Mated To An Enemy

"Four days?!" Ashleigh shouted. "I've been asleep for four days!"

'Yes,' Lily replied. 'Using my power drains your energy. Using it as much as you did that day and getting seriously injured severely depleted your reserves.'

Ashleigh could not believe what she was hearing.

Four days was long, especially when the Dark Queen was still out there and plotting.

She removed the oxygen from her nose and began to pull at her IV.

'I don't recommend you do that….' Lily whispered.

"I can't just stay in this bed!" Ashleigh shouted angrily.

"Excuse me?" a familiar voice came from the door. "Just what do you think you are doing?"

Ashleigh turned to see Bell looking at her with irritation.

"Bell…" Ashleigh smiled. "I was just…."

"Trying to escape the hospital when your body is not ready to leave this room?" Bell suggested with a bright smile.

Ashleigh sighed.

"Bell, The Dark Queen is still out there… I can't just lay here doing nothing… I need to get to Summer."

"Your back has not healed," Bell replied seriously. "At this point, with how much you exhausted yourself, Alice is healing faster than you are."

Ashleigh looked up.

"Is she all right?" she asked. "Is Myka?"

Bell gave a soft smile.

"She is. They both are," Bell said. "Alice is also in the hospital. She just woke up yesterday. Myka had no serious injuries, so he mostly stayed at Peter's house. Where I am sure he is getting a regular check-up every day."

Bell bit her lower lip as she smiled mischievously.

Ashleigh rolled her eyes and laughed.

"You have problems, you know that, right?"

"I have a healthy curiosity and imagination," Bell grinned.

"Poor Galen," Ashleigh sighed dramatically. "How will he ever keep up?"

"Are you kidding me?" Bell asked with a laugh, "he's worse than I am!"

Ashleigh let out a surprised laugh.

"Seriously!" Bell insisted. "He may not vocalize it or tease in public as much as I do, but man… if we are alone for more than a minute…."

"Oh Goddess," Ashleigh groaned, she continued to laugh, but now she felt the pain in her back.

"See," Bell said. "Told you, you're not ready to leave this room. You need a few more days."

Ashleigh laid back in the bed with a hiss as the pain moved through her.

"The problem is I don't think the Dark Queen cares if I'm fully healed," Ashleigh sighed.

"Well, the people that love you do care," Bell smiled. "I need to check on a few other patients, don't make me put restraints on you."

"Is that what you tell Galen?" Ashleigh teased.

"Don't ask questions you don't want answers to…." Bell said in a sultry tone as she opened the door.

"Sounds like an answer I might want."

Bell turned to see Myka standing on the other side of the door, a suggestive smile on his face.

Before Bell could respond, Myka was smacked at the back of his head.

"Don't mind him. He's an idiot," Peter grumbled.

Bell laughed.

"What are you boys doing here?" she asked.

"I came to check on Ashleigh," Myka smiled.

"I came to keep him out of trouble," Peter replied.

"He's still mad that I went to Spring," Myka whispered.

"No," Peter corrected, his arms crossed over his chest. "I am irritated about the bat almost killing you, the blowing up a mountain you were inside of, and the bear."

Peter turned to Bell with an irritated expression.

"Did you know there are bears now? Tentacled, rotted death bears roaming the forests and trying to eat people. Like this idiot that ran straight into one."

"It wasn't my fault!" Myka scoffed.

"Did you or did you not run ahead in a thick forest already known to have enemies in it?" Peter asked.

"I… should go see how Ashleigh is doing," Myka smiled, giving Peter a quick peck on the cheek before pushing past them into the room.

Bell couldn't hold back the giggle.

"You love him so hard," she teased.

Peter took a deep breath and shook his head with annoyance.

"He's an idiot."

"An idiot you love…" she teased.

"Not by choice," Peter insisted.

"Mmm… I disagree," Bell smiled.

"I am literally soul bonded to him by the power of an ancient fae queen," Peter said with a raised brow.

"Yea… but you left him before," Bell replied. "And you didn't have to take him back."

Peter pursed his lips.

"Face it, Peter, he's your chosen mate now. You love him," Bell grinned.

Peter took a deep breath and sighed, rubbing his temples.

"He doesn't make it easy."

They chatted a few more minutes before Myka stepped back out of the room with a smile as he looked at Bell.

"What…?" she asked suspiciously.

"So… Ashleigh and I were talking, and we would like to go for a walk," he smiled. "You know to stretch her legs, get a little movement in the body and such."

"A walk?" Bell asked. "Around the hospital?"

Myka tilted his head and bit his lower lip playfully.

"A little further."

Both Bell and Peter eyed him suspiciously.

"How far?" Peter asked.

Myka lowered his gaze.

"Still within the Safe Zone…" he said quietly.

"No," Peter and Bell said simultaneously.

Myka's expression turned to a pout, and he looked behind him before moving out of the way.

Ashleigh stood behind him, already having pulled her IV. She looked up at Bell and Peter, each of whom looked irritated.

"Are you kidding me?" Bell growled.

"I have to go, Bell, it's important," Ashleigh insisted.

"So is your health!" Bell replied angrily, stepping back into the room.

"Bell, listen–" Ashleigh began.

"No!" Bell shouted. "You listen!"

Ashleigh was stunned and silent.

"Out there, in the fight, you know what you are doing. You know what is best, and I won't question it, even if I disagree with you," Bell began. "But when you come back here, broken and bleeding, we have to stitch you back together. We are the ones that know best! Not you!"

Ashleigh swallowed and looked away.

"I'm sorry, Bell," she said softly. "I know, I do… but I have to go."

"Ashleigh–" Bell started.

"Myka knows where the Winter side of the way gate is," she said. "This could be exactly what we need. I'm going."