"There are no accidental meetings between souls." — Sheila Burke

I didn't even hesitate to run. One second I was standing outside staring at the dazzling fireworks, and the next second my feet took me outside his door - the door where my father was.

Standing an inch away from it, I felt fear take a hold on me as my hand lightly grazed the doorknob. A part of me doubted if I heard the voice or not.

What if I open the door and father was the same as before and all of this had been a ruse constructed by my exhausted mind?

I knew the only way to confirm this was to go inside or else my thoughts would continue to plague my mind.

"All will be okay," My wolf reassured. "We heard him."

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and scurried inside. My eyes scanned the area and met hazel ones in the process. And just like that, all the worries in my mind vanished.

My father looked at me, his eyes mirroring my own. I stood silently as I observed him; feeling as if it was a figment of my imagination, like all this would disappear if I took another step.

"He's back," my wolf answered in disbelief. "He really is back."

That was all it took. Rushing towards his side, I opened my arms and wrapped it around him in a tight hug. He tried his best to raise his own arms and hug me back, however, his weak and frail body didn't allow him.

But it didn't matter. In his embrace, I felt the world stop. I felt all my worries disappear. My mind was at peace.

I let my body sag, allowing my muscles to become loose as I nuzzled in his chest, silently thanking the Moon Goddess for his return. A void inside of me filled as I realized this was what I was waiting for, praying for.

His warmth. His protection. His love.

Him.

I was finally home.

"Easy there, Vivian. Your Dad is still in the recovering process." I was so lost in the sheer relief and happiness of his return that I failed to notice the doctor standing next to the bed.

Pulling back from the hug, I stared at his face and soaked in the warmth of his eyes, "This is real, you're back..., you're actually back..."

He smiled at me and opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. I looked at the doctor in search for an answer.

"It will take a little time for him to heal which is why he is finding it difficult to talk. We just have to wait for his wolf to start the process of self-healing when he feels strong enough to do so." The doctor informed.

"It is alright. The only thing that matters is that he is back...," I turned to face him, "Dad, I missed you." And then I hugged him again because it felt like a dream and I didn't want to let go of this dream, of this fantasy, of him.

He placed a soft kiss on the top of my head in response, ensuring me that everything was okay and that he truly was back.

Not wanting to exhaust him further, I finally let go of him and got up from the bed side to walk towards the doctor.

"What happened?"

He shrugged, "I am still trying to figure that out. I was doing my regular rounds and making sure everything was okay when suddenly he opened his eyes. I was shocked. When he saw me, he opened his mouth to speak; I could see how difficult it was for him to do that. But with much effort, he managed to call out your mother's name. That wore off my shock; I immediately informed your mother, then told the Beta to inform you, and then you came. But Jonathan told your father... he mind-linked you?"

"Yes, he-," Before I could continue, the door slammed open and the sight of my mother greeted us. Her eyes a mix of emotions; pain, happiness, longing, relief, surprise – all reflecting in them.

"My tulip...," My dad's weak voice sounded from the side. His gaze was transfixed on her and he looked a bit different than before; as if all the pain and exhaustion went straight out of the window, as if the sight of her alone healed him.

For them, there was no one else in the room – they were completely spellbound.

"Al," My mother soft voice called out but it came out more as a sob. She ran towards his open arms, throwing herself completely at him.

She began to pester him with kisses all over his face, not even stopping for a second but it didn't bother Dad; he basked in the attention. His eyes closed, and a relieved smile on his face, relishing the feel of her in his arms.

When she finally calmed down, Dad raised his hands to cup her face, their foreheads touching each others', "Okay?" He asked her when it should've been the other way round.

She nodded, her eyes brimming with tears and then she dove to hug him again, a little too tightly this time. Dad winced slightly but didn't say anything to her.

In fact, when he saw the doctor open his mouth to tell her to be gentle, Dad waved his hand in a dismissing move, stopping him immediately.

I felt contentment fill my heart as I watched them embrace each other, tears of joy streaming down my face.

"Let's give them some privacy," I wiped my eyes and made my way out of the door as the doctor closed the door behind us.

"Is he a hundred percent back? Will everything be okay now?"

He nodded, "Yes, I'm going to run some tests right now to make sure he is completely out of danger. The results will be here in the morning. But as far as I know, he will be okay now." The doctor placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, "All that he needs now is time for his wolf to be strong again so the self-healing process can begin. And I'm sure the attention and love your mother is giving him right now will definitely speed up the process." He winked, making me laugh.

Jonathan jogged towards us, out of breath, "Al, is he...?" He might've been his Beta, but they were best friends first.

"He's back, Uncle Jon."

He almost collapsed with happiness, before racing towards me to give a hug, "I told you he will be. He is a stubborn pain in the ass; he promised he won't leave me until he turns all my hair grey." The three of us broke into smiles, "I've given the pack the good news, and told them that you'll officially address them tomorrow so you can get some time with your Dad."

I thanked him and he cupped the back of my head to kiss the top of my head, "Now let me go and meet my old friend. It's been too long."

He and the doctor went back inside the room and I excused myself to get a glass of water from the dispenser nearby. The entire ordeal had left me absolutely parched.

I was so lost in my thoughts as I filled the Styrofoam glass that I didn't see a huge weight slamming against my side, causing the glass of water to fall down. Two muscular arms circled me and pulled me against their hard body before I fell down on the floor.

"Vivian, I am so happy for you!"

Turning my head to the side, I saw the familiar mop of dirty blonde hair.

"Josh, you fucking idiot! She almost fell down!" Tyler grabbed him by his sweater, trying to pull him off of me but slipped on the water, causing him to loose balance and bringing the three of us on the floor.

"Ow, you psycho! Who pulls at a person like that?" Josh picked at the neckline of his sweater, "You messed up my perfectly good sweater."

"Well, it's all your fault!"

"Last I checked; you're the one who slipped and brought us all down."

Despite the situation we were in, it warmed my heart to see how much they cared for me. It had only been a period of few months but we had managed to grow close than ever, our bond only strengthening as time went on.

Tyler got up and offered me a hand, "You good?"

"Yep, just a little wet." I pointed to the puddle of water.

"That's what she said...," Josh sung as he adjusted his sweater.

"Real mature," Tyler answered and Josh stuck out his tongue at him.

I took the time to look over their shoulder to search the corridor for a familiar mop of inky, black hair but to no avail. He wasn't there.

I wish he stayed back too.

"How is your Dad doing?" Tyler's voice brought me back to them.

"He is awake; the doctor is going to run some tests and wait for the results tomorrow before drawing out any conclusions."

"Here," Josh called out. When I looked at him, he had a glass of water in his hand. Watching the water filled glass once again reminded how parched and dry my throat felt. Thanking him, I gulped down the entire drink in less than three seconds.

Three seconds. That's all it took for my emotions to take over. Almost instantly, my eyes began to water and my emotions poured out in a flood of uncontrollable tears. A great sob escaped me, and I covered my face with shaking hands.

I didn't know why I was crying; it just happened?

"Vivian, what's wr-," Josh wasn't able to complete his sentence because he was harshly pushed aside by someone.

Those stormy grey eyes of his studied my face with great concern, then moved towards Josh in an accusing manner, his hands extending into claws, "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing, bro! She was fine just a second ago," Josh raised both of his hands defensively then turned towards me, "What's wrong, Vivian?"

My chin trembled as I swiped my eyes. I knew I had to control my emotions and clear the air otherwise Ethan's wolf would take his wrath out on the both of them.

"It's nothing, I just feel a little overwhelmed. " I mumbled, looking upwards to stop the tears from falling down. "Watching Dad right now made me realize how much I missed him."

Tyler placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, "You'll be alright, Vivian and he will be too."

I was always bad at expressing my gratitude so I passed him a grateful smile in response because no words could ever express what their constant support meant to me.

"I noticed you didn't eat anything throughout the day," Ethan said, "which is why I brought you something to eat." I didn't notice the bag he was holding in his other hand which he had now extended towards me.

Once again, gratitude welled up inside me as I took the bag from his hand. It felt so nice to be thought of, to know someone cared for you, to know someone out there thought about you.

"Thank you," I smiled, happiness washing over my face.

"I didn't eat anything either, did you bring me anything?" Josh questioned, eagerly waiting for the answer.

Ethan ignored him as we all walked towards the chairs lined across the wall.

Realizing he had much better luck with me, Josh nudged my side with his elbow, "Mind sharing?"

"Sure," I answered, taking out the contents of the bag once we were all seated on the chairs.

Tyler crossed his arms, "Didn't you just eat three burgers an hour ago?"

"Damn it, why do you have to go around opening your mouth that much, Tyler?" Josh huffed and I laughed at his anger. There was no separating Josh and food.

My eyes widened when I noticed the amount of food Ethan had brought over; it was enough food to feed six people.

When I asked him, he answered: "I didn't know what you'd want so I brought a mix of everything."

"That's very sweet of you," I leaned forward towards him and pecked his cheek which caused a faint tinge of pink to spread on his face.

It was really cute to see how shy he always got whenever I initiated any sort of PDA.

Finishing the food surprisingly posed no problem for us. I hadn't realized how hungry I actually was and Josh was also very eager to play his part by practically inhaling what we were having.

I even forced Tyler and Ethan to join. I felt a solemn sense of happiness watching the three of them eat together in silence, passing no cutting remarks or jokes, as if they had signed a peace treaty.

Once we were finished eating, Tyler and Josh bid adieu but not before thoroughly and repeatedly checking if I was okay, promising me that they'll come to visit tomorrow.

"Thought they'll never leave," Ethan mumbled under his breath.

I turned towards him, "They're not that bad, are they?"

He gave me an 'are-you-seriously-asking-me-this-question' look.

I shrugged and tried to restrain the grin that was forming on my face, "They'll grow on you."

"Nu-uh, I'll pass."

An unrestrained laughter left my mouth at his answer. From my peripheral vision, I felt his curious eyes settling on me, studying me intently.

When my gaze connected with his stormy ones, my pulse picked up. The sensation that always surrounded us got charged again as the air between us grew hotter.

My breath hitched.

I could feel from his intense, glowing eyes that he felt the bond singeing too.

His thumb caressed my cheek, as light as a feather. Just like a magnetic pull, we begin to move closer to each other until we were separated only by inches.

"Vivian, the doctor is calling you," Quicker than a wink of an eye, we moved apart.

Turning to the source of the voice, we saw Beta Jonathan standing behind the door, waving his hand to call me in the room. I rose up and Ethan followed.

"Guess I'm called in," I pointed towards the door, "You should go, it is almost midnight. Do I have to remind you that you are an Alpha and have a pack to look after?"

He gave me lopsided grin, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"And once again, thank you for the food."

His warm eyes softened just a bit. He ran a finger down the slope of my nose and then flicked the tip gently, "You don't have to thank me for that, Vivian. I like taking care of you."

"Hmm, well in that case," I rubbed my chin in a thoughtful manner, "How about you clean my room for me? Made quite a mess today."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the request.

"Just kiddin'."

"Vivian!" Jonathan called out again and both of us turned to look at him again.

"Thank you for coming today, it meant a lot to me."

Ethan didn't respond, he just stepped forward and collected me in his strong arms. My head rested on his chest, hearing the steady thrum of his heartbeat. Cupping my face, he placed a kiss on the forehead, "Go, your father needs you."

Waving him goodbye, I headed back in the direction of the room. Once inside, the doctor filled me with the information regarding the tests that he will be carrying out. As he was using medical terms, I couldn't understand half of the terminology being used. Fortunately, Beta Jonathan explained the entire procedure to me in simpler terms.

The tests were nothing dangerous, just precautionary checks to make sure everything was normal.

After the whole ordeal was over, the doctor escorted Jonathan and I out to conduct the tests. He let Mom stay inside; partly to allow the mate bond to do its part in the healing process, partly because Dad wouldn't let go of her hand, and Mom was similarly disinclined.

Jonathan was extremely tired; the exhaustion of the day showing on his face. He was refusing to go back to his room to rest but made a beeline for his bedroom once I ordered him.

As for me, I knew sleep wouldn't be a friend to me until the results of the tests came. It was a fact known to me that if I spent the night alone in my room; my mind wouldn't stop overthinking about all the negative scenarios.

Knowing this, I decided to retire back to the chairs I was at in hopes that some pack member would still be awake and be willing enough to keep me company.

"At 4am in the morning? You wish." My wolf scoffed.

Once there, my gaze fell on a sight they couldn't believe. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me again so I rubbed them but to no avail. It remained there.

The sight of him remained there.

Ethan.

He was still there.

Three hours later, sitting on the chair, his legs in sprawled in front of him, head against the wall, eyes tightly shut – he was still there.

Cautiously, I made my way over to him, afraid to wake him up in case he was asleep. Up close, I noticed how peaceful he looked. His facial expressions had softened, his chest rose up and down slowly, and a stray strand of hair sat on his forehead.

Gently raising my hand, I tucked it back, letting my finger linger there for a while.

He was so, Goddess damn, beautiful.

Carefully, as to not make any noise, I sat in the chair next to him, placing my hand on the armrest. Maybe sitting next to him would trigger some sort of mate-bond response which would keep my negative thoughts at bay.

Taking a deep breath, I leaned my head against the wall next to his, my eyes staring aimlessly at the white ceiling.

He'll be okay, Vivian. You won't lose him.

Relax, he is fine.

I felt a weight on top of my hand, followed by a gentle squeeze.

Without raising my head my from the wall, I turned to look at Ethan. His piercing, grey eyes were already gazing at me.

"What are you still doing here, Ethan?"

"We wanted to make sure that you were okay," he squeezed my hand again.

We.

My heart soared, a surge of happiness swirling inside of me.

"Yes, I am alright." My eyes darted back to the ceiling. "Just a bit scared to be alone right now." I whispered lowly, but I knew he heard it. It felt safe to be vulnerable around him, to lift off my guard and share what was bothering me.

"Here, take this. You must be cold."

My eyes found his again and found them to be the deepest shade of black. Those eyes had once been the reason behind my anger and hatred, but now, there came a sense of warmth and security – a feeling of home.

Ethan took off his jacket and placed it over me. It was sort of a foolish act, considering how wolves rarely felt cold but I didn't stop him. The meaning behind his action wasn't lost on me.

His wolf had most probably felt my anxiety and wanted to make sure that I knew he was there for me. However, at the same time, he didn't want to cross any boundaries. So instead, he gave me his jacket which had his familiar, woodsy scent all over it – all to calm me down.

Without the jacket covering him, my eyes regarded his arms, the black ink wrapping around his bicep. Noticing my keen interest, he raised the corner of his sleeve to let me view the whole thing.

I felt my breath caught in my throat.

The tattoo was absolutely beautiful. It was a wolf, with two different shades of eyes - one brown and the other black. But the most beguiling part was that the pupil was in the shape of a crescent.

"Ethan... it's beautiful," the words left my mouth as I raised my finger to lightly trace it.

"I know it is. After all, you were the muse."

My head instantly shifted up, "What?!"

He nodded in response before continuing, "It was the night of your crowning. The first time I saw you after your return. You were standing at the podium and looked like an absolute heaven-sent vision." His eyes shifted to the side and a hazy look came over him, as if he was envisioning that very night. "Strong. Powerful. Beautiful," His head fell, "But not mine.