My life

Home away from home

GENEVIEVE'S POV

I woke slowly, drifting up from sleep like I was pushing through thick water. The first thing I noticed wasn't sound or sight, it was the smell. 

Clean. 

Too clean. 

It didn't smell like a hotel. It didn't smell like home either. There was no cigarette smoke, no stale food, no familiar sharpness that usually made my chest tighten the second I woke up. This scent was sterile and calm, almost gentle. It made me uneasy. 

I opened my eyes. 

White. 

The ceiling above me was white, the walls were white, and when I tried to move, something tugged at my arm. I looked down and panic flared briefly in my chest. Tubes. IVs. A monitor humming quietly beside the bed. 

A hospital bed. 

My heart started to race as questions rushed in all at once. What happened? How did I get here? Was I in trouble? Had my father found me? I tried to sit up, but my body felt weak, heavy, like it wasn't fully mine yet. 

The door opened, and a doctor walked in, clipboard in hand. He spoke gently, like he was afraid his voice might shatter me. He told me things I already knew, even before he said them,malnourished, underweight for my age, exhausted beyond what was normal. He said there were injuries that had been there for a long time. 

I stared at the blanket, nodding. None of it surprised me. 

I asked him about the man. The one from the restaurant. My voice shook when I said it, even though I didn't fully understand why. The doctor smiled softly and told me he would be back soon. 

I waited for fear to hit me. 

It didn't. 

Instead, there was this strange feeling blooming in my ches, something almost like anticipation. Calm. Comfort. I didn't understand it, and that scared me more than panic ever could. I didn't trust calm. Calm was always temporary. 

Not long after, nurses brought me breakfast. The tray was full—eggs, toast, fruit, juice. It looked like too much. Like something meant for someone else. I managed a few bites of eggs before my stomach tightened painfully, full too fast. I felt embarrassed pushing the tray away, like I was doing something wrong. 

Then he came in. 

The man from the restaurant. 

He stood in the doorway for a moment like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to be there. When he asked if we could talk, I nodded before I could overthink it. 

He sat and started explaining things. Things that didn't make sense. Things that made my head spin. His name was Mica. He said he was an Alpha. That there were packs. That he was a werewolf. 

I thought he must be joking. Or I must still be dreaming. Or maybe I'd finally snapped. 

He kept talking, telling me how he found me, how he rescued me, how I would never have to go back to my family. That part made my chest ache in a way I didn't expect. He said I was his mate. That I would be Luna. 

It was too much. 

My thoughts tangled, my temples started to throb, and my hands began to shake beneath the blankets. I didn't know how to respond to any of it. I didn't even know how I felt. All I knew was that I was tired, bone-deep, soul-deep tired. 

"I need to rest," I whispered. "Can you... can you leave?" 

I saw it then. The hurt. Clear and sharp in his eyes. It made guilt twist in my stomach, even though I hadn't done anything wrong. Just as quickly, he masked it and nodded. 

"Of course," he said gently, and left. 

Not long after, a nurse came in and asked if I wanted help showering. Her name was Macey. She smiled like she meant it, like she wasn't pretending. I liked her immediately. 

While she helped me, I told her my name. I told her how old I was. I asked her not to tell anyone else about my age. She promised. Something about the way she said it made me believe her. 

I found myself telling her more than I planned,small pieces of my life, carefully chosen. She didn't interrupt. She didn't look away. When I finished, her eyes were shiny, and her voice was quiet when she said no one deserved to be treated that way. Especially not by family. 

I asked her about the pack. About life here. 

She told me we were near the ocean. That this pack swam, something not many did. That the Alpha was strict but fair, serious but capable of laughter. One of the strongest packs in the world. 

I listened, imagining it. The ocean. Strength. Something solid. 

Eventually, she told me the doctor needed to speak to me again and that I should rest after. 

The doctor explained the tests. He said the results were positive. He handed me medication and explained what it was for, what it would prevent. I felt embarrassed, exposed. I hadn't asked for any of this. No one had asked me. 

But a quiet part of me was relieved. At least something was being done. At least someone was trying to protect me now. 

Before leaving, the doctor told me Mica would return in a few hours to take me home. 

Home. 

The word confused me. Mica had said I'd never have to go back. I didn't want to question it. I didn't want to risk being sent somewhere else. Somewhere worse. 

So I nodded. 

Exhaustion finally claimed me, pulling me back into sleep, this time without fear chasing me down.