After the whirlwind of nerves and laughter with Talia, I straightened myself, trying to appear composed beneath the intense gaze of a noble vampire in the pack house. Her aura shimmered with dignity and command, yet her sly grin nearly devoured my courage, and her eyes seemed to see straight through me.
"Ahm, can you introduce yourself to me instead of making me uneasy?" I asked warily, fidgeting in my seat.
"Oh, pardon me. I'm just reading why your guardian said you're different, and I can tell why." The vampire lady chuckled apologetically before introducing herself to me. "Anyway, I'm not the person you're going to marry, but I am her mother, Alysia Cain Knightrose, but everyone calls me Lady Alysia nowadays."
"Oh, so she's the one who sent the letter." I thought before introducing myself politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Bernila Daquila, the weakest omega of the Moon's Gypsys pack."
Alysia Cain Knightrose was a noble with dignity, although she was the retired queen of this empire. She still held herself confidently and demanded respect. Her simple white dress with crimson floral design became classy and sophisticated by the way she carried it. I couldn't help but admire and be polite with her.
"Physically, mentally and emotionally, you are weak, but it doesn't define a person's strength." With a gentle voice, she told me and reminded me of my saviour.
"That's what they told me." I softly smiled.
"And here you are, talking to me when nobody can, aside from my family." She chuckled like she knew me long before we even met and made me blush.
I'm speechless. I don't know how to answer that, and just changed the topic before I got grilled on the spot, wondering, "Is the person I'm going to marry coming too?"
"Sadly, no. She's busy at the moment, but don't worry, she agreed to marry you. In fact, she's the one who insists." Amused, she replied honestly, which confused me a little and made her chuckle. Then she explained, "The Knightrose mark appears on a person's temple, indicating who they are destined to marry within the family. The mark on you is a crimson rose with infinite thorns wrapping around it, which means your soulmate is my eldest, Mirxalyn. I hope you caught her name."
As that name echoed in my ears, I saw my saviour's image flashing, making my heart drum like it was being hit by a sledgehammer - attempting to break my ribcage. Even my palm started to sweat in the process.
"What the…" I thought, puzzled over my sudden heart rate before confirming, "I do, but didn't care much about the person who owns the name."
There was a suspenseful pause in the air until she laughed, confusing me even more, until she spoke amusingly at me, saying, "Oh my, I love you already, and I'll make sure the wedding will happen as soon as possible. And no more buts since it has been arranged."
"Even I don't like it, I'll do it for the sake of my healing, so, yeah, I guess I'm marrying your daughter," With a slight sarcasm, I said my truth softly.
"You'll do just fine living with us. And who knows, love already started without you knowing it." She said, assuring me, but the last words she said left a little conflict in my chest.
"Does she know something?" I thoughtfully wondered before I thanked her politely, "Thank you for your assurance."
"It's my pleasure to ease your worry, and I'm here to pick you up for it…" She said, grinning, before following up a suggestion, saying, "…but if you still want another day with your family, her driver will be the one who'll pick you tomorrow at dawn."
Before I could even reply, Talia's voice boomed and answered on my behalf, saying, "She'll leave now. She's already packed."
"Talia," I whined with a tiny pout, making her arch her eyebrow at me. She's being my elder sister right there.
"Stop it, Bernila. You need to heal, and they're offering it, so take it." Talia firmly said, making the family amusingly chuckle.
"Also, we can come and visit you, am I right, Lady Alysia?" Luna Taylor asked the lady and agreed.
"Of course, just informed us before the time you decided to visit, or I'll give you a call to surprise her." Lady Alysia answered with an amused smile.
"See, you don't need to worry. Starting now, Bernila, focus on finding and healing yourself. Leave the painful past here and have a life in the new environment with them." Talia said firmly at me, but her tone was gentle.
"You really know what to say to me." I sighed, giving up on her persistent side.
"Well, I won't be your bestie if I don't care about you." With a grin, she winked, making me shake my head before I pulled her into my arms tightly.
"I love you, and I'm gonna miss you all," I said to them and wiped the threatening tears away from my eyes.
***
Leaving the roof that gave me sanctuary left an ache in my chest. It wasn't the same as going out to the mall because this was my first time leaving the pack for good. And like what they mentioned before, leaving a pack as a lone wolf or banished like a rogue, there was a feeling of being skinned and burned alive. It was agonising, and it was not easy to feel on a weak body like I had. I was trembling badly and sweating like a tired pig trying to finish a marathon. Even my lungs were about to explode, my mind was racing, and my heart was drumming hard like it wanted to be free from being captive.
"Argh! This is so much! Argh!" With gritted teeth, I groaned in pain while I felt Lady Alysia's hand on my back, trying to help me ease the pain spreading drastically throughout my body.
"Keep it together. Breath. We're almost out of the pack's village." Lady Alysia softly told me, and I could feel it. We're near the end, but it was too painful until I – we heard Alpha Ozmon's howl. "He felt it, and he's letting you go."
I could not say anything anymore and just screamed, which sounded like a roar. I even felt a snapping string binding me to the pack until my body went limp, falling in the lady's arms. I could not move or stay awake. I'm just tired.
"Mama, I'm tired…" I mumbled softly and weakly. Lady Alysia pulled me closer into her arms, protectively.
"Sleep. I've got you, dear." She said, and those are the words I heard before a dramatic collision happened.
I was not asleep when it happened.
I could feel everything. I'm hyper-aware of the impact that collided with our car, from the loud crash of metals against another car, then to another car flipping ours before crashing into the pavement at the other side of the freeway. And because of it, my body is shutting down again.
"Oh, come on. Not again." I thought whiningly while attempting to wake my body, but it was not responding according to my will.
As I was busy trying to make my body respond, I began hearing an unclear shouting voice and a tap on my face. Finally, my eyes flickered a little, but my sight was hazy. I wanted to say something, but my voice was off, and the pain began shooting through my entire body. I could not feel some parts of my body, making me groan.
"Good, you're alive. Stay awake and keep breathing for me, dear."
"Lady Alysia, they escaped."
"Dammit. She'll be furious over this."
"We should get her to the hospital."
"NO! After what just happened, I don't think it's safe."
"Where to then, my lady?"
"Main manor. I need her to be treated there as soon as possible, and contact my son."
"Yes, my lady."
I feel Lady Alysia's first aid treatment over my injured parts while they talked frantically about something bad if they didn't hurry or something. I couldn't clearly name what they were talking about, but I felt the lady's temper was rising and overlapping with worry before I sensed her focus on me.
"Bernila, dear, open your eyes and listen carefully."
Lady Alysia's soft and worried voice called me, and gently tapping my face, my body responded weakly.
"Mama…" I muttered hoarsely, slowly opening my eyes half-lidded, asking weakly, "W-what h-happened?"
"Collision." Lady Alysia softly replied before firmly continuing, "I'm going to carry you, so brace yourself and hold on tight because it's going to be faster than your run."
I weakly nodded and tightened my hold around her dress, which I bet was now covered with blood. Before I could let my mind wander more, she pulled me closer and got up from crouching.
"Stay here and explain to the officer what happened. Find them and report to me before she does something about this."
"Yes, my lady."
With those last words, I felt a harsh wind brushing intensely against my skin, making me tighten my grip on the lady's dress. Approximately, it only lasted for five deep breaths that I did when the rush stopped, and I was carefully placed on a bed, but I couldn't let go of the lady.
"Dear, you're safe now. My son is a general surgeon for all species, and he'll be your doctor now. He'll take care of you from here." With softness in her tone, Lady Alysia assured me, but I can't. I'm scared.
"I-I'm s-scared…" I stuttered weakly, making her lean in and kissed my temple.
"Don't be. I'll be here and remember what you promised to your family: You'll take care of yourself now that you're here. So, let us help you." She assured me more, and I get it. I let go of her and let his son be my doctor now. "Take her in and make sure she lives."
Then I lost consciousness after being taken into another room, and a needle was poked into my skin.
***
I don't know what happened after that, but when I regained consciousness, I felt my body was still in pain, but bearable. However, I still couldn't open my eyes apart from feeling and hearing my surroundings. I heard a beeping sound on my right side, felt a tube in my mouth, and something pierce my arm. I wanted to get up, but my body was still feeling tired, and then, I fell asleep again.
***
My eyes were still closed, but murmuring increased like loud bees surrounding the room. It was annoying. I could feel my temper rising, my body began trembling, and the heat spreading across my being before I shot up, pulling the tube out of my mouth out of the blue. It was a painful gesture - a stupid one, but my lungs felt relief. However, that stupidity caused me to have an excessive cough and bleeding.
"She's awake. Call my son."
"BERNILA!!!"
"Y-your…h-here…" I weakly said, smiling at my mother, my bestie and my godfather, but I coughed again.
"You're being stupid." Talia glared at my stupidity before softening, "You're bleeding again."
"T-that's m-me f-for s-sure." I stuttered and kept coughing when my doctor came, and then he helped me control my coughing and bleeding. He was a little resemblance of Lady Alysia but in the body of a man and more gentle than she.
"Never in my entire career would I see a patient remove the tube as soon as they wake up." The good-looking and gentle doctor commented amusingly before introducing himself, welcoming me, "I'm Mikyle Knightrose, your personal doctor that my mother assigned, and welcome back to the land of living."
"Sounds like I've been asleep for a week." I guessed as he handed me a glass of water after being treated.
"For a month, your body received fatal injuries from a concussion, internal bleeding, multiple broken bones around your knees, down to your legs and arms, which I found were from old injuries. They were all slowly healing, which explained why you're asleep for a month. Luckily, they were all healed now, but I'm still advising you to stay for another week for assurance." Dr Mikyle answered, briefing me on what I went through before adding firmly, "Also, I prepared healthy diets that I must strictly advise you to follow."
"Okay, thank you." With gratitude, I smiled weakly and rested on the bed after my entire body had calmed down a little.
"Aren't you going to ask her about her old injuries?" Alpha Ozmon curiously wondered, making me and Talia look at each other.
"No need, because her body already told me everything." Dr Mikyle answered with a smile but didn't say anything further. It's a patient's confidentiality. "Rest some more. See you later."