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Valeria wasn't cold when she woke up. No, she was quite warm as she nuzzled closer to the source of heat, who tightened his hold around her as she did so. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her memories slowly coming back to her. But she couldn't recall a single thing after being placed on Sam's back.
She looked up to see Sam's warm brown eyes looking down at her worriedly, one hand brushing against her cheek. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, craving the warmth he provided. Then she took in a deep breath, finding that she needed to breathe.
Her eyes snapped open again as she breathed more and more, placing her hand to her chest. She could feel her heart beating beneath the skin, making her eyes go wide. As her pulse picked up, the steady beeping of the heart monitor she was connected to also increased.
Frantically, she looked around, seeing an IV coming out of her arm and other wires connected to her to monitor her vitals.
"Hey, hey, look at me," Sam said, his warm hands cupping her cheeks, forcing her to look at him again. "It's okay. You're okay."
"Wh - what's going on?" she asked, some of her memories a little hazy, not really understanding what her brother did to her. "Where's Raph? And Nessa?"
"Rensmee is okay. Everyone is safe, and the Volturi are gone," he told her. "But your brother... Carlisle said it was his gift and your humanity one together. Valeria, you aren't - you're not a vampire anymore."
Her eyes went wide as she looked down at her hands once more. She'd lost some of her natural tan after turning, but it was back now. And she could see blueish veins underneath her skin as she flexed her fingers. The movement made the IV in her hand sting, and she hissed in pain, not used to feeling pain. With a frown, she brought her finger to her blunt teeth and found that her bite wasn't even strong enough to break the skin.
Sam chuckled and pulled her finger from her mouth, and then he helped her sit up properly. "How are you feeling?"
Valeria was silent for a moment, trying to pinpoint different feelings. "My... limbs feel weird," she mumbled, wiggling her toes a little.
"Carlisle said that might be the case. They've not had blood pumping through them for three years," he explained. "Walking might be hard — eating too."
At the mention of eating, Valeria's stomach actually rumbled, and she put her hand on it. She was hungry, not thirsty.
"This isn't happening," she whispered, her eyes still wide. "I mean, it's not possible."
"I'm afraid it is," Carlisle said, stepping into his office. Esme was just behind him with a bowl of chicken broth in her hands. He'd suggested starting with something very light to make sure she could keep it down. "I'm not quite sure how, medically speaking, but it is possible, evidently."
