The Leopard Shifters

Chapter 7

Alaia's POV: Unknown Location

Darkness. That's all I could see.

Maybe I'm dead? That wouldn't be so bad to be honest. There's no pain and suffering in the afterlife.

Unknown Voice: Her eyes are opening! Come quick!

Oh. A voice. So I'm not dead. Bummer.
...wait. A voice? Whose voice? The females in the Ineritus pack sound more... screechy. Where the hell am I?

I tried to open my eyes but all I saw was a whirlpool of colours and movement. I tried sitting up but immediately regretted it.  I groaned in pain. My head was aching and my limbs felt heavy. Another voice, a male one, came from somewhere next to me,

Doctor: Hello young lady, I'm a doctor, I'm here to help you. Your safe.

Safe? Doctor?? Ineritus does not have a doctor. What's going on. I could feel my heart beat rapidly increasing as I tried to get a grasp of where I am, and who all the people around me are, all while trying not to make my injuries worse.

I tried to sit up but my arms shook for a few minutes before collapsing back to the bed. I groaned out in pain and frustration. I heard more muffled voices as I blinked slowly:

Doctor: She's freaking out, all of you get out, now.

I heard the shuffling of feet and a door close. The male approached me again, instinctively, momentarily forgetting about the pain, my arms covered my head, in a protective manner, and the doctor gasped,

Doctor: I'm not going to hurt you young lady, I'm trying to help you. You have open wounds on your arms and neck. If I don't treat them they will get infected. Can you move your arms, please?

My vision started to clear. I lowered my arms but I was on high alert. I blinked a few times and winced at the bright white light hovering above me. I was in a room. A very... white, room. As I looked around, I saw around 5 beds, with some sort of bars on each side, and the same white covers on each. At the very far end of the room, were cupboards and storage units. With syringes, bottles containing different substances, and a variety of dressings.

As I was taking in everything, a sharp stinging sensation on my arm made me let out a low growl in shock and pain. My head whipped round and I turned to look at the doctor. A bottle of alcohol disinfectant in one hand, a cotton bud in the other, and an apologetic look on his face. I scowled and he said,

Doctor: I'm sorry, my apologies. I am almost done.

I watched as he wiped the blood away, then gently pressed dressings onto my arm. It was at that moment I realised what was happening. My whole body tensed again, and I said to him in a harsh tone,

Alaia: Where am I and how did I get here??

The doctor flinched little at my sudden change in manner, and he said calmly,

Doctor: Now, now child, your in the medical unit in our pack.

Did he just say pack? He did didn't he. Everything from last nights events were flooding back into my head.

I ran. I actually ran away. I guess I didn't think it through. Because now, I am in a pack medical unit, located Goddess knows where, with people I have no clue about. I remembered the figures looming over me before I passed out, and I looked to the Doctor, who had just finished tending to my wounds.

Alaia: How did I get here? And where is this?

Doctor: You are in the Crystal Heart pack dear. 5 of our men found you in the forest unconscious when they were patrolling the barrier of our territory. If I may ask, how did you get there? So far away from everyone else?