Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Beep... beep... beep... beep...

What was that strange beeping sound?

I tried to open my eyes, but as soon as even the smallest sliver of light made it past my eyelids, a sharp pain shot through my head and spread throughout my entire body.

I quickly shut my eyes again and tried to steady my breathing.

Beep... beep... beep... beep... beep... beep... beep... beep.

Okay, now it was clear—the beeping sped up with my heart rate. Now that I was calmer, the beeping slowed down too. It had to be a hospital monitor tracking my pulse. So, I was in a hospital. But why?

“Luna?” I asked, hoping my wolf would know what was going on. But Luna didn’t respond. I could feel her presence, but that was all.

Okay Lizzy, think. Why are you in the hospital? What’s the last thing you remember? As I sifted through the past week in my mind… Monday, job interview for the position of personal hostess to the Head of the Council. Tuesday, I got the call—I was the chosen candidate. I had kept it secret from Mike because I wanted to surprise him. Wednesday, lunch with Cassy. Thursday—oh god, Thursday—I’d had an argument with Mike. He said such hurtful things in anger. I swallowed the lump in my throat at the memory. He had started right off attacking me, questioning why I’d been so clingy when he’d been distant for weeks. His words hurt more than I could have imagined—and he seemed to mean every one. Until he saw how much they had affected me. He held me then, and before I knew it, we made love. Luna and I were convinced afterward that he’d just been overwhelmed with work and had reached his limit. Although we weren’t so sure anymore after he snuck out that night without a word.

Okay, Friday—Cassy and I went shopping, then had lunch with Ethan. Mike didn’t contact me all day. Dammit. He must still have been mad at me for being too needy. I shook my head inwardly. Focus, Elizabeth, for crying out loud.

Okay. Monday to Friday—nothing happened that would explain why I’m in the hospital. Saturday?

No matter how hard I tried, I could only remember going to bed Friday night. I couldn’t even remember waking up Saturday morning.

So something must have happened Saturday. But what?

Saturday was our one-year true mate anniversary, which happened to fall on the same day the new Head of the Council was to be announced. Mike had said he would tell me the location of our date that morning. I had hoped for a fancy restaurant, maybe even a proposal. Did he propose? Did we even go on the date?

I tried with all my might to remember Saturday—but after several minutes, I had to admit it was useless to waste my energy.

At that moment, I felt someone touch my arm. The warmth and the tingling sensation that spread through my body—it was the exact same effect Mike’s touch always had on me.

“Can you keep me updated on her condition, doctor?” asked a man’s voice I didn’t recognize. He sounded close—like he was sitting next to me. “I can’t do that! I could lose my job!” a woman replied.

She had to be the doctor—she was answering his question.

Why wasn’t Mike saying anything? He had to be the one who touched me.

“Don’t worry, doctor. If they question you about sharing this information, you can say Mr. Moon asked for it. Your job is safe,” the unknown man said in a commanding voice.

And then I felt it—his aura. That energy, so powerful. The energy of a strong Lycan Alpha.

But instead of it being oppressive and overwhelming—like it normally would be for wolfs of a lower rank—it only made me aware of its presence.

Suddenly, Luna jolted awake. She pushed herself forward—not all the way, but enough to be alert.

Though I felt she wanted to take control, she held herself back. This wasn’t the time or place.

“Oh… okay. If anything changes, I’ll let you know,” the doctor replied. “Thank you,” the man answered.

It had to be Jason Moon. Who else could it be? Why on earth would Alpha Jason Moon want to be updated on my condition?My mind started spinning with questions.

I felt his hand leave my arm, and immediately the warmth vanished, replaced by a chill. I heard footsteps walking away from my bed—and then a surge of pain hit me. It started in my heart and radiated outward through my entire body. It was like thick needles were being driven in and out of my skin, while my insides were being crushed. I heard the beeping from the monitor speed up, along with the sound of footsteps rushing toward me. I heard someone shouting—and it took a moment before I realized the screaming was coming from me. Someone grabbed my hand—and that warm, tingling feeling returned from their touch.

Everything went dark again.

I don’t know how long I was unconscious this time. I slowly came to, and this time, I managed to open my eyes. Even though I was aware I had been awake earlier, that moment felt vague, distant. I remembered a man sitting beside me, holding my arm—and the warm, tingling sensation that followed. That must’ve been Mike. No one else had ever made me feel that warmth and those tingles all over my body.

I stared at the ceiling for a while until I felt strong enough to sit up. It took a moment to move. Thankfully, it didn’t hurt, but I felt much stiffer than usual. I looked around the room and finally focused on the window. It was dark outside, but I could still hear the sounds of city life—cars, voices. It had to be evening. Carefully, I slid to the edge of the bed. Okay, Lizzy, you’re fine. All you have to do is stand up. It sounded so simple, but deep down I was afraid I’d collapse—my legs might not even hold me. With my eyes shut tight, I pushed myself off the bed.I was standing. I didn’t fall. Thank goodness, I thought with a sigh. I slowly walked around the bed. I had no idea what I was doing, or where I thought I was going. Shouldn’t I just stay in bed and wait? But I had no desire to crawl back in—I just wanted to go home. I opened the door to the hallway, peeked out, and saw no one. I stepped into the corridor—And immediately heard a loud gasp followed by, “Lizzy, you’re awake!!” Cassy shouted from down the hall. Cassy and Ethan were standing at the nurses’ station. Cassy rushed toward me.

“Ma’am, you’re not allowed to—” the nurse called out after her, but didn’t finish her sentence. Probably because she saw me standing there in the hallway. Cassy threw her arms around my neck.

“Oh, Lizzy, don’t ever scare us like that again,” she sobbed into my shoulder. “I don’t even know what scared you,” I had to admit. Cassy let go abruptly, clearly about to say something, but Ethan gently placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back as a woman in a white coat stepped forward.

“You were brought in unconscious. Apparently, you passed out from some unknown pain,” the doctor said with one of those fake smiles meant to reassure but clearly forced. I kept staring at her while my mind raced. Pain? Unconscious? I tried with everything I had to remember—but nothing came. The doctor continued to watch me silently and then gently guided me back into the room.

I walked to the bed and sat down. The doctor stood beside me.

Cassy and Ethan stepped in cautiously. Judging by their expressions, they weren’t sure if they were allowed to enter, so they stayed near the door. The doctor pulled out a small light and checked my eyes, then grabbed my wrist to check my pulse.

“Mmm,” she muttered while glancing at her watch. “Is your wolf also awake again?” she asked, scanning the papers on her clipboard. “Luna?” I asked inwardly. Luna stirred, letting me know she was there—but she said nothing. “Uhh… yes, she’s awake…” But there wasn’t much more to tell. I wanted to say that, but I held it in. Why didn’t I just say it? The doctor gave me a deep frown. Should I be worried?I felt fine otherwise.

“And you really don’t remember what happened?” the doctor asked after a long silence, flipping through her notes.

“No. I remember everything until Friday night—but nothing after that,” I sighed.

“How is that possible?” Ethan whispered. It sounded more like a thought spoken aloud than an actual question, but the doctor looked at him briefly, then turned back to me with a sigh.

“That’s hard to say,” she said. “The information we received is that you experienced extreme pain and lost consciousness. We ran every physical test available—nothing came up. We found nothing that could explain the level of pain you were in, nor the fact that you blacked out. The only theory I have is that the cause was so severe that your subconscious is protecting you by blocking the memory.” She watched me carefully as she spoke. I didn’t know what to make of that.

“Have you experienced unexplained pain before?” the doctor asked after a pause. Luna looked at me and gave me a subtle nudge. Shit—I had experienced that before. “Yes… a few times recently,” I said, trying to sound indifferent.

There had been occasional stabs of pain in my chest that spread through my whole body, only to disappear moments later. Because they always passed so quickly, I never thought it serious enough to see a doctor.

“Sporadically, I’ve felt pain starting in my chest and radiating through my body, but it only lasted a few seconds. It didn’t seem serious,” I admitted, eyes downcast. The doctor studied me, then her gaze shifted—as if staring into space. She was using a mind link. I waited patiently and glanced at Cassy and Ethan, who were whispering to each other. They looked exhausted. Which wasn’t surprising—it was probably late, and knowing Cassy, they’d come straight to the hospital as soon as they learned I was here.

And then it hit me.

They were here—but where was Mike? Shouldn’t he be here too?

Before I could dwell on that thought, the doctor placed her hand on my shoulder, drawing my attention back. Once she saw I was focused again, she told me she wanted to run a few more tests. If nothing showed up, I would be allowed to go home. She didn’t have to tell me twice.

Bring it on!