*Rion*
The first thing that I was aware of was the annoying beeping next to my head. It was like a bug that I just couldn’t kill. When I opened my eyes, I squinted up at the sterile white ceiling.
I was lying down on a soft but firm mattress but my head was propped up. As my eyes adjusted, it was imdiately clear that I was in so kind of hospital.
I had never been to this one before. It was much fancier and cleaner than the ones I had been to back in Egoren. There was a bunch of high-tech equipnt in the room, including the one that was attached to my arm by a long thin tube. Clear liquid ran through and into the needle taped to my arm.
I lifted my head and looked across the room. There was a large screen displaying a bunch of numbers and notes. A graph was tracking my heart rate as well as my breathing.
I searched my mind and realized that I had no mory of how I could have ended up in the hospital. Had I been on so mission or sothing with Jasper? I couldn’t rember, but that seed to be the most logical explanation. But if that was true, how did I end up at such an expensive hospital?
This wasn’t good. I couldn’t figure out how I got here. There was a possibility that I was being held here against my will. Had I been captured? My head began to pound as I tried desperately to rember anything.
I adjusted my weight, intent on getting up and looking around, but I realized with confusion that I couldn’t move my legs.
I couldn’t feel them.
My head shot up and I looked toward the door right as a young dark-haired woman ca in. Her gray eyes lit up when she saw , and I realized that there was sothing familiar about her. She rushed over to my bed.
“Rion! You’re awake! I was so worried.”
I just blinked at her. She clearly knew who I was. The recognition in her eyes was impossible to doubt. Still, suspicion and confusion won over and I just stared up at her.
I decided that she wasn’t going to harm . Maybe she could even help . “What happened? How did I get here?”
The woman’s thin eyebrows furrowed as she frowned. “You’re in a state-of-the-art hospital in Breles. You nearly drowned while trying to save your children, but don’t worry! They’re alright and safe at ho.”
I barely heard the latter part of what the young woman said, distracted by the fact that I was in Breles. That was well over a day’s travel from Egoren. How the hell had I gotten here?
‘Wait. Did she actually just say sothing about children?’ I thought.
“What children?” I asked blankly. I shook my head and stared into her eyes. “Do I know you?”
The woman’s eyebrows went up. “Rion, I’m your sister. Eva, rember?”
All my senses seed to shut down as I processed the aning behind her words. The shock caused the machine next to to beep a couple of tis before I focused back on the young woman in front of , really seeing her for the first ti. I recognized her then, from her large gray eyes and her small button nose and thin lips.
She was my baby sister, the one I hadn’t seen in over a decade.
My voice shook with emotion and my hand reached out so I could grip hers. “I can’t believe you’re really here, after all this ti. How are you here now? How did you find ?”
Eva gripped my hand back but she didn’t answer right away. She blinked a few tis as if to clear her head. She’d often done that when we were children. I almost chuckled but held back as she refocused on . She was frowning.
“Do you really not rember?”
“Rember what?” I asked.
Eva’s frown deepened. “Rion, I swear if you’re just ssing around.... Do you rember how we found each other?”
I gave her an odd look. “Eva, I haven’t seen you since we were children,” I assured her, and then I swallowed with difficulty. “When you were taken from .”
Eva’s large eyes rounded as she just stared at , seeming at a loss for words. She seed suddenly extrely urgent as she leaned forward, ducking her head so she could really look into my face. “Do you rember Daphne Crimson? Or that you’re the new Alpha of Thorn Forest? Co on, Rion. You can’t tell that you’ve really forgotten.”
I was hardly listening once I heard the na Crimson. It caused my blood to boil, and I felt my entire face darken as I gravely looked at my little sister. “Please tell that you’re joking, Eva,” I said, although I felt no humor at all and sensed none from her as she stared at with what I assud was extre concern. “I hate the fucking Crimsons. And I’m sure you do too after everything that they’ve done to us.”
Eva just stared at in shock for so reason. I wondered if she was as surprised to see as I was to see her. I had dread of this day for so long, to be able to see her again and to ensure that she was safe.
My mind reeled as I thought about how we would go forward from here. I could ask her to live with , assuming she’d want to. Even if she didn’t, I just hoped we would be able to be sowhat close. I couldn’t stand losing her again.
I squeezed her hand firmly, hoping she could tell how serious I was. “Don’t worry, Eva,” I said, looking up at her. “As soon as I can get out of here, we’ll figure things out. I’m going to protect you from now on and nothing will take you from again. You’ll be safe.”
I ant the words to be comforting, but Eva almost looked more worried the more I spoke. Maybe that was to be expected. I didn’t even want to think about all the fear and tornt she’s been through over the years.
I was going to have to work hard to make things up to her. Maybe one day she would forgive for not being able to protect her back then.
Eva’s hand loosened in mine and she started to step back a bit. “Sothing’s definitely wrong. Maybe you should talk to your wife–”
Eva wasn’t able to finish that sentence, even though I was desperately hoping she would since it sounded like complete nonsense. Another woman ca through the door. She had long wavy hair down to her waist and large, vibrant hazel eyes.
For a mont, I was shocked by her beauty, but then I recognized her and my blood began to burn once again. Her deep eyes focused on and she broke out into a wide smile.
What the hell was Princess Daphne Crimson doing here?
“Rion!” she cried, her wide eyes filling up with tears. “You’re awake. Thank the Goddess, I was so scared. You have no idea....” She trailed off as her eyes swept over my face. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling alright? Are you in any pain? I can go get the doctor.”
“Daphne....”
The Crimson Princess turned to look at my sister. They looked at one another, Eva’s eyes wide. I stared between them with complete confusion, feeling like I was in a twisted dream.
“Rion, this is Daphne Crimson,” Eva said in a slow voice as if I were a child. She gestured to the other woman almost desperately. “She’s your wife.”
It was as if Eva was speaking in an alien language. Nothing she was saying was making any sense. How would I be married to a Crimson? Sothing must have gone horribly wrong, and I had been forced into the situation sohow.
The Crimson Princess just looked at with those large eyes of hers. I stared back, trying with no luck to figure out what the hell was going on.
I couldn’t deny that there was sothing about her. It wasn’t familiar exactly, but there was a pull toward her that I couldn’t quite explain.
Still, I hated her. I despised her family for the pain that they had put Eva and through.
The Crimson Princess looked like she wanted to say sothing, her lower lip trembling slightly, but before she could do anything, there was a firm knock on the door.
An older man poked his head into the room, raised his eyebrows upon seeing , and then entered the room fully. It was clear from the thin white coat and his confident but professional deanor that he was the healer.
“Excellent,” he said, crossing the room to stand beside my bed. “I’m glad to see that you’re awake, Mr. Stormfall. I am Healer Elowen. How are you feeling?”
My eyes shifted from my sister and the Crimson Princess to the older man. I stiffened, feeling slightly uncomfortable as I often did in dical situations. Not to ntion that I was now the center of attention, with three pairs of eyes watching with varying expressions.
“Fine,” I said slowly, wishing he would leave so that I could continue to question the two won in the room.
I needed answers. Now.
The healer looked over at the screen that flashed different numbers and images. “Your vitals look good, and your breathing and heart rate are normal. Do you know where you are right now?”
I only did because Eva told before he ca in, so I nodded. “A hospital in Breles.”
The doctor nodded. “Yes, that’s correct,” he said. “I understand you’ve been through a lot before you ended up here.”
I watched the man warily as he approached and used a small flashlight to look into my eyes. He had do a couple of small tasks, like following his finger with my eyes. He had lift my arms and turn my head as well, watching carefully as I did each little exercise.
I glanced at the Crimson Princess and sucked in a breath when an urgent tug from my wolf caused my chest to twist up. What was happening to ? Why was I reacting this way toward the princess? My wolf was starting to go insane. My hand flew to my head as my brain began to pound intensely.
“Rion?” Eva asked, concerned.
The Crimson Princess was suddenly at my side, bending so she could look into my face. Her hand went to my shoulder and I recoiled from her, feeling a shock go through my body.
“Don’t touch !” I gritted out, pulling away from her.
Her hazel eyes rounded, her jaw dropping as she took a step back. “Rion, what’s wrong?” she asked, her voice shaking.
The pounding was getting worse, and I had a growing suspicion that it was because of her. I needed to get away from her but I still couldn’t move my legs. I glared angrily at her. “Get out!” I snapped.
I was relieved when the woman obeyed after just a brief hesitation. I saw hurt flash across her face before she turned and fled out the door, her long wavy hair flying out behind her as she hurried out of the room.
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