Something irritating stirred me from my deep slumber. An incessant beeping hounded my senses, rousing my mind to force my eyes open. A brightness that caused me to groan and move my head away from the penetrating light, partially blinded me.

It was then I realised I was lying on something firm but soft, a warmth encasing me. Frowning, I peeked my eyes open again to survey where I was. The beeping continued, picking up in speed and an itching began under my skin in certain places that had me grumble.

Finally, adjusting my tired eyes to the light, I blinked through the blurs. I was in a small room, white and sterile. A reflective screen sat on the wall at the foot of my bed, a table beside my head. Beyond the table were monitors, one of which showed fuzzy lines and increasing numbers. My eyes trailed from the machine to find wires sticking out of it, following them until I came to a stop at my arm.

Some kind of drip lay in my arm and I assumed they were for electrolytes or medication, but I couldn't help but wonder why. I felt fine, so why was I in a hospital?

Then came to realise I also had a mask on my face, helping me breathe. I weakly rose my hand to pull it from my chin, taking in a loud breath. The smell of disinfectant and food met my nose, and I looked around for the source.

There was nothing in here, so I assumed it was coming from another room and travelled through my door. It had been a while since I had eaten, my mind unable to remember my last meal or the taste of food in my mouth. Or even how I got here in the first place...

I was about to explore further when the door creaked open and a woman entered. Too preoccupied with the clip file in her grip to notice my staring, I observed her cautiously. She came to stand at the foot of my bed and I took in her features. She was a stranger, with dark hair, skin and eyes, and not from my village.

I grew uneasy.

In repercussion of my emotions, the heart monitor picked up its pace, the awful beeping hurting my ears. Why was everything so sensitive?

The stranger's eyes snapped up to stare at the monitor before falling to me. They widened, her mouth parting in surprise.

"You're awake!" She gasped.

I assessed her reaction carefully. Feeling exposed and restricted on the hospital bed, I knew I stood no chance if she hurt me.

"I will go get the doctor!" She gushed before running from the room.

Doctor? Why would I need a doctor? Why was I here when I felt fine?

It wasn't long before footsteps grew closer and the door swung open once more. A tall man walked in, his arms taut and muscled as he gripped the clipboard in his hand. The shocked nurse scurried behind him, staring at me like I was a new specimen.

"You're awake."

I frowned, scowling at the doctor. Way to state the obvious.

He smirked, shaking his blonde hair from his head. "I'm Doctor Hemmings, but you can call me Doctor Seth or just Seth."

I remained silent, my unease never leaving. I could feel my heart picking up in pace, my fight or flight flooding my veins. He hummed, watching me closer before scribbling things down on the clipboard.

"Nothing to be nervous about! We will not hurt you. We're just trying to make you better." He rushed. "I just want to ask you a few questions and then I will answer any of yours."

I nodded gently, keeping my eye on the two of them as they moved closer. Licking my lips, my throat felt dry and unused. How long had I been asleep?

"Now, do you know why you are here?" He asked, and I shook my head. "Temporary amnesia is normal after a traumatic experience, especially for your species."

Species?

I blinked at him, confusion coating my features. Now the question of where I was really stood out in my mind.

"You were attacked, badly injured too, before our... one of us brought you here."

I wanted to ask what he was talking about, but my tongue felt heavy, my mouth unable to form words. The nurse caught onto this, my eyes following her as she walked to the small sink and to make a drink.

"You were not meant to wake yet." The Doctor sighed, drawing my attention back to him. "The human medicine we gave you should've kept you under for at least another eight hours..."

My nerves only grew at the fact he called me a human. Who was this man, and... what was this man?

The nurse returned with a small cup of water and a straw, and I took the plastic between my lips hesitantly. My arms were still heavy, like my body was behind my brain, but I managed to drink it. The cold water was refreshing, a slight metallic taste as it poured down my throat.

Once it was gone, the Doctor blinked up at me, his lips curling into a harsh smirk. I tensed, not liking the way he was looking at me, and unconsciously leaned closer to the nurse in comfort. Was he going to hurt me? I didn't like the sinister look on his face.

A small grumble escaped his lips and his eyes flashed to a darker colour. My breath hitched at the colour change, the image of an angry wolf filling my mind. My breath hitched as the wolf locked its teeth around me, dragging me across Darius' back garden and into the trees. Darius abandoning me to be safe with his parents, leaving me for death. The wolf gouging my hip and thigh, breaking my ribs and tearing at my tender flesh. Sounds of growling and snapping of teeth before I fell asleep to the image of black fur.

My mind felt hazy suddenly, my peaking panic pausing before falling numb. I frowned as my vision swirled, my mind shutting down on its own accord.

Wait, what was going on? Why couldn't I keep my eyes open?

My head lulled to the side, my eyes falling on the open packet of medicine that lay by the sink as I submitted to the darkness.

+++

I was dreaming of the tan wolf. Only this time, Darius was standing before me, my hands barely grabbing at his shoes as I was pulled backwards. I rolled over and gleaming white teeth flashed before my eyes just before I shot upright in bed.

Panting, I came face to face with the setting sun. The colours marvelled along my room, casting a red and orange glow along the white bedsheets. I was still in the hospital room, but I felt better. Able to sit up and move my arms, I cracked my neck as I surveyed my surroundings once more.

Through the haze of my drug-induced sleep, I found everything was how it was before. I rubbed the crust from my eye, taking in deep breaths as I tried to figure out where I was. Was I in another village? My village didn't have a hospital as grand as this; it was a mere room in someone's house.

My door was cracked open slightly, and a shadow moving past it caught my eye. Turning my full attention to what lay behind my door, I heard hushed and angered whispers. Whoever it was didn't seem happy, talking about someone who wasn't doing their own job, by the sounds of it. The door opened further after a loud sigh, revealing the same nurse as before.

I narrowed my eyes at her, crossing my arms to the best of my ability to show she didn't scare me. She smiled sheepishly, holding her hands in the air, her skin glistening beneath the sunset that streaked through the windows. Now my mind was more awake and less confused, I could confirm I have never seen this woman in my life. She was attractive, toned, and tall with dark skin. All features that no-one in the mountains ever had.

"I will not hurt you." She whispered.

I scoffed, my voice hoarse. "I don't believe you."

Frowning, I observed her as she made me a drink. This time, I paid close attention to how she prepared it. Cup, tap, water, tap, done. She handed me the cup with a small smile and I took it, although begrudgingly. Sniffing it for any sign of something other than water, I came up short and took a sip, anyway. When I was sure I would not pass out, I lifted my eyes back to her.

She sighed, setting her clipboard down at the bottom of my bed. "I'm sorry I had to drug you. You were not supposed to wake until this evening."

"I thought waking up was a good thing, shows I'm fine and can get out of here." I licked my lips, taking another sip of the water.

"My... boss wanted to keep you under for longer whilst he sorted some things out." She hesitated, looking out the open door nervously. "It was to... to make sure you healed."

"I feel fine, and I'm sure it wasn't as bad as my memory is telling me." I gritted my teeth. "Your boss doesn't seem like a nice person."

She blushed, looking out the door again. I copied her motion, confusion knitting my brows together. Why did she keep looking out of the damn door?

"Yes, well, he runs a tight ship." She smiled tensely. "He's a good man."

I hummed an okay, sarcasm lacing my tone that had her eyes narrowing. So much for the pretty faced person she was before. Her lips pursed as she ran her eyes along my body, settling at where my jaw met my shoulder.

She was about to speak when the Doctor from before entered the room, his shoes heavy on the floor. He gave her a small smile before turning to me and I tensed, preparing myself for anything he may throw at me.

"Glad you are awake. Hopefully, you are feeling better?" He questioned.

My grip on the cup intensified, and I managed a shaky nod.

"Good." He grinned, writing on the clipboard the nurse handed him. "Will you be okay if I check your dressings?"

I paused, running my eyes along his body as his eyes scanned mine. He was a man, and men only took what they wanted. What if it was a ploy?

I shook my head vigorously.

"Why not? I need to see if they need changing." He grimaced.

"No." I breathed.

If the nurse noticed my change in personality, she didn't comment, keeping silent as she watched the interaction.

"Well, what good is it if I don't check your wounds? I wouldn't want you to get an infection."

Shaking my head, I leaned further into the pillows. "I feel fine."

"That's because of the morphine you are on." He mused. "It won't hurt. Let me just check. I just need you to drop your covers and lift your-

"No!" I snapped, smacking his arm as it came to touch me.

His eyes narrowed, darkening, before grabbing onto my hand. "Do not smack me."

I froze, my eyes widening as his upper lip lifted into a snarl. I shook my head in agreement, only breathing when he released my arm. He grumbled, but took a step back, running his eyes along the clipboard.

"Right, since it appears you are not cooperating, I will have no choice but to-

"Can't she do it?" I asked, gesturing to the nurse.

He paused, lifting his eyes back to my face. Noticing who I was gesturing to, he lifted an eyebrow before turning back to me.

"Her?"

"Yes. She is a nurse; she can do it, right?" I asked, wincing slightly as his eyes narrowed again.

"I suppose she can..." He murmured. "Eve, check her wounds. I will be back in a moment."

He left the room as loudly as he came, turning right down the hallway. I exhaled heavily when he left, focusing my attention on the approaching nurse. She had a bowl and cloth in her hand, some other medicinal products on her elbow.

"Just need you to lie flat. I will move the blanket and lift your gown, okay?" The nurse, whose name I now knew as Eve, muttered.

I nodded, looking away as she pulled my sheets gently to my feet. Her warm hands sent a jolt through me as they came into contact with my cool skin, but she didn't react. She ran her hand along a wide, thick bandage that encircled my thigh, unravelling it with care. It continued up my leg, around my pelvis, and stopped at my hip.

Only when she stopped did I look down.

My mouth parted in horror at what I saw. My thigh had been a mismatch of skin and stitches, angry red lines and patches of blood-soaked gauze covered my thigh. The stitches continued around my upper thigh, to the tender flesh of my privates. Eve didn't seem to care much by the proximity of her hands, trailing them along the gauze and cleaning the wounds with antiseptic.

"W-what is this..." I whispered.

She looked up at me, a sympathetic expression on her face. "You were caught."

"Caught?" I asked, not taking my eyes from the gruesome skin.

She sighed, dropping the bloodied cloth into the bowl before moving higher. She lifted my gown until it was tucked under my chin. Despite being naked, I couldn't find it in me to care. Darius often had me parade around naked for punishment, or often pleasure. Those moments made me realise that this was never truly my body, that he owned me, contract or not. Nudity was nothing.

"Yes, caught." She mumbled, pulling more gauze from my chest.

I winced as her hand caught a sensitive gouge by my left breast. My skin was black and blue, the dark stitches a contrast on my pale skin. It looked like it should hurt, like it should be agony to even breathe, but this "morphine" must be a miracle drug.

"This looks awful." Eve murmured.

I shot her a glare, snapping out of the daze. She focused her eyes on cleaning my wounds, the cloth only slightly bloody.

"Thanks." I quipped, sarcastically.

She smiled but kept her attention on applying creams to my skin. I flinched when she poked one of my ribs, a sharp cry escaping my mouth. I definitely felt that one...

"Shi-sorry, I didn't think it would hurt. I'm just trying to put some cream on, I swear!" She cursed.

I sucked in a sharp breath as she stared up at me in horror. Footsteps grew closer in the background, and I looked up in time to see a beast of a man stood by my open door. My eyes widened, a strange sense of familiarity overcoming me. My skin tingled, hairs raising on my arms as a weird feeling of warmth brushed my skin.

His body was immense, wide enough that his shoulders filled the gap in the door. He was tall, the top of his head cut off by the door frame with a jaw so sharp it surprised me he could even bend it to chew. His hair was a dark brown, with complementing caramel highlights through the curled strands. It was styled short, blending effortlessly down the sides of his head. But it was his eyes...

Despite being completely nude, I didn't shy away as the dark caverns ran across my body. I didn't feel disgusted, nor bare because for once I did not see hunger. I did not see a threat in his gaze that was directed towards me, it wasn't anything malicious. His expression was almost animalistic, but I found I couldn't care.

Who was this man? Why did I feel so... tingly?

"Alpha!" Eve gasped, hurrying to cover me with the blanket.

I dropped my eyes from the man she called Alpha, frowning as the stickiness of the cream now stuck to the sheets. But then the word ran through my head over again, and I found the pit of dread grow deeper in my stomach.

Alpha.

Alpha?

Where had I heard that before?

Why was my mind so slow? Could one handsome man have so much strength that he can turn my thoughts into mush from seven meters away?

The shuffling of fabric filled the silent void, and I looked up in time to see him dart away, the opposite direction of Doctor Seth. He had been there for only a few seconds, but the image of him burned into my mind.

"I'm sorry. I really should have shut the door better." She sighed. "If I'd known he was in this hall, I wouldn't have left it open. He's been so on edge with his beast..."

Beast?

Alpha. Beast...

My eyes widened, and I looked at Eve with a new horror.

Werewolf.

+++++++++++++
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