Alpha Kaidan regained consciousness shortly after midday.
His first attempt to move sent a sharp pain through his back, forcing him to stop. He opened his eyes slowly, taking in the unfamiliar ceiling before turning his head.
Naomi sat beside the bed, reading through the instructions Healer Evelyn had left concerning his treatment. The movement caught her attention, and she immediately put the papers aside.
"Alpha Kaidan?"
His eyes settled on her face.
"You’re awake," she said, rising from her chair to examine him. "Don’t try to sit up yet."
He swallowed, his throat dry. "Water."
Naomi poured some into a glass and helped him take a few sips. She watched him carefully, making sure he didn’t strain himself before setting the glass aside.
"How long?" he asked.
"Since the council meeting? You’ve been unconscious since then."
His brows drew together as he tried to gather his thoughts. Naomi could see he wanted to ask more, but speaking was already tiring him.
"Save your questions for later," she said. "You need to recover first."
"Where’s John?"
"He has been handling the pack’s affairs."Alpha Kaidan gave a faint nod before closing his eyes again. Naomi let him rest for several minutes, then checked his pulse and breathing. When he opened his eyes once more, he appeared more alert.
"I want to go home," he said.
Naomi looked at him. "You have only just regained consciousness."
"I know."
"You’re not in a condition to make the journey without help. And once we’re home, you’ll still need to rest. No meetings, no unnecessary visitors, and no trying to get out of bed without assistance."
"I heard you."
"Good. Then you won’t argue when I tell you what you can and cannot do."
A faint movement crossed his face, almost a smile, but it disappeared before it fully formed.
Naomi contacted Healer Evelyn and explained that Alpha Kaidan had regained consciousness and was asking to return home. Healer Evelyn examined him and agreed he could be moved, on two conditions: they keep him comfortable, and his treatment doesn’t stop.
Naomi packed the supplies he would need before she let anyone move him. John arrived as the staff prepared to move him, and she briefed him on Alpha Kaidan’s condition.
"I’ll arrange for the medical room at the house to be prepared," John said.
"No," Alpha Kaidan replied weakly from the bed. "My room."
John looked at him. "Are you sure, Sir?"
"My room."
Naomi intervened before the discussion could continue. "His room will do, provided the bed is prepared properly and everything he needs is within reach. He isn’t going to be moving around the house."
Alpha Kaidan turned his eyes towards her but offered no objection.
John left to make the arrangements. The journey home was slow and carefully managed. Naomi remained beside Alpha Kaidan throughout, watching for signs of discomfort and instructing the attendants whenever they needed to adjust his position. By the time they reached the house, he was visibly exhausted.
Grace was waiting when they arrived. She had prepared the bedroom and cleared the space around the bed so the attendants could move him without difficulty.
Naomi supervised as they settled Alpha Kaidan onto the mattress, ensuring that his injured arm and back were properly supported. Once the attendants had left, she checked his pulse again and examined the dressing.
"Are you in pain?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Tell me if it gets worse. Don’t try to endure it in silence."
She measured out the medication as Healer Evelyn had instructed and helped him take it. Then she adjusted the pillows, making sure he could rest without putting pressure on his wound.
Alpha Kaidan watched her work. "You don’t have to do everything yourself," he murmured.
"I’m aware of that."
"You’ve been here since—"
"Alpha Kaidan, please don’t waste your strength discussing how long I’ve been here. You need to rest."
He fell silent. Naomi finished arranging the bedside table, placing water, medication, clean dressings, and the supplies she would need within easy reach. She had already told Grace she would manage his care herself and call for help if anything went beyond her skill.
When she returned to the bed, Alpha Kaidan was still watching her. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"Then close your eyes." This time, he obeyed.
By late afternoon, Alpha Kaidan had slept for several hours. Naomi used the quiet period to review his treatment schedule and prepare what she needed for the next dressing change. She was careful not to let her familiarity with him interfere with her judgment. He was her husband, but he was also a patient whose recovery depended on proper care.
When he woke again, she held a glass of water to his lips, then asked how he felt.
"Can you sit up a little?" he asked.
"Not without assistance, and not just because you’re tired of lying down."
"I need to speak to John."
"You can speak to him when you’re strong enough to hold a conversation without exhausting yourself."
"I have responsibilities."
"And you will return to them when you recover. Until then, John can manage."
Alpha Kaidan looked displeased, but the effort of maintaining the expression seemed to cost him. He settled back against the pillows.
Naomi brought a small amount of food and helped him eat. He managed a few mouthfuls before turning his face away.
"That’s enough," he said.
"For now," she agreed. "I’ll offer you more later."
She cleared the tray and returned to her chair. For a while, neither of them spoke. Then Alpha Kaidan broke the silence.
"Naomi."
She looked up from the medication schedule.
"Thank you."
She held his gaze for a moment before answering.
"You don’t need to thank me for treating your injury. I’m your healer right now."
His expression changed slightly at the distinction.
"And when you’re not my healer?"
Naomi placed the papers on the table.
"That’s a different conversation, Alpha Kaidan. One we can have when you’re well enough to participate in it."
He appeared to want to say something, but she could see the exhaustion returning to his face.
"Rest," she told him. He closed his eyes without arguing.
That evening, John came to the bedroom with an update on the pack. Naomi met him outside the door so they wouldn’t disturb Alpha Kaidan.
"Has anything changed?" she asked.
"No urgent problems. I’ve handled the matters that needed immediate attention, and the senior members have been informed that Alpha Kaidan will remain unavailable while he recovers."
"Good. He isn’t ready to resume his duties."
"I assumed as much." John hesitated. "He asked about the pack earlier. I told him I’d keep him informed when there was something he genuinely needed to know."
"That’s sensible."
John gave her a grateful look. "You should get some rest yourself."
"I’ll rest when his treatment is settled for the night."
"Madam, you can’t look after him properly if you exhaust yourself."
"I know my limits, John."
He accepted her answer and left her to return to the bedroom.
Alpha Kaidan was awake when she entered. He had heard enough of the conversation to understand that John had visited, and his gaze followed her as she approached the bed.
"John left?" he asked.
"Yes. The pack is being taken care of."
"Good."
Naomi checked his dressing one more time before helping him settle comfortably. She dimmed the lights and drew the curtains, leaving a lamp beside the bed.
When she turned to leave the room briefly to wash her hands, his voice stopped her. "Naomi."
She looked back. "Will you be here when I wake up?"
The question caught her off guard. For a moment, she studied him, searching his face for something beyond the simple request.
"I’ll be here tonight," she answered.
His eyes remained on her. She returned to her chair beside the bed rather than offering a promise beyond what she could give. Alpha Kaidan slowly closed his eyes, and his breathing settled as sleep claimed him again.
Naomi sat quietly, listening to the sounds of the house beyond the bedroom door. His recovery had begun, and she would do her part to see him through it.
What happened between them afterwards would depend on more than the fact that she had stayed.