Addie's POV:

Pain. 

I was very aware of pain before I was even aware I was awake. Pain on my face. My back. My legs. My arm. God, my arm ached and stung. 

I whimpered and adjusted slightly. Bad idea. More pain. I whimpered again and breathed out as I tried to open my eyes. I blinked a few times before the room came into focus. I was... in a hospital? A shitty hospital? I squeezed my eyes shut then tried to sit up. My body protested so I stayed down and glanced to the side. It kind of looked like a hospital.

What the hell happened?

I closed my eyes and tried to remember what happened before I fell asleep. Right. I killed a vampire and cut myself then a naked guy carried me over to... Oh shit. Vampires and werewolves.

I shot up and winced as I did. Yep. Everything hurt.

"Easy," a warm voice said.

I looked over towards the source of the voice. Sitting in a chair next to me was a guy. No. Not a guy. A man is a much better description for him. He had black hair and green eyes and a face that would make anyone's knees weak. If his perfect features weren't enough, there was the fact that I was fairly certain his body was fake. The t-shirt he wore clung to him like a second skin, showing just how much he must like working out, the sleeve snug against his arms.

My eyes shot up to his as I realized how much I was blatantly ogling him but the smirk on his face told me he didn't seem to mind.

"Where am I?" I demanded, turning to swing my legs off the bed.

I put weight on my arm and hissed, grabbing it and biting down on my lip to keep the cry in.

"Careful," he urged, standing and reaching for me.

His hands hovered over me and he pulled them back, looking at me uncertainly.

"Why does everything hurt?" I grumbled, looking down at my bandaged arm.

It was a rhetorical question. It hurt because of the cut, because of the being dragged downstairs and thrown around by a vampire. Oh, God. A vampire. The realization hit me for a second time. I was with both vampires and werewolves. Because they were apparently real. I looked over at the stranger again who was watching me carefully. Why were his eyes so gorgeous? Why was his face so gorgeous? Why was he so ridiculously hot? Why was I thinking this when I had more important things to be thinking about?

The eyes. I could think about those because they were familiar. Where did I see them? Oh right. On a black wolf. And then on him. It got fuzzy after that. The last thing I remember is staring into his eyes. 

My eyes widened and darted over to his again. "Xander?"

He smiled, a look of relief passing over him. "You remember."

I looked over at him then at the chair. There were blankets. Had he slept there? I looked back at him and he was staring at me.

"Where's Kaden?" I blurted out.

I didn't know what else to say and his staring was making me nervous. His eyes narrowed and he clenched and unclenched his fist before answering.

"He's fine. He's home," he answered.

Home. That's vague.

"And where am I?" I asked.

"You're in the infirmary. We had to treat your wound," he explained, gesturing to my arm.

"Right. And where is this infirmary?" I pressed.

"In my territory."

God, he was starting to annoy me. He may be nice to look at but he was still annoying.

"Okay, look," I said, narrowing my eyes. "I feel like garbage and I've had quite a few shocks over the last several hours so if you could maybe not be so goddamn elusive with your answers that would be great."

His face went back and forth between irritated and amused before he settled on stoic.

"We're a few miles east of Everett," he clarified.

"Why am I not at a real hospital?"

"I didn't have time to get you to a real hospital. Anna is better than any doctor you would've seen," he shrugged.

"Right," I sighed, burying my face in my hands.

"How do you feel?"

"Peachy. Discovering monsters are real, killing two people, being dragged down stairs and locked in a cell, almost getting rap-" I stopped as the memory flooded into my mind.

That was the thing. I was good at staying calm in the moment but once the moment passed, it all came back.

"You were..." He started but stopped, probably because I started crying.

I held it in real well before but now I couldn't. I cried the hard, ugly crying you don't want anyone to see, wrapping my arms around myself. Xander stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me.

"It's okay. It's over. You're safe," he murmured, kissing the side of my head.

It didn't make sense that I would let a stranger comfort me but here he was and his arms felt very nice and warm. He sat on the bed next to me and pulled me into his lap. I should've protested but instead I cried into his chest. His hand moved through my hair as he held me tightly. A strange sense of comfort rolled over me.

"It's okay. You're safe, Adira. I've got you," he assured.

Hearing my full name caught my attention enough to snap me out of whatever spell he put me under. I stiffened in his arms before struggling out of them. He angled us to put me back on the bed and stepped back with furrowed brows.

"How did you know my name? And where is my stuff?" I asked, looking around the room and wiping at the traitorous tears.

"We found a bag of yours at the warehouse. It's right here," Xander answered, picking up a backpack from next to his chair and setting it next to me on the bed.

I opened up the bag, sighing in relief to see all my equipment still there. I opened the next zipper. My phone was there, dead, but my wallet was gone. I glanced up and Xander was holding my wallet out. I scowled and snatched it.

"You went through my things?" I snapped.

He shrugged, seeming completely unapologetic about it. I can't believe I was letting this weirdo hold me a few minutes ago. I can't believe it felt good. I can't believe I wanted to do it again. God, I really needed to see a therapist after this.

"You're a photographer?" He asked.

"Duh," I said icily, stuffing my wallet into my bag and zipping it up before trying to stand.

"You should take it easy. You've been through a lot," he said, grabbing my elbow as I swayed after standing.

I was suddenly dizzy. I sat back down on the bed and put my head in my hands.

"Adira, was it Alister that tried to force himself on you?" He asked.

I stiffened at his question and his hand landed on my back, rubbing circles into it. I didn't know why he was so comfortable with touching me or why I was so comforted by it but I was too exhausted to argue about it.

"No," I sighed. "I mean, he mentioned it but he wasn't the one. Some creep named Rego."

"Rego?" Xander growled.

I lifted my head at the sound and scooted back, away from his touch.

"I'm sorry," he said, his face crumpling. "That wasn't directed at you."

A door opened and a tall, blonde woman walked in. Her eyes flicked to me and she bowed her head.

"Luna," she greeted before walking over to Xander.

"Rego tried to force himself on her," Xander informed her.

"I fucking knew it was that snake," the woman hissed, slamming her fist against the palm of her hand. "Wait, how did he not succeed?" She asked, tilting her head and looking at me curiously.

"He's kind of an idiot," I shrugged.

Xander's head snapped to me and both looked at me in confusion.

"I mean he basically said he wanted me solely to mess with you," I said, gesturing to Xander. "Since his motives were pretty vengeful it wasn't hard to manipulate him a little."

The woman's frown turned to a smile and she crossed her arms as she appraised me.

"You are something else," she said, shaking her head.

"And you are..?"

"Sorry, Tess," she said, offering her hand.

I nodded and accepted her handshake, looking over at Xander curiously.

"She's my Gamma," Xander explained.

He must've noticed the blank expression because he tried again.

"Kaden and Tess are like my right hands. My Beta and Gamma. Second and third in command, if you will."

"Right," I said, nodding slowly.

"Perhaps pack hierarchy is better reserved for when she's a little less out of it," Tess said. "How are you feeling?"

I narrowed my eyes because it was the second time I was getting that stupid fucking question when I obviously wasn't feeling fine but Xander interjected before I could respond. "Very poorly. Lots of pain. Get Anna, would you?"

Tess nodded and gave me a wave and smile before walking away. I turned my attention back to Xander. He was staring. Again.

"What?" I said, wrapping my arms around myself.

"I'm just... Happy to see you awake," he said, looking away, muttering something under his breath. 

I wondered why he was being so awkward until I remembered more of what Kaden said. Mate. Is that why I was okay with him holding and touching me? My eyes widened and I scooted farther away. His head jerked back up to me and he frowned.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his brows furrowing in concern.

"Nothing. I'm just... Overwhelmed," I murmured, looking away from him.

What the hell did he expect of me now? I was just trying to get out of there and now I was out but instead I was here. Would he let me go if I asked or was I going to have to find a way out of here too? Why did I not want to? I felt a strange draw to him that proved just how much I needed to be somewhere else to clear my head. I looked over at him, catching him staring again. He looked away immediately and I decided I had to be brave. I couldn't beat around the bush.

"Can I go home now?" I asked.

His eyes widened in alarm and he looked at me with a confused expression. He ran a hand through his hair, breaking eye contact. He didn't say anything for a few minutes then finally lifted his eyes to mine.

"You're not a prisoner but I... They'll come looking for you again. It isn't safe for you to leave," he said.

"Why do they want me?" I asked.

"They want to use you to get to me," he sighed.

"Who'd you piss off?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"I only pissed off half the responsible party and I only did because they were killing innocent people and needed to be confronted," he said, glaring right back at me. "The other half is unwarranted resentment over something that was out of my control."

That was unexpected. Part of me wanted to ask but I couldn't get side-tracked.

"So I can't go home?" I clarified.

His face crumpled and he stepped forward, taking one of my hands in both of his. God, he had nice hands, nice fingers...

"It isn't safe for you to go. If you're here I can keep you safe. I can't keep you safe if you're not with me," he said, his thumb rubbing over my knuckles.

He was beating around the bush. His hands felt nice over mine. Warm and safe. I liked the feeling. I shouldn't like the feeling. He was a stranger. I pulled my hand away because this draw to him was freaking me out.

"That's a real roundabout way of saying I can't go home," I said, crossing my arms.

"Not right now," he relented.

"Then when?" I asked.

"When it's safe," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"And when will that be?" I pressed.

"I don't know," he admitted, his tone becoming a little less soft and more annoyed.

"So you expect me to stay here and just put my life on hold?" I scoffed. "I have a job, you know. I have a life. It's not like I've been sitting around with nothing to do."

"I can have someone escort you to your job and for whatever else you want to do," he said stiffly.

"Escort me? You mean babysit, right?" I scoffed.

"That's not what it is," he sighed.

"It is what it is," I argued. "You want me to permanently have a werewolf guard glued to my hip?"

"Not permanently," he countered. "Just until the threat passes."

"And then you'll let me go? Even though I'm..."I paused as his eyes darkened, watching me much more intensely.

He stepped forward until he was very close, his eyes searching mine.

"Even though you're what?" He asked.

"You know what," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"I know. I just wonder how much of it you feel," he said, bringing his hand up to my hair.

It shouldn't have caused shivers or anything else. I was in pain. I had a traumatic experience. Even someone this hot shouldn't be affecting me like this. But as his fingers went through my hair my heart rate elevated and I wanted nothing more than to lean into him.

No. That was insane. I didn't know him. I leaned away and I swear his eyes flickered.

"I want to go right now," I insisted.

"You can't," he growled. "Unless you have a death wish."

"So I am a prisoner."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he snapped, walking away and running his hand through his hair again. "I'm not going to let you make me feel bad for keeping you safe."

I glared at him and started to speak when another woman walked in. She had a doctor coat on and light brown hair, tied back in a ponytail.

"Good afternoon, Luna," she greeted with a smile.

"Oh my God with the Luna thing," I groaned. "My name is Addie. Call me Addie."

"I'm sorry. Addie. I'm Anna. How are you feeling?" She asked, walking up to me, her eyes looking me up and down. "Heart rate's a little high."

Xander snorted and I glared at him.

"I heard you're having some pain," Anna said.

"Try a lot of pain," I corrected.

"Where's it the worst?"

I blew out a breath and rolled my shoulder, pointing to my arm.

"The cut was quite deep," she frowned. "I'm afraid it's going to hurt for a while. Have you noticed anything strange since you woke up besides the pain? Any numbness or tingling in your hand?" She asked, lifting my hurt arm.

I shook my head and she smiled in relief.

"Good," she breathed. "I was worried you'd have damaged nerves but hopefully not. Let's just do a couple of tests. Can you touch each of your fingers to your thumb?"

I thought it would be easy but it actually hurt quite a bit to do what she asked, the tendons in my forearm flexed with the movement and I winced.

"I can do it. It just hurts," I said.

She nodded and picked up my hand. "Close your eyes, please."

I frowned and looked over at Xander who was still staring at me intently. I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling her prod at my fingers.

"Tell me when you feel something hitting your fingers and if it's dull or sharp, all right?"

I nodded and I felt something sharp press into my thumb.

"Sharp." Another stab into my ring finger but it wasn't as sharp. "Dull."

She repeated it a few more times before letting me open my eyes and releasing my hand.

"It doesn't look like you have nerve damage but we'll check again later. Can I get you some pain killers?" he offered.

"I'd really just like to be in my own bed," I answered, watching her reaction carefully.

Her smile faltered and her eyes darted to Xander before returning to mine.

"I'm sorry, Addie," she said genuinely. "It's not safe for you to go home. But Alpha Xander has set up a room for you in the pack house."

"I don't want a room here," I snapped. "I want my room. With my stuff and my clothes and my shower and my blankets!"

"Addie, it would be very dangerous for you to go home right now. They may have seen your address on your ID. They might know where you live," she said, her brows furrowing in concern.

I whimpered and dropped my head in my unscathed hand.

"This. Sucks," I whined.

"Addie?" Anna said sweetly.

"What?"

"I think it would be a good idea for you to take pain killers. It will help the pain and also help you relax while you process," she suggested.

"You mean you want me to sleep more," I corrected, lifting my head to glare at her.

"Your body and mind have been through quite a shock. It wouldn't hurt for you to rest more."

"With him staring at me? Yeah, I'll sure rest," I said sarcastically.

"I'll leave you be if that makes you more comfortable," Xander said through gritted teeth.

"It would. Bye," I waved.

Another small growl and he glared at me before stomping out of the room. Anna gave me an awkward smile and clasped her hands together.

"So what do you say?" She asked.

I thought about it. If I wanted out of here, I would have to be smart. She would guess my dose based on my weight, not knowing how well I held up against pain killers. If they thought I was asleep I might be able to sneak out but I would have to be careful since Kaden said they could hear heartbeats and follow people's scents. My eyes darted to a hamper that had clothes hanging off the edge. 

Maybe... Either way, the best option was to make them think I was out.

I nodded and she smiled, walking over to a cabinet and pulling out what looked like morphine. She withdrew a dose with a needle and told me to lay back. I did as she said. The needle went into my arm and I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and remembering what my mother taught me about slowing my heart rate, about relaxing.

She'd taught me a lot of things. Ways to make people think you were asleep when attached to machines in a hospital, how to cheat a lie detector test, how to build a resistance to all kinds of drugs. I scolded myself for thinking that she was crazy my whole life because it seemed I needed all of that right about now.

I was getting out of here, dammit. 

A/N:

Hey readers :)

I decided to put up another chapter. I hope you like it! Let me know what you think :)