The beasts turned slowly.
My breath caught. “No… wait…”
The next second, they lunged.
Everything went black and fast.
Pain exploded through my body, sharp and crushing, like my bones were being torn apart, like something was ripping me open from the inside.
“Ah—!” I screamed, my voice breaking, raw and desperate.
It hurt. It hurt so much I couldn’t even think. I collapsed, blood spreading beneath me, warm and endless.
Through blurred vision, I saw him.
Drake.
Holding Chiara tightly in his arms. Not even looking at me. Not even once.
When I opened my eyes again, everything smelled like antiseptic and cold metal. The ceiling was too white, too clean.
My chest burned. My legs felt like they’d been crushed. I let out a weak sound without meaning to.
“Hey, don’t move,” the nurse said quickly, pressing my shoulder down. “You’ve got three broken ribs and internal bleeding in your liver. You’re lucky you even made it through the night.”
I blinked slowly, trying to focus on her face.