Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Chapter 23

Kas's POV

I peek in through the little window of the hospital room.I can see James hooked up to machines, sleeping peacefully.

A strong pang of guilt courses through me when I see there are bandages around his neck.

Delilah is curled up in the chair that’s pulled up to the side of the bed.

She is holding his hand through the railing of the bed.

"You can’t talk to her from the hallway, Kas,"

Bronx whispers in my ear from behind me, "I'll wait here until you're ready.Just mind link me."

I nod, then take a deep breath.I quietly open the door and step inside the room.I close it behind me and take a step into the room.

Delilah's breath hitches in her sleep, but she doesn’t wake up.I take slow deliberate steps until I am next to the chair.I squat down and put my hand on her forearm.

"Delilah?" I whisper, "Wake up, please."

Her brow furrows as her eyes flutter open.Her deep sapphire blue eyes take a moment for her to recognize my face, but when she does, they immediately turn royal blue.She gasps and throws her arms tightly around me.

"Kas," she sobs in a loud whisper, "I was so worried about you! Are you okay?"

"Oh, Delilah, I’m fine now.I-I’m so sorry.I don’t know what came over me.You know I would never do this on purpose, right?"

I finally stop trying to hold back my tears.

This is my best friend.I can be myself with her, "I thought you would hate me.I didn’t think you would want to see me."

She pulls me back from her embrace and holds me by the shoulders with her long, spindly fingers.

Her eyes and nose are red and puffy from crying, but she looks relieved that I am there, "Kas, I could never hate you.Never.I know whatever happened must have been an accident.This is not you.Whatever happened yesterday, that was not you.I’m sure of it."

I breathe the enormous sigh as I feel the vice around my heart loosen just a little.I will never understand the mind of a pacifist, but I am grateful at this moment that my best friend is one.

"Delilah, when James wakes up, we can talk more about what happened, but I have a couple of questions.Bronx needs information that could be related to my kidnapping or maybe one of my past lives."

"I will help in any way I can.What do you need to know?" She looks at me attentively.

or dark magic that can manipulate a person’s mind.Bronx thinks she is part of a group called the Feral.Have you ever heard of a coven or a group that goes by

trying to remember anything about either of the

don’t remember either of those.I can ask

coming here?" I feel my eyebrows rise in

to be here for

I was influenced by magic and that is what could have caused me to..." my voice trails off as I look over

back at her, "We’re going to figure

would like to speak to James.D-Do you think he is in any shape

but yesterday, he was having a little trouble with his voice.The doctor said something about his vocal chords.We are hoping his wolf helped heal it overnight.I used some of

if you can rouse him? I can step out and get Bronx to give you some

minutes," she smiles, "Kas, I’m so glad to see you.I have missed you so much.I have so much to tell you once we wake James up." I give Delilah a little peck on the cheek and step out of the room so she can wake her mate

up from a chair in

eyes, "Well, how did it go? You're

is okay speaking with us.The doctor said there is a problem with his vocal chords, so we don’t know if he

how many people try to reassure me, this is

think he will let me finish

mind reader, Baby.You'll just have to ask him and find out," he rubs my

the

her head out, "You can

hesitation on my face, takes

is sitting up in the bed, his short sable hair is ruffed up and his eyes are looking much more alert than I remember from yesterday.He tries to mess

him to stop, she sits

head and regards him.He tips his head in return, then

look at Bronx, then back

think you're being paged,

of my hand.I step up to the

me onto the bed next to him.I carefully climb up being careful to avoid the

my mouth with his hand until he is sure I will not finish whatever it was I was going to say, then he takes both my hands in his and places my palms on his neck.He nods and closes his eyes, showing he

my heart is completely removed now, "Alright Lex, time

what we started,"

the

in the areas that were healed.You can see clearly defined scars developing on the

this right, James," I

nod and closes his

his throat and I begin to concentrate.I send as much of my essence as I can into him, blurring the lines of who he is and who I am.I manipulate

in to help

the molecular level, making sure there is no sign of infection before I pull myself back into my

look at him, he looks a little