Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One
Chapter 56: Awake

Chapter 56: Awake

Nathan’s POV

The first thing I felt was a searing headache, which made me release a loud groan.

"He’s waking up." I heard the familiar high-pitched voice of my mom, but it was so far away.

I forced my eyes open, and the first thing that came into my sight was the bright white light of the hospital. And God, I hate bright lights. I groaned in displeasure and closed my eyes again.

"Switch off the bright lights," I overheard the voice of my father. He knew I hated bright lights.

Slowly, I opened my eyes again, and the room was okay now with just the afternoon sun reflecting through the window.

"Son... are you okay?" I heard the panicked voice of my mother, and it seemed she wanted to approach me, but another voice stopped her.

"Please wait, Luna... he has to gradually put himself and his memories together by himself with no interruption."

I believe those words stopped my mother from approaching.

Slowly, I forced myself to sit up on the bed and rested my back on the headboard. I felt no pain in my body, but my body felt heavy.

Slowly, I moved my gaze around the room, and with one glance, I knew I was in the pack hospital. A doctor and a healer stood in a corner, and on the other side were my family. Father, Mother, Clara, and even Dane. They all had a relieved but also cautious look on their faces.

I closed my eyes as I put my last memory together. I remembered the talk I had with Hailee in my car... dropping her off at her home where Callum was waiting for her, and then the accident.

A sigh left my lips as I opened my eyes, and I looked at my mother again. Her eyes were rimmed with red, filled with tears she clearly hadn’t let fall yet. She gave me a soft, shaky smile—the kind that begged me to say something, anything.

"Hi, Mom," I said, my voice hoarse.

That was all it took.

She rushed to my side like she’d been holding herself back for days. Her hands cupped my face gently, and she pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Oh, thank the Goddess," she whispered, breaking into tears. "You scared me... you scared all of us."

I managed a small smile, even though my head still throbbed. "I’m okay."

"No, you’re not," Dad said sternly, stepping forward. "You’ve been in and out of consciousness for three days, Nathan. You almost died."

Three days?

The words hit me like a brick. "Three...?"

Clara stepped closer too, her face pale. "The car was totaled. The driver’s side took the most damage. You were unconscious when they pulled you out." She sobbed out and hugged me tightly while Mother did the same. I hugged them back and felt their pain—it was obvious I really got them scared.

Father stepped forward, and for the first time in a long while, I saw raw emotion in his eyes. He wasn’t the stoic Alpha right now—he was just a worried dad.

He wrapped his arms around all three of us—me, Mom, and Clara—pulling us into a tight, protective embrace. "Don’t ever do this to us again," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "You hear me, son? Ever."

I nodded against his shoulder. "I won’t. I promise."

After a few more seconds, he slowly pulled away, brushing his hand down his face as if trying to regain his composure.

Then Dane stepped forward.

His arms crossed at first, but then, unexpectedly, he pulled me into a one-armed hug—tight, firm, and silent for a beat.

"Damn it, cousin," he muttered. "You scared the hell out of me."

I chuckled softly, my voice still raspy. "Sorry."

He let go and gave me a slight shake of the head. "Not good enough."

The warmth of their love surrounded me, and for a moment, I felt safe.

But then, as I looked around the room again, I realized there was one person missing.

The one person I wanted to see more than anyone.

Hailee.

My smile faded slightly.

I tried not to let it show, but it hurt—her absence hurt. I didn’t know what I expected... but some part of me had hoped she’d be here when I opened my eyes.

Even if she didn’t say anything.

Even if she just stood in the corner.

Just... there.

But she wasn’t.

And it left an empty ache in my chest that even my family couldn’t fill.

Mother spoke. "I bet you are hungry... I’ll go make your favorite meal myself."

I smiled. "Thank you, Mom."

She kissed me again on the head before leaving with Clara.

After they left, Father settled his curious gaze on me.

"There was nothing wrong with your car, Nathan. From the findings and according to eyewitnesses around, you were speeding, but that isn’t the problem because you are a good driver, but you weren’t concentrating. So tell me, Nathan, what happened."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I looked away from my father’s probing gaze.

How was I supposed to tell him the truth?

That my heart had been shattered.

That after I dropped Hailee off and saw her walk into Callum’s arms, something inside me cracked open. That the image of them together haunted me so badly, I lost control. I lost focus. I just pressed the gas and hoped the wind would drown the thoughts screaming in my head.

"I..." I started, but the words didn’t come. I clamped my mouth shut and dropped my eyes to the sheets.

He watched me silently for a moment, then spoke—calmly, but firmly.

"Nathan, you’re going to be Alpha someday," he said, his voice low. "You can’t afford to let your emotions drive you into recklessness. Do you understand that?"

I didn’t answer.

"This—this right here?" He gestured around the hospital room. "It shouldn’t happen again. Not because you got your heart bruised or because something didn’t go your way. You could’ve died. Worse... someone else could’ve."

That made me frown.

His gaze was sharp. "What would I have told the pack? That my son—the future Alpha—nearly killed himself over a girl?"

Why did Father think this has anything to do with Hailee?

"I knew you saw the video and I knew you were hurt, but strength, Nathan, isn’t about how hard you punch. It’s about how you stand when everything feels like it’s falling apart. You don’t get to crash just because you’re hurting."

Oh, he thought I got into the accident because of the video of Callum and Hailee making out.

I opened my mouth to speak, but a voice from the other side of the room cut in gently.

"Alpha, he needs to rest," the doctor said with a slight bow. "Physically, he’s stable... but mentally and emotionally, he needs quiet."

My father stared at me for another long second before he slowly nodded.

"Get some rest," he said flatly. "We’ll talk again—soon."

Then he turned and walked out of the room.

After my father left, the room fell quiet again.

Dane remained by the side of the bed, arms folded, his expression unreadable.

He let out a low breath. "I’ll give you some space, man. Rest up."

I gave him a small nod. He gave me a short nod in return, then turned and headed for the door.

The doctor remained for a moment longer, quietly checking the monitor beside my bed and scribbling something into his chart. Then he turned to me.

"If you need anything, press the red button on the side," he said gently. "Try to sleep. Your mind and body need it."

I nodded once, and with a respectful bow, he stepped out and shut the door behind him.

And just like that, I was alone.

Alone with my thoughts. Alone with the emptiness in my chest.

I leaned my head back against the pillow, letting out a slow, tired breath. The hospital was quiet now—just the soft beeping of machines and the distant sounds of life carrying on beyond my room.

I hated it.

I hated how still everything was. Like the world had paused for me to catch up, but all I wanted was to shut it all out.

Then—Click.

The door creaked open softly.

My eyes immediately shot to it, my heart pounding in my chest.