Covet

Chapter 10

I begrudgingly opened my eyes, fatigue hit me like a stone to the head, further emphasized by the constant sound of an irritating beep nearby. Blinding fluorescents and stark white walls made my eyes burn from the sudden light. For a moment I thought I might be back in my apartment, on that uncomfortable second-hand mattress that Mal and I shared, him laying beside me and our whole lives ahead of us.

But I felt that whatever I was laying on was too comfortable. The sheets and blankets were soft, and nothing like the scratchy ones Mal and I owned. And the air was too cold, a brash difference from the lack of circulation in our apartment.

Once my eyes could adjust to the brightness, I could start to remember the details of how I've found myself in this mysterious cold and white room. The Alpha, the snake bite, losing Mal and Reggie, it all came rushing back to me in a sickening swift punch to the gut.

My sight was back to normal. The double-visions and warped time no longer affected me at all. Though, I could still remember the terrifying feeling of having no idea as to what was happening around me, when I was right there.

I could hear the loud beeping noise beside me speed up as I looked down to my arms. My left, had a dark sling attached to it, holding it in place against my stomach. The right, had long lines of plastic tubes connecting underneath skin of my arm.

The sight made a gasp escape my lips, threatening an uphurl of vomit, if there was anything left in me. I realized I hadn't eaten in days, not on the day I was supposed to marry Mal, not the day before, and not for however long I've been here.

I looked out the window to see the sun beginning to set. What day is it?

I turned to the other side of the room, eyes dragging over the counter and cabinets across from me, to see blinds covering another set of windows, blocking me from view of what lies in the rest of this foreign building, and a door beside them.

I needed to get out.

I quickly found the straps of the sling attached to my arm and ripped at it, the sling falling from my shoulder, and releasing an onslaught of pain radiating from the injury. While purple and brown bruises still covered my skin, the bone was no longer lumpy and disfigured.

I moved my bad arm for the first time since crashing in the boulder, to pull out the lines of needles and plastic hidden beneath the skin of my other arm. It felt like rust had formed around my bone since the last time I moved it, my movements shaky and uneven.

I put a trembling hand to the odd tubes held onto my arm by a bandage. I peeled the bandage back, and slowly pulled out the needles one by one. After releasing them from my skin, beads of blood trickled down my arm. Was this the wolves' form of torture for mates? Sticking strange objects into their skin?

I moved to stand up from the comfortable bed, heading for the window, before I was tugged back by a pull on my chest. Looking down, I saw that I was wearing a sort of dress that I've never seen before made of a paper-y material. Where had my clothes gone? And who changed me out of them?

I didn't want to dwell on the sickening thought. Instead I looked under the top hem of the dress, where the tug came from, and I could see a white circle attached from my skin, with another plastic line attacked to it. I followed the line back to the machine which was emitting the beeping sounds. The machine's screen showed a green squiggle, traveling up and down in time with the beep it released. I ripped it off my chest, luckily it was only on the surface of my skin, and not any deeper. Suddenly, the constant beep of the machine was replaced by a blaring and never-ending hum. The green squiggle no longer jumped up and down, it held a still, in an unmoving straight line.

I didn't look to investigate the bizarre sounds and objects in the room, I jumped off the bed, almost collapsing on the floor, my legs feeling unsteady, and I limped towards the window.

Once I made it to the window, I slumped against the sill of it, my unreliable legs already caving in on me. My shoulder already started to burn and throb. I focused on trying to find a hatch for the window, but quickly realized there was none. Just as I was coming up with a plan to find a heavy object to throw at the glass, I heard the door behind me open.

I whipped my head to the door, seeing wolf woman, clad in the same color blue shirt and pants, hair tied back in a tight knot.

She rushed into the room, clutching a clipboard to her chest, running for the bed and looking at the blaring machine. Standing at the foot of the empty bed, her eyes grew wide in panic, scanning the room. Her mouth fell open when her gaze met mine.

She stood frozen for a moment, but that was all I needed.

Over the distance between us was a small metal table with wheels, and a scalpel on top of it. I strode across the room, grabbing the scalpel, and heading straight for her.

The woman's face fell, taking a step back, eyeing the scalpel in my grasp. She didn't have time to scream before I slammed her back into the cabinets behind her, her clipboard clambering to the floor and I pressed the cold blade against her neck.

"Scream and I'll kill you."

My face was inches away from her as I growled at her in a harsh whisper. My words were laced with venom and my voice came out hoarse and gravelly, I realized how desperately my throat ached for water.

All the pain in my head, in my foot, and even in my shoulder disappeared. The only thing I felt was the hammering of my heart against my chest. Adrenaline coursed through me.

The woman's eyes were wide with tears as she shook uncontrollably. Her voice wobbled as she spoke, "P-please I have a mate and a daughter, don't h-hurt me—"

"Shut up," I snarled back, pressing the blade a little harder against her neck.

Of course, I didn't want to kill her. I just didn't want her to scream and alert everyone of my — now — not-so-secret escape. She had no idea the lengths I would go to to escape the Alpha. To see Mal again. I didn't even know the lengths I would go to.

I need her to stay silent and still so I could come up with a plan. I looked to the loud machine and then back to the door, that has fallen shut. She came rushing in, so does that mean they can hear the loud hum from outside this room? How long until someone else comes in?

I turned back to the woman to ask the question I've been asking myself since I woke up.

"Where am I?" My voice was not my own. No kindness, or sincerity, or fear was hidden beneath my assertions.

Her voice trembled as she scrambled out the words, brows furrowing in confusion, "W-Western Park Hospital."

I was in the Western Park District?

I was back in the Western Park District even after Mal and I's risky escape back to the Sapient District?

My mind traveled back to the Alpha and Doctor Cross' exchange before they stuck a needle in my arm. Doctor Cross had said he wanted me to get to a hospital as soon as possible. And there was no hospital in the Sapient District. It all came together.

This also meant that I was even further from the boarder to South America. And that — if they haven't been caught — Mal, and Reggie, are a whole district away from me.

I'm all alone.

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Hi, Readers!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's a little shorter then normal and for that I apologize. I hurt my hand which has been making it hard to type without it hurting :( It's slowly starting to get better and I can finally move it a little more without it shaking uncontrollably lol.

As always, please let me know if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes.

And remember to comment and VOTE!!!!

Much Love,

Lorraine Quiche