The Alpha's Mate ON HOLD TILL JAN 2025

Chapter 12

LEAH

The darkness consumed me, but I knew I was safe somehow.

Whatever I was on was soft to the touch against my back.

I knew I wasn't with Dani or Lucy, but some things were confusing.

I knew someone kissed my cheek, but who the hell was it? Tingles shot through me like a jolt, like I was being electrocuted. The smell around me was musky; I couldn't place it.

I didn't move; I was too scared to open my eyes.

After what felt like hours, I moved slightly and slowly began to open my eyes. I blinked a few times to get rid of the blurriness. Once I could focus, I looked around.

I was somewhere different and not with Dani and Lucy.

I looked around and down at my hands, I had tubes sticking out of me, and some machines were on either side of me.

I must be in a hospital, but where was everyone?

I noticed movement outside the door, and the door opened slightly. A woman walked in with a tray but stopped once she realized I was awake. "You're awake?" she said, sounding surprised.

I cleared my throat. "Where am I?" I asked groggily.

The woman looked at me and gave me a small smile. "You're at the...hospital," she said. "I will get the doctor to speak to you now."

I stared at her, but she quickly turned on her heel and left.

I guess she was the nurse then, I thought.

I leaned into the pillow behind me, but my head felt heavy. I moved my hand to my head and felt something there, bandages. What the hell happened?

I could feel my anxiety sweep in as I started to panic.

The door opened, and a man with a younger girl who looked the same age as me walked in.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Reed," said the doctor. "You gave everyone a scare."

"What happened?" I asked, but my mouth felt like sandpaper. I needed water. I licked my lips.

Doctor Reed stares at me for a moment, but the girl next to him walks around him and walks to the side where the table is. There was a jug of water and a small cup on the table.

I watched her closely as she poured water into the small cup and placed the jug back down after she was done. She turned around and walked over to the bed; she held the cup out and put it to my lips. "Take a sip," she said with a small smile.

I did as I was told and sipped, my eyes never leaving her, but as the water slipped down my throat, I closed my eyes and accepted the coldness straight away.

After a few seconds, I opened my eyes and looked at the girl, but looked over at the doctor, who smiled. "Better?" he asked.

I gave him a slight nod, which didn't help matters; my head hurt slightly, which made my eyes close again.

"Ah," he said. "I wouldn't do that."

I opened my eyes slowly once the pain subsided and looked back at him, but he continued. "You might have had a concussion or something. We did some scans to find out if there was anything on your brain, but there wasn't. You need rest, and you will recover fully," he said.

I stared, confused but also frightened.

"Where am I?" I asked, clearing my throat.

The doctor stared at me for a few moments, but it wasn't him who spoke next. "You're at the hospital," the girl said. "Your mum brought you here from your hometown, and you collapsed before you even left."