Evelyn's head feel dizzy and light as the aftereffects of that fall. She didn't realize she was relying on that old piece of junk so much and it betrayed her.
She tried to feel her long legs, make them move as she dared to stand up. The hallway outside was dimly lightened because of the sparks coming from the room. As she pushed herself on her two feet, she perceived an open balcony veiled by a white curtain in front of her but at meters length.
There was a book shelf on the right of the room attached to the wall and on the left side, there was a bed with different machines and tubes and wires. What more? There was a patient leaning on it, immobilized and seemingly half dead.
By the virtue of her prying mind, Evelyn couldn't hold the enthusiasm sparkling in her eyes and gazing down at that patient as she closed the proximity between them. His body was pale and covered in scars. His torso was draped in a loose white sweatshirt and his waist below was covered by a quilt. His chest didn't heave up and down as he inhaled, his breathing process wasn't a distinct feature at this moment.
He was no doubtedly looking like a corpse, a corpse whose life had been prolonged but it changed nothing about his condition. He was lying dead yesterday and today and he'd be lying here the same the next morning.
Inspecting his scars closely Evelyn came to the conclusion that they're battle scars; werewolf bites, claw marks and evidenses of ripped flesh. She felt bad at this man's condition whom she hadn't even met before today. He was lying in such pain, agony and misery that earned him a pitiful look from Evelyn.
Unable to stop herself from feeling sympathetic, she wondered why they're still forcing him to live. This man's withered and greyish face was the cruel reminder of the truth that he'd been through a lot in his life and he was still struggling. Why couldn't he find peace? Why die such a painful death? Evelyn wanted to inquire him about his past but how? She wasn't even sure if he was alive, should she just talk to a deaf soul?
Evelyn's scrutinizing gaze inspected the man further. His skin was old and withered with the lack of the care, he'd grown a slight stubble and his eyes were firmly shut as if he'd deliberately tugged the light away. But Evelyn knew there was more to his eyes, there was a different, a discreet untold tale swimming in them and the moment he'd open them, she would get to witness the spiteful battle he'd fought.
Even thought he appeared weak and sickly to her healthy sight, although his muscles and brawny shoulders could fail any grown up man. His hair though was a slight silver and he had huge bags beneath his sockets, she had hoped for finding life in his eyes. That would just be miraculous.
Evelyn, out of her childishly foolish thoughts, reached out to take one of his hands in hers. She took his right wrist that wasn't curled up in tapes and wires and began to stroke his fingers. She was a grown up woman and she shouldn't be sitting next to an old man, let alone playing with his fingers like a little girl.
But she couldn't help the little kid in her heart. That little kid wanted to play and most of all, comfort this man who appeared to be lost in pure agony. Or else, why would he keep his eyes deliberately shut? Perhaps only a little girl could bring him back to reality.
She continued stroking his fingers and momentarily pulling them as he let out a low hiss but she acted to not have heard them. Her doubts were all clear, this patient in this hospital bed wasn't dead nor was he dwelling in a coma. He was sabotaging his health on purpose by being locked up in here when he could just get out and get a healthy whiff of that wonderful garden.
The next moment Evelyn withdrew her hand without warning and he inadvertently lunged his hand forward in her direction, all the while keeping his eyes closed. Evelyn was induced that the dear had fallen for the trap.
She was smiling as she waited patiently for the man to open his eyes, she knew there was no escaping now. "C'mon, don't hide any longer." She folded her arms around each other and looked down at his stilled body with a prideful smirk. He was as tensed and hard as steel, he was going to break soon.
At her gesture his eyes fluttered open and they, with difficulty, took in his surrounding. It was now that she noticed that he had two bright glowing toasty topaz eyes and he was not as ugly as before. He was a gorgeous man.
He squinted moment after another, not being accustomed to the sunlight but did his best to try and adjust to the rays. He took a deep breath as Evelyn came behind him and helped him get his back straight against the headboard. It was a tiring task as he could barely move a muscle in his body.
Evelyn wondered for how long he must be lying on this bed like that, like a lifeless ghost even when he had every strength to embrace this world. Actually thinking about it now, she felt a bit enraged at his selfish act.
"How long have you been in here?" He surprisingly asked Evelyn.
"Just a few minutes." She replied raising a brow, trying to sound not too informal. "What about you?" She questioned staring at the man with intriguing round eyes.
He seemed to be thinking before he replied nonchalantly, "Ten years."
Evelyn's eyes widened with unbearable shock and every word she'd planned to pronounce was vanished. She didn't blink at him for a minute straight as every muscle in her body tensed at his confession.
'Ten years? He'd been lying in a fake coma for ten years!' Selene screamed on the inside, losing control as well when all that was visible on Evelyn's face was a gaped mouth, big enough to swallow a whole fist.
"What's your name child?" He asked breaking her momentary stupor.
She blinked a couple of times to regain herself before admitting in a gentle and submissive tone, "Evelyn." She disputed whether she should take her surname or not but decided against it. As long as she was here, she'd have to forget who her father was for her own good.
"That's a nice name." He murmured, humming a tune softly to himself whilst checking out her facial features intently. She almost felt like he was judging her and felt insecure to be under his scrutinizing gaze though she said nothing, recalling she'd committed the exact same act not too long ago. "You look familiar."
Evelyn started coughing awkwardly at his confession. How could she seem familiar to him? He'd been sleeping in a coma for ten years for crying out loud! When did he see her, when she was eight?
"You must be confusing me with someone else. I can assure you we've never met." Evelyn promised with a gentle smile as he gave her a little curt nod, clearly not satisfied with her answer.
And then it dawned on her. Why was she in sitting in a room with a complete stranger she knew nothing about? She should leave and go to her mate? Michael! He must be looking for her.
"You're from the Midnight Crescent pack, aren't you?" Evelyn stopped dead on her tracks, she was about to stand up and leave but his sudden accusation left her with nowhere to go. How could he know so easily? Was it that easy to guess?
She turned to face him, ready to be met by a pair of angry or disgusted toasty topaz eyes but what she saw stunned her. He was actually smiling, grinning with all his teeth showing off like a kid. She wanted to laugh at that sight but that would've been utterly inappropriate.
"Don't you remember me Eve? Ten years ago, you're wandering off in the woods alone and got lost." Evelyn tried to remember that day but nothing came to her. "I found you near a bark when I was about to shift." Nothing came. "You're afraid but then clung to my arms when I told you who I was. You trusted me." Nothing yet. "You even let me carry you back to your pack despite how scared you're that your father would be mad." No—wait!
"Friend Lucas?" Evelyn blinked vigorously and the high pitch in her voice didn't go unnoticed by her ears as a wide rictus stretched on Lucas's lips.
"You remember little girl!" He cheered before pulling her into a hug.
Evelyn couldn't believe that it was true, that it was Lucas she was talking to. The last time she'd seen him she thought that was it. Never had she expected to find him in Moonstone pack, lying in a fake coma in one of Michael's rooms.
"I can't believe!" She cheered as she pulled back, taking a good look of his face. He was indeed Lucas, just an older version of him.
"Look at you, you've all grown up." He smiled taking a good look of her as well, like a guardian reuniting with his child after centuries. She felt tingles run up and down her veins as she felt coyness flush her cheeks red.
She was happy to see him, her childhood friend.
"How did you end up here? Did you switch packs?" He asked genuinely curious.
He was like a good friend and a father figure to her. He'd saved her life once when she was just eight from being sold to slavery and lying to him was the worse thing she could do to herself. So she decided to come clean. Besides Lucas could never harm her.
"Um . . . " She bit down on her bottom lip trying to find the words. It felt like she was gearing up to tell William that she'd found her true mate. "I-I'm the mate of the c-current a-alpha." She chirped nervously.
"You're Mike's mate?" He sounded rather disbelieving than shocked.
She didn't use the words, she just nodded shyly at the mention of her mate's name.