52. Awake

Date Unknown
Moon Phase Unknown

When I awoke, my entire body was sore. I blinked my eyes against the harsh, white fluorescent lighting. Everything smelled like sanitizer. There were people around me, breathing. I smelled tears.

My throat was dry and my voice cracked as I spoke. “Is she dead?” If I was alive, then Lilith had to be alive. There was no way I could have survived. I’d failed at killing her.

“The vampire is very dead, Selene. You did a number on her.” I heard Randall say as he pushed the button on the bed I was laying on, making my head rise. He held a glass of water for me as I drank out of the straw.

“But, I’m alive. I’m supposed to be dead too.”

“You should be happy that you’re alive,” A woman said as she walked in. She was wearing a doctor’s white coat, but I recognized her as a pack member. “Your heart was a wreck, it was like nothing we ever saw. But when anyone touched you, it was like an electric shock. You were harboring so much life energy from the Pack that it kept you alive, just barely. You were very near cardiac arrest, but you made it. You’ve been asleep for a few days. Once all that power was used up to heal your internal injuries, your body became very frail. You’ll recover, but you’ll be very weak until your own power regenerates.”

“You even missed the full moon,” Randall said. “We were pretty worried that you didn’t change, but the doctor said it just meant you weren’t recovered yet.”

“You believe me about Lilith now, I guess,” I smiled weakly.

“I should have believed you sooner. I’m sorry that I didn’t. Most of the Pack didn’t even really realize what was going on after you passed out on the rocks. We rushed you to the hospital and made sure our Pack doctor took care of you. We didn’t even really quite believe what Lilith was until the sun came up. Her body caught fire and disintegrated to ash as soon as the light hit it. She’s gone, all traces of her.”

“And Quinn?” I asked.

He looked away as he spoke, “We buried him yesterday, on the Pack lands. We couldn’t really take him in anywhere, with all the scratches and bites on him. People would be hunting wolves after that, and we couldn’t take that risk.”

Tears ran down my face as I thought of that night. “It shouldn’t have been that way.

He changed the subject, “Kate hasn’t spoken since that night, she’s been waiting for you to wake up.” I followed his gaze to the girl, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

“I’m so sorry!” She burst out, sobbing into a fresh Kleenex.

We waited patiently for her to regain composure. “I didn’t know she was a vampire! She told me all these things about how Quinn was an awful leader and that he was too soft and how you two were going to get married and take over the Pack and it would be even worse and the Pack would be in danger if we didn’t do something! She – she handpicked Doyle and had me bite him and infect him. She said he was what we needed to have justification to challenge Quinn and take over the Pack ourselves. She said and did all these things and I just went along with it because I was jealous of you guys and I thought she liked me,” She burst into tears once again as some of the Elders began to walk into the room. Sylvea was at the back of the group, looking sullen-faced.

Susan was at the front and she spoke first, “She fooled us all. We thought she was the perfect, innocent girl that she wanted us to think she was.”

“It was all my fault, I let her come to power because I was too weak,” I said, looking down.

“Randall already told us the situation you were in. He said you tried to tell him, but he didn’t believe you at the time. He said she bound you to her and threatened you with death. As I said, she fooled everyone, even those of us who are supposed to be wise. You were no different. She used us all,” Susan said. “What we need to do now is focus on the future of the Pack. Technically, you did win leadership of the pack, and if you want to lead, you have earned the right.”

I was so shocked that I couldn’t form sentences, “Me? Lead?”

“The other option is to give the position of Pack Leader to Randall, since he would have been the next in line.”

I nodded my head and told them, “Give it to him. Definitely. He deserves it more than me.”

Satisfied with their answer, Sylvea and the other Elders turned to leave, but Susan stayed, placing her hand over mine, “No matter what you think, you do deserve it. You sacrificed more for the Pack than most people do. You weren’t afraid to die to save everyone. You have the qualities it takes to be a great leader.”

I sighed and lay back as she left the room. Kate left as well, leaving me with Randall. “You look tired,” He said as he pushed the button to lower my bed again.

I nodded. My eyes were drooping. I was exhausted. He bent over to kiss me and said quietly, “I’ll need someone to help me run the Pack, you know.”

* * * * *

As soon as I had enough strength to do so, I left. I couldn’t stay and run the Pack. I felt too guilty. Yes, I saved them from Lilith, but I didn’t do it so they would like me. I did it because it was my obligation to. I did it because it was my fault she was there in the first place. If I hadn’t fallen into her trap, none of that would have happened.

I spent two weeks in the hospital recovering the power I needed to escape. Randall visited me every day and I led him to believe that I was still too weak to do much of anything. He wanted to take me home with him and let me rest there, but I insisted on staying. It would be easier for me to escape from the hospital.

I kissed him goodbye after his last visit. I would miss him, but I had to put all of that behind me. I was trouble, and I had to go. It would be the only way their lives could go back to how they were before I came and ruined everything.

I snuck out that night. I didn’t need anything else besides the hospital gown, which I would shed as soon as I got outside. I’d regained a bit of power, more than I’d led Randall to believe I had recovered. It was enough for me to change, which I did between two empty cars in the parking lot, out of sight. And once I was a wolf, I left, hugging the shadows until I got to the woods. From there, I was free.

-----

A/N: I couldn't really let her die. I didn't want to end it that way, it's not very creative! I don't know if this way is much better, but I liked it. The last and final chapter comes tomorrow. I've already got it prepared. It's sort of like an epilogue/follow-up chapter. It takes place six years after Selene leaves. Enjoy!