-Theirs- A Reverse Harem -Book One-

Chapter 29: Wake up

Celene

      After my eyes adjust to the light I see a beautiful field. I walk through it slowly, touching the flowers as I go. I feel the summer breeze on my face as I look around. A woman stands before me facing away. I stand beside her and wait.

      She turns to look at me as I turn to look at her.

      "We are the same, you and I," she says.

      "Took that same test when I came of age. I found out that I could manipulate fire and air, but I was not the Elemental Dea. My test nearly killed me even though I followed every direction. My Daniel saved me before lightning shot out of me. I'm sorry your Damien couldn't save you," she says as she looks at the children playing in front of us.

      "Two of his brothers wouldn't let him," I say as I tuck loose hair behind my ear.

      "Two of them? As in there are more?" she asks curiously.

      "He has three brothers."

      "Four of them? Do they care for you deeply?" she asks searching my face.

      "Two of them professed their love for me and I love them too," I say confused.

      "You shouldn't be here. You are her... The Elemental Dea... Follow the path to the cabin. You will know what to do when the time comes. Remember, you are going to need those boys as much as they need you," she says with a smile.

I follow the path to the cabin and see another glowing door. I step closer to it and grab the handle. Without hesitating, I pull the door open and see a bright light. I gasp and look around as I sit up.

      My eyes are wide and I look for Damien or any of the boys. I hear a heart monitor beep beside me. The room is so bright given the white walls and floor. I look at the door as it opens.

      "Good morning Celene. I'm here to read to you again," says Damien as he walks in with a coffee and a book.

      "I didn't know you liked to read Damien," I say softly with a smile.

He drops the coffee and the book as tears stream down his cheeks. He runs in, leaving the door open, and wraps his arms around me as he sobs.

      "We didn't know if you were going to wake up. Marcus said to talk or read to you. That you might hear my voice and come back. I only hoped I'd get to hear your voice again," he says as he strokes my hair.

      He looks into my eyes and gently kisses me as fresh tears run down his face.

      "Where is everyone?" I ask once we separate.

Damien stands and hurries out the door. I hear two sets of feet running to my room before I see their faces. Leo's sweet eyes were the first I saw.

      "Gods! I never thought I'd see that smile again," he says and hurries to my bedside, pulling me into a hug.

I close my eyes and take in his scent, similar to a bonfire and cinnamon.

      His arms warm me as they squeeze a little tighter. I open my eyes and see Marcus. He's gasping for air, wide eyed and filled with tears. He must have just come from the clinic because he has his white coat on.

      "Celene? I can't believe it... You're finally awake," he says as he steps into the room.

Leo moves to the side and Marcus steps up to embrace me. I can feel his sobs as I rub his back.

      "Shh... It's okay now Marcus. I'm here," I say as he pulls me closer.

      Damien comes back in with Owen in toe and, with a gasping sob, smiles. Owen's eyes go wide and his chin tremble as he takes a step closer.

      "I haven't slept well for a year. Am I seeing things?" he asks.

I look at him with a smile and beckon for him to come over.

      "It's really me... I'm awake... Come here."

He wraps me up in the biggest bear hug I've ever had and his body trembles. He pulls away and something hits me.

      "A year? I've been here for a year?"

      "Yeah," Damien says softly as he closes the door and sits down on the bed beside me.

      "Things were touch and go there for a while because of your injuries and the surgeries, but you came back like you promised."

      "A year? Surgeries? As in more than one? How many?" I ask quickly.

      "You've had seven surgeries," says Marcus.

      "When you did the test... Your body was nearly destroyed. The lightning shot through the skin on your arms and torso. The rest... Was burned so badly... You were almost unrecognizable."

      His voice shakes as he closes his eyes. I catch glimpses of my burned and mangled body as he relives the memory, making me flinch slightly.

      "The first surgery had complications. You died on the table twice when they were trying to repair your burned organs. Then you needed transplants. A lung was the first transplant and then you needed a kidney because yours were so badly burned they shut down. Most of the other surgeries were skin grafts and plastic surgery to reshape your face," he says as he holds my hand.

My bottom lip trembles and tears fall from my eyes as I try to find words for what I'm feeling.

      "Marcus helped with the surgeries so you only have a couple of small scars," says Leo.

      "The only difference is the length of your hair," says Marcus.

I bite my lip and look away from them as tears run down my cheeks.

      "I'm so sorry you guys. I thought I did all I could to come out the other end unscathed even if I didn't pass the test. I'm so sorry you had to see me like that. I never should have taken that test," I say as I cover my face with my hands.

      "No no. It's not your fault. We all thought you'd be fine... Until we heard you cry out," Damien says as he holds me to his chest.

      "Heard me cry out?" I ask with a sniffle.

      "You were already in the cave when I started to scream."

I look up into his face and see the same horror I had seen that day.

      "I tried so hard to get to you before things got out of hand Celene. I fought to save you. We all did," he says as tears run down his lips and drip from his chin.

I wipe them away and give him a small smile.

      "I know you did Damien. I heard you before I could see you. At the end all I could think about was the way I felt for each of you and how you made me feel. Then everything went silent as I looked at your faces," I say.

      I look at Leo and Damien as I say this. I think about what I saw that day and hear everyone in the room gasp. I look around at their faces.

      "That's what you saw when you almost died?" Owen asks.

I nod and Marcus looks at Damien, then Leo, then me and then at Owen. Owen's eyes were cast to the floor as he fidgets with his fingers. I look between them and sit up a bit further.

      "I understand why you did what you did. It was way too dangerous for him to be near me. He could've been hurt too, but understand that he could have saved me. Any one of you could've and, in another way, you did. That's all that matters."