Sacrilege (Theo Raeken) [2]

ordinary life

The steady beat of the heart monitor is the first thing I hear. Of course, amongst all the ringing of the ears and noisy central heating system, it overwhelms my senses.

The second thing I hear is a feminine voice calling my name. No, not just any feminine voice. Lydia Martin is calling my name.

The third thing I hear is a low growl from my hoarse throat.

Then, all my senses start coming to me. I can feel the cold, flat mattress beneath me. I can taste nothing but a bitter dryness. Finally, I smell the hospital smell: that stench of chemicals and sharp hand sanitiser masking anything and everything.

I feel my eyelids open slowly. Yes, definitely a hospital. My eyes are focused on the machinery in the corner of my eyes. I cough - a dry, deep groaning.

"Arden?" Lydia says. "Arden? Are you there?"

I make a feeble attempt at pushing myself up. My arms shake, my head feels as if my brain is bouncing against my skull, and my eyes are as dry as sand paper.

"Arden," Lydia repeats softly. Her eyebrows are furrowed and a piece of strawberry blonde hair is hanging haphazardly over her face. She looks dishevelled but still beautiful, in a way that only Lydia Martin can.

"What happened?" I murmur. It comes out as more of a monotonous groaning sound, but Lydia hears me anyway.

She purses her lips. "You were in a coma for two weeks, Arden," she says. "Two weeks."

"Th-Theo?"

"Still rotting in hell," Kai's voice says. He materialises in the doorway.

I groan.

"Arden, you shouldn't have done that to yourself," Lydia proclaims. "He wasn't worth it." Her phone buzzes suddenly. She reads the message and peers at me before back at her phone. "Scott and the others are here. I'll be back. And you —" she looks pointedly at Kai, "you don't aggravate her in any way."

"Will do." Once Lydia leaves, Kai sinks down into the seat at the end of my bed. "Your friend's hot."

"I know."

"Do you wanna know what happened?"

"I don't know."

"Are you in pain?" A pause.

"Yes."

"Will it take you long to heal?"

"I-I don't know." I sigh and sink back down into my bed.

"What do you feel like?"

"Crap," I say. "I don't know how to explain it. Just crap."

He sighs. "I don't know what happened," he says. "One minute she was changing and the next there was a knife through her ribs and a man standing over her. I barely got us out."

"Was it one of Lucien's men?"

"I don't know."

"It doesn't add up," I murmur. "I killed his pack. He shouldn't have anyone left."

Kai bites his lip. "You never know. Maybe you didn't get all of them. Maybe he's started building a new pack."

"Maybe it's someone else."

He's about to open his mouth to say something when the door opens. Lydia walks in, trailed by Liam, Scott and Malia.

"And here she is," Lydia says, pursing her lips.

"Arden," Scott says.

"Long time, no see," I greet them. "Where's —" I cut myself off, unsure of what I was going to say.