Erica’s POV
“Ma’am? Ma’am? Are you awake? Can you hear me?”
My eyes fluttered open and I looked around me. The bright light bleached my irises and I squinted as I tried to adjust to the light.
“Ma’am? Ma’am?”
I stood up in alarm but thousands of hands grabbed me and urged me to lay back down. My eyes looked around in shock.
I could see a sea of blue with face masks and blue tunics
“You have to take it easy, Ma’am. You are in the hospital. You were shot in the leg and have glass injuries on your legs and feet. How do you feel?”
It was only then that the events of the past few hours came rolling back into my head. I gasped, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest and I heard the ECG give an abnormal beep.
The assassin. I was shot. I was more than certain that the bullets were meant for me. Someone wanted dead.
“The emergency team found this on the site of the crash.”
They handed me my bag and I nodded that it belonged to me.
“Alright. We need to call someone to let them know that…”
“No!”
The power in my voice scared me and made a few medical personnel flinch as well.
“I mean no,” I said a little softer. “I really don’t want anyone to worry about this. My bag is here so I can pay the medical bill. I’ll call my… husband”
I nearly choked on my words.
“at my own time. I really don’t want him to worry.”
The nurses looked at me for a while. Their covered mouths and blue scrubs made me feel like a rat in a lab. Poor creatures.
“Alright, ma’am. But we won’t be able to discharge you until tomorrow. We need to monitor your injuries. Your leg wound is healing slowly but the cuts from the glass seem to be doing much better.”
I was about to object to staying another day but I said nothing. Even I was a bit worried. Being a werewolf, my wounds should have healed up already. Why was the bullet wound still there?
I could only feel anxiety but I was glad when the medical personnel left and I was in my room alone.
I grabbed my bag and pain shot through my body.
“Arrgghh!”
I tried to stifle my groan of pain by biting my lower lip. This hurt more than expected. What was going on?
I sniffed the air. My senses were still dulled, and to make matters worse, I wasn’t sure what hospital I was in. I didn’t even know if there were any werewolf doctors.
I took out my phone…
“Twelve missed calls, three voicemails, and sixteen texts!”
My heart was racing. All were from Dante. I searched my phone but I had none, not even one call, from Lorenzo.
My heart wrenched painfully and tears flowed down my cheeks.
The glaring truth was staring me right in the face but I pushed it away with what little mental strength I had. I didn’t want to think about it. I had other things to worry about.
My injury, the kids. The assassin!
My heart rate went up.
What if he tried to go to my house and hurt the kids? My eyes grew wide and I immediately dialed Lorenzo’s number, silently praying that he was home with them.
Two calls later, there was still no answer.
My heart was racing. Clarissa was off work and I couldn’t reach Lorenzo. This was bad. This was really…
Knock! Knock!
My heart jumped into my throat. I froze and didn’t turn to the door as I heard it creak open. It was probably the assassin. He had come to finish me…
“Miss Erica?”
I summoned the courage to turn my head. A kind man with white hair and grey eyes stood at the door and smiled at me.
I took in his scent. As faint as it was, he was a werewolf. I felt myself relax slightly.
“I’m sorry to startle you. I’m Dr. Blake.”
He closed the door behind him and walked up to me. I tried to sit up but he pushed me back down.
“You should lay down. Your wound is still very bad. And I assume that that shouldn’t be so.”
There was a slight twinkle in his eyes as he smiled.
“I am a werewolf just like you. One of the medics informed me about you privately and I decided to take up your treatment.”
He pulled a chair close to me and I was intrigued. He commanded respect. His dazzling white hair was a sight to behold. It almost looked like silver. He was a handsome man with powerful features. His physique was muscular and toned and his voice was deep but soothing.
“I treated your leg and took a sample. Whoever that shot you must be a well-trained werewolf assassin. The bullet was coated with wolfsbane.”
I looked at him in shock. Wolfsbane?
“I thought that it was destroyed years ago because of its harm to werewolves.”
“That doesn’t mean that people don’t cultivate it secretly. Maybe some humans grow it thinking it’s a harmless pretty flower. They might even know it by a different name. But the fact is that the person who shot you had the intention to kill you or another werewolf. But I have narrowed the chances to just you. You were the only person brought in here with a bullet wound.”
My heart thumped loudly. This Dr. Blake made even death sound soothing with his voice.
“You are quite lucky. If the bullet went through your heart, it would have killed you. A leg injury is minor and it can be treated but it will slow the healing process. The scratch on your arm is the same as well. They will take time to heal. I will try and clean the wound as best as I can to get the traces of the Wolfsbane out of your injury but I suggest that you go into hiding and lay low for a while.”
I said nothing. I tried not to cry. Could today be any worse?
I was still thinking about the kids. I didn’t want them to be alone.
“I need to call my… husband”
I choked on the word again and Dr. Blake looked at me with a twisted expression.
“I need to make sure that the kids are okay.”
He gave a single nod.
“You should do that.”
He reached out his hand and touched my forehead. Did I have a fever?
“I doubted that you were a wolf. Your scent is very weak and I couldn’t even detect it from outside the door. I might be wrong but it could be the wolfsbane or there is something wrong with your connection to your wolf.”
His grey eyes bored into me and I felt him searching my soul.
“Erica, permit me to call you that, I understand that it is none of my business, but your wolf is the most important part of your. Things can hurt and it’s okay for them to but think of what you want. Always tell yourself the truth and stick to it. Telling yourself the truth makes it easier for your wolf to see things your way. It creates unity between the both of you.”
He stood up and gave me another smile.
“You should rest. I’ll check on you in a few hours.”
He left and I was alone. His words had sunk into my head and taken root. My heart felt moved. What was this feeling? Why was it so subtle?
I shook my head and brushed it away for a bit. I need to call Lorenzo.
I dialed his number again andd this time, the call went through.
“Erica? Good afternoon. I’m sorry I missed your call earlier.”
My heart wrenched slightly. Why did I feel his words were insincere?
“It’s alright. I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be back today…”