And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

Chapter 115: Sleeping Beauty

Damian.

I never really thought about what it would be like to die. However, the moment I faced it, the only thing I

could think of was Ivy. Her beautiful blue eyes. Her long, enchanting hair. Not to mention how she

trembled beneath my fingers when I took her, kissed her, and loved her.

The way she deserved to be loved.

That moment ran through my mind often. Plagued my dreams with nightmares as I tried to forget what

had happened. I was alive now.

But, even though I was, it didn’t stop the nightmares from coming.

Two days ago, I opened my eyes. Two days ago, I breathed life into my lungs once more. Now that I was

awake though, it forced me to face everything that happened, and the one thing that upset me the most

was Ivy… my beautiful mate was unconscious.

From the looks of it, she didn’t seem like she would wake up soon.

I felt bad that she was injured, but my brothers repeatedly reassured me that she knew what she was

doing. That she wasn’t dead, so that we simply had to give her time to wake back up.

I couldn’t help but worry, though. What if she didn’t wake up?

What if we lost her again because of me… because she saved me?

Slowly, they had filled me in with all the details of things I had

missed. Chaos that had happened. Things that happened to Ivy, and even the day she gave birth to our

children. They helped me pick up all the missing pieces, so nothing was left out.

I was still broken, though.

To know I had missed out on the birth of my children killed me.

I would use this second chance at life to fix things that had happened to me previously. I would learn to

forgive and forget and to love with unconditional devotion!

Because that was what a person with a second chance did.

Standing in the nursery, looking down at Pollux and Castor sleeping, I couldn’t help but wonder what a

future would have been like had I not been part of it. What they would have gone through had I not been

here.

I knew they would have been taken care of and had my brothers, but still, I couldn’t help but wonder what

they would have missed out on without me here.

Ivy had made me whole again, and for that, I would be forever indebted to her

Turning my gaze away from the crib, I looked over to Ivy’s bed, where she lay, sleeping peacefully. The

soft pinks of her lips were so plump, so delicious. I wanted more than anything to kiss her, but in the end,

I only wanted her to be awake.

For me, to hear her reprimanding me for some stupid shit I had done.

For her to tell me I’m being an asshole.

For her to put me in my place, that was all that I wanted.

I just wanted to have her back.

To know that she was OK.

My brothers and I hadn’t always been good to her, especially me. Yet, time and time again, she forgave

us though and tried to make our family whole. Time and time again, she put her life on the line to save

us. But this would be the last time she needed to do that.

This would be the last time she ever had to put herself on the line for one of us, because it was our turn

to protect her and to keep her safe.

“How are they doing?” Talon said, causing me to look over my shoulder at him. He walked from the open

doorway of Ivy’s room, through the passageway to the nursery, and smiled down at the twins.

“I still can’t get over the fact that I’ve missed out on so much

already.”

“Dude, it’s been like two weeks. You have plenty of time with them. Trust me, Pollux is one who likes to

get up multiple times in the middle of the night. So you can have all of those shifts.” Talon replied as he

clasped a hand on my shoulder.

“I would take that a million times over if it meant being able to have my family whole.”

He knew what I meant, and without having to say another word, he nodded his head in agreement before

turning his glance over towards Ivy and slowly making his way to her bedside.

“I wish she would wake up and let us know she was okay,” he said softly as he brushed his hand through

her hair, rubbing his thumb against her cheek.

“She just needs time to heal.”

Talon didn’t waste a moment of time before looking over at me and shaking his head once more,

laughing. “You’re sounding like Hale. The only difference is he sounds like a broken record and you just

sound like an echo.”

“The only difference is I’m better looking,” I replied, causing us both to laugh.

As much as I used to hate the comments Talon made, I was glad for them. I had missed this between us

and was ready to make amends with it. I was ready to be the brother they needed.

*********

~Six Months Later

I still wasn’t sure what was going on. She still hadn’t woken up, and it had been six months since the day

of the war. Even though the world outside kept turning without her there, she laid upstairs in the bed, still

fast asleep.

I was losing hope.

I was feeling like we would never get her back..

“She isn’t dead,” Priscilla said as she finished helping the doctor take Ivy’s vitals. They two were just as

concerned about her not having woken up, but Priscilla was ever the optimist in this.

“I don’t understand why she’s not waking up.”

My comment caused her to glance over at where my brothers and I were standing. A small smile littered

her face as she slowly stood. “It will be okay.”

“Will it, though?” I snapped in frustration. It had been six months, and though we had been taking care of

the twins, she had missed out on so much.

From their first time crawling to them eating solid foods. There was so much she had missed out on, and

it killed me every day knowing she had.

We needed her back desperately.

We needed her to be here with us, because without her here, nothing in this world made sense.

“Just give her time, and she will wake up. Things like this can’t be rushed. She used a lot of energy to

bring you back, Damien. She exerted herself to limits we didn’t think were possible. If she were dead, we

would know, but her heart still beats very strong. It is her mind that is weak and her mind can take a long

time to heal.”

Priscilla was right, as usual, and as we all nodded in agreement, she stood and left with the doctor. I

suppose for now we continue what we were doing.”

Hale’s comment caused me to turn and glare at him. I knew he was right, but it didn’t mean that he had

to point out the obvious. A lot of things had changed around the back since I had last been here before

the war.

One of them being that, I left Hale in charge.

When I came back, he tried to get me to take back over being

Alpha, but in the end, I declined. He had done a far better job than I and honestly, I never wanted it.

I wanted none of it.

I took the position only because I was the oldest, and looking back, I shouldn’t have. I should have given

it to Hale back then because he was the only one out of the four of us who could do it with a level head.

And I was proud of him.

“You have a meeting today with our allies, correct?” I asked him as I turned from the room with my

brothers and headed downstairs.

“You know, Damien, if you’re going to constantly keep reminding me of the things that I need to do, you

should have just stayed alpha.”

“Look, you are the alpha. I was no good at it, and you have done wonderfully accept your position,” I

replied as I plopped down onto the sofa with a smirk on my lips.

“I have accepted my position, yet you keep trying to interfere in all of it. Why don’t you find yourself a

hobby then? I mean, you’ve never had free time in your life. Spend more time with the children. Go find

something to do.”

Something to do like that was even fucking possible. I hadn’t actually had fun since I had been in school,

and even then, I still had responsibilities.

“When Ivy is awake, I will then take free time. Until then, I will continue to help the three of you run this

pack properly and I will spend more time with the children as I have been since the day! woke up.” They

knew I was serious, as I always was.

Yet, deep down in their bond, I could tell that they were unsure if I was actually okay. How was supposed

to show them I was okay, considering everything that we had been through?

“Just give it time, Damien. Everything is going to work out.” James’ s words were comforting in a way. I

knew he was right. In time, Ivy would wake up and everything would go back to normal.

But until that happened, I would simply have to patiently wait.

A knock at the front door drew all of our attention, and narrowing my brows, I looked at my brothers with

confusion. We weren’t

expecting anybody, and the doctor and Priscilla had left a while ago.

Standing to my feet, I walked towards the doors with my brothers behind me, and as I opened it, my eyes

went wide with surprise.

Standing before me was none other than the Valkyrie that had once aided Ivy.

“Kara, isn’t it?” I asked, slightly confused, hoping I had gotten her name right.

“I am glad that you still remember me,” she said with a hint of amusement in her voice as she pushed

past me and my brothers and entered the house.

“What are you doing here? Ivy isn’t awake yet.”

“Oh, I know she is, and I have waited six months patiently for her to

do so. However, it seems that things are slightly in limbo for the time being, so unfortunately, there’s

something that I’m going to have to discuss with you guys and you will not be happy about it.”

Fuck, why does she always come with bad news.