Bullied Mate Of The Lycan Kings
Chapter 173

Aiden's

pov

Was I dead? Or was in a coma? The only ones who could answer that had to be the people around me but everytime I managed to open my eyes, it was to stare into the nothingness. I floated in and out of consciousness for so long that I was convinced that I had to be dead. Everytime I closed my eyes, I was transported into a realm that was plagued with nightmares and horrors that were worse than death.

Sometimes, it felt like hands were all over me, trying to rip off my clothes, other things these hands were trailing over my body, whispering the most vile of words that made my body seize up in terror. Sometimes, I was surrounded by wicked laughter that went on and on to the point that I felt like screaming. Those long scorching hands never ever let me go.

But sometimes in the midst of these nightmares we're softer dreams, the feeling of familiar soft hands tracing my forehead, cool and soothing, providing me reprieve from the burning hands that always seemed to hold on to me and the voice that spoke was always heavenly. It was her voice; soft and gentle, asking me to open my eyes and wake up, assuring me that everyone was fine and waiting for me. The voice started to change at some point, other similar voices reiterating her words, but they didn't scare me, not like those voices that came with the burning hands did and they all seemed excited to see me wake up

"Who thought I'd see the day where the great Aiden Vanderbilt gets admitted into a hospital." "A rare scenario indeed. I bet he won't believe us if we told

him."

7 know right? He looks adorable in that hospital gown. We need visual evidence. Let's take a picture!" "Zachary," the heavenly voice chidded.

"Just one, duchess."

•No. We need to leave before the nurses make their rounds again. We're not supposed to be here."

"But he does seem to be doing better with us here. He was screaming like a banshee seconds ago." a pause. "I'll ask my mother if he can switch rooms. Maybe being close to us will do him some good."

There was shuffling of feet, soft lips kissing my forehead, and the soft, light feeling was gone.

I wanted to reach out to them, to tell them not to leave me.

Not to leave without me. But I couldn't even open my eyes.

Couldn't even lift my hands.

"Don't go!" I wanted to call out. "Stay!"

One day, I finally opened my eyes, the faces I expected to see were nowhere to be found. However, a masked woman leaned over me, holding a syringe. My body froze in horror as she told me to relax in a voice that was not familiar or like the ones in my dreams and when I tried to move away, I realized that I was chained to the bed

Panic turned my blood to ice.

"Relax, the pain will only be a moment" she whispered and I started to thrash around, knowing that I had finally been brought back to the place that I thought I had escaped from. My uncle's underground rhodium lab. My growls filled the entire room as more hands pushed me down to the bed and I roared as she injected me, feeling my body go numb.

How was this possible? Victor wasn't supposed to still be alive. I knew I had killed him, I was sure that he was dead so what was I doing back here? Who were these people

- and why were they keeping me hostage? And then a thought crossed my mind even as I struggled to stay conscious, and it made my body go cold. What if I didn't kill him? What if it had all been in my head? Had everything that had happened back then been nothing but a dream induced by the drugs that I had been given?

That would be the most humorless joke in all of history if I had conjured up all of that thanks to the drugs in my system and I felt tears fill up my eyes, my body unable to move.

My struggle did not last long because I finally gave in to the unconsciousness, welcoming what the darkness would bring.

I don't know how long I slept for but it was a dreamless sleep and as I struggled to wake up again, I felt soft cool hands on my body, tracing my forehead and that same familiar voice that made my heart soar.

"Wake up, Aiden." This voice was nothing like Mauve's and my initial anxiety subsided as I decided to trust whatever 1 was going to see this time and hope for the best.

When I opened my eyes to this dream, I was relieved to see that Lily was here this time and not someone else.

"Please don't go," I begged. I didn't care how desperate I sounded, didn't care if this was another dream fabricated by my fractured mind, I'd take Lily in whatever form I can have her.

Her smile was gentle, a worried dip in her eyebrows, "I'm not going here.

I'm so glad that you're awake."

Awake? This wasn't a drug induced dream?

-"This isn't a dream?"

"No, this is real. I'm real. We all are," she said and when she took my hand, I realized that I could feel it, could feel her warmth.

"You're really here" I whispered and that was when I realized that she said we.

Were there other people in the room beside us? Finally turning my head to the side, I saw Cade lying on a bed beside me, wearing a hospital gown, his attention on his phone.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Aiden. Scared the f**k out of us." He said absentmindedly and when I turned to the left, I saw Ren sleeping on another bed beside me, equally dressed in the same gown, a drip bag hooked to his arm. Struggling to sit up, I noticed that I was indeed chained and I looked back at Lily

"What happened? Where are we? I thought I was back at Victor's lab." I thought everything had been a figment of my imagination, I wanted to add but was too scared to. Too scared to find out if Victor was really alive and I had failed No, sweetheart. Victor is dead. We are in the hospital."

"Then the chains?"

"Oh, those were to keep you from hurting the nurses because you couldn't stay still and keep thrashing around _every time they wanted to give you your medication."

"Oh." I answered, my heart soaring with relief as I took a moment to process everything that she had said and she mailed cupping my face, her eyes filled with joy that tugged at my heartstrings.

"Do you want some water?" She asked and when I nodded, she got up and headed to the dispenser at the corner of the large large room and that was when I realized that she was also wearing an identical hospital gown. "Why are we all in the hospital? What happened?" I asked as she sat down and handed me a cup of water and it was Cade that answered.

"Well, I'm hurt that you forgot about how I took an arrow made from rhodium to the chest for the two of you."

1 did remember and I frowned at him, remembering how Lily had cried her eyes out in pain when he did that.

"Nobody asked you to do that, blondie," I shot back and when he growled, I smiled? Glad that my ability to piss people off still happened to remain intact after all the traumatizing sh!! I had gone through these past few days. He was about to say something when I heard a groan that made me turn to where Ren was sleeping, and saw that he had woken up, a huge frown on his face.

"He has not been able to sleep for days now. You guys could be quieter," Lily said, a worried look on her adorable face that made me want to kiss her senseless Ren rolled his eyes at me and rose to his feet, dragging the drip pole with him as he headed to my bed and sat on the

- stool beside it before reaching out to place a hand on my chest.

He shared a look with Lily and she heaved a sigh of relief.

"What's going on?" I asked and Lily took my hand, loosening the binds on it and undoing my chains.

"You passed out. Victor had cut you open and put a bar of rhodium inside you. We think his goal was to kill you slowly by destroying your organs from the inside.

Thankfully the doctors have removed it and all traces of the drug from your system but we suspect that the reason why your organ did not suffer much damage is because your body has become resistant to the metal and the drugs." I couldn't decide if that was good or bad news, I was just grateful to be alive.

"Why are you and Ren here?"

"My body reacted badly to letting Dahlia out for too long."

"Ren, on the other hand, nearly killed himself trying to save all of us, my hero," Cade said with an amused smile, batting his eyelash at Ren who frowned at him and chucked his flipflop at him.

For the first time since I woke up- in a long time really- I chuckled.

"You look like sh!t, pretty boy." I said to Ren and he nodded

"I feel like sh!t too. I'm just glad you're alive, man."

The door opened and Zac strolled in, holding a tray of smoothies and a bag of what I smelled to be snacks.

"You look odd not wearing a gown with the rest of us," I said to him and his smile widened.

"Glad to have you back, brother. You're lucky because I brought snacks for everyone! Had to sneak past the nurses because it's not allowed but what wouldn't I do for you guys, right?" "You're an Angel."

"Hope you got what I asked?"

"Thank you, Zachary"

Lily, Cade and Ren said one after the other and Lily swirled when he handed her the strawberry smoothie.

"Exactly what I wanted!" She squealed happily.

As Zac sat on the chair on the other side of me and Cade pulled the chair from his side of the bed to come close to us, Lily climbed into the bed and sat by my side and I hugged her close "Hey" Cade complained, "I said I wanted a blueberry muffin, not a chocolate chip one,"

Zac said, chomping on his cupcake, "They only had one and I want that one,"

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, man. Leave me alone."

"Get f****d."

-"Funny way to ask me out, but I'll pass. I'm in a committed relationship."

Lily giggled and looked up at me. Her smile immediately melted into a worried scowl. "Are you okay, really?"

I sighed happily and taking her jaw, I kissed her slow and deep, tasting every inch of her mouth because, gods, I'm starving.

When I released her lips, she had a dreamy smile on her lips, a dizzy look in her eyes.

laughed and pulled her closer as Zac and Cade continued bickering, Ren giving up on trying to get some sleep entirely, muttering something about why he ever thought putting all of us in one room was a good idea.

"I can't believe you thought the goddess took Aiden's life so you can have yours."

"That's what she made it look like! How the hell was I supposed to know she was only bluffing?"

With Lily's hair hair in my nose, her in my arms and my family around me, my chest started to feel a lot lighter, hope swirling in my heart. I could only watch with a smile as they continued to bicker about different things, fucki ng glad that we had all survived the nightmare that had been our previous lives and hopeful towards the future.

I want it to be like this for a long time.

Of course, there were a few loose ends to tie up: the unlucky bastard that tried to kill me was top on my lips, my uncle's lab and his prisoners to clean up and my reign as

-alpha which was definitely going to be a tedious one. But it is a burden I will gladly bear. I will use every advantage in my arsenal to protect my bonded mate and keep my chosen family safe from future attacks.

I swear it.