with The Fates for his beloved’s return and how, for a fleeting moment, it seemed as though their love might triumph over death itself.

But as quickly as the thought came, Geri’s desperation turned to despair. She couldn’t imagine The Fates listening to her or fathom the possibility of defying the natural order of life and death. And she couldn’t ask Persephone or even Hades either, because she knew from that same story that even as King of the Underworld, Hades didn’t have the power to give life to anyone who had already died.

If only there was another way…

He can revive the dead.

The memory of those words shot through her like a bolt of lightning. In truth, perhaps she had blocked them all this time because she didn’t want to think about who “he” was. Him. The man who had made her body ache with desire whenever she slipped, and her thoughts turned to him.

But could she…?

Should she…?

Oh, Grannie…

Geri whispered with a sense of desperation coursing through her veins, her voice barely more than a breath carried away on the wind. “Apollo, I need you.”

Chapter 2

Apollo

“Moping again, brother dear?”

Recognizing the feminine voice, Apollo glanced up. “I am not moping, Artemis.”

Smirking, his twin sister sat on the empty chair across from him. She drummed her perfectly-manicured nails—pale pink with white tips, which matched her tweed suit jacket—on the glass table top. “It’s a lovely day,” she said, gesturing around them. “Your garden looks splendid as always, thanks to your staff, I gather?”

---