Chapter 3.

Hope's POV.

I try to open my eyes, but they feel heavy and the back of my head is throbbing. I'm vaguely aware of frantic whispering. I recognize one of the voices. It's Talon.

"Why'd you have to hit her so hard, jackass?"

There is a brief moment of silence.

"I didn't. I can't help it if she's so fragile."

Talon scoffs. "Yea, well you can be glad that Malakar was passed out. He would have had your head for laying so much as a finger on his mate."

Another moment of silence follows. Longer this time.

"He made a mistake, right? Malakar I mean. He can't have a human as a mate. He's an Alpha. It doesn't make any sense."

Talon sighs heavily. He hesitates before he answers. "Look man, I don't know. We don't get to choose who we bond to. You know that. It happens when it happens."

He gently moves my body into the front seat of my car and brushes the stray strands of damp hair out of my face. I feel the warmth radiating from his body. It's a comforting sensation.

"But the elders will never allow it. Will they?" Talon's companion sounds nervous.

Talon ignores his question. "Let's just get out of here before she wakes up."

My car door closes and I hear them walking away. My eyes still refuse to open. The throbbing pain in the back of my head becomes unbarable. I pass out again.

I'm woken up again by a faint knocking on the window of my car door. It's Jenny. She's a nurse in the E.R. We work together and I suppose you could say that we're friends. It's dark outside and it's still raining. I can barely see Jenny through the dropletts on the window, but she looks worried.

"Hope. Are you okay? What are you doing in your car?"

I feel dazed and croggy. It takes me a few seconds to gather my thoughts. I touch the back of my head with cautious fingers. It still hurts like a mother. I feel dizzy and a little nauseous. I might have a concussion.

Jenny knocks on the window again. More urgetly this time. "Hope. Can you hear me in there?"

I nod my head slowly. "Yea, I must have fallen asleep. What time is it?"

She regards me with raised eyebrows for a second before answering. "Time for your next shift."

I sigh heavily. So much for curling up under the covers and sleeping. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the events of the day. I'm not even sure if they really happened. Maybe I did fall asleep in my car and I dreamt it all. But why is my head hurting?

I don't really have time to think about it anymore as Jenny rushes me out of the car and into the E.R. The place is buzzing with people. It's a mad house. There are many car accident victims due to the wet roads, and there are also a lot of patients who are rushed in after having hiking accidents. Honestly, who even goes hiking in this weather? I can't help but wonder if people even know that it is possible to live your best life without actually going on a hike?

I have four emergency surgeries and I'm exhausted by the time I slomp down on the sofa in the staff room. I'm too tired to even pour myself a cup of coffee and my head still hurts. Luckily, Dr. Moore comes to my rescue. She's my attending and hands me a cup before pouring herself one as well. 

"I take it you didn't get any sleep at all?"

I shake my head misserably. It feels like my brain bounces around inside my skull. I grimmace slightly.

"Are you feeling okay, Hope? You look a little pale."

"Yea. Just tired."

"Maybe you should take the rest of the shift off. Go home and get some rest." She has a stern look on her face.

"No. I want to be here. I just need an asprin and some caffeine. I'll be fine." I love what I do and I enjoy being at the hospital. I prefer it to being home alone. And honestly, I'm too scared to leave. I don't want to be by myself right now. What if Talon and his friend comes back again?

Dr. Moore sighs and resigns herself to the fact that I won't be leaving. She knows me well enough by now to know that it's pointless to argue. "Fine. Just take it easy."

I smile, but I'm distracted. I can't get the image of the injured and bloodied, but absolutely drop-dead gorgeous Malakar out of my head. I can't help but wonder if he's doing better.

"Dr. Moore." I stop her just as she's about to leave the staff room.

"Yes?"

I hesitate for a second. "What do you know about rapid healing?" I feel silly for even asking.

She raises one perfectly groomed eyebrow at me. "I know that it only happens in movies and books. Why do you ask?"

I can feel my cheeks flush. "No reason. Forget I said anything."

"Sure." She frowns at me, but leaves anyway.

I fall back against the sofa and close my eyes. Being kidnapped and taken to a remote camp in the middle of the forest. Abnormally large men. Piercing yellow eyes. A man that growls and snarls. Silver bullets, and rapidly healing wounds. It all sounds made up. It did all sound like something you would only see in a fantasy movie or read about in a book. Maybe I am just sleep deprived. Maybe I just need to get some actual sleep.

I sigh and get to my feet. I take an asprin and swallow it along with the last bit of my coffee. Then, I hear the alarm sounding, indicating that we have another serious case on its way to the E.R. I rush out of the the staff room and bump into a man right outside the door. He almost knocks me over, but catches me just in time.

He is rugged, dressed in black, and soaked from the rain outside. His eyes are dark and cold. He gives me a very uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Sorry miss. Didn't see you there."

His voice is just as cold as his eyes. He's still holding onto me. I don't like it.

"Don't worry about it." I say as I try to free myself from his grip. He stares into my eyes for a few seconds. Then he smiles, not a real smile, a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. He lets me go.

I rush over to the E.R, but see that he's still staring at me as I look over my shoulder.

I have no idea who he is, but he looks like trouble.