Thea's Return (Book 2 in the Original SOCIETY Series) ✔

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"That hurts!" I hissed, wincing as my aunt was working on my side. 

Her eyes glanced up at me before looking back to what she was doing, muttering an apology under her breath while shaking her head. She added through a sigh that the wound was really deep, and that the object inside it was lodged pretty well. 

I tilted my head back, clenching my teeth as I let out a pained groan. My fingers clenched to the arms of the chair I had been sitting in for the past fifteen minutes. I could feel my aunt's fingers right at the edge of the wound, and the sliver of coldness hinted at the medical tool she was using to get whatever was inside me, out. 

"It's really deep, Thea," My aunt frowned, eyeing my side warily. "Whatever it is, we have to get it out. You might be advanced now, but you're still a half-blood. So bleeding out is still a possibility for you." 

Aunt Penny bit her lip, raising her eyes to whoever was standing behind me and asked for another bowl of clean water. She moved her hands down from my side to lift up the small blue container that the water in it was too bloody to use to clean around the wound. I clenched my jaw, wincing every few seconds and tried to adjust myself to sit at a different angle but it hurt too much to move. 

Fuckin' Ian. Bastard shot me! 

Not that it matters, but for being in love with me still, he didn't look so glum about almost killing me. 

"Ow!" I cried out, frowning at my aunt to not touch my wound. Aunt Penny sulked, tilting her head a little that she had to otherwise I'd be sitting awkwardly all evening. 

I scrunched my nose, mumbling that the thought crossed my mind. But she only gave me a look like when I was younger and being rebellious. Raising a brow, I shrugged that I didn't handle pain very well---that should be known by now---and yet I was the one who had the most of it. 

Kale chuckled behind his hand, lowering his face to try and muffle it but I shot him a look anyway. 

"Shut up, Kale!" was my best comeback. I couldn't exactly think straight with the pain that I was in. 

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder, followed by, "Easy, Bruiser. You're going to make it worse." 

Sulking, I closed my eyes, groaning out that I just wanted for the pain to stop. I looked up at him, wincing that if it was possible he'd be able to help me. Maddox lowered a brow, glancing at the tools my aunt was able to gather that were "closest" in medical use. He chewed his lip a little, nodding to the side that it would actually be better if he did it; since he'd be gentle, but would push my limit. 

I swallowed hard, scrunching my nose. 

His words reminded me of back when we were younger (before Eli came along) and how every wound I got that was deep would be handled with care. Except sometimes that care was a little forceful because I wasn't very tolerant of pain to begin with. 

"Fine," I agreed, nodding that I just wanted whatever was inside, out. 

Maddox nodded back, handing my aunt the bowl as she scooted to the side. Maddox's eyes studied the wound for a minute then looked down at what was in front of him on the floor. He picked up tweezers and my eyes immediately went to the sharp points of it. 

Shit. This was going to hurt...

Maddox's purple-blue gaze flicked up to mine and I frowned, gripping tighter to the seat and then nodded for him to get it over with. It was quiet for a moment, no one moving, then Maddox reached over with his free hand braced along the area that had stopped bleeding some time ago.