Pregnancy hormones

RHEA'S POV

Flickers of memory sparked behind my eyes. Bright lights. The world spinning. Broken glass. A dull throb echoed in the back of my skull.

Voices that sounded both distant and near filtered through the high-pitched ringing in my ears. Male voices that didn't seem to hide their raised argument. Yet I couldn't make out a single word they exchanged.

My heavy lids refused to open. It felt like they were glued shut. Forcing them only worsened the pounding in my head. Light stung my eyes when they eventually peeled open.

The walls were dark, stained with years of dust and grime. Weak yellowish light shone from a metal beam overhead. Abandoned boxes and metalwork littered the spacious warehouse.

A twinge of pain in my lower back caused me to shift. A soft clink and pressure on my wrist made me freeze. Agonizingly slow, as though I didn't want to come to terms with what I already knew, I angled my heavy head toward my wrist.

No surprise flared within me to find my right wrist handcu