1.

My eyes fluttered open, quickly shutting closed again when the bright lights pierced them, my head jerking to the side. I groan from the wave of pain that spreads through my head, clenching my jaw and trying to sit up. Slowly, I forced my eyes open and took in the sterile air, it smelled of disinfectant, medicine and cold. The white walls, clinical smell and even brighter lights of the hospital room send an uneasy feeling through me.

I must be at the hospital. I never did like hospitals. They reminded me too much of sickness and death. I slowly adjust myself on the hospital bed and take in the IV tube stuck in the back of my arm and that’s when I hear the loud beeping noises coming from the machines next to my bed. Rubbing an arm over tired eyes, I feel a sharp pain in my belly and chest. I lightly touch on my stomach. No stitches. So why did it hurt so bad? My chest, on the other hand, hurt like hell. 

I’m about to move off the bed to shut the blinds when a nurse in pale gray scrubs walks in with a clipboard and a smile that was way too cheery for me.

“Hey sweetie. Glad to see you’re awake. Uhn, uhn, you’re not allowed to take that off just yet.” The nurse said, jogging over to me. She gently pushes me down by the shoulder so that I’m lying back down in the bed again.

Take what off?

That’s when I finally noticed the mask over my nose and mouth. Oxygen? Was I hurt that badly?

I try to read her name tag. Sally. She was a middle aged woman. I don’t know why but she reminded me of my mother in the way she smiled and called me Sally and I had to swallow the sudden catch in my chest.

“What happened?” I say, my voice coming out gruff. I had to clear my throat to get the next few words out…my throat was so dry and scratchy, like I hadn’t spoken in days.

Sally kindly pours me a cup of water and sticks a straw in it, then gently lifts my mask up so I can sip it. I give her a weak smile in thanks as I gulp down the soothing, warm liquid. Soon, my lungs are burning again and I gasp for air, my eyes growing wide in confusion at what’s happening to my body.

Sally quickly places the oxygen mask over my nose and mouth again and smooths down my hair, shushing me as I struggle to calm down.

“Easy, sweetheart. You’ve had a rough ride over the last twenty-four hours.” Sally says, as she checks on the machines and tubes attached to my body.

“Twenty-four hours?” I ask weakly, confused. “What happened to me? And why does everything hurt so bad?”

“You ingested some sort of poison, honey. Not sure where you would have gotten that though because you had enough in your system to take out a horse. We had to pump your stomach to make sure we got every last bit of it out. And you coughed so much, you accidentally ruptured your lung. That’s why it hurts so much to breathe. You have to keep that mask on until we’re sure you can handle breathing on your own.” Sally says, pausing to give me a curious look. My eyes widen at Sally’s revelation but I quickly mask it. 

Sally was obviously a human…I could tell by her scent. I was so weak now that I hadn’t realized it at first. Did something happen to my wolf?! Oh no! If I was right, then something had gone horribly wrong and I had to be very careful.

I clear my throat and give Sally a weak smile, shrugging my shoulders. Sally narrows her eyes at me, as if that would get me to tell her what happened. Tough luck. I didn’t know either.

Right then, a knock sounds at the door and we both turn to see who it is. My eyes widen with joy and relief at the sight of my little sister, Elsie. I feel my heart relax at her familiar face.

“Little sis!” I whisper weakly, smiling as Elsie walks in. 

Sally sighs, most likely at the loss of a good piece of gossip. She closes up her clipboard and gives Elsie and I the room.

Elsie was my favorite person in the world after my husband, Zach. She was the baby sister I had always wanted and when my parents had adopted her eight years ago after her parents had been killed by rogue wolves, I had been excited to finally have someone to dote on, to share secrets with, to have as a confidante. We had grown close incredibly fast, and had been inseparable ever since, much to the surprise of the pack and even my parents. Elsie and I had done everything together and when I got married to my husband five years ago, she was right there by my side.  

Elsie walked further into the room, dropping her bag by the foot of my bed. I expected her to come hug me or at least show some emotion seeing me in this state. I didn’t think much of it though. She probably doesn’t know how to act since it hadn’t been that long since she lost her parents.

Giving her a small encouraging smile, I stretch my hand to her and ask,

“Elsie, where’s Zach? Did he come with you? He must be so worried, huh?” 

Right then, Elsie bursts out into what I can only describe as maniacal laughter. She presses a hand to her chest as she lets the laughter roll through her.

I frown at her, confused as to what exactly I said is making her laugh so much.  

“You stupid, stupid bitch! How clueless can you possibly be?” Elsie says with venom, wiping tears from her eyes.

My frown deepens and I try to conceal my utter shock. Elsie had never spoken to me this way before. She had never spoken to anyone this way…period. 

“Elsie…I don’t understand. Come here, what’s wrong?” I ask, stretching my hand toward her again, concerned. 

“Of course, you don’t. You’re an idiot!” Elsie says harshly, her eyes glowering with hatred.

“Elsie! That’s-, that’s enough.” I wheeze out, struggling to speak through the oxygen mask.

“Oh, shut the hell up! I’m going to explain something to you and I want you to listen fucking carefully.” Elsie yells, pointing a long, sharp nail in my direction.

“Little sis..” I start, desperate to understand why Elsie is acting this way, desperate to get her back to the sweet girl I still hung out with yesterday.

“I’m not your fucking sister, bitch! I wouldn’t want a weak, barren old haggard like you as a sister.” Elsie spews, smirking wickedly at the stunned expression on my face.

“Els-”

“Shut up! I just wanted you to know that I was the one who poisoned you. Actually, me and Zach did. We wanted you dead but apparently, some people in the pack still deem you worthy of respect, though I can’t see why.” Elsie says, walking over to the window.

“What? What are you talking about?!” I ask frantically, refusing to believe my ears. “Where’s Zach, Elsie? What have you done to him? If you’ve hurt him, I swear to the moon goddess, I’ll make you pay!” I scream, my voice weak, my body feeble from the operation.

I have no idea what’s going on but I could only worry about Zach. Zach would never be in on this. Poison me? Impossible. He must be in danger or something.

“Zach? Zach’s fine. Probably off shopping for the baby we’re having together.” Elsie says, turning around to smile at me. She walks over slowly, dragging a chair closer to my bed before finally sitting down, placing a perfectly manicured nail under her chin.

“What? That’s impossible!” I scream, my eyes bugging in shock before trailing down to Elsie’s stomach. There didn’t seem to be a bump or anything so I refused to believe her. However, I couldn’t fight the tears streaming down my face.

“Elsie, please. If this is some sort of sick joke, I’m begging you…stop it. Where’s Zach? I need to see my husband!” I say weakly, my hand gripping the sheets beneath me, I feel pain and confusion.

“Stop. Calling. Him. That. Zach’s not your husband anymore. He’s with me and he’s the father of my unborn child. After you couldn’t provide Zach with an heir, he came to me… a real woman to give him the one thing he desired. An heir. A son.” Elsie says, cackling wildly when I stare at her in shock. 

“That’s not true. That can’t be true. You’re my sister. I tell you everything. You wouldn’t do that to me.” I cry, my lugs burning from lack of enough air but I don’t care. Elsie is lying. She has to be.

“Oh, moon goddess. You can come in now.” Elsie says, rolling her eyes before getting up and walking a few steps away from the bed.

Suddenly, the door swings open and Zach walks in. I nearly sob in relief at the sight of my husband but my relief is short lived as Zach basically ignores me in the hospital bed and walks over to Elsie. He wraps an arm around her waist, the same arm that he’d wrapped around me countless times and pulls her into a kiss. 

My eyes widen at the sight of my husband kissing another woman, my sister.