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.

least someone who can perform gray or dark magic that can manipulate a person’s mind.Bronx thinks she is part of a group

trying to remember anything about

either of those.I can ask my mother when she

is coming here?" I feel

on, yeah.Beta Lenora and I thought it would be for the best for her to be here for a while.I hope you don’t mind," she looks at me apologetically, "We don’t know how she can help exactly, yet, but knowing her, she will have

have caused me

pull my chin so I am looking back at her, "We’re going to figure out what is

at her and nod, "Delilah, Bronx and I would like to speak to James.D-Do you

with his voice.The doctor said something about his vocal chords.We are hoping his wolf helped heal it overnight.I used some of my healing magic, but we both know it isn’t the same as when you do it.We will know more

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

to tell you once we wake James up." I give Delilah a little peck on the cheek and step out of the room

stands up from a chair in the hall and

how did it go? You're crying and smiling.I don’t

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

matter how many people try

you think he will let

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

hear the

peeks her head out, "You

sees the hesitation on my face, takes my hand, and leads me

up and his eyes are looking much more alert than I remember from yesterday.He tries to mess with the bandages on

she convinces him to stop, she sits

regards him.He tips his head

at Bronx, then

you're

says quietly as he lets go of my hand.I

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

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

removed now, "Alright Lex, time

finish what we started,"

peel back the

not fully healed and bright red marks in the areas that were

going to make this right, James," I say, trying to bolster

nod and closes

can into him, blurring the lines of who

energy in

the molecular level, making sure there is no sign of infection before

eyes and look