Page 12 of Within the Veil

"Hey," Remi whispered, hugging me tight, "she's going to be fine. We should start naming the babies so she has ideas when she finally wakes her ass up. She's taking this napping thing too seriously," she teased.

I sighed, wiping my face, all these emotions were ruining my street cred, or was it forest cred?

The only time I was able to shove the tears aside was during physical training or any of these ridiculous meetings we held amongst ourselves, about strategy. While we all tried to take an active role in counsel matters lately, I was just pissed looking at Shea's face during the meetings. That is, whenever he deigned to grace us with his presence,. I'm not sure what the protocol is for punching a Prince in the face, let alone your father in law, but I was dangerously close. Looking at him reminded me how we were essentially fae-napped and Hudson was in danger because he wanted to weed out a fucking traitor. Father of the mother-fucking year.

After Hudson fell into a coma, within moments the rage and extreme feeling of loss triggered something in us. Our hair white and our ears pointed, full memories back. Although my reaction was a bit more severe. Remi pointed out it was because we experienced the great loss needed to break the spell that was put on us so that we would assimilate to the mortal realm easily. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, it triggered our memories hard. Despite Kalen and Shea finally letting us know who we were a few weeks ago, it didn't prepare us for the reality of getting back our memories. The headache lasted a while but we now knew who we were. It definitely helped me particularly. I understood the need to tamp down the rage of my people more effectively but during all of those years, I always felt like I was missing a limb, it was disconcerting.

Our short term memories however, were still a little off. Try as we may, while we tried to rack our heads about the moments and days prior to the spell, we couldn't. Not for lack of trying though, everyday we delve a little deeper into our history but it wasn't as if we were going to go hunting for our people who have thought of us as missing for several years while Hudson was still in a coma. So we did what we could. Oberon and Remi tried to ask us guided questions but after a while the memories just...stopped. That is, until we were suddenly beyond the veil. We all felt like the information was important, however maybe the explanation Kalen gave was all we needed. Yeah, right. But, in the grand scheme of things it wasn't as important right now.

I took a deep breath, "yeah I know but, honestly Remi? I'm still so angry about this entire situation." Anger, it was just always with me during most times of my life but I had always used it as a tool. Now? It was unhinged and I felt it palpably; at Hudson, mostly. Which made me feel conflicted since I was angry at my mate who was in a coma. I chuckled, mirthlessly. Everyone looked at us with varying expressions of respect and pity, when we walked around the village.

* * *

I could care less,I didn't need their pity. I swiped at my face, I was going to drown at this rate but fuck how could she cut us out, how could she stop our connection when even a little could have saved her, our babies. I choked at the thought. When I saw the blood pouring from between her legs when we tried to bathe her after the battle, I left the room and I lost it. I cried and it felt like I haven't stopped since. It didn't matter that we knew that they were okay, the point was she didn't make that decision with us. The seconds of entertaining the possibility that they were gone...it was too much. She was our mate, more than just a wife in our world, she was a part of our soul; and she chose to rip our soul in half. It was selfish, she was selfish and I was pissed.

It's bad enough that I've spent my entire life, well my kidnapped life, being told I was someone I wasn't when all this time I was more and maybe that more could have saved her. But it wasn't enough. None of us were enough, and no words were going to change that. Why did Gaia guide her and then join the battle when Hudson's battle was already done? Why, why, why; I had so many damn questions and I knew if I asked them, and didn't get any true answers, I would break down again.

At some point I realized a funny thing about questions; they were important, to an extent, but the answers may not always be. I mean, what good would it do me to know why anyone does anything, if the pain didn't stop.

* * *

"I know you are angry,Hunter. I am sure she'll be happy to hash it out with you when she wakes up. Right now, we need to focus on other things. I came out here to tell you that Li'Ella stopped by again when you were out," she chuckled. I smiled, that little girl was something else; hilarious and loving.

"Yeah?" I raised an eyebrow, "What did she say this time? The weather for the week?" She rolled her eyes.

"No, asshole, she said one word, 'soon,' then skipped away." I growled at the sky.

"What does that even mean? How about an actual date?"

"She's five, Hunter. Give her a break or I'll be telling Grayson," she scrunched her nose and rolled her eyes. Biting back a laugh I considered her threat; Li'Ella had grown attached to Grayson these past few weeks. When he went into town she would jump on his shoulders and if he was training she would sit nearby soaking it all in. That is until she asked to be trained too, and then he spent his time making her a little rebel.

"She has Gray wrapped around his little finger," I laughed.

"You damn right she does," Grayson's voice came from behind us. I rolled my eyes.

"How is your little shadow?" I asked and his eyes lit up in excitement at the thought of her. Grayson was taking his soon to be father role seriously, I half expected him to take out his phone and start showing me photos of Ella doing random shit, like picking her Fae nose.

"She's a lot more restless and has been bouncing constantly in excitement," he chuckled, grabbing a seat on one of the pool loungers. "She keeps asking to sleep over so she could be here when Hudson wakes up, I'm having a hard time convincing her that we will call for her the moment she does." He leaned back and closed his eyes. I considered what he said while trying to tamp down the fluttering of excitement growing in my belly. If Ella was adamant that she was going to wake up soon then we might as well start preparing, I just hoped that it wouldn't bite my heart in the proverbial ass, I don't think I would handle the disappointment well.

I didn't voice my thoughts. Instead, I rolled my shoulders and straightened my back, "let's focus on what we can control. Dinner. Anyone up for pizza?"

Grayson smiles, probably thinking about Hudson's pizza sandwiches. I roll my eyes internally as I think of how absolutely sacrilegious and harmful to society those pizza sandwiches are.

"I'll start prepping," Remi headed back inside after giving me a small smile, and I looked at Grayson.

"You really think she will be up soon?"

"I think that us expecting Hudson to be any less stubborn in a coma than she would awake, would be tantamount to betrayal in her eyes," Grayson laughed, keeping his eyes closed. Looking up at the sky, I sent up a little prayer; I hope he was right. I can live with anger. Shit, I could live with my anger towards Hudson. But I could not live without Hudson.

ChapterThree

Hudson

The sound of laughter and glee surrounds me as I sit up and blink back the glaring sun. I blink slowly, the sun was shining, the skies were blue and while the birds sang I breathed in the sweet scent of earth and flowers; It was warm, surreal and comforting. As if I was in a fog of joy, love and all things right in the world. Still, something felt...strange.

"Momma, get up, get up! Cogadh keeps poking me with a twig!" I went completely still, my head slowly swiveling as I glanced around at the four little faces peering at me with a combination of glee and dismay. Dismay from the little girl in front of me and barely concealed glee from the three little boys behind her, covering their mouths and snickering.

"Momma, do you hear me?! Daddy Grayson told me not to respond to childish bullying but Uncle King told me to Avada Kedavra their asses," the little girl shrilly screams, the little faces behind her dropping with shock as she curses. I bite back a laugh. Her little cheeks are bright red, startling eyes, shift from a deep green to purple as her white hair blows madly around her face, disproportionate to the calm of the bright green field we were in. This little girl could not possibly be more than three years old, but the knowledge in her eyes, the soft pout of her lips the way she shifted back and forth between a fighting stance and standing upright, as if dealing with an internal battle of retaliating or being the bigger little person, was a visual dichotomy. She looked like a little version of me and as I looked behind her, I take in the fact that the little boys looked like my guys. My heart rate sped up.

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