Anada (Book #3)

Poison

"She's been shot."
"Obviously, Westen."
"Where's Elias?"
"I don't know. She didn't say anything about him when we were on the phone a second ago."
I suddenly start to cough and I open my closed eyes. Looking down at me are a concerned Alex and Westen. Somehow I'm outside the Mustang. Its black, scratched-up door is wide open. I'm laying on top of the snow covered ground with my team leader hovering over me.
I then remember what happened. I had passed out in the driver's seat. It was a very good thing I hadn't been driving when it happened.
"Anada, what happened?" Alex asks me as he begins to look at the bleeding bullet wound on my shoulder.
He pulls back my coat and shirt to see the damage on my left shoulder. I hear Westen gasp behind Alex in shock. He's seen bullet wounds before. What's so different about this one?
"Leon... sent a dragon after us. Elias got hurt... but Connor is taking him to the hospital." I say painfully as I start shaking.
Alex starts, "A dragon? Anada-"
"Alex, not now. The bullet... it was coated with poison-"
Westen interrupts, "We can tell."
"How?" I rasp.
Alex replies, "Your entire shoulder is black."
"Huh?" I try sitting up, but they make me lay back down.
I quickly continue in one breath, "We don't have time. Leon is currently being held in the alley, and you said the president's son has been kidnapped. Plus, you said you needed a shifter's help."
"I'll send Reina and Neil to take care of Leon. You're our first priority." Alex tells me as he places something over the bleeding wound.
I grind my teeth in pain. A sudden thought of Elias came to mind. Had Connor brought him to the hospital in time? Was he even going to survive what he had been through?
"Help me lift her, Westen." Alex commands.
I draconic growl escapes me and I say, "I'm okay. I don't need-"
They pull me up and I immediately scream from the overwhelming pain that floods my entire body. I'm lightheaded for a few seconds, and that's a serious thing because I've never been lightheaded before. Leon had already poisoned the bullet incase I got away from him while we were in the alley. Whatever he had poisoned the bullet with it was meant specifically for a shapeshifter like me.
Westen and Alex carry me into the building where they had previously been. Multiple people run back and forth in a mad frenzy. Some dare to glance my way, but they mostly ignore me. Apparently, they were more concerned about the president's kidnapped son.
After walking for about five minutes, Alex and Westen set me down in a chair. I can no longer feel my left shoulder. Alex checks my shoulder to see how much worse it is. After looking it over, he tells me the black poisoning is much worse. Then he quickly leaves so that he can speak with Reina and find something or someone to stop the merciless poison.
Westen stays with me. He's quiet as we watch the many authorities running up and down the hallway. I don't pay much attention to the people. The pain is all that's on my mind. The silence between Westen and I doesn't help. I'm distracted from the pain when he finally breaks the silence.
"What happened to Elias's car? The windshield was shattered and the hood all bent up." Westen asks me curiously.
I then attempt to explain to him what happened. Everything from the red dragon, to Elias being thrown onto the car, Leon shooting me, the faux staff, and the windshield being shot out.
"You could've called for backup, Anada."
I frown from the pain and say, "We didn't have the time. We were in a pretty tight situation."
At that moment Alex returns with a doctor to check my wound. I'm immediately apprehensive.
First of all, doctors are not my favorite. They take blood samples, and my blood isn't like a normal human's. Then they get suspicious of you when they find out your blood cells are abnormal.
Second, it only reminds me of the current condition of Elias. Imagining Elias in his poor state made me hurt worse than the throbbing pain that was growing in my shoulder. The images of him being thrown by the dragon made me nauseous.
I remembered that only moments before the red dragon arrived Elias had kissed me for the first time ever. For those few peaceful moments, everything seemed weightless and nothing else mattered. How did things have to go wrong so suddenly? Why?
"Well, it's definitely poisoned. Though it's a good thing it passed right through your shoulder. If it'd stayed in there, you'd be dead right now." The doctor says matter-of-factly.
"What can you do to stop the poison from spreading?" I ask him with growing fear.
He scratches his chin as though he sees this sort of thing every day, "There's some pills I can give you, but it will only slow it down. You're going to need to get yourself to a hospital as soon as possible-"
"I'll take the pills, sir." I say quickly.
He gives me a startled look, "This isn't something to mess around with. Once you take the pills there will only be enough time for you to get to the emergency room."
I don't have time. Leon's plans are still in progress, and it has something to do with the president's son being kidnapped. This isn't just a coincidence!
I quickly grab and swallow the pills as I stand up abruptly. The pain is hard to ignore but I grind my teeth to manage it.
There's a sudden wave of military personnel heading toward the exit. Pieces of conversation are picked up by my super hearing, and according to word of mouth there are reports of the president's son being sighted.
"We ought to go with them." I say as I begin to step forward.
Alex grabs my arm firmly, "No, we are going. Not you. Definitely not."
I don't reply and he continues, "It's my responsibility as your friend and team leader to keep you safe. Anada, I'm calling an ambulance and you're going to the hospital. Don't you understand that you could be dead within the hour?"
No, I don't understand. I'm a shapeshifter. I am stronger than the poison...
Alex makes me sit down, and then him and Westen leave with the rest of the men who are exiting the building. The doctor who checked my wound is still with me. I'm guessing that he's here to keep an eye on me until an ambulance takes me to the hospital.
I can't stay here though. Leon has done something with the president's son, and he has a bad purpose for doing so.
But what happened with the red dragon who I had left to guard Leon? Was he still there? Or had something happened in the meantime?
Then there were other questions too. Where was Misty and the rest of the shifters in D.C.? Had anything happened to them?
I knew one thing. I definitely wasn't going to go to the hospital. This wasn't over yet. Leon was not going to come out on top like he thought.