Lauretta’s pov I blinked my eyes open, the light on the hospital room directly like a slap to my face.
I turned my head and a pounding migraine assaulted my head, the movement of my head sending the ache in surges.
I looked around the empty ward aside from the blue trolley beside me and the intravenous drip stand that connected the drip tube to my aching hands.
My memory came in flashes — how I shifted, pain engulfing my entire body, Mira getting assaulted by me after provoking me thoughtlessly.
I could feel myself smirking at the memory.
Now Mira would know not to mess with me.
The door to my ward opened and Malachi stepped in.
He was in a dark blue plain pyjamas set, the pyjamas ironed to perfection, the collars starched from the way they arched profoundly.
His hair was slicked to the side in wave-like curls, his eyes fixing me with an empty stare.
I looked away from his intensity, refusing to acknowledge that my husband was the most handsome man I’d ever seen.
“You’re awake.
That’s good,” his tone was curt as usual.
“It has come to my knowledge that you have shifted and in the process caused considerable harm to Mira.” “I didn’t…” He cut me off sharply.
“You will not speak unless I permit you.” “Since you have proved to me and my men that you are talented in combat skills, you will become a soldier and fight for our territory.
This will put your wolf to good use.” I gasped, appalled by what he meant.
In every region women were not permitted to fight or go through the battlefield.
Before I could speak he left the room, leaving my mouth agape.
I had to inform my mother of the shift.
I still hadn’t found her letter.
I stood from the bed, the migraine worsening from the shift in position, but I ignored it.
Wrenching the drip from my hand angrily, sending drops of blood falling on my plain blue hospital gown.
I needed to go for a walk to clear my head.
The floor was cold on my bare feet.
There were no bathroom slippers in sight, but I didn’t care.
I slipped through the clinic door, running towards the concrete road.
I could hear howls in my head, loud enough to worsen my migraine, but I kept running.
The memory of how I shifted — the pain, and the relief of finally becoming a wolf — now no one would call me runt.
The memory of my mother slapping me in front of Malachi made my chest tighten.
How could she?
After everything we’d been through she chose a stranger over me.
I could feel my eyes growing misty, tears falling down my face even as the cold gust of air blew on my face.
I left the pedestrian walk and ran on the main road now.
It was already very dark so no car would be driving by this time anyway.
My head throbbed even harder.
The thought of everything that had been happening these past few days felt too much.
I looked up and immediately a car was approaching, its headlights illuminating the road and the trees.
The shock made me freeze in the middle of the road instead of leaving, or maybe it was because a part of my head had given up and just wanted to surrender to any force willing to take me away.
Honk.
Honk.
Honk.
Honk.
The driver stepped on the horn but I stood there, my eyes clenched shut.
I could hear the tires screeching suddenly, the car coming to a halt.
The car door opening, the driver coming out of the car.
“Are you okay, ma’am?” he asked, walking towards me.
He stood in front of me, his car headlights illuminating his face.
His striking blue eyes caught me off guard.
His black hair was slicked back in a tight bun, his face was chiseled like the face of a movie star on a magazine cover, his chin was dimpled.
I didn’t even know such a thing existed.
His Henley shirt showed a peak of his toned abs .
“Ma’am,” he called out again and I jerked out of my reverie, swallowing.
“Yes… Yes… ERM…” I mumbled dumbly.
What was wrong with me?
Why was I acting like I’d never seen an attractive man all my life?
He probably got this reaction all the time from women.
What did that make me?
“Are you okay, ma’am?” he asked again, raising his thick eyebrows at me.
I nodded, not trusting my voice not to betray me.
“You’re not fine, ma’am,” he said to me.
“Huhn.” I looked down at my feet.
My feet were bloody.
I’d probably been snagged by a weed or mistakenly stepped on a sharp one.
I hadn’t noticed thanks to how fast I’d been running.
The pain suddenly registered because I was now aware of it.
“Owww,” I groaned slightly.
“Easy, ma’am.” The man moved toward me, carrying me in his arms bridal style.
An electric current travelled down my spine.
What was this?
He opened the door of his car and sat me in the back seat.
“I should have a first aid box somewhere here,” he informed, going to the boot and opening it to fetch the box.
He set the box on the armrest between the driver’s seat and the passenger seat in front, fetching some cotton wool and iodine solution.
He twisted the cap of the iodine, his muscles flexing in the process, making his biceps more pronounced, the veins on his arms bulging.
“Pardon me, I’ve never gotten the chance to use this.” He reaches for my ankle gently and places it on his thighs, dabbing the cotton wool in iodine before pressing it to my bruised feet.
I jerked out of his grip but he caught my feet before I could wrench free.
“Sorry, you’ll have to be more careful next time but this is very necessary.
The bruises are severe.” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Alternate_Eden Dear lovely readers, please do give me your feedback