Awake..

Hayley

I never imagined that I'd be able to see the light of dawn ever again after what I had just experienced. But to my utmost surprise, I was still alive and well. I had no idea what had happened while I was unconscious, but I had heard Ethan and Damian mention something about a coven coming to my aid.

"Coven? Aren't they banned?" I asked for clarification purposes. Back at the Silver Moon pack, witches were loathed, and were instantly killed if found on Werewolf territory. I was surprised to hear that they had been the one to cure me, weren't the rules the same here?

"No they're not. Not everyone accepts them, but Alpha Damian knows they're important. And even if we cannot coexist in perfect harmony, we would need each from time to time." Ethan answered before handing me a cup of herbs.

"I've already had two cups earlier, do I really need a third one?" I asked with a disgusted look on my face. The medicine prescribed by the witches didn't look appealing one bit, and its smell didn't help in any way.

"Traces of the poison is still, you need to drink this at least thrice a day to fully flush out the poison." Ethan reminded me for the umpteenth time. I was only drinking this because I desired to live. If it had been five days ago, then I would have accepted death a lot easier. My life had been meaningless up until the night Damian claimed me. If he hadn't come that night, I probably would have ended my life the moment I managed to run out of the ballroom.

Speaking of Damian, I turned towards Ethan with a concerned expression on my face. "Where is Damian? Does he know I'm awake? Why hasn't he come to see me yet?"

Ethan's expression tightened slightly, and there was a hint of hesitation in his eyes. "Damian has been... preoccupied. There have been some issues within the pack that needed his immediate attention. But he knows you're awake, Hayley. He wanted to be here, but duty called."

I frowned, feeling a pang of disappointment. "What kind of issues?"

Ethan shifted uncomfortably, he didn't want to give me an answer, but he knew I wouldn't stop asking questions until he told me what I wanted to hear. "It's best if Damian explains everything to you himself. But rest assured, you're his priority. He's been checking in on you frequently while you were unconscious."

I nodded with an air of reluctance. From what I've heard, I've been unconscious for two days now. They said it was a miracle that I had survived, and that the head of the coven would likely be visiting me today to check my progress.

I took a tentative sip of the herbal concoction, grimacing at the bitter taste, but forcing it down anyway. I had a bone to pick with the witch lady the moment she showed up. Couldn't she have made the medicine a bit sweeter? I knew she could, but she was doing all this to spite me.

"Don't let the taste get to you, you have to finish it if you want to recover quickly." Ethan encouraged me, his smile a means to boost my shaken confidence.

With my eyes closed, I poured the remaining content down my throat before quickly reaching to empty the glass of water nearby.

"How long do you think it will take for me to fully recover?" I asked. I was done with this concoction, and I didn't want anything else to do with it.

"Another few days, if you follow the regimen strictly," Ethan replied. "But don't rush it. You've been through a lot, and your body needs time to regain its strength."

I rolled my eyes after hearing his words. I still had to deal with this concoction for a few more days before I would be fully healed? I didn't know if I would be able to accomplish that feat, perhaps death would have been a better option than going through this torture.

Just as Ethan finished speaking, the door to my room creaked open, and Damian stepped in. His presence instantly filled the room, and my heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, but there was a flicker of relief when our eyes met.

"Hayley," he breathed, crossing the room in quick strides. He took my hand, his grip warm and reassuring. "I'm so glad you're awake."

I felt blood rush to my cheeks as I slowly turned my face away. He squeezed my hand gently, before boosting my fallen confidence with a smile. I finally mustered the courage to turn around and face him, but just as I was about to return the romantic gesture, an unfamiliar figure walked in. She was the most majestic figure I had ever seen in my life, and the mere sight of her had my insides burning with jealousy.

"She's awake," the new lady exclaimed with forced excitement. "I'd like to examine her, if you don't mind, Damian."

"Damian?" I wondered in my head, she had spoken his name so casually, and he didn't particularly seem bothered. I would have said she was trying to pull him away from me if she hadn't mentioned something about examining me, who exactly was this lady?

"Where are my manners? Hayley, this is Miranda. Miranda, meet Hayley." Damian introduced after he caught a glimpse of the confused look on my face. "Miranda is the leader of the moonlit coven, she's in charge of your treatment."

So this was the witch who was after my life. She was the one responsible for that horrible herbal concoction, she definitely had some sort of grudge against me.

"It's nice to meet you awake, my lady." Miranda teased and we both let out a mild laughter.

"It's nice to meet you as well Miranda. Thank you for saving me." I replied with a smile.

She returned the gesture before finally getting down to examining me. She didn't have a stethoscope like the others, all she did was run her palms inches away from my body while humming words that nobody in the room understood. And after five minutes of doing so, she got up from where she sat beside me and declared that I was alright.

"There will be no need for the medications anymore, she's perfectly fine."

Ethan and Damian exchanged glances before turning towards Miranda with a confused look on their faces.

"Are you certain she's okay?" Damian asked on behalf of him and Ethan.

"Yes, I'm certain. Your wife is strong, her regenerative capabilities are nothing like I've seen before." Miranda admitted with a smile. "It seems my work here is done, there's no need to stay anymore."

"No, I'd like for you to stay a while longer. Hayley is mostly lonely, she might need a friend." Damian suggested, and I turned to him with a confused look.

"What about the tour you promised—"

"There will be no tour for now, Hayley. I'm sorry, but until the threat outside is completely eliminated, I'll have to limit your access to the outside world." Damian interjected silkily. There was a sense of finality in his tone, and I knew I couldn't protest his decisions at that moment. His mind was made up, the only thing I could do at this moment was hope that Miranda was half as fun as Damian.