Chapter 9: The Magic Stirs

Dallas felt his soul re-enter his body, like water gently flowing gently into a pool. The room was dimly lit by wall scones placed at strategic intervals around the area. Pale walls painted in a creamy white surrounded him. The walls were adorned with abstract artwork. Canvasses covered in careless slashes and splotches in an array of pastel colors. Four comfortable looking chairs covered in light blue upholstery were placed in the room's corners. A door made of a dark cherry wood stood opposite his bed.

He was propped up in a hospital bed. Machines, similar to those he had seen in hospitals, were hooked up to his body. Comfortable pillows surrounded him. The air carried a light lavender scent that reminded him of the candles his mother had fondly scattered throughout their home. Being careful not to move his head, he let his eyes travel over the room. No light shone through the blinds on the window. He surmised it must be night in this world. A dim light filtered in around the doorway. He listened closely and could hear the quiet murmur of voices in the hallway.

His body was sore from his ordeal and his head throbbed. Very slowly, he turned his head to the side, wincing in pain. He gently lifted his hand to his head to find it had been wrapped in bandages. He slowly lowered his hand back down to the bed.

Sitting in a corner chair was the figure of a small woman with bright red hair. As his eyes focused on her, she slowly rose from her chair and crossed the room to his bedside. "I'm Mara. How are you feeling?"

"Everything hurts and my head is killing me. What happened?" he replied. "You fainted, striking your head on a rock in the fall. You lost quite a bit of blood. You have been unconscious for 5 days. Phanes has given me the privilege of being your guide in this world. It is my honor to serve you. Let me get you something for the pain." Mara quietly left the room. Dallas relaxed into the bed, scrunching his eyes against the pain. Hearing Mara mention Phanes was quite comforting. Having proof that it was not all just a dream produced by his overwhelmed mind gave him a sense of relief. On the flip side of that comfort was the heavy responsibility he now faced; a burden placed on his shoulders during that brief interlude in the garden. Dallas wondered where he should begin.

His mind wandered back to his meeting with Phanes. He mentally replayed the interlude in vivid detail, knowing this might be the only contact he ever got with his biological parent. He cherished the memory as much as he valued the memories he held of his adoptive parents and the life they had together. Finally finding his biological parent after all these years did not diminish the love he had for his adoptive parents. In his heart, all three of them were his parents and he valued his relationships with all of them. Though he knew he would always miss his mother and father, his grief felt just a little lighter. Having Phanes to fill the void in his life had allowed him to let go of some of the loss he felt from their deaths.

An older man in a white lab coat, as small in stature as Maura herself but significantly rounder, entered the room. "Welcome back. We've been quite worried about you. You gave us quite a scare there." The man, obviously a medical professional, began examining Dallas. He retrieved a small penlight from his pocket and shined it in Dallas' eyes. Dallas grimaced and pulled back in pain. "I see, that must be hurting you. It's not surprising, considering your injuries. My name is Doctor Gerard Bartholomew, but you can call me Doc. I need to get some information from you. Before this week, have you ever fainted before or had seizures?"

"No, this is a first for me. I remember fainting, but I don't remember any seizures. When did that happen?" Doc nodded in understanding. "Throughout the night last night, you had multiple seizures. They did not stop until the wee hours of the morning. We were unable to determine the cause. We assume it was from your head injury. We will need to keep an eye on you for a few days, just in case."

Dallas thought he knew what caused it but kept silent. He remembered thrashing about when his magic awakened in the dreamscape. He did not know this man and was not sure if he could trust him. He thought it best if he kept what little he knew about his magic as a secret for now. He would ask Mara about it later, that is if she ever returned.

Doc reached for the bedside table and poured a small glass of water for Dallas. He passed the glass to Dallas with a smile. "After everything your poor body has been through, I bet you could use a drink. This water should still be nice and cold for you. Take little sips until your body gets used to it. We kept you hydrated with the IV, but now you can take care of that on your own. Hopefully, we can get that IV out of you shortly. " Dallas accepted the water, grateful for the cool liquid as it slid down his throat. He hadn't realized just how thirsty he was until the wetness hit his tongue. He was thankful for the refreshingly cool liquid.

Mara reentered the room. A small glass vial, filled with a purple liquid, sat delicately in her hand. She extended the vial to Dallas. "We don't have a healer here in this clan, as they are exceedingly rare. We have to rely on medications for remedies, much like your human world did. This should help with the pain. It is similar to the pain relievers you had in your backpack when you arrived. I have taken the liberty of storing your belongings in your suite. When you have recovered, I will escort you to your new room." Dallas accepted the vial. He removed the stopper and sniffed the concoction. It smelled appallingly sweet, like cotton candy on steroids. He hesitated, wondering if it was safe to drink it. He decided, if Phanes trusted this person, so should he. He tipped the vial into his mouth, surprised to find it had a pleasantly mild taste.

Just then a young girl appeared in the room. "Doc, there has been a minor incident in one of our smaller communities. We are going to need your assistance." Doc gave a heavy sigh, the kind of bone deep weary sigh that only an overworked medical professional could fully comprehend. Slipping the light back into his pocket, he turned to leave with the young woman. "Well, it sounds like I had better go and take care of that. I will be back by later to check in on you. In the interim, I'll have the nurses remove that IV for you. We can try to make you a bit more comfortable." Dallas managed a weak "Thanks" as the doctor left the room.

Mara stood quietly nearby. "I am glad to see you awake. I'm sure you have questions and I'll answer anything I can when you're ready. Just be careful not to push yourself too hard. You have been through a lot in the last few days. Your body needs time to heal and adjust."

"Mara, I think there is something I need to tell you. From my point of view, I arrived yesterday. While I was unconscious, I met Phanes. Phanes explained the story behind my birth, the mark on my chest, my mates and that there are others like me. Omegas. Phanes said I am the oldest Omega, but we were all born on the same day in my world. I am supposed to be some kind of special one or something, a Prime Omega. I was given instructions for what I am to do now. Then, I was sent back here. As I traveled back, I felt my magic awakening. It was like pure, white hot energy pouring through my body. It was violent and painful. I think that might have been when I had those seizures here. I didn't tell Doc though. I didn't know how much I should tell him."

"Hmm, I was not expecting it to happen so soon. No worries, we will adjust. I suspect you are right about the seizures though. As for Doc, you can always trust him. He will play a big part in your future and will have knowledge the rest of us will not. Ask him anything you want to know about your body, no matter what happens to you in the future, and he will get the answer for you if he can. For now, just rest. I expect you will have visitors shortly." She patted the back of his hand reassuringly then returned to her chair in the corner. Dallas wondered who could possibly visit him when he knew no one in this place. He rested quietly for a time. The medication Mara had given him was working rather rapidly as he felt his pain slipping away. He welcomed the relief from the intense throbbing in his head.

The sound of hurried footsteps carried down the hall. Aiden entered the room, River following closely on his heels. He stopped a few feet from the bed, seemingly unsure of what to do next. River stepped around him to look Dallas in the eyes as he spoke. "Hello, we didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves on the day of your accident. Welcome to Terra Adamo. My name is River. I am the Beta clan leader here. This is our Alpha, Aiden." Aiden gave a little wave and said, "I am glad to see you awake. We were worried about you. How are you feeling?"

Dallas was shocked to see the two men from his dreams standing before him. His embarrassment returned and his face reddened. Seeing living, breathing versions of his wet dreams was more than he could comprehend in his current state. His mind raced to catch up and make sense of what he saw before him.

His voice cracked as he spoke, "Hi. I'm Dallas. The pain was pretty bad at first, but the medicine Mara gave me has helped a lot. I'm feeling much better, thanks for asking." He paused. "Doc will be back to check on me again later today. He had an emergency to handle."

"Yes, we had a minor incident in one of the residential communities. It shouldn't take long. I expect he will be back in a few hours," Aiden replied as he moved to the right of Dallas' bedside. River moved into a mirror position on Dallas' left. "Dallas, is there anything we can get for you? Anything that would make you more comfortable?"

"I am a bit hungry. Perhaps, if it isn't too much trouble, I could have some soup?" Dallas lifted hopeful eyes to River. "I don't want to be a burden though."

"Not at all. That will not be a problem." River calmly turned toward the door. "Buddy, are you available?" Buddy appeared with a wooden spoon in his hand. "Yes, Beta River," he responded formally. River turned and gestured toward the bed. "This is Omega Dallas. Dallas, this is our Head of Kitchen Staff and Chef, Buddy. Anytime you need something from the kitchen, Buddy will be happy to assist you."

"My goodness. Omega Dallas, an honor to meet you." He looked Dallas over, from head to toe. "Hmm, quite beautiful but too skinny. I will take care of that soon enough though. I will get you fed up and feeling better. We will have you out of this place in no time. We've got to get you away from this stench." He wrinkled his nose dramatically. Everyone held back a laugh, knowing how Buddy felt about the clinic. He and Doc had developed a strange resentment toward one another since Doc had made the mistake of brewing medicines in Buddy's kitchen without asking first. Buddy didn't want anyone near his kitchen equipment and Doc didn't want anyone else touching his mixtures. Aiden had stepped in and asked Mara to have the brownies add a small room to the clinic for Doc to use for his brewing, but the other brownies didn't want to get between Doc and Buddy. So far, Aiden was at a loss for a solution. Mara had already assured him she would handle it soon.

Dallas' blushed at being called beautiful. He had never considered himself as such. It wasn't that he thought he was ugly, exactly. He just thought he was average. His voice squeaked a bit as he replied, "Thank you, all of you. I don't know how long I will be in here, but I am grateful for your help. I look forward to getting to know each of you." Dallas took a moment to look into the eyes of Aiden and River in turn, willing them to hear his unspoken statement. He wanted them to know he saw them differently than the others but didn't want to push anything too soon.

It was uncomfortable trying to talk to the two handsome men. Dallas didn't know what to say or how much they already knew. Phanes had said they were to be his mates, but that didn't mean they would all know the plan. It wasn't like the emotional connections just magically appeared and everyone lived happily ever after. Something that serious would take time. Dallas didn't know if he could even fulfill his part. He had kissed men before but never anything more. He had even pleasured himself on occasion, especially since his dreams of his mates had begun, but even his experience there was somewhat limited. He had not been brave enough to really explore his body yet. He didn't know if he was capable of pleasing one man, let alone two. Especially men this hot.

"I will be back momentarily with your meal." Buddy disappeared instantly and returned quickly with a tray loaded down with food for Dallas. He smelled a delicious bowl of chicken soup and could see steam rising from the bowl as Buddy situated the tray on a movable bed table. Dallas surveyed the offerings with excitement. The bowl of soup had large pieces of chicken and vegetables. There were yeast rolls topped in honey butter. Dallas's mouth watered as he spied a piece of French vanilla cake with a fluffy white frosting topped in brightly colored sprinkles. "This all looks so delicious. The smell is making my mouth water!" he exclaimed. He picked up his spoon and took a bite of the soup. It was the most delicious soup he had ever eaten. "Oh my goodness! This is amazing!"

Buddy grinned. He was always happy to feed someone who appreciated it. There was something special about cooking for someone who loved your food. "Well, that is just a simple soup. If you like that, you're going to love your meals once you're feeling a bit better. This first one is just to get you started. Breakfast tomorrow will be even better. I'll be heading out now, gotta close up the kitchen for the night. I'll be back first thing in the morning."

River reached out and took Dallas' smaller hand in his own, gently squeezing Dallas' hand reassuringly. "Aiden and I will be nearby if you need anything. Mara will stay with you at all times until you are feeling better. We will be back in the morning as well."

Aiden took Dallas' other hand. When the three were connected, Dallas felt his magic surge inside. It was as if it were reaching for something, trying to connect to these two men. Dallas' eyes widened. He looked at each of the men's faces and found them staring at him intently. River felt his own magic pulling towards Dallas, as if trying to build a bridge between them. River saw a jumble of images in his mind. The images moved through his mind so quickly that he barely had time to process them. He knew that some of the images were memories of his life with Aiden, but they seemed like they were from Aiden's point of view rather than his own. Others were a complete mystery to him.

Aiden felt his dragon trying to connect with the magic within the smaller man. His mind filled with images of Dallas and River's lives. He knew the images of River's life as he had lived most of them alongside River. He inherently knew the others were from Dallas' life in the Earthly Realm. He tried to memorize them to ask about later but knew he would not be able to recall them all.

Dallas saw visions, much like those he had seen before, of wars. Ferocious animals fighting terrible, vicious battles. Humongous creatures that resembled lions with huge fangs, wings tipped in claws and tails like that of a scorpion fought against other impossible beasts. Dallas knew these beings to be manticores from his father's mythology books. Enormous dragons, phoenix birds, griffins, sphinx and many more struck with deadly force against the manticores in battle after battle. The images filling his mind were violent and fearsome. He could not fathom such anger and violence as what he was seeing in his mind. Furthermore, he could not understand why he was seeing the images but somehow, he knew the images were coming from the men holding his hands.

Dallas pulled his hands away from River and Aiden. The images stopped as abruptly as they had begun. He didn't know enough about his own magic to understand what was going on and what he should do about it. Dallas shook his head, trying to dispel the fog that had enveloped his mind. "Uhm, thanks for taking such good care of me here. I am a bit tired now. I will see you guys in the morning."

Aiden and River quietly left the room before teleporting up to their suite.