Chapter three

I woke up in a hospital.

Bright, sterile lights glared down at me, making my already aching head throb even harder. The moment I tried to lift it, pain shot through my skull, forcing me to stay still. It felt heavy, wrapped in something tight. My fingers brushed against the bandages circling my head.

The room was filled with my adoptive family, their eyes fixed on me in an unsettling silence.

I searched for my father, my breath catching in my throat when I didn't see him.

Where was he?

Was he… dead?

A sickening weight settled in my chest. I had failed. I couldn't even save him.

"Where… where is Dad?" My voice came out weak, shaking with the threat of tears.

"He's in another room," my stepmother said. "He broke his leg and his arm in the fall."

Relief flooded me so fast I almost felt lightheaded. "He's alive." A small, broken smile tugged at my lips.

My stepbrother glared at me. "Of course he is. He's strong. He said the Alpha wasn't hungry and decided to let us go. You were lucky."

What?

I frowned. That didn't make sense.

Why would the Alpha chase us just to spare us?

I could still see it—those massive red eyes, locked onto mine. It had been furious. Hungry.

"The Alpha chased us," I murmured, the memory sending a shiver down my spine. "He was huge. And angry."

"He said he fought it."

If I hadn't been in pain, I might have laughed. My father? Fighting an Alpha? He could barely stand. I had to carry him.

"No, he didn't," I said, shaking my head. "I saw—"

"Enough!" my brother-in-law snapped.

His voice was sharp, final.

"My father isn't a liar. If he says he fought the Alpha, I believe him. But that thing still broke his arm and gave him a punctured lung. When I get stronger, I'll get my revenge."

I sighed. "So you want to get yourself killed. Go ahead."

Before he could respond, the door opened, and a nurse walked in, offering me a kind smile.

"Hi, darling. How do you feel?"

"My head hurts, but I feel better."

She nodded, checking the monitor beside my bed before wrapping a small device around my finger. After a few moments, she read the results.

"Your vitals are good. If they stay stable, you should be able to go home by tonight."

I gave a small nod. I wanted to ask about my father, but something held me back.

The events of last night hit me harder than the rock that split my head open.

I never thought I'd care about the man who spent his life hitting me, insulting me, making me feel worthless.

And yet, I had risked my life for him.

And in return?

He pushed me. Let me fall. Left me to die.

I doubted he even cared whether I was okay.

The nurse turned to my stepmother and brother, giving them a subtle hint. "She needs to rest now. You can visit her in the afternoon. May I speak with you outside for a moment?"

They left without protest, and as soon as the door shut behind them, I closed my eyes, trying to sleep as the nurse had suggested.

But every time I did, I saw him.

The Alpha.

Glowing eyes. Sharp teeth. The way he had chased us.

The way he had lifted me—effortlessly—as if I weighed nothing.

The deep, hoarse voice whispering something I couldn't quite understand.

A shiver ran down my spine.

It took over an hour, but eventually, sleep claimed me. My dreams were chaotic—nightmares of being hunted, of running, of sharp teeth sinking into my flesh. But there was something else, too. A familiar face appearing in the haze of my dreams.

My real mother.

The vision slipped away as something—a feeling—yanked me out of sleep.

My eyes snapped open.

A heavy pressure settled over my chest, and my heartbeat quickened.

I wasn't alone.

The sensation was strong—like someone was watching me.

I forced myself to sit up, my pulse hammering against my ribs. It was late—probably around five in the morning. The hospital halls would be quiet, the staff minimal. If something happened to me, would anyone even hear me?

I swallowed hard, an unshakable urge pulling me toward the window.

I slid out of bed, my legs unsteady as I approached. Outside, everything was dark. The hospital grounds stretched into the distance, disappearing into the thick woods beyond.

I exhaled sharply. God, maybe I'm just paranoid.

They had probably put me on some kind of medication to keep me calm. After all, getting chased by an Alpha wasn't exactly something you walked away from unscathed.

My heart slowed a little. I shook my head and turned back toward the bed.

But then—

A shadow.

Movement.

I turned back just in time to see him.

Standing at the edge of the woods, watching me.

The Alpha.

My blood ran cold.

His red eyes glowed against the darkness, burning into mine.

A low, guttural growl drifted through the window, sending a violent shiver through my body.

What was he doing here?

Was he here to finish what he started?

Panic seized me. My fingers scrambled for the emergency call button, my breath shallow and uneven.

I needed to call the nurses.

Now.