Her Alpha Mates - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

MYRA
When I woke up the time, it was sometime in the afternoon, and I was still plugged into some machines, making me remember my terrible time at the hospital.
"Don't do that," Mateo's sharp command made me stop when I tried to remove the oxygen mask. It felt uncomfortable against my face. I glanced at Mateo to find him sitting by my bed, reading some papers with a grim face.
Nonetheless, I went forward and took the mask off. He gave me a warning growl, but I didn't stop. Without the mask, I could breathe fine again. I concentrated on my breaths, checking if something in my body felt out of place. Meanwhile, I heard shuffling on my side and felt Mateo move closer to me.
"Put the mask back," He urged.
"I can breathe," I frowned.
"You abruptly stopped breathing last night when I came to check up on you," He told me, running his fingers gently through my shot hair. I wanted to fight it off but accepted his touch with a deep sigh. His words reminded me of the dream I had last night.
It wasn't a dream but more like a flashback of me asking the moon goddess for mates. I remembered everything vividly now, making me realize some things I had forgotten. Especially, me promising the moon goddess to accept whoever she chose for me. I dipped on that part, and well... she punished me in return.
"I can breathe now," I told him, "Take these things off me. I hate them," He narrowed his eyes at me. His hair looked messy, as if he had repeatedly run his fingers through them. He had salt and pepper stubble growing on his face, making him look mature beyond his age. I stared at him for a few seconds, unable to recognize him.
He seemed to have aged ten years since I first saw him in the hotel that night. Damn, I must've been giving the brothers a tough time.
"That's not happening until your vitals are stable," He told me gruffly, sounding like a brooding guardian, and despite my dislike for him, it softened a part of me. He looked genuinely worried about me, which reminded me of Hunter.
Though Hunter looked at me with that motherly worry while Mateo was looking at me as if I was one of his trouble children, constantly breaking all the rules, despite all this, he couldn't bring himself to punish me. It almost made me smile.
Didn't I ask for someone like this? I recalled. Now that I think of it, I had asked for a long list of qualities, most of them opposite of each other. Maybe that's why the moon goddess gave me two mates- the brothers who were day and night in comparison but still oddly similar. They were like the two sides of the same coin.
"Where's Hunter?" I had to ask because it was usually him looking after me while Mateo was the one sulking away somewhere, avoiding me. However, a part of me was happy to wake up to him. I had neglected him a lot, pushed him away and berated him at every chance. Seeing him so worried over me made me feel guilty for treating him like that.
Maybe I should start giving people the benefit of the doubt sometimes.
"He's out dealing with stuff," Mateo muttered, "But that's not important. Do you want him instead of me?" He asked. Even though he had asked the question casually, I sensed the heaviness of emotions in his voice. He looked at me as if he meant business, but his eyes searched my face for something - acceptance.
It tugged at my heart. Even though I still found it hard to accept him, much less forgive him, I felt like crap for treating him like crap. He was my mate, too, and my wolf craved for him. I was sure his wolf craved for me, too, after all the things he'd seen me through. Pushing him away felt cruel, even if I saw him as my enemy.
Sometimes, you ought to show kindness to your enemies, too.
"No, I want you to stay," I told him, my voice a mere whisper. My words visibly loosened his shoulders, and he nodded. He stared at my face for a couple more seconds and began, "About last night's dinner, I-"
"Let's not talk about that right now," I dismissed.
"Okay,"
"But is that why Hunter is avoiding me?" I had to ask because his absence was irking me as well. For once, my wolf needed her mates, and Hunter being away at such an hour felt odd. Something was up. I knew the brothers' schedule by heart, and usually, at this time, Hunter was by my side. "Be honest," I shot before he could feed me a bullshit answer.
"Well, he likes to deal with his emotions privately, but I assure you, he's away at this time for work purposes only," Mateo assured me. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"What happened?" I pushed. "I smell some bullshit in that answer of yours," He cocked an eyebrow at me and gave me a stern look.
"It's pack-related work. Nothing concerning you," He tried to dismiss me and go back to his seat, but I grabbed his arm right on time, and immediately, a strong surge of sparks washed all over my body. The stupid heart monitor started beating rapidly, indicating my racing heart. I mentally cursed at it and trained my eyes on Mateos' face.
"Please tell me... I want to know where Hunter is," I asked him.
"He's away, but if you really want him, say it, Myra. You don't have to pretend to be with me," He told me upfront, making me stop. If only that damned heart monitor weren't beeping away with the speed of a racing car, I'd have replied to him with some colourful words.
"Why can't I want both of you at the same time!" I shot, glaring at him. I tried to be softer with him, but he made it harder. He froze for a second, searching my face before taking my hand and stroking his thumb gently on the back.
"Hunter is dealing with work. I'm not lying to you, Myra. I'll call him here if you want," he offered much more kindly this time. The way he was stroking his thumb at the back of my hand was doing something to me because I wanted to hell at him and kiss him at the same time.
"Okay," I settled this time, no longer wanting to ruin the moment. "Will I be going back to the hospital?" I had to ask because the machines were grinding on my nerves, especially that beeping heart monitor.
"If your wolf doesn't take over the healing quick enough, then I'm afraid you'll have to be taken to the hospital again," He told me sincerely, taking a seat by my side, his hand never leaving mine. I liked that. It was the first interaction I had with Mateo without being in any conflict... well, kind of. I didn't count the shit I tried to start a few moments ago.
"I don't want that," I frowned. "I hate hospitals,"
"I don't want to see you like this too," He told me gently, "But your wolf is weak, Myra. Until she's strong, things are going to be like this. We brought you home because we thought having us nearby would encourage your wolf to heal faster. Seems like it's not working so far,"
"Don't blame her,"
"I'm not blaming her. I want her to be well," He answered, his eyes softening over my face, and even though I didn't want to, I felt myself melting under his gaze. "I want to see you healthy and happy again,"
"You say this even after our past?" I had to ask even though I dismissed any conversation regarding this topic earlier.
"Regardless of our situation, I'd always want to see you healthy and happy, Myra," He spoke, his other hand going back to my hair, and I didn't fight it. I could feel it from the way he was moving closer and closer to me that he needed to touch me. Physical touch seemed to be his love language, and it warmed me to know that.
"I'd do anything not to go back to hospital," I told him. His eyes darkened.
"You know what you need to do not to get back to the hospital," He told me, and I immediately knew what he was talking about- to stop fighting the bond. It was what was making my wolf weaker.
No matter how much I loathed the brothers for our past, my wolf still needed her mates. They were all that mattered to him. She wanted to fulfil our bond soon and carry their pups. I was still very sceptical of the two, though, but more or less, I was slowly starting to give in. I didn't like it, but I had to do it-no other option. My crappy health made me more dependent on the brothers, and I couldn't help but think that the moon goddess was at play here.
She had given me the mates, and now she wanted me to be with them.
"I know," I sighed. He bent down until his face was inches away from mine. Up this close, I could see all those emotions swirling inside his eyes. He was carrying a storm inside him, and I wanted to be lost in it.
"I'm sorry, Myra," He spoke, his voice was a rough whisper, "I know my actions caused you suffering in the past. I cannot go back and undo them, but I promise you, I will take care of you till my last breath,"