Lux

Chapter 3

White light blinded her, making her squint her eyes and flinch under the harsh light. She brought her hand up, shielding her eyes.

"What do you mean you don't know?! It's been two days!"

Lux instantly recognized the raised voice. It was her mate, her Alpha.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," a woman's voice whimpered. "The tests are returning all regular. Medically speaking, nothing is wrong with her."

A beeping sound stole her attention, and she watched a machine—one she recognized from the movies they used to watch in class—produce crooked lines in a rhythm. It was usually in a hospital, a place where humans went when they were injured or had illnesses.

Lux felt so confused, what was she doing here? She sat up, wincing lightly when she felt pain shoot up her arm, and she saw a needle connected with a tube stuck into her arm. If she remembered correctly, it was called an IV? Maybe, she wasn't so sure.

Not being sure of anything at the moment, she pulled all the wires connected to her body, a continuous beep sounded throughout the room, and she looked at the machine, where it now produced a straight line.

She quickly got out of bed, but her legs gave out beneath her, and she ended up on the floor.

The door, which slid to the side instead of swung inwards or outwards, was opened and Lux looked up as in came the man with the amber eyes, her mate.

He seemed different, with a slight stubble growing on his jaw and his blond hair messy. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked immensely tired—and worried. As soon as his eyes landed on her form on the floor, his eyes softened and he breathed a sigh of... relief?

Lux watched with furrowed brows as he came up to her and picked her up off the floor. When he lifted her by her armpits, she felt so small and fragile, and it made her embarrassed. He quietly set her down on the bed, seated on the edge.

She was soon engulfed in his arms, which surprised her—she'd never received a hug from a male before, so she wasn't quite sure what to do. Vis had gotten one before, Father wasn't pleased at all.

That didn't end well.

So, instead of returning the hug, she sat there awkwardly, waiting for him to pull away. He was hugging her very tight, and it felt as if all the air in her lungs was being pushed out. Her face must've shown her discomfort because someone spoke up.

"Alpha," the woman in a white coat called out from the doorway. Lux had been so preoccupied with the Alpha she hadn't noticed the woman at all. "You're hugging her too tight." She seemed amused, with her upturned lips and a twinkle in her eyes.

The Alpha pulled back, hands on Lux's shoulders as he looked into her eyes. His expression was soft and he looked at her with a slight smile. "You're awake." He nodded slightly, swallowing as he cupped her face with both hands, making tingles go all over her body. "Good."

Lux saw the worry in his eyes, and suddenly felt all warm under his gaze. His worry touched her deeply, because the worry was for her.

After a few moments, she began to feel awkward and the room felt stuffy. She looked down. "Uhm..." His hands on her face dropped and he stepped back. She looked up at him, then her eyes flickered to the woman at the doorway. "What happened?"

It was then that the woman fully entered the room, and she slid the door close behind her. Before anyone could start explaining, Lux's mate effortlessly picked her up and set her down properly on the bed, so she could lay back again, pulling the blanket over her.