The Runaway Breeder

Chapter 29

Beep

That sound is starting to get on my nerves, but it means that he is still alive. Tate is alive. I still have hope to hang on to.

Beep

"Hi, Tate.” I whimper out, watching the rise and fall of his chest.

“The Elders and I postponed the attack on Pine Paw until you wake up." My words sound hoarse as I try my best not to cry. Slowly, I put Julia on his stomach, watching her move slightly towards his face. It’s been two weeks since Tate went into a coma. Two weeks since he was injured protecting us and because of that, I refused to return home without him. A room next door was set up for Julia and me to live in while we wait for Tate to wake up and since then I have been helping run the pack, making sure businesses continued as usual, having hunting days planned to refill the pack freezers before winter and preparing for a Halloween party for the pups.

"Julia is getting bigger. She misses her Daddy." This time my voice is a whisper, and I carefully move Julia so that she is by his side, moving his arm so that it wraps around her. I hate knowing his life still hangs n the unknown. Hate seeing our pup without her father doting on her. We haven’t even mated and I may lose him forever.

"Please, Tate, it’s been two weeks. We need you." I cry out, my head lowering to the bed as tears flow again for the umpteenth time. My body shakes from my quiet sobs as the stress between being strong for the pack and the pain of being without my mate takes its toll on me. I needed Tate more than ever to open his eyes, to reach out to me and let me know that things will be okay. I don’t know how long I can last without him.

"Laina?" I straighten in my seat and turn to see Doctor Rex standing at the door. His face is grim as his lips are set in a firm line.

"What is it?" I ask, trying to sound strong, although my tear-stained face says otherwise.

"We need to talk. It has been two weeks, and he is still on life support. The coma he is in is getting worse." More tears flow, and I try to wipe them away as quickly as I can, but I couldn't help it, and in seconds I feel Rex wrapping his arms around me and letting me cry. Finally, my sobs came to an end, and Rex hands me a handkerchief to wipe my tears.

"I'm glad someone can sleep through this." He states, and I turn to find Julia snuggled up to the man who stepped up to be her father. The man that looked into her eyes the day she was born and decided that she was his pup no matter what.

"Just continue, please." I whisper, Rex letting out a long, sad sigh. I hate long-winded stories, and these past two weeks my higher ups have learned to either get right to the point in their reports or wait an hour for wasting my time when I have a pack to run with my mate in a coma.

"We need an answer by next week, wolves can't survive on life support forever. And his time is almost up.” Rex states as empathetically as he can, his hand squeezing my shoulder comfortingly.

“I'm sorry you have to go through this, but as his mate you decide whether to take him off of it or not." I can feel his eyes on me, feel the sympathy in his gaze as he lets silence settle between us. I nod, unable to voice anything as a lump in my throat forms and I do my best to hold myself together. Rex sighs again, apologizes to me before he walks away and the door clicks shut. I am left alone with my mate and our daughter. His life is in my hands now, and only I could decide if he will stay on life support or if I let him go and join the other side with Kelly and our loved ones.