The Alpha Queen And Her Chosen Mate
Chapter 70

Emmett

“W-will it hurt him?” Kelsey sobbed while Kelly held her close.

“Mason wont feel a thing, I assure you. I will unhook him from all his devices and it will only take a minute or two before he is gone. The machines are the only thing keeping him alive right now.”

“Oh goddess.” She cried harder, throwing most of her weight onto Kelly.

“It’s okay Kels, it’s going to be okay. The moon goddess will take good care of him, and he won’t be suffering anymore.” Kelly encouraged her.

“B-but what about our girls? What am I going to tell them?” She sobbed.

“I already spoke with them.” Kelly said, her eyes glassy. “They said they would miss him, we all will. But you and I both know he wouldn’t want this. He loved to be outside enjoying the fresh air, not tied down to a bed with a tube down his throat.”

“This is the most humane thing you can do, not only for him, but for yourself.” I added. “Kelsey, if this continues, I worry that the strain on your bond will eventually lead to your demise. You have lost a lot of weight in the past few months, your hair is faded, your mind foggy when we speak.”

“Your girls need you, Kelsey. They need their mom. You are no good to them like this.” Kelly agreed.

“When….H-how…?” Kelsey asked.

“We can do it today. We will move him to a different room so the girls won’t have to see all the medical supplies.”

“O-okay.” She nodded, clinging harder to Kelly.

“Why don’t we go get you cleaned up, we can grab the girls and then say our goodbys?”

She only nodded at Kelly’s suggestion, fighting back more tears. I exchanged a knowing look with Kelly and as soon as they were out of the room, I began unhooking Mason from some of his monitors, leaving only the ones that were keeping him alive. With help from one of the nurses, Julie, we moved him to a quieter, friendlier room. It was an empty room, minus a nightstand, some yellow curtains that framed where the bed would go, and four or five chairs.

“Thank goddess she finally made a decision.” Julie said as she fixed the sheets on Mason’s bed. “Much longer and she would have ended up like him.”

“It is a terrible situation, one I hope I never have to face.” I sighed.

“Agreed. I don’t know what I would do if I were in her shoes. I can’t imagine losing my mate like that.” She shook her head.

“I pray that you never have to.”

She gave me a half smile before fixing a few more things and then going to check on her other patients. While I waited for Kelly and Kelsey to arrive, I did a few rounds, checking on my patients and even delivering a pup. After a few hours, they finally arrived, with Kelseys’ pups. Everyone was dressed in black. I had Julie with me on standby, knowing that Keslesy might need medical attention once Mason is finally gone and the mate bond breaks.

“Take your time.” I encouraged from outside the room.

Kylie and Kelly went in and said goodbye first, then the girls. They all left the room and gave Kelsey some time alone. When she was ready, Kelly and I went back into the room and she held her sister while I unplugged her mate. Once unplugged, I began keeping a close eye on Kelsey, Mason, and the clock on the wall. When two minutes had passed and Kelsey didn’t have any searing pain, I listened for Mason’s heartbeat and found none.

“He’s gone.” I said, a bit perplexed.

Kelly looked similar, both of us wondering why Kelsey wasn’t in any additional pain undoubtedly.

“Kels, do you feel okay?” Kelly asked.

“I fell…better. I’m sad, but I don’t feel the weight on my chest anymore.” She choked out. “I think I made the right choice.”

“I’m so happy to hear that.” Kelly said, hugging her sister. “I’m so sorry for your loss, but you did the right thing.”

They soon began exchanging memories together, laughing and crying along the way. They spoke of funeral plans and I assured them that I would personally make sure he was ready whenever they were. Kelsey didn’t waste any time, having the funeral just two days later. She also spoke about possibly traveling for a few weeks, just her and her girls. I left after that, not wanting to intrude on their conversation any further.

“Hey Emmett, wait up!” Julie called after me.

“Everything okay?” I asked, waiting for her to catch up.

“Um…yeah.” She blushed, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. “I was wondering if you wanted to grab drinks after work tonight.” She shrugged.

“Oh…like a date?”

“…Yeah.” She nodded and blushed even harder.

I felt like I was between a rock and a hard place. I liked Julie, and with time I could see myself falling for her if I ever gave the relationship a chance, but Kelly was still fresh in my mind. I just didn’t know if I was still in hers.

“Rain check?” I asked.

“Okay, yeah, sure.” She nodded before awkwardly bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I had better go check on my patients.” She said, quickly retreating through the halls.

I felt bad not giving her a straight forward answer, but I was damned if I did, damned if I didnt. While I was willing to wait for Kelly, how long might I wait to get an answer from her? Weeks? Months? Years? She was queen now and seemed like she hardly had time to breathe with all her new responsibilities. Which again, was fine, if I knew she had her heart set on me and not Jonas or Thorin. But I didnt. I suppose I should strike up a conversation soon, then I can work on moving forward with her or getting over her. Either way, I needed an answer.

– – – – – – – –

Thorin

“You look tired, Solnyshko.” I said, as Kelly struggled to keep her head upright while she finished whatever it was she was working on.

“I am tired.” She agreed, the dark circles under her eyes showing as she looked at the ceiling to crack her neck. “I have five contracts to review and Mason’s funeral tomorrow. I am down a Beta, and my Delta is busy at the hospital. My sister is planning an elaborate month-long vacation and wants my approval on everything and I have a hundred and one other responsibilities that all want my attention at once.”

“Nyet.” I said, turning off the light she had on her desk. “You are done for day.”

“But-“

“Nyet.” I shook my head, going around her desk and taking her hand. “You look unwell. You need rest, everything else can wait.”

Her face fell and shoulders sank, though she didn’t fight me. I guided her back to her sad-looking room and had her drink a bottle of water before tucking her into bed. Her room, which was now on the top floor of the palace where alphas typically stay, was mostly empty, except for a few pieces of furniture that were probably there before she was even born, and her bed. There was nothing personal about the entire floor. It was…sad. Kelly had so much going on and was neglecting herself so much. But not more. Not as long as I am around.

“Get some good sleep.” I said before flicking off her bedroom light.

I turned to leave when I heard her voice call out to me.

“…Thorin?” She asked.

“Da?” I asked, appearing in her doorway again.

“Nevermind, its stupid.” She shook her head. “Have a good night.” I could almost feel her sad mood from across the room. Not wasting another minute, I kicked off my boots and stripped down to my boxers before climbing into bed with Kelly, wrapping her in my arms. She snuggled into me, taking a deep breath. “Thank you,” She said quietly. Within thirty seconds she was fast asleep, and I was not far behind her, my own responsibilities catching up with me too.