I was in a room that I’d never seen before. It was very homey, with a fire crackling cheerfully in the fireplace and plush couches set strategically around. Through a window, I could see a lake with a dock. There were pictures on the walls, but before I could move forward to look at them a door opened to my left. I turned to see who was coming in and froze. “Mom?”

            She smiled warmly as she stopped in front of me and hugged me tightly. “I’ve missed you sweetheart.”

            I pulled back a little and gazed at her in wonder. “Am I dead?”

            She shook her head. “No darling, you’re only visiting me for a brief time. You’re in a coma right now, but you’ll wake up soon. Jaxon is quite beside himself with worry, and will be greatly relieved when you join him again.” She gestured to one of the couches. “Come and sit with me. We can chat for the short time we’re together.”

            I was dumbfounded as I sat next to her, but I quickly recovered. “I don’t understand. Is this a dream?”

            “When you wake up it might seem like one, but this is reality to me now. I was given permission to visit with you by the spirits as there are things you need to be told.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “As you know, wolf shifters and their mates go to our version of Heaven when we die. The spirits in this wonderful place have deemed it necessary for me to speak to you in this brief window of opportunity. You already know that you and Jaxon are different from other mated pairs; this is because it is your destiny to rid the world of the wolves who have broken the laws of nature and mated with each other, producing full wolves.”

            “You mean Derek and Lena.”

            “Yes, but they aren’t the only ones in existence. Have you not wondered why Derek is trying to take over territory that is already claimed when there is so much unclaimed land around?”

            “Yeah, that’s something that has me completely confused. Do you know why this is? And what do you mean that there are more than just the two of them in existence?”

            “The two you have met aren’t as alone as you think. There is a connection between the others and the reason Derek is on our land. It is forbidden for me to tell you what that reason is, but you’re smart and so is your mate. I have faith that you’ll figure it out.”

            I studied her and realized she looked healthy and happy. Her hair, the same dark blonde as my own, was full and fell past her shoulders. When she had died, it had been nearly non-existent due to the chemotherapy. I knew I should be concentrating on what she was telling me, but I was too overwhelmed at seeing her again. “I miss you,” I told her softly.

            “Oh sweetheart, I miss you too. And your brother and father.” She sighed and looked off into space. “I especially miss your father because he’s filled with so much sorrow and grief and there is nothing I can do about it. You have Jaxon to help you and Dylan has his Hannah. But your father is alone and it pains me knowing that I can’t comfort him as I used to.” She shook her head as if to clear the memories from her mind. “When you go back, do me a favour and tell your father something for me.”

            “Of course.”

            “Tell him ‘Lockwood’. He’ll know what it means and I hope it will help ease his pain.”

              I felt a sudden tingling in my hand and I frowned as I looked down at it. “What’s happening?”

            My mother smiled sadly. “It is time for you to return to your mate. Your connection to him will be even stronger when you wake up, and you’ll both gain new abilities. I don’t know what exactly will be different, but it will help you in times of need.” She stood up and pulled me to my feet. “Stay safe sweetie. I don’t want you joining me here for many years.”

            “I’ll try to mom. I wish I didn’t have to leave you.”

            “It’s not time for you to be here permanently. When that time comes, I’ll be here to welcome you with open arms.”

            The room started to fade, and my mother along with it. The last thing I saw before darkness once more enclosed me was her blowing me a kiss like she always had before she died.

            There was a pressure on my right hand and it was so tight that it was almost painful. I tried to wriggle my fingers and immediately the pressure eased. I heard a voice say my name, though it sounded very far away, almost as if I was underwater. When I didn’t respond, the pressure on my hand increased again and I groaned and attempted to tug it away. When that didn’t work, I pried my eyes open.

            Jaxon’s face was the first thing I saw, and it was lined with worry. His lips were moving and I focused so I could hear what he was saying. “Mia, you need to stay awake.”

            I tried to speak, but my mouth was so dry that I started coughing. Jaxon quickly grabbed a cup that was beside him and held the straw to my lips so I could drink some water. When I was done I pulled my head back and he set the cup back down. “What happened?” I asked him.

            “There was an explosion. Do you remember what happened?”

            I thought back and suddenly everything came flooding back. “Jared?”

            Jaxon shook his head. “He died immediately. There was no way he could have survived that.”

            I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. I hadn’t known Jared long, but he’d become a friend already. I opened my eyes again when Jaxon put a hand on my cheek. “What caused the explosion?”

            “The police are still trying to figure that out. It was originally thought that something happened to the engine, but further examination has shown that there was some sort of bomb.”

            My eyes widened. “A bomb?”

            “Yeah. They aren’t telling us too much yet, though.”

            “It had to have been Derek,” I murmured. “Who else would want Jared dead?”

            Jaxon nodded. “I think so too, but it’s not something we can discuss here.”

            It was then that I realized I was in a hospital room. The lights were dim, but I could see that I was lying in a bed and Jaxon was sitting on a chair beside me. It was dark outside the window, indicating that it was nighttime. “How long have I been out?”

            “Thirty of the longest hours of my life. You hit your head pretty hard on the side of the house.”

            I glanced at my left arm, which was encased in a cast. “Did I break anything else?”

            “No, though you’re pretty bruised and banged up. I need to let the nurses know that you’re awake, but I’m afraid to leave you in case you go back to sleep.”

            “Just go to the door and call out for one of them then. I don’t want you to leave me either.”

            He did as I suggested and then hurried back to my side. He went to pick up my right hand again, but that was when I saw the IV in my arm. I panicked and tried to rip it out, but Jaxon quickly restrained me, leaning over me and gently holding my broken arm to my side. “Easy baby, you’re okay. It’s already in you.”

            His voice was soothing and I slowly relaxed again. Instead of moving back, Jaxon pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. “I was so scared, Mia,” he admitted, his voice cracking slightly when he said my name.

            “I’m sorry I scared you.” I raised my right hand and threaded my fingers in his hair, being careful not to get the IV line tangled. “I came back to you as quickly as I could.”

            He brushed his lips over mine in a soft and tender kiss. “I guess it’s a good thing you have a hard head,” he said with a hint of a smile.

            I smiled as well. “I always thought you were the hard headed one out of the two of us,” I murmured.

            He pulled back when the nurse came in, taking my right hand in both of his. The nurse checked my vitals and when she was satisfied that I was stable, she left us after informing us the doctor would see me in the morning. When we were alone again, I moved over in the bed, wincing as pain lanced through me. I had a feeling I was going to be pretty sore for the next couple of weeks. Once I was over enough, I looked up at Jaxon. “Lie with me?”

            He didn’t have to be asked twice. He quickly kicked off his shoes and climbed into the bed, very carefully sliding his arm around my shoulders. I rested my head against him and snuggled into him as much as I could. “Have you slept since the explosion?” I asked him.

            “No, I’ve been too worried about you. Besides, I couldn’t sleep without you anyways.”

            I closed my eyes. “Let’s get some sleep now then. I may have been unconscious for thirty hours, but I’m still tired.”

            “I don’t really want to sleep. I’m afraid I’ll wake up and you’ll be in a coma again.”

            I opened my eyes again and gazed up at him. “I won’t be,” I promised. “We both need some sleep. There’s a lot to talk about in the morning once we’re rested.”

            “Like what?”

            “Like a dream I had, though I’m not entirely sure it was a dream.”

            “What do you mean?”

            I briefly told him about seeing my mom. “She said it might seem like a dream when I woke up, but that it was her reality.”

            “So there are more like Derek and Lena out there?”

            “That’s what she said. We need to figure out how to neutralize them so we can deal with this problem.”

            Jaxon laid his cheek on top of my head. “We will. I find it strange that we have some weird destiny that we’re supposed to follow. And how exactly are we supposed to follow it if we can’t find the others?”

            “I don’t know.” My eyes closed once again. “Let’s go to sleep now. We’ll try and make sense of this later.”

            He finally agreed and we drifted off to sleep, locked in each other’s arms.

            “Well, it’s nice to see some things never change,” a male voice said dryly, rousing me from my sleep.

            I blinked sleepily a few times before focusing on the person beside the hospital bed. “Dylan?” I blinked a few more times. “What the hell are you doing here?”

            He plopped into the chair beside the bed. “Did you really think I wouldn’t come when I heard you were in the hospital?” He eyed me briefly and then shook his head in mock annoyance. “Obviously you’re doing much better since you’re wrapped so tightly around your mate.”

            It was then that I realized I was still in Jaxon’s arms, and when I looked at his face I saw that he was awake and smiling lazily at me. I looked back at my brother and shrugged. “What can I say? I’m irresistible.”

            Dylan rolled his eyes. “Only to him, little sister.”

            “Where’s Hannah?” I asked to change the subject.

            His eyes immediately warmed. “She’s out in the hall with dad, talking with the doctor. I slipped away and snuck in here when they weren’t paying attention.”

            I laughed and shook my head at him. “You’ll never change, will you?”

            “Why would I want to mess with perfection?” he asked incredulously.

            Hannah came in then, a bundle of energy as always. Her eyes lit up when she saw I was awake. “Mia! It’s good to see you’ve decided to join us in the land of the living again.”

            I grinned at her. “I figured it wasn’t fair to deprive all of you of my presence any longer.”

            She laughed and plunked herself onto my brother’s lap. “How are you feeling?”

            “Like I got slammed into the side of a house,” I replied wryly. “I don’t think there’s any part of my body that doesn’t hurt.”

            Jaxon was immediately concerned. “Do you want me to get you something for the pain?” he asked anxiously.

            “I’m sure the doctor will give her something when he comes in here,” Hannah reassured my mate.

            On cue, the doctor came in with my dad. My father’s eyes immediately filled with relief when he saw that I was awake and he hurried over to my side. “Mia, thank god you’re awake.”

            The doctor stepped forward with a small frown of annoyance. “You guys are exceeding the number of visitors allowed,” he said sternly.

            Jaxon shifted slightly and looked the doctor in the eye. “It’s okay, we’re all family. Us being here isn’t a big deal.”

            The compulsion Jaxon used worked immediately and the doctor nodded. “Of course it’s alright. Now, tell me how you’re feeling.”

            For the next ten minutes the doctor asked me questions and checked me over. Jaxon refused to move from the bed, but the doctor didn’t protest at all. When the check-up was done, the doctor made a few notes on his clipboard. “Everything looks good. You’re banged up, but you won’t have any lasting damage. I want you to remain in the hospital for one more night and then you can go home tomorrow. You’ll have to take it very easy for a while and I’ll give you a prescription for painkillers as well. I’ll want to see you in two weeks for a follow up.”

            He left a minute later and then the room was suddenly flooded with more people. Jaxon’s parents and his younger sister were there, as well as all the boys and Marissa. It was very crowded, but I was happy to see everyone. Most of them didn’t stay very long once they learned I’d be released the next day, and then it was just me, Jaxon, Dylan, Hannah, Jaxon’s parents and my father left in the room. It was then that I told them about seeing my mother.

            When I finished the tale, I looked at my dad. “She told me to tell you ‘Lockwood’.”

            I saw a faint flicker of hope in his eyes. “She did?”

            “Yeah, but I have no idea what it means.”

            His eyes took on a faraway look. “It’s where I took her for our honeymoon. It’s a cabin on a lake and it became our little paradise. We went there quite a few times after our honeymoon and she always said that it was our little slice of heaven.”

            I remembered the brief glimpse of a lake I’d seen in the dream. I looked at my dad and tilted my head. “I think that’s kind of where she is,” I told him, then described the room I’d been in. “Does that sound familiar?”

            His eyes were suddenly damp with tears. “Yes, that’s the cabin.”

            I hesitated for a moment. “Maybe you should go there. It might help you remember all the good times you had there.”

            My father was silent for a few minutes before finally nodding. “I think you’re right. I’ve avoided it since she died, but maybe it’s time for me to go back.” He sat in the chair on the other side of the bed. “Now let’s talk a bit more about what she told you about your destiny.”

            For the rest of the day, we all tossed ideas around in between the nurse visits. Jaxon stayed by my side the entire time and even went with me into the bathroom to help me. It was a little embarrassing, but I knew that he was going to be incredibly protective of me for the foreseeable future. He wasn’t going to want me out of his sight and I knew that I would have to accept it because there was nothing I could do about it. Besides, I really didn’t mind all that much.

            When they released me from the hospital the next day, Jaxon carried me down to the car, ignoring the wheelchair that was offered. He made sure I was comfortably settled in the seat before getting into the driver’s side and starting the car up. I was a little worried that I might have a panic attack when the engine turned over, but after a brief moment of worry I was fine.

            At the house, there was crime scene tape around where the car had been. I shuddered once as Jaxon carried me inside, realizing just how close to death I had come. “Have all the other cars been checked for bombs?” I asked.

            “Yeah, every single one of them. None of them have any, and the police helped us get new technology for all the cars that will let us know if anything gets tampered with. I think Jared’s car was probably rigged before he came here, but it never hurts to be too cautious.”

            “Have the cops figured anything else out?” I asked once I was settled on a couch in the living room.

            “They think the bomb was triggered by remote. My guess is that once Jared brought the car here, Derek realized he had officially joined us and armed the bomb after that.” He shook his head and sat beside me. “Derek is seriously messed up if he really was the one behind this.”

            “Who else could it have been?”

            “No one that I can think of. We’ve never had problems with anyone before, so it doesn’t really make sense for it to be anyone besides Derek.”

            “Has your dad’s research turned anything up yet?”

            “He has a few leads to follow up on. He’s going to stay here for another day and then he and my mom will be travelling a little to see if they can find something that will help.”

            “Where will your sister go?”

            “Back home. She’ll stay with my Uncle Kale while my parents are gone so she can stay in school.”

            We sat in silence for a few minutes, both lost in our own thoughts. Then my stomach rumbled loudly and Jaxon looked at me with amusement. “A little hungry?” When I nodded, he got to his feet. “I’ll go make us something to eat then.”

            I sat back as he left and smiled a little, deciding that having him wait on me for the next little while might not be too bad after all.

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Don't forget to comment to let me know what you think! I'm done with my college course now, so I can work on this story a bit more often if I get the encouragment to do so :-)