A warm, strong hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. She could feel the heat of the body behind her, the steady breathing in her ear. It was like a dream, but it felt so real.
The hand gently stroked her arm, sending a shiver down her spine. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't think. All she could do was feel.
"You are stronger than you know," a voice whispered in her ear. "You are more than you ever imagined. you're a wolf, not a man." the whispering continued " and lastly, you're mine not theirs. "
"Lowell," she whispered, the word barely audible. A low chuckle was the only reply, and the hand on her arm tightened its grip.
"What do you want?" she asked, still whispering, still feeling like she was caught in a dream.
"I want you to be who you are meant to be," the voice replied. "I want you to be a wolf."
As the hand on her arm continued to stroke her skin, she began to feel a tingling sensation. It spread throughout her body, a warmth that made her feel whole and complete. She felt her wounds healing, the aches and pains that had been plaguing her for so long slowly fading away.
She felt like she was being born again, like she was emerging from a long, dark slumber into the light. She felt stronger than she had ever felt before, more certain of herself and her place in the world.
The sound of a door opening jolted her out of her daze. She blinked, trying to reorient herself, and saw Peter standing in the doorway with a bouquet of pink roses. She realized that she was lying in a hospital bed, and the hand on her arm was no longer there.
Peter smiled at her, his eyes full of concern. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice soft and soothing.
Peter leaned over her bed, a slight frown creasing his brow. "You've been asleep for two days," he said gently. "You must be tired."
"What about Lowell?" she asked, her voice still hoarse from her long sleep. "What happened to him?"
Peter's face went blank, as if he hadn't heard her. "Who is Lowell?" he asked. "I'm not sure I know anyone by that name."
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry," Peter said, his voice apologetic. "I'm just glad you're okay."
Eden just nodded, her thoughts still racing. Something was wrong - she could feel it in her bones. She just couldn't figure out what it was. And this man, this Peter, he seemed to be hiding something.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked, his smile a little forced. "Anything at all?"
"Yes, the healing, how do you feel?" Peter asked, leaning in closer. "Does anything hurt? Are you feeling back to normal?"
Eden thought about it for a moment. Physically, she felt fine - better than fine, in fact. But emotionally, she felt a storm brewing inside her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, that something had been taken from her.
She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. What could she possibly say? How could she explain the inexplicable?
"You look fine," he said, his eyes scanning her for any sign of injury. "There's not a scratch on you. Are you sure you're not feeling any pain?"
She closed her eyes, willing herself to answer him truthfully. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, she just lay there, silent and still.
"I'll take that as a no, then," he said, his voice tinged with worry. "Is there anything else I can do for you? Can I get you something to eat? A drink? Anything?"
And then, Katie walked in, and everything changed.
"Hello, Miss Cooper," she said, her voice warm and welcoming. "You gave us quite a scare. But I'm glad to see you up and about."
Eden returned Katie's smile, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders.
"I'm glad to see you, too," she said, her voice still hoarse.
Eden nodded, feeling her eyes grow moist. "I'm just glad you're here," she said. "It's been a rough few days."
As Katie and Eden spoke, the door opened and Peter stepped into the room. "I'll leave you two to chat," he said, his voice gentle. "I'll check in on you later."
Eden gave him a grateful smile, and he returned it before walking out. Once he was gone, Katie turned back to Eden, her eyes filled with concern.
Eden was in the middle of a conversation with Katie when Lowell walked into the room.
"May I speak with you, alone?" he asked, his voice low and serious.
Katie gave them a curious look, but nodded and stood up. "I'll see you later," she said to Eden, and left the room. Eden's heart was pounding as she turned to face Lowell.
This hospital isn't safe for you. Let's leave. " Lowell said.
Eden stared at Lowell in disbelief.
"What do you mean, 'Let's leave?'" she said, her voice rising in disbelief. "I've been kidnapped, I've been injured, I've been here for days, and now you just show up and tell me we should leave?"
Her heart was racing, and her thoughts were a jumble of questions and confusion. Why was Lowell acting so strange? And what did he mean, "The hospital isn't safe?"
Her voice was so loud that Peter heard it from the hall, and he rushed into the room. He saw Lowell standing there, looking calm and collected, while Eden was red-faced and visibly upset.
"What's going on here?" Peter asked, his voice stern.
"Nothing you need to worry about," Lowell said, his voice smooth and even. "We're just having a little chat."
Peter looked at him skeptically. "It doesn't sound like a 'little chat' to me," he said. "Why don't you leave?"
Lowell glared at Peter, his eyes cold and hard. "This is none of your business," he said, his tone sharp. "Eden and I have things to discuss, and you are not welcome here."
Peter's jaw clenched, and he took a step forward, putting himself between Lowell and Eden. "If you want to talk to her, you'll have to go through me first," he said, his voice firm and unwavering.
"I don't have time for this," Lowell said, his tone dismissive. "I have things to do, and you're just wasting my time."
Eden had had enough. She couldn't stand to be in the room with them any longer, not with all the tension and anger in the air. Without a word, she pushed past them and walked out of the room, heading down the hall as fast as she could.
She was shaking as she reached the elevator, and she pressed the button over and over, willing it to come faster. Finally, the doors opened, and she stepped inside, letting out a breath of relief as the doors closed.
She made her way outside, taking deep breaths of the fresh air. The sun was shining, and she closed her eyes, letting it warm her face.
But then, she heard the sound of a siren, and her eyes flew open. It was the emergency alarm from the hospital. She could hear people running and shouting, and she turned back to see what was happening.
The security team was rushing into the building, their faces serious and determined. Eden's heart sank as she heard the words over the loudspeaker: "Four doctors have been found strangled. The killer is unknown.
Just then, Peter and Lowell burst out of the hospital doors, both looking grim and disheveled.
Peter's face lit up when he saw her, and he rushed over, grabbing her shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
Lowell was close behind him, his expression unreadable. He stopped a few feet away from them, watching them intently.
"I'm fine," Eden said, her voice shaking. "What's going on?"
Peter looked over his shoulder at Lowell, then turned back to Eden. "I'm not sure," he said. "We were inside when the alarm went off. I don't know what's happening."
Just then, Lowell disappeared into the crowd, his tall frame disappearing from view. Eden felt a knot in her stomach. Something was very, very wrong.
Peter grabbed Eden's hand and led her to his car, ushering her inside before climbing in himself. As they pulled away from the hospital, sirens were blaring all around them. The hospital was in a state of chaos, and the roads were full of cars and people trying to get away.
"What is happening? What caused the deaths?" Eden asked, her voice high and shaky.
"I don't know," Peter said, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. "But we need to get out of here. Now."
The car sped through the streets, swerving to avoid pedestrians and other cars. It felt like an eternity before they finally arrived at the office, the building standing tall and imposing against the bright blue sky.
Peter pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. They sat in silence for a moment, both of them trying to catch their breath.