Girl Gone Rogue (The Shadow Hunters #2)

12. Delve Deep

I was disorientated.

And confused.

I surveyed the room slowly. A wide television screen dwarfed the wall, playing on mute as the images danced across the screen. I could barely remember what happened to land me in this...where was I?

I pushed up onto my elbows just as a damp face wash rolled off my forehead, landing splat on my chest. I pinched the material between my fingers, more perplexed than ever.

What the hell was going on?

I pulled myself into a sitting position, placing the warm face towel on the ground. My back was killing me and the E.S suit wasn't making it any better. Every muscle in my body felt brittle. My attention snapped to my ankle where thin slabs of wood sandwiched the limb. It was wrapped in thick off-white bandages. My other boot was gone too, resting on the floor. The ache was only a soft throb now in my ankle, I barely felt it. Maybe it was the painkillers Alexei handed to me-

I froze, searching the shadows with another kind of awareness settling in my bones.

It was still night since the full moon still shone brightly in the night sky. Moonbeams speared in through the large windows, forming slanted diamonds across the hardwood floor.

A door opened to the right, and I held my breath as Alexei appeared, rubbing a towel on his hair. Steam wafted behind him where I caught a glimpse of a fogged mirror attached to the tile wall. He paused when he noticed I was staring at his exposed skin. The smell of mint soap followed him, making me more aware that he was freshly showered while I probably smelled like sweat and icky mud.

"You snore." He spoke first, giving his locks another furious patting before flipping it over his shoulder. He had exchanged his swarthy uniform for grey sweatpants and a faded shirt that hung loosely off his body. He shuffled towards the moonbeams, where I noticed he was sporting two clean socks on his feet.

I cleared my throat, wondering why I found fascination in mundane clothing items but the inner voice in my head knew. Alexei made normal things like clothing items look interesting and it was just plain sad I was enjoying the sight too much.

It was a rarity seeing Alexei dressed in casual clothes, let alone clothes he probably went to bed in.

I briefly remembered the time we had been in the cabin, up in the mountains. He'd only worn sleep shorts and no shirt when he had drifted to sleep. He also had been close by when I had woken up.

"You okay?" Alexei approached me, setting his towel over the back of the lounge chair. He rounded the furniture, examining my ankle. "I fixed up your ankle. The swelling has gone down. I'll give it two days before you return to your E.S duties. I've already informed Jude that you'll need to take leave. He's agreed that you'll rest for those days before going back."

"Oh." I nodded, suddenly feeling vulnerable. "Thanks."

"You've been out for only an hour."

"Really? I thought it would've been longer."

"No, although I'm surprised you didn't wake yourself up from all the snoring you were doing."

I narrowed my eyes, "I don't snore."

"You sure? I recall hearing something unflattering when I almost dozed off myself but then you started to sound like a car engine, so I took a shower instead."

"That's no way to talk to a lady Alexei." I scowled up at him as his eyes sparkled. He bit his lips, motioning to my ankle, "Let me know when you start aching again. I have more painkillers in my pantry. You hungry?"