Aenes cleared his throat and shifted on his feet while he looked between the two of us with something in his eyes that I could describe. "Now, how are you feeling, TJ?" he asked and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

I shrugged and grimaced. "Like crap," I replied, hoarsely. I closed my eyes and grimaced again while I turned my head to the side before I looked at them again, opening my eyes. "What happened? Is it safe to talk about everything now?" I looked at Aenes when I asked that.

My mother cleared her throat and shifted on the bed. "Why don't you rest some more, and we can talk about everything in a couple of days when you are feeling better. Ok?" Mom asked and moved a hand through my hair some more. She smiled and tucked her head closer to her chest while she smiled softly. "You shouldn't have to worry about it so soon after you have woken up."

I bit back an annoyed sigh and rolled my eyes, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Mom, please," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I want to know." I paused and licked my lips. "Please."

"And you will," Aenes promised while he bowed his head closer to his chest, clearing his throat. "You have my word, Young Alpha." He cleared his throat and stood taller, pressing his lips into a thin line. "However, I do agree with your mother that you need to heal some more before we are able to tell you what happened."

I bit back an annoyed sigh and gritted my teeth, silently debating on whether or not I should fight and get them to tell me what happened now instead of later.

Mom gently squeezed my arm as if she knew my thoughts, and I looked at her with eyes filled with annoyance and pain. She smiled sadly and tucked her head closer to her chest. 'I believe that it is in our best interest that we talk in the safe room,' she said through our mindlink. 'That way no one is able to hear anything that we have to talk about or something else.'

I couldn't help it; I really tried to stop myself from what I wanted to do, but I couldn't and let out the annoyed sigh that I tried to stop and rolled my eyes while I pressed my lips into a thin line.

'Please, T,' she said, tucking her head closer to her chest while she stared at me with pain filled eyes. 'Don't fight us on this, please. I know that you want to, but it is not safe for us to talk about this yet.'

I sighed again and slowly nodded, deciding that it would be for the best that I didn't argue or push while we were in the hospital room even if a part of me wanted to. "Ok," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my bed. "I will not push you all to tell me, but I hope that you both will answer all of my questions when I ask them in a couple of days."

Aenes and my mother looked at each other, and my mother set her jaw while she looked at me. They both had pained looks on their faces, and I had a feeling that it meant that they were not going to answer all of my questions, no matter how much I wanted them to.

I bit back an annoyed sigh and slowly nodded, closing my eyes ever so slightly. "What if there is something that is not dangerous, can I know then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in question while I opened my eyes and looked at them again.

"We will answer what we can, Young Alpha," Aenes said, tucking his head closer to his chest, his eyes holding a silent promise that had me biting back a small sigh of relief while I slowly nodded. "If we tell you that it is dangerous, then please do not keep pressing us about it. Is that understood?"

I nodded, setting my jaw. "I understand," I said before I looked toward the other side, closing my eyes again when a wave of exhaustion washed over me, and my mother moved a hand through my hair, silently knowing that I was wanting to fall asleep. "Can you do me a favor, Aenes?" I asked and turned to look at them again while I opened my eyes, and Aenes raised an eyebrow in question while he looked at me.

"And what is the favor?" he asked and cocked his head before he studied me, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"Can you make sure that Mom gets some rest and for her not to sleep in the chair while I sleep?" I asked, painfully gesturing toward the chair where my mother had been sitting for the past three days, and my mom stopped moving a hand through my hair.

"Thomas Junior," my mother said sharply, and she scowled and narrowed her eyes. Pain and annoyance flashed through her eyes while she stared at me, setting her jaw. "W-"

"Please, Mom," I said, interrupting her while I tucked in on myself just a tad because I did not like the fact that I had made her upset and angry. "You need actual sleep, and I am not talking about this." I gestured to the chair again before I looked at her again. "Please, Mom."

"And why are you not asking me?" Dad asked while he raised an eyebrow in question, and a look of amusement flashed through his eyes. "I mean, I could pick her up and take her to our bedroom if you want." He took a teasing step toward her, and my mother instantly turned to look at him with wide eyes and a set jaw.

"Touch me, and you die," she said and bared her teeth while she narrowed her eyes and growled a warning, and my father raised his hands in surrender while he took a step back and grinned.

I closed my eyes and smiled, biting back a small tired sigh. "And that is why I want Aenes to do something to "help" get Mom to bed and not you, Dad," I said and opened my eyes while I looked at him. "She has you wrapped around her little pinkie, and you will do what you are told to do."

Dad bit back a small chuckle and slowly nodded. "And Serenity doesn't?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question, asking me if Serenity had me wrapped around her pinkie, which was the truth.

"She does," I said and slowly nodded while I pressed my lips into a thin line. My heart yearned to be with my mate, and I wished that I could have her by my side while I healed but knew that I couldn't, especially since I would be fully healed by the time that she saw me again.

"I am not leaving," Mom said and shook her head, setting her jaw tighter. "I do not know why you are telling me to leave when I have a child in the hospital."

"Because your child is eighteen-years-old, Mom, and you do not have to act as if your child is a baby," I said sarcastically, biting back a small smile while I stared at her, and my mother rolled her eyes and pressed her lips into a thin line, amused.

"But you will always be my baby, T," she said and moved a hand through my hair, and I closed my eyes, biting back a small smile. "I do not care if you are eighteen-years-old and will be the Alpha of the pack when your father and I pass because I know that I will be there for you even after death."

"I know, Mom," I said, biting back a small laugh, "but you still have a lot of other kids to take care of, and you are pregnant, so you do have to take care of yourself as well. That means you have to get a good night's sleep and eat and do all of that stuff so that you and the baby can stay healthy."

"But..."

But I don't want you here by yourself...

"Then send Mel, an aunt or an uncle, a cousin, my Beta, Dad, or anyone else that is free to stay with me for a little while, Mom," I said. "That is what a pack is for. We keep an eye on our own."

"And unfortunately, I will be on Sam duty, so I will not be able to stay with you," Dad said with a small apologetic smile on his face while Mom rolled her eyes and scowled. He smiled at her before he looked at me, growing serious. "Mel has been "helping" out with your mate and staying with her, but I think that she will come and spend time with you if you want her to."

I sighed and slowly nodded, not caring who was to stay with me but wanting Mom to leave so that she could take care of herself and get some rest.

All I wanted to do was go back to sleep and heal some more so that I would be ready for whenever I would be able to see my mate in my room until I was able to go back to school.

"It doesn't matter," I said, my voice barely above a whisper while I closed my eyes, biting back a small yawn. "I just don't want Mom to be in here that much anymore now that she knows that I am alive and will be well."

For now...

My silent words hung in the air around us, giving us a harder time to breathe while we processed those words.

I was safe for now, but that can and will change as fast as a clock ticks by one tick after another...

Mom set her jaw and slowly nodded before she pressed a kiss to my forehead, and I offered her a tired smile, not opening my eyes to look at her again. "I will come visit you after I have taken care of myself," she said. "If you are feeling better, do not leave the room without someone knowing or being near you. Is that understood?" She scowled and narrowed her eyes while she stared at me.

I smiled and nodded, biting back a tired sigh. "Yes, Ma'am," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I will take the first watch," Aenes offered, "that way you all will know that he is safe and in the room while you take care of yourself and get yourself situated."

"Are you sure?" Mom asked and frowned while she looked at him. "I know that you are a busy man, Aenes, and you do not have to. I c-" She stopped talking when Aenes raised his hand to silence her.

"It will be my pleasure to help you and your family out, Sam," Aenes said and bowed, putting his hand down by his side again. "Go ahead and get some rest. TJ will be just fine under my care. You have my word."

Mom pressed her lips into a thin line before she sighed and nodded, slowly relenting. "Ok," she said before she cleared her throat and turned to look at me. "T?"

I bit back an annoyed groan and opened an eye to look at her, hating the fact that she cut my napping in half. I frowned and slowly blinked but didn't say a word while I looked at her, waiting for her to say something.

She offered me a tight smile and tucked her head closer to her chest while she stared at me with wide eyes and filled with tears. "If you need anything, then please do not hesitate in contacting me, ok? I want to make sure that you stay safe and alive. Is that understood?"

I groaned again but nodded, knowing full well that she would not take no for an answer. "Yes, Ma'am," I said hoarsely. "Now, go let me sleeeeeep, Mom. Please. I am tired."

Mom laughed and kissed my forehead, and I couldn't help but smile and close my eyes further. "I will, my son," she said with a chuckle in her voice. "Sleep well, and I will see you later. I love you."

And without another word, both she and my father left, leaving Aenes and I alone in the room while I slowly started to welcome the darkness once again while I fell fast asleep.

Thank Goddess...