Chapter Eleven
As Tori was in the between place, Aldain was still sitting at Tori’s bedside. He hadn’t eaten or slept since she had been there. A week had gone by and everyone including the medical staff had been begging Aldain to eat something, but food just didn’t appeal to him. He was getting extremely weak and his face was starting to look gaunt. One of the doctors that came in to check on Tori threatened him with I.V. feedings. It was heart wrenching to watch such a large man wasting away.
Aldain brought Tori’s hand to his lips. He kissed it then ran a finger down her face. He started to repeat what he had repeated every day since the accident. “Tori love, please come back to me. I don’t want to live without you. I want you back and I want us to have a long life together. I want to love you again.” He lay his head down on the bed as he continued to hold her hand. Suddenly, he jumped. He felt a spark come from Tori’s hand. He held onto her hand tighter, suddenly a rush of love coursed through his body. He could feel her love, comforting him. She was here! She was trying to find her way back to him. His heart and soul reached for the love Tori was sending them. His dragon roared. She was back.
Aldain started yelling, “Tori love. Follow the sound of my voice. I don’t know where you are but follow my voice. Come back. Fight. I am right here waiting for you.”
Tori could hear someone yelling from the light. She just knew it was Dain. Her heart leapt with joy. He must have felt the love she was sending him. She felt a burst of energy course through her body as she was running towards the light, it was getting closer. Oh God, she was going to make it. Suddenly she was at the light and she could hear Dain yelling. She vaulted into it.
Aldain saw Tori’s eyes flutter. She moaned as she looked at him. She knew she was in the real world again. There wasn’t a part of her body that didn’t ache. She saw the tears streaming down Dain’s face as she squeezed his hand. She tried to talk to him but found she couldn’t speak. The only thing that came out was a squeak. She needed something to drink, her throat was parched. Aldain grabbed some water that was on a stand. He put a straw in it and gently lifted her head so she could drink from it without choking.
When she was done, he slowly lowered her head back down. She smiled up at him. In a whisper she said, “I felt your love Dain. It helped me find you. I felt the pain in your heart. I felt you dying. I didn’t know how to let you know I was trying to come back to you until Athena came to me and told me how to make my journey back to you. She told me you are a dragon shifter.”
Aldain listened to her, a look of shock appearing on his face when she told him Athena had come to her. As far as he knew, after Paragon was turned, no one had ever heard from or seen her again. He said, “I thought you were lost to me. I couldn’t bear the thought of living without you. I have been begging you to come back to me since you have been here. But I never felt anything from you. Now you are back and I will never let you out of my sight again.” He gently kissed her on her lips. He then ran out of the room yelling to anyone within shouting distance that Tori was awake.
He went back in to sit by Tori’s side because he knew once the doctors got there they would shoo him out. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her until that happened. It wasn’t long before the nurses and doctor arrived at her room. She could see her sister, parents, Cade and some other people she didn’t know standing outside her room. A lot of them were crying and hugging each other. She felt bad that she had put these people she loved through so much. But she was glad she was alive. She was starting to have doubts that she would ever find her way out of the dark place she was in.
As the doctor was examining Tori, Heather was busy hugging Aldain. She was crying but these tears were tears of happiness. She was watching her son waste away. He was losing his will to live as each day went by without Tori waking up. She had never seen her son cry as much as he cried for Tori. Many nights she would quietly go check on him and would find him sobbing, begging Tori to come back to him. It ripped her heart out. She had never ever felt so helpless as a mother as during those times. Now she could see that twinkle in his eyes again. She could see and feel the happiness emanating from him. He was going to be alright.
As the days passed Tori got stronger. Aldain started gaining weight and was starting to look like his old self. The first-time Tori got out of bed, she almost collapsed because her legs were weak from lack of use but Aldain was there to catch her. He quickly picked her up and sat her in his lap. He knew she should be trying to walk but he craved the feel of her body against his. Surely a few more minutes, or hours wouldn’t hurt.
As she was sitting in his lap one day, she brought up the subject of him being a dragon shifter. She asked him all the questions she needed answers to. When she asked him about the part of him eating her or turning her to dust he soon put her at ease. “Tori my love; I would never ever hurt you. It goes against my very nature. You were made for me and hurting you would be like hurting me. I will never get tired of you. Each day I fall more in love with you than the day before; I will live each day cherishing you. “Tori loved him and trusted him enough to know she would always be safe and cherished by him.
Tori met Heather and they got along great. Heather could see why Tori was her son’s soul mate. She might be small but she wasn’t afraid to stand her ground when she wanted something. She was just the person her son needed to keep him in line.
When Tori started to get up and move around, she was insisting she wanted to go home to the castle. Her parents were there and Heather and her sister were there. More importantly Dain was there. She wanted to spend some quality time with him which was impossible to do in a hospital room. After a few more days passed she was able to wear the doctor down. He knew there were plenty of people with her that would ensure she wouldn’t overdo it.
Aldain was at the hospital bright and early to pick her up and bring her home. The hospital wanted to wheel her out to the car but Aldain insisted on carrying her. Just her body being close to his gave him a calming feeling. He gently sat her in the seat and buckled her up before thanking the medical staff for the excellent care they took of her.