42: Lily

A bright light blinded her when she opened her eyes. She expected to be in the same field alongside Ariel. Then came the soft, rhythmic beeping. She recognized it almost immediately. Her visits to the hospital engraved in her mind through the years.

Her vision cleared little by little. First around the edges before moving inward. The familiar ceiling. Her fingers spread out over the soft quilt that lay across her body. The firm mattress underneath her. It had been a decade since she last laid in this bed.

Her eyes, now adjusted to the morning light that peaked through the veil curtains, scanned the room carefully. Heart monitor. IV bag. An empty bed beside her. Her nostrils flared slightly. His scent still lingered from it.

"Azura..." Her voice was hoarse as she barely managed a whisper. "Azura?"

I am here.

Her Wolf's voice felt distant, however.

Recovering. Resting. We're safe. He's safe.

Lily opened her mouth to speak again, but felt her Wolf withdraw into the depth of