Page 47 of Marked By the Alphas

I knew that they had questions, but at the moment, I didn’t feel possible to give them the explanations that they wanted.

Rowan moved closer to me, and he looked like he was about to try to convince me to leave again, but I shook my head to stop him.

“I need to stay here with her, Rowan. I’ll be fine. I’ll let one of you know if I need anything and if she wakes up,” I explained and they shared a look amongst themselves, but thankfully they didn’t try to convince me otherwise. Instead, they each placed a kiss on my lips before making their way out of the room.

Once the door was shut, I took Naya’s fingers in mine. Her hands were so cold that it made me shiver slightly.

“What happened, Naya? How did you end up in this situation? Please come back to me. I’m sorry for leaving you,” I said all at once, my words choking on a sob. I knew that she probably couldn’t hear me, but I wanted nothing more than answers to all the questions that were currently running through my mind. I wanted to know that she was okay.

The days that followed were a blur of antiseptic, hushed whispers, and endless worry. It seemed like my world shrank to the confines of Naya’s room. Naya continued to lay in a coma, her body pale and still, a stark contrast to the vibrant, fiery woman that I knew. The scent of blood that had surrounded herwhen we first found her was now faded and it was replaced by the sterile tang of medicine.

Rhys, Kai, and Rowan had been a constant presence, and their silent strength was a rock for me in the storm. I could see the concern and questions in their eyes every time they came into the room, but to their credit, they didn’t try to push me for answers. I expected this particularly from Rowan and Rhys, especially since they were the ones who knew the situation with my past, but they only continued to offer support. They took turns bringing me food and changes of clothes since I refused to leave the room and Rhys even brought me books to keep me busy.

Anyah came to check on Naya every day and she assured that she was fine and just needed to snap out of the sleep that she had fallen into. I continued to sit by Naya's side day and night, watching her closely. Her wounds were healing properly and most of the bruises had even begun to fade, but she remained unconscious.

Then, one morning, I was trying to clean Naya like I usually did every day when her eyes fluttered open. A gasp escaped my lips as I leaned forward, my heart pounding in my ears. Naya's eyes, once filled with a fiery spirit, were now dull and clouded with confusion.

“Naya?” I whispered, my voice trembling.

Naya's gaze slowly focused on me, and I saw the recognition flicker in her eyes before a wave of pain washed over her face. She groaned, her hand reaching up to clutch at her head.

“Easy, Naya,” I said softly, my voice filled with a mixture of relief and fear. “You're safe now. You're with me,” I reassured her,quickly reaching out to grab the vial that Anyah had left her for pain before helping her sit up. I fed her the contents of the bottle that Anyah had left us.

Naya's eyes squeezed shut, and my heart broke when a tear escaped her eye. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze was cleared and more focused and a weak smile curved her lips.

“Elara,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Tears of relief streamed down my face as she leaned forward, and I hugged her as gently as I could without hurting her.

“I'm here, Naya,” I murmured, my voice thick with emotion. “I'm here.”

We held onto each other for what felt like an eternity, the world fading away as we clung to the comfort of our reunion. When we finally pulled apart, Naya's eyes were filled with different new emotions, fear being the dominant among them.

“What happened?” Naya asked, her voice still shaky and weak.

I took a deep breath, picking up the bottle of water that was sitting on the nightstand to offer it to her. “You were found unconscious at the edge of this territory. You've been in a coma for days.”

Naya's eyes widened in shock. “Days?”

I nodded, my throat tight. “Days. But you're awake now. That's all that matters.”

Naya looked around the room, her gaze landing on the medical equipment that Anyah had hooked her up to over the last couple of days. “Where am I?” she asked.

“You're at the Golden Moon pack house. I know the Alphas here,” I replied. “You're safe here, I promise.”

Naya nodded slowly, as she looked like she was trying to process all the information. I knew it wasn’t the right time and she needed to rest more. I also had to tell Kai, Rowan, and Rhys about her regaining consciousness, but I was itching to know how she had found her way here. I wanted to know how she had managed to escape Silas and about the injuries on her body.

“What happened, Naya?” I asked, and Naya quickly looked away, her face contorting in pain at my question.

After a long moment of silence, she looked at me again and I could see the tears running down from her eyes. I quickly reached out a finger to wipe them away and Naya gave me a grateful smile.

“After you left, Silas held me prisoner. He knows we’ve been best friends for a long time and thought I might have an idea about what your escape plans would have been. For weeks after that, he tortured me constantly…” she trailed off, her voice breaking as the words caught in her throat, and my heart ached even more knowing I had brought this upon my friend.

“It went on for so long, I thought the end would never come. I lost track of time as the days and the nights began to feel like one to me in that cell. One of the guards made a mistake though. He thought I was too weak and broken, and so he took off my necklace when I begged him for help, saying that it was choking me and I couldn’t breathe. It was only supposed to be for a moment, but I knew if I didn’t act soon, then Silas would slowly torture me to my death. So I used my powers. I made him release me and clear the path for me, and then I escaped. I rememberjust running and running and running…until…nothing.” Her voice was barely a whisper when she finished talking and it shattered me completely, making me pull her into my arms again.

A hum began at the base of my spine, a familiar sensation that I hadn't felt since my escape. It was the Siren in me, awakening from its slumber. Something was triggering it. But I ignored it, focusing instead on the relief of having Naya back.

I pulled away from the hug, squeezing Naya's hand. “It's okay, Naya. You don't have to think about any of that right now. Just focus on getting better.”

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