Nurse Linda

CLAIRE'S POV

"It hurts…" I groaned, clutching my knee.

Caius turned to me immediately, ignoring Zane.

"Let's get you up," he said, stepping forward, but Zane grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"She's bleeding," Zane said, his gaze flicking to me. "You're a danger to her. So back off and go monitor your creepy little vampire friends. No one asked you to be here."

Caius gritted his teeth. "I will—"

"Caius," I gasped through the pain, cutting him off. "Please help me."

A smirk tugged at Caius's lips as he shoved Zane's hand away. Then, without hesitation, he bent down and scooped me into his arms.

Even through the pain, I refused to give Zane the satisfaction of seeing me weak and still playing hero. He had paired me with Evan knowing this could happen. Now that it did, what was with the fake sympathy?

I could only imagine the looks on everyone's faces as Caius carried me away. Whispers filled the air, but I was in too much pain to care.

"We'll be there soon," Caius murmured as he looked down at me in his arms, his voice steady as he held me close.

I just nodded weakly, closing my eyes.

Strangely, despite my bleeding, I didn't feel unsafe in his arms. Maybe because, time and time again, he had saved me.

A woman's voice cut through the haze. "What happened to her?"

I blinked my eyes open. We were already at the clinic. That was fast. Then again, I reminded myself that Caius was a vampire. Speed was second nature to him.

The nurse gestured for Caius to bring me inside, leading him to a room as she slipped on a pair of gloves.

"I think her knees bruised, maybe slightly out of place," Caius said, carefully lowering me onto the bed.

I scrunched my nose at the sharp scent of antiseptic. I had always hated the smell of hospitals and clinics. 

The nurse stepped closer to take a look at me, then froze. Her eyes widened. "She's bleeding."

Her gaze snapped to Caius, her expression hardening. "You shouldn't be here."

"I'm fine. I can control my urge," he said quickly, trying to assure he wouldn't hurt me. "Please, she's in pain. Just help her."

She shook her head, clearly unconvinced. "You may be one of the best vampires here, but I still don't trust you around blood. I still need you to step out while I clean her up."

Caius gave a small nod of understanding and, without another word, he walked out of the ward.

The moment the door shut behind him, the nurse turned to me. "You shouldn't let vampires near you. You're still human, even with that weak wolf inside you."

I clenched my jaw but didn't have the strength to argue. "Please, just help me," I groaned as the pain pulsed stronger.

She let out another sigh, then examined my wounds. "I'll give you some morphine before I check your knee," she said, grabbing a syringe from the cabinet, her tone all business now.

I swallowed nervously when I saw the size of the needle. It looked bigger than it should be and I braced myself, knowing that it was going to hurt really badly.

As if reading my thoughts, the nurse said, "Don't worry. You won't feel a thing."

I simply nodded. What other choice did I have except just laying there, enduring the pain I was feeling and then the sting from the needle, waiting for the morphine to kick in?

Eventually, the nurse injected me, and a dull numbness started spreading through my body. It took about ten minutes before she finally examined my knee. 

"Caius was right," she said after putting away the needle and looking me over. "It's slightly out of place. I'll have to straighten it." 

I barely had time to process her words before she grabbed my leg and did exactly that. 

Pain exploded through me and it was sharp and unbearable. My vision blurred, and for a second, I thought I might actually pass out. 

"There." The nurse finally released me, comforting me in an eerily calm voice as if she hadn't just put me through hell. I understood that she was only trying to help me but that was a little too much pain. 

"It'll take about three days to heal, but you'll need a knee brace for stability," she added with a kind smile.

I could only nod, forcing out a shaky breath as my chest rose and fell heavily. "Thank you," I managed to say in a strained voice. I actually felt slightly better. A little dizzy too, but I knew I was going to be fine.

The nurse took off the pair of gloves and pulled up a stool before sitting down right next to me, watching me. At first, I didn't think much of it, but then she smiled. 

"Claire Hunter," she said slowly, nodding slightly. "I wanted us to meet, but not like this. Carnemore must be tough for you." 

I frowned, trying to make sense of her words. Why did she want to meet me? What was she talking about? 

She chuckled softly. "You can call me Linda," she said, adjusting her glasses. "I used to be friends with Lenora, your mother." 

My eyes widened when I heard that and a rush of adrenaline shot through me, pushing through the drowsiness I was already feeling. I tried to sit up, but my body felt too heavy and my limbs were sluggish.

"Don't worry," Linda said, putting a hand over my arm. "The morphine is already working." 

She stood and walked closer, her hazel eyes studying me like she was searching for something familiar. "You look just like her." 

I was fighting to keep my eyes open but it was really hard. "Yo—you knew my mother?" I asked in a whisper.

Linda nodded. "Yes." She said, then shook her head. "It's such a pity that of all the men in the world, she chose to accept your father. Lenora could have had a happy life, away from him." 

My sluggish mind tried to process her words as I fought to keep my eyelids open. "Why?" I whispered again. "My mo—mother is happy." 

Linda's expression darkened. "No, she's not," she said, her nose flaring, and she sounded very sure. "Your father condemned her and your entire family to a life of misery. And your mother deserved much better than that monster."