Primal Desires

Chapter 24

Rose's POV

I was in a hospital.

I hadn't even needed to open my eyes I knew I was in a hospital - the nauseating stench of disinfectant and chemicals was lingering in the air around me and I immediately recognised where I was. Years of coming in and out of the hospital at St Vlad's due to countless injuries meant the smell was permanently etched into my memory.

But why was I here?

How was I here?

I remember running. Running for miles and miles through the trees, willing myself to push on through the weariness and pain, as far away from that monster as I could get, until finally I couldn't go on any further and the darkness of death consumed me. I remembered it clearly – falling to my knees, struggling for breath, closing my eyes one last time... I knew I was dying because I heard his voice. Dimitri's voice. And with him, I was in Heaven.

Yet here I was – alive, somehow, and in the cold confines of a hospital.

Gaining control over my body, I opened my eyes slowly, immediately regretting my decision and snapping them shut again as the blinding light hit me. Fuck. I tried again, this time opening them gradually and blinking to adjust to the light. When I opened them fully, I was met with the confirmation that, yes, I was lying in a hospital bed. White walls surrounded me and the quiet hum of medical equipment echoed off them, filling the silence.

A quiet groan escaped my lips as pain shot through my body as I tried sitting up in the not so comfy bed, but I was surprised that the pain wasn't as debilitating as I thought it would be. I quietly took in my surroundings, trying to get my head around what was happening. I was so confused – I should be dead. I was with Dimitri, in his arms. Happy.

But he wasn't here now...

Even in my confusion, I was silently thankful for that fact – I couldn't face him, I couldn't see him. Not after betraying him the way I did. I'm sure he could barely look at me, knowing what I let Nathan do to me. He wouldn't be able to stand me.

It was better that he wasn't here.

***

As I sat in the silence of the room, I couldn't stop the tears flowing down my cheeks.

I was free. I was alive. I was safe.

A slight movement to my left nearly had me jumping out of my skin, and I immediately went on edge. Looking for the source of the movement, I looked to the side of the room and saw someone I hadn't noticed before, fast asleep on the chair next to my bed. Realising who it was, I let out a sigh of relief, instantly feeling safe in his presence.

I tried saying his name, but the painful scratching in my throat halted my speech. I coughed and tried again.

"Adrian..." I managed to say, even if it did come out hoarse. "Adrian?"

He didn't stir, and I tentatively reached out to his knee, shaking his leg gently. With my touch, he immediately awoke, worry filling his eyes as he scanned the room. When his gaze settled on mine, the worry disappeared and he visibly relaxed.

"Hey Little Dhampir," he greeted with a yawn and a grin. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused," I admitted, sitting back on the bed. I narrowed my eyes as I looked down at my hands. They should be bruised, scarred, but they weren't. "Where am I?"

"Court. You're home now."

Home...

"What happened?"