Page 252 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

We didn’t have to wait long to find out. About twenty minutes later, I felt the hand in mine twitch. I turned to face my sleeping mate and watched her eyes flutter open. She inhaled sharply, and then she started looking around in panic as everyone gathered around the bed. The heart rate monitor was going crazy until Dr. Roswell turned the sound off.

I waited with bated breath for Bells to look at me, and when she did, I felt the bond snapping into place despite the lack of full moon, and the sparks I’d felt in my hands intensified.

“Mate.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and tears gathered in her pretty eyes and fell.

Chapter Forty-Six

Bellarose

One moment I was looking at the faces of my loved ones for the last time, and then I was waking up again. I took in a sharp breath, consciousness rushing back to me, my heart hammering in my chest, and the light hurting my eyes.

I heard beeping to my left before it went silent. I began looking around the room. My limbs felt so heavy, and I couldn’t come up with the energy to move them. My vision felt blurry and I couldn’t make out the figures coming to standing around the bed. Coyo was stretching in the back of my head, looking rested and fine.

I was dead.

This had to be me dying and stepping into whatever afterlife exists. Right? A face I hadn’t seen in months, except in my dreams, hovered over me and came into focus. When I looked into the sharp blue eyes full of love of the man of my dreams, I felt the mate bond snap into place.

“Mate.”

My throat was dry and I was barely able to whisper the word. Tears stung and left my eyes.

I was dreaming.

I was dead and dreaming. It was the only reality in which this could happen. This was my consciousness’ last hurrah. Showing me its greatest desire before it misfired and stopped. Tears continued to flow, a sob broke out of my chest when the other people came into focus, and I saw my entire family gathered around the bed.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay, Princess. We’re here.” Cade put his hand on my face, and sparks stronger than I ever felt with Brandon spread from the point of contact.

Mate!Coyo howled happily.

“You’re okay. Our pups are okay,” Cade whispered, tears falling from his eyes and landing on my shoulder.

“I—” I stopped, swallowing what felt like sand.

I looked around again. Chris was holding Violet, and Dad was holding onto Mom. Cory’s hands were on my foot, rubbing it up and down, trying to comfort me. Lucien was standing behind him, holding onto Areli in a comforting hug. Everyone had tears in their eyes. They shouldn’t be crying if this was my imagination. I would see nothing but smiles, so I could go happily.

Cade brought a glass of water to my lips and helped me sip. The cool water covered and soothed my dry throat.

“I’m not dead?” I asked Violet when my throat felt better.

“No. It’s been four days since we put you in the coma, Bells. We figured out what was happening to you,” she answered, a tear falling down even as she smiled at me.

I placed a hand on my stomach, my energy slowly returning. The small bump didn’t feel any bigger. A hand closed over mine and the sparks burst from it, making my heart hammer against my chest again. I looked up at Cade again.

“How?” I could barely whisper the question.

“It’s a long story. Chris is the hero who figured it out,” Cade whispered back, the emotion in his voice bringing more tears to my eyes. “What matters is that you’re mine, Princess, and I’m never letting you push me away again. You’re going to be my queen, no matter how much time you need to wrap your head around that.”

“I don’t need time, I need you. I love you, Cade. I’m so sorry for everything,” I sobbed, my brain still struggling to understand how any of this was happening.

“Shh. No more crying. We’ll talk about it after you get better. How’s Coyo?”

How are you feeling?I asked my wolf while everyone held their breath for my answer.

Happy. I don’t know what happened to me. I had no energy, but I... I feel fine, now.

“She said she’s feeling better. What happened? How is this possible?”

Chris cleared his throat and tried to look stern, but I knew by now he was a big softie.

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