Wolf Girl (Wolf Girl #1) - Leia Stone Page 0,60

First. She is my family.”

She is my family.

Were there ever four more powerful words? I wondered if I’d even heard him right.

The doctor sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I’ll need to get a CT on her. And I’d like to x-ray her spine and ribs,” he ordered, and the woman typed up something on her tablet. “Even if we can get her healing back, she’ll heal all wrong and have a permanent injury without the bones being set properly.”

Oh God.

I tried to focus on his words but everything in the room spun and I started to feel nauseated.

“I feel sick,” I told them both.

They shared a look. “Could be a brain bleed. Order that CT scan stat, and where is this witch? We need those cuffs off now before damage begins to become permanent,” the doctor barked to the female and Sawyer simultaneously.

Sawyer fell to his knees, leaning over me at the bed, his face contorted into absolute misery. “Demi?” His voice was a hoarse whisper, fading in and out with warbled tones.

“Hmm?” I tried to focus on staying awake, but everything was too bright. Too loud. Too heavy.

Leaning in, he whispered in my ear. “I don’t deserve you.” His breath feathered over me. “But I don’t think I can live without you … assuming you’ll even have me.” My brain was too slow in trying to process those words. Everything felt so heavy and sluggish and loud and painful.

Did Sawyer just … I couldn’t think any more about it because a tide of black water yanked me under and everything drifted away.

When I came to, I felt warmth beneath my cheek. Then the rise and fall of someone’s chest. Cracking open my eyes, I let the sunlight filter in and looked up. Two burning blue eyes stared down at me.

“How are you feeling?” Sawyer’s arms wrapped around me tighter, as if he were afraid I was going to run away.

I took in a deep breath and felt no pain. My eyes flicked down to my wrists—no cuffs.

Oh thank God. My wolf stirred at the thought of freedom.

“I’m okay.” I tried to sit up and there was a moment when Sawyer held on, not letting me go, but then it passed and I pulled myself up to a sitting position as he released me.

We were silent, just looking at each other, unsure what to say. My eyes ran over a bandage at his ribcage. “You okay?”

He shook his head. “My wolf. I … when I heard the Ithaki took you—” He sighed, running his hands over his face. “I need to tell you something, Demi.”

My heart hammered in my chest. I’d forgotten all about his promise to give me answers, to tell me what he knew about me or whatever it was he seemed to be hiding. We were supposed to have some romantic dinner where he cooked for me. Sage had some surprise. Everything got messed up. I didn’t even know what day it was. I’d clearly had some kind of procedure, because my right foot was in a walking boot.

“They called me a demon.” I frowned. “The Ithaki.”

He nodded. “They think split shifters are demons. They say that whatever caused your soul to split is too dark to be allowed to live.”

My throat went bone dry as I thought back to my rape. Is that when it happened? I blacked out and when I’d woken up…

My mouth popped open. The attack on the vampires who assaulted me … they’d said it looked like they’d been mauled by a bear or wolf, but what if … it was me? What if my wolf split off to protect me? With the cuffs on, was that even possible?

I was so in shock that I’d forgotten Sawyer was speaking. “The Ithaki are monsters. They harvest organs, capture animals and torture them for their essence and sell everything to the Danai.”

I frowned. “Danai?”

He nodded. “A band of seriously dark and evil witches who live in the Wild Lands.”

Dawning shone in my eyes. Raven used to speak of them but never said their name. She went all Harry Potter and just called them “the nameless.”

He got quiet and reached out to touch my cheek. “What happened to make your soul split?”

I stilled, swallowing hard. I should probably tell him, especially if we were going to be intimate, and I had no idea how I would react to sex after my attack. I blew out a shaky breath and—

Someone pounded on the door.

“Sawyer!”