"I feel like I've hardly seen you," Visena said, walking into the humid Medical room. 

Gideon sat hunched over Jed with the darkest circles under his eyes she had ever seen. "I'm sorry, I just want to be here when he wakes up."

It had been two days since they had rescued the children, and Gideon hadn't left Jed's side for longer than a few minutes. Visena understood, of course, but she missed him immeasurably. 

Both her and Liam had become the unlikely 'parents' of Cassia in Gideon's absence. The child acted as a welcome distraction to her familial grief but did nothing to ease the ache from their damaged mate-bond. She hoped the discomfort signalled that the mate-bond was healing despite Daeva's blood magic.

As she observed his perfect profile, she fantasised about their bond becoming whole. Shudders trailed down her sides as she imagined wearing his mark along her shoulder. However, the likelihood of completing the mating ceremony became less likely as the days went on, and the threat of visiting Alpha's increased. Prim had been talking non-stop about the potential for visitors 'any day now.'

No. Visena couldn't expect anything close to a mating ceremony until Jed was awake. Or she tried to wake him up...

Dammit.

The Fae walked over and sat next to Jed on the cot with a sigh of resignation. A reoccurring spell that returned after her mother's death swirled in her mind. She stared between the men's pale faces and chewed her lower lip. The scent of antiseptic and herbal remedies wafted around the room and clung to the damp sheets on Jed's cot, making her eyes water. Gideon's hands shook when Visena trailed her fingers across his bruised knuckles.

 "I wasn't going to try this because he was still healing, but I think he should be as healed as he's gonna get physically." Visena lay her palms against both Jed's cheeks. "I wasn't intentionally keeping this option from you, Gideon, I promise."

Truthfully, she would never have woken up a healing creature with this method because of the halting effects of the magic. But Gideon's raised brows and soft expression had her melting, eager to do anything to stop his pain. And by now, Visena knew Jed was not staying unconscious because he was healing. Instead, one probe of his anima told her he was trying to die.

"Wake up, Jed," she kissed his third eye and pressed her cheek to his. His skin was cold and clammy against her face. "Wake up."

Jed woke in a rage of claws and teeth. Gideon dragged Visena out of harm's way and tried to calm his brother out of a half shift. Jed whole body contorted, his muscles roiling in fury before he realised where he was. A few deep breaths and growls later, Jed stilled on his cot, defeated. "Why couldn't you just let me die?"

Gideon grimaced. "Why would you say that?"

"I'm fucked, Gideon. I can't walk, I can hardly feel my legs, and I can't be your Gamma anymore."

"Why the fuck not?"

Jed didn't bother responding. Instead, he turned his head and looked despondent at the grey walls. Visena sighed behind the men and tentatively walked to the cot and sat by Jed's torso.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you," he mumbled.

"It's fine..." Visena sighed again. She had an idea but there was a risk that Jed could take it badly. "My mother used the last of her magic, her soul, to heal you. Can I look for it?"

Jed turned his head to look at the Fae. "What?"

"I want to see what it's healing. If you need a wheelchair for the rest of your life then it must be holding something else together. Something important."

"I'd rather just die."

"Can you just let me look?" Visena's voice held a gentle dose of Alpha command, and Jed nodded glumly as she placed her palms on his chest. Then, after closing her eyes, she felt the magic swirling along Jed's spine. 

Platinum and iridium bonds held his body together like glue. It was strongest around the animal side of him. His wolf.

Visena pulled back with a tremor. She couldn't imagine this information doing anything but hurting Jed more when he was at his most vulnerable.

"So?" Gideon rounded the bed and sat near Jed's feet.

Visena bit her lip. If she wouldn't get hunted down immediately by her angry mate, she would have run into the forest and never looked back. "I... uh, he..." 

This would be an opportune time to learn how to lie.

"What?" Jed groaned, awkwardly propping himself on his elbows.

Both men's attentive expressions and Gideon's adoring face had Visena's resolve crumbling, and she opted for the truth. As always. "The magic is protecting your wolf. If you shift, you will be as strong as before the injury."

Jed's face contorted, and his fists shook from where his fingers clenched into his palms. "Well, what about when I'm human? Which is most of the time!"

Visena shrunk from his raised voice, mind ticking away. "What if you had the choice?"

Jed paused. "What?"

Why did I say that? Fuck.

"My mother's magic is pure energy. Matter. I could encourage it to move from your Wolf's injuries, and it would heal your human form instead if you wanted. But the cost would be losing your Wolf. You could walk, but you would never shift again."

That is way too much information for a person fresh from a coma, Visena. Good one, she thought sarcastically.

Although, the reception she received was unexpected. Jed's expression softened almost serenely and he looked thoughtfully at the woman at his side. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Of course."

Visena rose to leave when she heard Jed's voice again. "You too Gideon. Get lost."

"You little jerk," he replied with a grin, touseling his brother's hair. He followed Visena and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind when they were out of sight.

"Thank you."

"What for? I think I made it worse."

They walked until they were out of super-hearing earshot. "No. He needed the wake-up call. Wolves get injured all the time; perks of the species. Usually, we heal but when the damage is catastrophic, or they use silver and wolfsbane, we end up like regular humans. No one keeps their wolf with an injury like Jeds."

"Do you think he'll stay as he is?"

"I know he will. I heard him."

"Huh?"

"Mindlink. Sometimes Jed has issues with emotional spillage. I've always heard more from him than the others. For some reason, he struggles to close himself off."

"I think that's a good thing."

"I do too."

A pained growl hit their ears at the exact moment, and they spun towards the sound. A chocolate brown wolf scampered around the Packhouse and sprinted into the trees opposite. "Jed! What are you doing?"

Gideon sighed. "Sneaky little shit."

Visena's mouth opened and closed as reality sunk in. "What happened? I thought you said-"

"He lied through the pack link so I wouldn't find out his plan."

"Which is?"

"He's going to stay in wolf form. Permanently."

~~~

A/N

Naughty Jed... But can you blame him? I feel like I would do that. Or at least have a decent amount of time to sulk before facing reality.

Matter of fact- sorry, Jed, do what you gotta do, hun!

What do you think? Was it warranted or immature?

I feel like there's too much dialogue here too, but I wanted to post, so I'll lengthen it at some point when I edit ;)

See yah,

K <3