The first thing I am aware of is the constant buzz in the foreground of my mind. And while it's a comfort of sorts, the placid consistency of the low beeping tone, it does not take away from the constant company of the dull ache I feel deep within my skull. Try as I might, I cannot escape the doom the hurt distributes throughout my body. I feel the pain searing into my very soul and for the very life of me, I cannot open my eyes. The skill seems to have escaped my abilities, fleeing from the source of the pain in a way that I can only wish I could.

I start small, trying to wiggle my toes. After about the tenth try, I finally have some success and the wiggling begins to extend to my feet and ankles and spreads slowly but steadily upwards.

A warm sensation begins to take over my hand, and from the way that the warmth literally seeps into my veins just from one touch, I know who it is even with my eyes closed. There is something about the kind love I feel from this guy that allows me to know he is with me, sight unseen.

Call it the mate bond, fate, or just dumb luck in my case. Whatever it is, it sets my soul on fire like nothing I could ever put into words. It's love but amplified by a million and encapsulated by every good thing, good feeling and good action in my short, sad life. It all revolves around him. Like the Earth nurtured by the warmth from the sun. This is the way that he loves me. Eternally. Completely.

My body finally complies and allows the straining behind my eyelids to cause them to flutter open, softly and warily at first but soon more confident, and when they search the room, a fuzzy, softened sense of sight makes me confused until I lock my sight onto him.

"Aida? Can you hear me? Oh fuck. Sorry. Shit. I'm swearing so much. But fuck it. You just scared the life out of me. Out of all of us." He stumbles, grabbing my other hand and bringing them both to his lips and closing his eyes.

I close mine softly again as well, giggling, and blink a few times before I can finally get my eyes to settle on him. I just take a second, basking in the serenity of the planes of his face. Though more tired than I've seen it previously, he's still beautiful.

And then something else floods my memory, and I rip my hands away from his and put them on my stomach, moving them around as if I'm searching for some kind of confirmation.

Is it still there?

"Our baby is okay," he reassures me, placing his hand over mine, both of us already protecting our little one.

Our baby.

I release a breath as he leans forward and places a kiss to my lips, just barely. He stays there, breathing me in.

"I thought I lost you both," he says, speaking into my lips, taking in the feel of them, the scent of them like it's a necessity. He needs me as much as the air in his lungs. It's almost as much as I need him. It's more than that. It's like he's now an actual fundamental part of my being. I can feel him in every cell in my body.

The mate bond is an amazing thing. And it's also the scariest part of my new existence. I know for a hard fact that I could not survive this life without him now. And that both terrifies and excites me all at once. I can tell that's true because the loud beeping of the machine close to my head picks up speed, sending in a cross looking nurse all in a flurry, followed by the calm smiling form of Dr. Emerson.

"Well, missy, you sure scared the pants off this lot. They've been taking up valuable space for the last few days," she says, gesturing wildly to Argent and the foyer where I'm assuming the others have been hanging around.

What she said suddenly sinks in, and I look to Argent for confirmation. "I sent them all home, but I'm sure they will back here to bother me in no time," he says.

She smiles and checks my vitals.

I let out a small cough to clear my yucky throat and look to Argent.

"Days? I've been out for days? How long? What happened? Is everyone okay?" I blurt out, and the machine kicks up a notch again. I feel Arge rubbing soothing circles on my arm to try to calm me whilst the nurse shakes her head in mock disgust.

Emerson replies, "Three days, hun, and yes, the pack is mostly okay. Though, I'm not sure what you remember," She looks to Arge for confirmation. He nods, and a grim look has now overshadowed any happiness on his perfect face.

"Aida, sweety, what do you remember?" he starts, sitting next to me on the bed as I shuffle about trying to sit up more. He helps to slide me up as the doctor presses the remote to lift the back of the hospital bed. She moves to hand me a cup of water with a straw to sip from.

"Ah, it's a bit of a jumble," I start, taking a swig of the drink and rubbing my arm that is free from lines over my face. "I remember sitting by the fire with everyone and then the alarm and then ..."

My hand flies to my mouth as I look at Argent's face. I remember the huge loss we suffered that night. The biggest loss of all.

"Oh god. Arge, I'm so sorry. Your father ..." I say as tears begin to fall down my face and onto the white blanket covering my legs.

"I know," he replies, his own tears lining his eyes, and he wipes mine away with his thumb. Dr. Emerson takes a seat at the edge of the room, listening intently as the nurse excuses herself to give us some privacy.

"What else do you remember, baby?" Argent asks softly, coughing to clear his throat as he takes my cup away, placing it on the bedside table. He takes my hand in his.

"I uh ... I saw something ... when we found ... you know. And then when I heard that they had taken the kids, I just ... I knew that they were here for me, and I left and took my father, even though I knew you wouldn't want me to but I had to. And then Elroy was there, that bastard, with my mother, and they ... she bit me, and then my wolf ... I couldn't hear her. Is she ... am I still ...?" I trail off, trying hard to feel my wolf deep inside. I shake my head as I try to make sense of it all.

Closing my eyes, I try to feel the familiar stirring inside my mind and soul and though it takes me a while, I start to feel her there, and the relief flows through me instantly. Thoughts and feelings flood back to me like the tide returning to the shore. It's slow at first but then the rush of the waves take over and the water returns, just like it always does.

She's quiet, but she's there. The thought of being without her is as foreign to me now as the thought process was when I first found out about her.

We need each other equally. We complete each other.

My hand flies to my neck where my mother bit me. The pain is still fresh in my mind, but the wound is completely healed and gone. The fear is now clear in the faces surrounding my bed. The confusion is unsettling but not as much as the daunting doom I now feel surrounding me like an all-consuming cloud.

"She bit me. . What does this mean for it? For me? For my wolf?" I ask shakily, the worry evident in my voice and on Argent's face. The beeping starts up again, and I turn to the doctor for any kind of answer.

She sighs. "Honestly, we don't know. It's only happened a few times before, as you know, and the baby ... Well, that little one is a whole new ball game. It's never happened in the second generation previously. Not that we know of. Honestly, this is just a wait and see sort of situation. For now, I'm guessing your wolf just needs to recover from the shock of the bite, but all blood work shows no change from before the attack, and I'm guessing your regular blood anomalies saved you there. But seeing as though you were bitten, we went ahead and did another transfusion when you were out, just for good measure." She's trying to mask the slight undertone of excitement about the baby and all the new wonders it may hold in her voice.

A subtle cough from Arge sets her straight.

"We'll take it all one step at a time, okay? Plenty of time to test and make sure the little one is alright," Emerson quickly adds as she pats my hand, for the medical marvel she will be taking care of as best she can and bowing her head to Arge as she leaves the room.

The strange notion baffles me, and I frown a little, wondering what that was about, before I sit bolt upright realising what that head bow meant.

"Oh my god. You're the Alpha now!" I exclaim. His face, the picture of concern, slightly fades to a charade of what I'm used to as he nods slowly. He's trying to be brave for me, but I can see the beautiful flaws.

"I am. And you're my Luna," he whispers, placing a soft kiss on my cheek. I don't miss the sadness laced with the smile that follows.

I take in what he said, thinking it over for a second. The next thought makes my mouth run dry, and I reach for the small white cup again, gulping the coolness down before I dare ask, "What about Luka? Is he gone for good?" I wrap both of my arms around his shoulders, wanting to keep him close. Needing to.

"Yes, he was burned to ash, and he's gone. It doesn't mean that there won't be others still but for now, without their leaders, they're gone," he states flatly, peering out the window by the bed.

"Are we going to be okay, Arge?" I ask softly, following his gaze and watching as life slowly passes by outside the hospital walls. The pack members are going about their daily tasks as if the whole world didn't just shift for us all. It's comforting but at the same time, it's devastating.

Argent turns to face me now, a small smile on his face, the light from outside casting half a shadow across his tired features. It pains me to see him so down. He stands up, placing a kiss to my head, and reaches into the front pocket of his pants. "There's so much change happening. So many loose ends to tie up. Elroy and the other traitors have fled but with time and with help, we'll get it all back on track, punish those who did wrong, and celebrate those who rose under the pressure."

I'm in awe of how much of an Alpha he already is. Of the power and strength he omits. His father would be proud. I'm proud.

And if I'm honest, a little turned on.

I'm sick ...

Taking a knee, he distracts me from my dirty thoughts as he pulls out a small round black box and opens it to reveal a thin, rose-gold band that wraps around like a vine, weaving its way up to clasp perfectly and completely around a dusky round white diamond.

"Everything will be perfect, no matter what happens, as long as you agree to be here with me, forever," Argent murmurs, taking my hand that has moved up to cover my mouth and sliding the beautiful ring onto my ring finger. "This ring is special," he adds. "Unique. It's called a moon diamond for a reason. Under the cover of the cloudy surface, something truly different lies, waiting to be discovered. Hidden. Patient. Brilliant. Shining like a beacon of light, even in the darkest of times. That's who you are to me, Aida. To our pack."

I have no words. Nothing enters my mind or my mouth. My heart dances wildly in my chest to the erratic beat of my new life.

My life with Argent as the Luna of this pack. We don't need to say anything because we feel it all. We will rebuild after the tragedy that took his father from us all. I will recover from the drama that has plagued my life because of my own parents and the damage they tried to cause to my life. We will lead alongside my brother and Jemma and Amalie and Deacon. We will stand tall with unwavering support from Jemma's father.

We will strive to be the best leaders and allies and most importantly, parents that we can be. No matter how wolf or human or otherworldly our child is, it doesn't matter. Because it's also half Argent and half of me and 100% loved.

I pull Argent to me and cover his lips with mine. My heart is full. Once upon a time, it was just me against the world. Against myself.

And now, it's us. It's all of us.