SIENNA
My entire body hurt terribly. I had just woken up a few minutes ago and found myself in a hospital room. My last memories were of being attacked by the Hunters from the Nightveil Pack. And then... a dark shadow attacked them.
No, it wasn't a shadow; it was him!
When I ran, I had no clear direction in mind. My mind was too disturbed to think properly, and I ended up crossing into someone else's territory. The kind of territory no wolf would dare enter without an invitation because it meant certain death! And of course, I had to stumble right into it!
It wasn't as if I could really complain, though. After all, that beast had saved me, right? He seemed about to attack me, but considering I was lying in a hospital bed with my wounds cleaned and treated, that wolf had no intention of hurting me.
The door to the room opened, and I nearly jumped, but didn't, simply because I physically couldn't.
A woman dressed in white walked in and gave me a friendly smile.
"Hello! I'm Dixie! I'm the nurse on duty!" She had two lovely dimples in her cheeks. I couldn't see her hair because it was covered by a cap, but her eyes were a deep, beautiful blue! "How are you feeling? I mean… considering you nearly had your arm torn off, of course."
She had a way with words…
"Ah… I feel like I almost lost my arm," I replied, and she looked at me, first stunned, then burst into a pleasant laugh.
"You're well enough to make jokes!" she teased. "Now, let's see how things are going here…"
She began her checks, which took a few minutes, and before she could finish, there was a brief knock, followed by the door opening. The first thing I saw were those green eyes, unforgettable! My breath caught in my throat, and my chest felt unable to expand even more. Still, something kept me from wanting to run.
The man standing there, staring at me, didn't seem like the monster everyone said he was, despite the cold, distant aura he gave off. Yes, he looked fierce, and well, I had seen him in action, right? But there was something else… And his beauty was unreal.
His skin was sun-kissed, as though he spent a lot of time under the sun; his features were sharp and striking, including a straight nose perfectly proportioned to his face; his hair was as black as night, and as shiny as the stars; his lips weren't too thin, but they weren't too thick either, fitting perfectly with his high cheekbones and strong jawline; and his eyes. Those green eyes, which could be mistaken for precious stones. Yet, even though they shone seductively, they carried a clear warning of danger.
He stepped into the room and closed the door without saying a word. He was massive, and perhaps because of his dominating presence, it felt as though he occupied the entire room. But the nurse didn't seem the least bit bothered by his presence.
"How is she?" he asked Dixie, instead of asking me, who was right there, wide awake.
"She's stable, with good signs. However… I think her wolf isn't responding, because her wounds aren't healing very quickly."
He nodded, and I narrowed my eyes.
"Shouldn't you ask me how I'm doing? I'm right here."
Deep down, a voice in my mind told me to stay quiet! Besides, he had saved my life—didn't he? He was… please, he was the Fierce Alpha! Alpha Theron Valken! The Alpha of the feared Shadowfang Pack. The pack's name said a lot: the Alphas had the ability to merge with shadows. They were strong, determined, and as far as I knew, they had never lost a fight. Aside from the King, that pack was the most powerful group in the territory.
I saw his jaw muscle tighten.
"Would you excuse us, Miss Armstrong?" He kept his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on me.
"Yes, of course," Dixie's voice came out soft, and she passed by him quickly. But before closing the door, she hesitated. "The patient needs to rest, Alpha. Excuse me now."
She meant: don't stress her out, please! Thank you, Dixie! Lately, I hadn't received that kind of kindness. In fact, since I had moved to the Nightveil Pack, I don't think I'd had anyone on my side in a dispute. That realization filled my heart with bitter, painful memories.
"For someone who was about to take their last breath, you talk too much," the Alpha said, and I lifted my eyes. How could I have gotten distracted like this? He looked at me without showing any emotion. "What happened? Did your words run out?"
"Thank you," was the first thing I said. It was the right thing to do. He could even hit me, but it was undeniable that this werewolf had, without even knowing me, helped me. He could have finished me off like he had with the other intruders. "And… yes, I do talk too much sometimes. I spent a few years holding back my words, and I guess now it's a little hard to keep them in."
I was sincere in what I said, and I saw his eyebrow twitch. Just a little, a tiny bit, but it moved!
"I didn't keep you alive so you could enjoy a nice life here, Miss," he said bluntly. Considering I had lived with a liar for the past two and a half years, it wasn't so bad to have someone tell me the truth, even if in a raw manner. "What were you doing in my territory? Who was hunting you? And why?"
Okay, he was here to interrogate me, of course. What did I expect? That he'd sit down for a cup of tea?
"I was trying to save my life. I wasn't aiming for your territory. I was being chased, and I ran. As for who was chasing me: Hunters from the pack I've been part of for the past few years. The reason: you'd have to ask them. Then, pass the answer on to me, because I'm as much in the dark as you are."
I tried to be respectful. What Adrian had done to me wasn't a reason for me to be rude to someone who hadn't done anything but help me, and up until now, he hadn't been rude or mean, just incredibly direct.
"I'm asking you. Or are you going to tell me you have no idea why there are hunters coming after you?" he let out a laugh, but it wasn't exactly that. His eyes didn't show any trace of humor. "I'll only ask one more time: why were they chasing you?"
His hand moved and hovered dangerously over my injury. Okay, I was retracting what I had said: that guy was not polite at all!
"I almost died. Are you really going to stick your finger, literally, in my wound? You could have just killed me right there! I already told you: I don't know!"
His aura was growing stronger, but I wasn't going to lower my head. The light touch on my shoulder made me want to shrink and cry, even though he wasn't pressing it, but the proximity was enough to make me suffer in advance. My body was sore, but if he did what he was threatening, I think I would pass out. That would be terrible. It would give him more power over me. And I swore, as I packed my things, that I would never let another male put me on the ground!
His face moved closer to mine, and I felt a change in the air.