Noah.

I opened my eyes, and they felt unbearably heavy, like they didn’t belong to me.

For a moment, I wasn’t even sure if they were fully open or still closed. My eyelids dragged upward with effort, resisting the light that tried to force its way in. My head spun violently, as though I had been caught in the middle of a raging sea and tossed around without mercy. The sensation wasn’t mild. It was overwhelming. A forceful wave crashing against my skull again and again, leaving me disoriented and weak.

I groaned faintly.

The sound felt distant, even to me.

My vision was blurred, everything blending into shapeless patches of light and shadow. I blinked slowly, once... twice... trying to force clarity into my sight. The room seemed to tilt slightly, and I swallowed hard, fighting the nausea that threatened to rise with the dizziness.

Gradually, the blur began to settle.

Shapes formed.

Lines sharpened.

And the first thing that fully registered in my mind was the white ceiling above me.

Plain.

Still.

Unmoving.

I stared at it for a few seconds, trying to ground myself in something stable. The brightness of it almost hurt my eyes, but it reassured me in a strange way. At least I wasn’t outside. At least I wasn’t on the ground somewhere.

I shifted slightly, the movement sending another wave of discomfort through my body. My limbs felt heavier than usual, as though they had been drained of strength. My head throbbed dully.

Slowly, I turned my head to the side.

And that was when I saw her.

Anabel.

She was sitting on the floor beside the bed, her back leaning lightly against the mattress. Her hands were interlocked with mine, her fingers woven tightly as though afraid to let go. Her head rested against the edge of the bed near my arm, tilted slightly to the side.

She was asleep.

Her breathing was soft and steady.

For a moment, I simply stared at her, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

Why was she here?

Why were her hands holding mine?

My mind struggled to piece things together. I tried to remember what had happened, what led me to this bed, this room, this state of weakness. But every attempt to recall anything clearly felt like reaching into thick fog.

Not even a fragment, nothing solid.

I frowned slightly, concentrating harder.

What made me unconscious?

The question pressed against my thoughts.

Why couldn’t I remember?

And why was Anabel the one sitting by my side?

A strange reflexive thought crossed my mind, sharp and immediate.

I wanted to pull my hand away, not because she had done anything at that moment, not because she looked threatening.

It was instinct.

Confusion mixed with irritation.

Without thinking further, I immediately yanked my hand free from hers.

The movement was abrupt, almost harsh.

Her hands slipped away, and the sudden loss of contact caused her to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep, and for a second she looked disoriented.

Then recognition hit her.

Concern spread across her face instantly.

"Noah, you are finally awake!" she breathed out, her voice trembling slightly with relief. "You scared the hell out of me."

Her voice rang softly in my ears, but it felt amplified inside my spinning head.

Finally awake?

How long had I been unconscious?

Guilt pricked at me almost immediately.

The irritation I had felt at her touch began to dissolve as I saw the genuine fear in her expression. Her eyes searched my face quickly, scanning me the same way someone would check for visible injuries.

She looked exhausted.

Worried.

And I couldn’t ignore the way her fingers had tightened slightly around mine before I pulled away.

"I... I..." My voice came out hoarse, weak. I swallowed, trying again. "What happened, Anabel?"

She hesitated.

That was the first thing I noticed.

Her relief faltered just slightly as she looked at me.

She paused for a while, as if debating whether to speak or stay silent. Her eyes drifted away from mine for a second before returning, and something unreadable flickered across her expression.

"If I were to tell you what exactly happened," she began slowly, her voice careful, "you wouldn’t believe me, Noah."

That only deepened the confusion.

Wouldn’t believe her?

Why would I not believe her?

"But I am glad you are safe," she added quickly, as though that part mattered more than the explanation itself.

Safe.

The word echoed in my mind.

From what?

My heart began to beat a little faster, not from pain this time, but from curiosity.

And unease.

I felt puzzled and curious at the same time. My thoughts, though still foggy, were beginning to sharpen around the edges. There was something missing. Something important.

What exactly happened?

Why was she avoiding the details?

Why did she think I wouldn’t believe her?

The more I tried to recall anything, the more frustrated I became. My head still throbbed, but now it was mixed with a rising urgency to understand.

I pushed myself up slightly against the pillow, ignoring the weakness in my arms. Even that small movement made the room sway faintly.

"Anabel..." I pressed, my voice steadier now despite the confusion swirling inside me. "Tell me."

Her expression tightened subtly.

She looked like someone holding onto something fragile and that unsettled me more than the dizziness ever could.

Whatever had happened...It wasn’t simple, and the fact that she believed I wouldn’t believe her made me question everything even more.

What could possibly have happened that sounded unbelievable?

Why did I feel like I had walked into the aftermath of something bigger than I realized?

"Come on, Anabel. I would." I finally said.

My voice came out firmer this time, edged with urgency. I stared at her intensely, trying to hold her gaze, trying to let her see that I meant it. Whatever she thought I wouldn’t believe, she was wrong. I needed to know. I needed clarity more than comfort.

I couldn’t have just fainted like that.

That wasn’t normal.

Yes, my head still spun slightly. Yes, my body felt drained. But I knew myself well enough to understand that I didn’t just collapse for no reason. Something had happened. Something that led to me waking up here, weak and confused, with gaps in my memory.

"Come on..." I repeated, softer this time. The firmness melted into something closer to pleading. "Tell me."

The words hung between us.

She didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, I saw her expression shift. Her eyes, which had been guarded and hesitant, began to glisten. Moisture gathered at the edges, clinging stubbornly before spilling over.

That sight alone made my chest tighten.

My frustration dimmed instantly.

I pushed myself upright without thinking, ignoring the protest from my muscles and the faint throb in my skull. The movement made the room tilt slightly again, but I steadied myself against the headboard, focusing entirely on her.

"Are you okay, Anabel?" I asked, my voice softer now, concern replacing impatience.

She sniffed lightly, shaking her head as if trying to dismiss her tears.

"I’m fine," she whispered, though her voice trembled. "It’s just that the thought of losing you got me so emotional."

Losing me?

The words struck something deep inside me and without hesitation, I reached forward and pulled her into a hug.

She melted into my arms almost instantly.

I wrapped them around her firmly, holding her close to reassure her—to reassure myself—that I was still here. Still breathing. Still alive. Whatever had happened, it hadn’t taken me away.

"It’s alright, Anabel," I murmured, patting her back gently. "I’m here, right? You won’t lose me."

I felt her grip tighten around me for a moment, as though she was afraid I might disappear if she loosened her hold.

But even as I comforted her, the unanswered question lingered.

So tell me what happened.

The urgency crept back in.

I pulled back slightly, just enough to look at her face.

"Now tell me," I said, my tone firm but calm. "What happened?"

She hesitated again.

Then, barely above a whisper, she said, "It’s Maria."

Everything inside me stilled.

I froze instantly.

Maria?

For a split second, I thought I had misheard her.

"What?" The word barely escaped my lips.

Her eyes dropped briefly before she forced herself to continue.

"She colluded with Alpha Daniel to poison you," she said, her voice cracking as the tears spilled more freely now. "Luckily, I came in time... but not so timely as you were already laying on the ground unconscious."

The words felt surreal.

Poison?

Maria?

Working with Daniel?

My mind struggled to process it.

The dizziness in my head returned, but this time it wasn’t physical. It was mental. A storm of disbelief swirling violently through my thoughts.

"She... what?" I repeated slowly, my voice hollow.

"If you don’t believe me, you can ask around!" she added quickly, as though bracing herself for my doubt. "People saw them together. I saw it too."

Maria.

The name echoed in my mind over and over again, and all the images I have of her surfaced in my head instantly.

And none of it aligned with what Anabel was saying.

Poison me?

For what reason?

And Daniel?

Was Anabel trying to pull my legs?

Was I missing something?