First Hello–1
Sebastian’s POV
I stared at my son, pride surging through me–for him and for the profound bond between him and his mother. Not even her closest friends or biological parents knew what name she’d chosen for this pup, but she had told Leo.
“That’s wonderful,” the head nurse smiled down at Leo. “You’re already being an excellent big brother.”
Leo just nodded, then looked up at me.
“One afternoon we were lying on her bed eating ice cream because she was always craving it while pregnant. I asked what the baby’s name would be, and we spent hours looking up names until we finally picked those two.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “It was really fun. We laughed until our stomachs hurt.”
But quickly, tears filled his eyes again. I pulled him close, feeling a sharp pain cut through my chest. Seeing him suffer like this made me feel so fucking helpless.
“When is she going to get better?” Leo choked out. “I really miss her.”
I didn’t answer because I honestly had no fucking clue what to say. Even the chief
physician couldn’t tell us when Thea would wake up, or if she would wake up at all.
The head nurse crouched down to Leo’s eye level and gently took hold of his arm. Leo didn’t let go of me but turned to face her.
“I have an idea. Would you like to be the first person to visit your sister?” she asked softly.
“Can I?” he asked, wiping his tears.
“Of course,” she nodded with a smile. “Let me go prepare, and I’ll come get you in a few
minutes, okay?”
Leo nodded, a brief light flashing across his face. The pain was still there, but at least temporarily pushed to the background.
As the head nurse stood up, I gave her a grateful look. This seemingly small gesture
1/3
First
actually gave Leo a reason to keep going–she’d given him hope, something to cling to while waiting for his mother to recover.
She nodded to the others in the room, then turned and left. I held Leo’s hand and led him to a seat in the waiting area. I felt more exhausted than I’d ever been, mentally and physically at my limit. I needed sleep, but I wouldn’t let myself rest until I’d checked on both Thea and the baby.
Just then, Roman, Jaxon, and Margaret walked in. Margaret was holding Jaxon’s hand tightly. They were talking while Roman trailed behind. I wasn’t sure if they’d told Wyatt the truth yet.
I watched as Wyatt’s gaze fell on Aurora. His eyes instantly brightened.
He let go of Jaxon’s hand and ran toward Aurora. But she coldly pushed him away, her face showing disapproval. Wyatt’s expression immediately crumbled, tears welling in his
eyes.
He turned around and hugged Jaxon’s leg. Jaxon glared angrily at Aurora, as did Roman
and Margaret.
Aurora shifted uncomfortably under everyone’s gaze but didn’t say a word.
I looked away and down at Leo leaning against my shoulder. His eyes were closed, holding my hand, but I knew he wasn’t asleep.
“What is he doing here?” a hostile voice broke the silence. I looked up to see Margaret pointing at Graves, her eyes filled with hatred and bitterness.
“He’s here for Thea,” I answered tiredly.
Her face twisted into an ugly expression. “I didn’t know Thea associated with criminals.”
“Of course you didn’t know, because you never really knew my daughter at all,” Seraphina
shot back sharply.
The two females stared each other down. Margaret might have her status as former Luna of Sterling, but she was clearly outmatched facing the Luna of Kincaid.
“If you don’t like him being here, there’s the door. Honestly, considering how you
2/3
First Hello–1
mistreated Thea all these years, I’m surprised you’re even here.” Maximus said.
That left Margaret speechless, but it also opened up issues I wasn’t ready to face yet.
Leo suddenly opened his eyes, looked around, then up at me.
“What’s Grandpa Maximus talking about?” Though his voice wasn’t loud, it was enough to draw everyone’s attention.
An awkward silence spread through the air as everyone suddenly seemed to remember
Leo was present.
“Nothing important, just adult arguments,” I tried to reassure him, but he clearly wasn’t buying it.
“No, I know what ‘mistreated‘ means. Grandpa’s talking like Mom was treated badly. Is that true?” His voice grew increasingly sharp.
Fuck. I’d always dreaded this day coming. I noticed everyone looking tense except for Jaxon and Wyatt. How could I tell him the truth without making him hate all of us— especially me, the one who’d hurt her the most?
“Leo, ready to see your sister?” The head nurse returned just in time, wearing a kind
smile.
First Hello–2
I felt a wave of relief, thanking the Moon Goddess for the timely intervention. Leo was immediately distracted, practically beaming with excitement.
“Alpha, you’ll need to accompany him,” the head nurse said as Leo eagerly grabbed her
hand.
I nodded and followed them.
We were first taken to a sterilization room where we were fitted with sterile isolation gowns, gloves, and masks. Then we were led into the neonatal intensive care unit. After passing several incubators, we stopped at a specific one.
“Leo, this is Phoenix,” the head nurse smiled.
One look at her and I was completely captivated. Though she wasn’t my blood, in that moment, I felt my heart seized by this tiny life.
Phoenix, though premature, was extraordinarily beautiful. Her eyes were closed, so I couldn’t see their color, but from her tiny nose to her lips to the wisp of hair peeking out from under her pink cap, she was the spitting image of Thea. A perfect copy of her
mother.
Seeing all those tubes connected to her small body made my heart ache. She shouldn’t have to go through this. She should still be safe in her mother’s womb and enter this world for another three months.
But she was alive. That’s what mattered most.
“Can I hold her?” Leo asked quietly, his voice full of longing.
The head nurse was right–he was a natural big brother. The love and concern for his sister was already clearly written across his face.
“Not yet, sweetheart,” the head nurse explained gently. “But if you promise to be very careful, you can touch her.”
He nodded solemnly. The head nurse showed him how to reach through the special opening in the incubator. He gently touched Phoenix’s cheek, and the tiny being seemed
1/4
First Hello–2
to sense her brother’s presence, leaning slightly toward his hand without waking.
We stayed for a while until the nurse told us we needed to leave. Leo and I removed our protective gear and walked back to the waiting room. I felt like I was walking in a dream- both awake and dazed, as if caught between two worlds.
“Where’s Maximus?” I asked, sitting down next to Damien.
Seraphina sat alone in the corner, looking haggard, her eyes hollow, clearly having cried for a long time.
“He went to see Thea,” Damien answered. “The hospital said they can only allow one person at a time to ensure Thea’s condition remains stable, so Seraphina went in first.”
The head nurse appeared again, asking who else wanted to visit Phoenix. Graves stepped forward and, surprisingly, no one objected. She took him away.
“How’s the little one?” Damien asked after they left.
“She’s beautiful,” Leo’s eyes sparkled. “She really looks like Mom.”
“That’s right,” I added. “She’s exactly like Thea.”
We fell silent, each lost in our own thoughts. A moment later, Graves returned, holding
his just–rung phone.
“I need to leave,” he told me. “But I’ll stay in touch. For Thea and Phoenix, I’m proposing a temporary alliance, setting aside our feud to track down whoever hurt them.”
“Agreed,” I responded briefly, extending my hand, which he shook. It was the first step toward something almost like reconciliation between us.
“Aren’t you waiting to see Thea?” Maximus asked, coming out of the hospital room.
“Not today. There’s an emergency,” he answered curtly.
Before I could figure out why he was in such a hurry, the answer appeared before me- Kane was being escorted into the waiting area by two officers.
I wasn’t sure if Graves was rushing out because he saw his brother, the police arrival, or
both.
2/4
First Hello–2
Seeing Kane, I still felt a familiar anger rising. I wasn’t sure I could forgive this man who had deceived and played with Thea’s feelings, even plotting to kill her.
1 stood up, ready to lash out, but Maximus held my shoulder.
“We arranged for him to come,” he said calmly. “As a father, you should understand he has the same right to be here as you, perhaps even more.”
That stopped me in my tracks. I watched Seraphina rise to embrace Kane, who hugged her back, struggling to control his emotions.
“Don’t cause trouble now,” Maximus continued. “It won’t help anyone. I imagine you’d rather see Thea now, right?”
I clenched my jaw but nodded. As much as I hated Kane, he was right. Kane had the right to see his daughter, especially under these circumstances.
I was about to turn away when the nurse came over to inform the next visitor they could enter. I asked if Leo and I could go together, and she agreed.
We went through the sterilization process again, putting on protective gear. When we finally stepped into Thea’s hospital room, I felt all my strength instantly crumble, barely able to stand.
Her head was wrapped in thick bandages, her neck secured in a brace. Her face was covered with tiny cuts, probably from glass fragments. Most heartbreaking of all, various tubes and wires connected to her body, surrounded by the soft hum of monitoring machines.
I held one of her hands, Leo held the other.
“Mom,” he called out, but only the machines responded.
She looked so peaceful, as if merely sleeping, but we both knew that wasn’t the case. That’s exactly what broke my heart.
I tried to say something, but nothing came out except a choked sob.
Please come back to me, I silently begged. I need you.
