Alpha Female | COMPLETED

16| Sleep

-:Cecelia's POV:-

I came around a little disoriented. I was feeling dizzy and uncomfortable. My body was aching and my arm was paining. I took in the environment and realized that I was admitted in the medical wing of the Packhouse.

"Nurse?" I rasped, my voice throaty. I winced at myself, feeling my throat itch.

A stout lady rushed in. I recognized her as Julia. She used to babysit me when I was younger. She had also patched me up a few times when I was too battered from training since I'd come back.

"Oh, you're awake," she said to herself. I rolled my eyes.

Yes, no shit, Sherlock.

"Water?" She offered, ignoring my eye roll. I nodded. She swept out and came back with a bottle. She opened placed it on my bedside table and fixed my bed to help me sit. Then she opened the bottle and helped me drink. The water soothed my itching throat.

"Thanks," I sighed, wiping my mouth.

"How are you feeling, honey?" She asked me. 

Doesn't she have to go get a doctor to check on me? 

"Fine," I said, laying my head back on the mattress. "How long was I out?"

"The entire day," she said nonchalantly. I pressed my eyes together. I survived it, that's what should matter. It was a miracle.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Dinner time," she replied. That explained why there was no doctor.

"You're lucky, you know," she said. I looked at her like she was crazy.

"Yup, because being assaulted with silver and wolfsbane in a span of minutes is every wolf's ultimate fantasy," I said sarcastically. 

"Cecelia," she said chidingly. "That's not what I meant."

"So?" I looked at her quizzically. 'Wait." I stopped her. "Did you tell my family that I'm awake?"

She cringed back guiltily.

"I'm on it," she said. Her eyes glazed over as she mind-linked. "Alpha's link was closed because of the meeting so I had to link the Luna," she said. I nodded. Good enough.

"Yeah, you were saying?" I prompted, wanting to fill the silence. I was tired, yes, but I was restless too. Like my breaths were short and my palms were sweaty.

"Hmm . . . so you were in a very bad shape when they brought you in. If it wasn't for-"

The door burst open as a haggard-looking Ashton stumbled in. His eyes sought mine and his features visibly relaxed. He speed-walked towards me and Julia slipped out quietly with a wink. 

He didn't seem to see her at all, though.

As soon as he was in touching proximity, his hands flew out and he engulfed me in a bear hug. As if the shock of seeing him wasn't great enough for me to lose my wits, the job definitely did itself when he hugged the fuck out of me. He nuzzled in the crook of my neck and breathed in my scent. I was frozen. 

Enjoying the feeling of faint feeling of sparks, but frozen.

"You're okay," he kept repeating. I couldn't deny that his touch chased away all my aches and discomfort, that his embrace drove away my uneasiness, that he calmed my restlessness. 

I blamed it on the wolfsbane residue in my system.

"Xav?" I whispered, finally hugging him back. Holy shit. I realized he was shirtless. I shivered with the feeling. He shook her head against my shoulder, the motion tickling me slightly, plausibly covering my shiver.