Zanet****

“Zane, l-”

Talia pauses for a moment to wipe her tears and several thoughts fill my head.

ls my past too much of a burden to share with her? Am I too broken to love?

“Thank you so much for sharing with me,” she murmurs, my entire body tensing as I brace myself for her to turn me down for my baggage.

My mate, however, interlocks our fingers together, bringing my hand up to her lips and kissing it.

“You are so strong, Zane,” she whispers through her tears.

“So strong and so brave,” she adds, giving my hand a squeeze.

“My problems feel so small compared to yours now,” she chuckles sheepishly.

“I had a much easier life than you did.Good parents and for a brief time, a good husband.”

She fidgets with her hair at the mention of her ex husband and I frown at her.I did not show her my past to compare pain.

Pain is pain, no matter how small or big.I hold her close, hoping I can somehow shield her away from any more pain and suffering.

“I guess it’s my turn, isn’t it?” she says quietly, resting her it?”

I nod my head and place my hands over her eyes.

My walls come down and I focus on her thoughts until the pitch black fades away.

It doesn’t take long for me to figure out that I am in a hospital room of sorts, a machine steadily beeping in the corner as I look around.

The room is quite spacious with a large window overlooking the city.

A woman lays asleep on the hospital bed, a series of tubes coming out of her.

Her face is bruised and swollen, her entire body covered in bandages.

Talia sits by her side, her thumb caressing the back of the woman’s hand.

“I’m sorry, Mami,” she murmurs as she strokes the woman’s cheek.

“I-I’m so sorry for pushing you away this past year.I should have…I should have tried to understand you more because I know that you only ever had the best intentions for me.”

She stops to catch her breath and wipe her tears.

“I know you don’t like him much, but Christian is a good man…” she says with a forced smile.

“And he’ll take good care of me.I know he will…So you don’t have to worry about me anymore.You can rest now with Dad.Yo voy a estar bien {I’m gonna be okay},”

She leans over her mother and kisses her on the forehead.

“Te quiero mucho, mami.{I love you}.Siempre te voy a querer {I will always love you}.For a moment, she stays there with her cheek pressed against her mother’s before her phone dings and she looks down to read the message.is almost here, okay? Just a little more and then I-I’ll…I’ll let you go, okay?” she smiles through her tears.

Her lips tremble as she brushes away the woman’s hair.

“Un poquito mas {Just a little more}.”

The heart monitor responds with its beeping but the woman never stirs.

Suddenly, the door bursts open, the same woman from Talia’s last memory and her ex-husband bursting in.

That must be Vanessa, I note, watching her ignore Talia as she rushes to the woman’s side and kisses her forehead.

Christian, however, comes up behind Talia and holds her to his chest.

I know it shouldn’t, but it angers me to see my mate in his arms.

“Ay, Mami,”

Vanessa whispers as brushes away her mother’s hair, her voice morphing into a sob.

“;Qué te pasd? ;Qué te hicieron? {What happened to you? What did they do to you?}”

She turns to Talia, her face stained with tears.

“Are you sure she’s…”

Her voice trails off at the end but Talia understands and nods as she wipes the tears on her face.

“And Dad?” Talia shakes her head, a fresh stream of tears rolling down her cheeks.

Christain squeezes her tightly, Talia burying her face in his chest as he responds on her behalf.

“They couldn’t do anything for him.He died on impact…” he Asmall whimper escapes Talia’s throat while Vanessa caresses her mother’s cheeks.

The medical team arrives, Talia sobbing even louder now that the end is near.

“l-is she in pain?” Vanessa asks.

“Does she hurt?”

One of the nurses steps forward.

“No, sweetie.She’s not in any pain.”

“Good,” Vanessa nods to herself.

“And…H-how many….How many lives is she saving?”

“Four,” the nurse responds.

“She’s saving four.”

“O-Okay,”

Vanessa says to herself, kissing her mothers cheek.

“H-How long will it take before…she umm…before she…”

“Not long,” the nurse.

minutes and

“O-okay,”

replies, looking over

“Okay.”

of Christian’s arms to stand by her sister, grabbing hold of

“Adios, Mami,”

mother’s hand a squeeze as the nurse begins to turn

over to remove the ventilator from her mother’s mouth when she suddenly bursts

she

can’t do this.I

tries to calm her down

“Vanessa-”

“No!”

the room and into the The nurse pauses and

nurse nodding and proceeding with the

“It’s okay, Mami,”

away the last

good care of her for you.You just

promised, it only takes a few minutes before Talia’s mother finally goes home, the medical team wheeling her

while she sobs silently before she rushes

Vanessa curled up on the floor, hugging her knees to

not appear angry or upset, quietly sitting

whimpers, her body shaking

them …k-kill her,” she hiccups,

“I couldn’t…I couldn’t…”

into another sob, Talia giving her a tight squeeze and letting her rest her head on her

“I know…”

of the hospital disappears into the abyss, morphing into

is painted white with minimal decor, just a few plants here

wall, there is

a book shelf full of thick books and a

calculator and jotting something down on a sheet of

when a gentle knock on the door draws

beautiful woman and a brooding man walking

flowers and a little red box in her

smiles happily, rushing to greet the woman with a

woman

me Kay. You know Mrs.Hart makes me

as she puts the flowers on her desk and nods nervously

man who only gives

in the stomach to behave but Mr.Hart only growls in

throat and cheerfully hands the small red box to

like a two years and Goddess you have done an

honey?” She asks her

at Talia, his

not seem bothered by his cold demeanor, keeping her attention on

have a gift for you,” Kay continues, attempting to diffuse the

you

beautiful bracelet with stone beads “It’s a fertility

of hurt flickering in Talia’s

meant to bring you good luck with

“Oh I see,”

smiles politely, although I see

you.How thoughtful of

yes.Because a few stones are

doing

one at that.A real she-wolf would have already delivered a whole litter of pups by

“Christopher!”

at

take that back

but she’s a disgrace

her failure to produce an heir but I still see the slight tremor

next month,” Mr.Hart adds, his voice

one more year, Natalia, one more year to give him an heir or I will

“Christopher!”

shouts, her husband only glaring

have never approved of this marriage,” he mutters to himself before

looks at Talia with

so sorry,” she

didn’t…I didn’t think

alright,” Talia shrugs, walking

used to

face softens and she excuses herself to go find her husband.I watch Talia sit at her desk for

between her fingers, as if willing them to work.She ties the bracelet on left wrist, her lower lip quivering when

eyes to take a deep

not need me, wiping her own tears and sitting

she dives into her work, somehow finding the strength to focus on

her work, Talia doubles over, intensifies,

a silent scream and she collapses on her knees onto the floor, her

on

the phone, her

“He-help me.”

lays on the floor for several minutes before a man bursts through the

what happened?” the man asks, pulling Talia

back her scream to

know,” She

“It just hurts.”

“What hurts?”

“Everything!”

cries, her hands clawing at

I can’t breathe.I can’t

as he tries to think of

can take a look at you,” he says, carrying her out of the

an exam table in a patient gown and

subsided temporarily, Talia no longer screaming or writhing but still

to be fine,

tries to

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