CHAPTER SEVEN.

(MELIORA'S POV)

I slowly woke up, feeling a pain in my hindbrain. As my eyes slowly opened, I took in my surroundings. Confusion mounting every second.

I was tucked into a crisp hospital bed, the room dimly lit but tidy and nicely appointed - a far cry from the rundown medical wing I vaguely recalled being in previously.

An modest bouquet of vibrant wildflowers rested on the bedside table alongside a small basket overflowing with fresh fruits - apples, oranges, grapes and exotic treats I couldn't readily identify.

Their sweet, succulent aroma permeated the air enticingly. Yet entwined within those pleasant scents lingered something else, an intoxicating masculine musk that sparked an odd feeling of comfort and safety within me despite my uncertainty over where I was or how I came to be here.

"You're finally awake, that's wonderful!" An elderly nurse in pastel pink scrubs beamed as she bustled into the room, clearly pleased to find me rousing. "You must be simply famished after all you've been through - please, have some fruit to help regain your strength."

She plucked a plump red apple from the basket and placed it in my hand insistently. The familiar weight and fragrance did admittedly make my mouth water despite my muddled state.

"How...how did I come to be here?" I asked hesitantly before taking a small experimental bite. The sweet tang was like an explosion of flavor on my tongue and I devoured the apple ravenously before I could think twice.

"Well, you're quite the fortunate young lady," the nurse smiled indulgently, settling into the chair beside my bed. "His Royal Majesty Alpha Gabriel himself discovered you gravely injured at some sort of demolition site and had you rushed here to St. Erdrich's for emergency care." She began.

"You were poisoned and struck by debris, a very nasty combination, but the finest trauma specialists in the entire kingdom were able to stabilize your condition. The king has paid for only the most exclusive care and amenities throughout your recovery."

I froze with the half-eaten apple still clutched in my hand, her words slowly sinking in. "Alpha...Alpha Gabriel?" I echoed numbly, the scent suddenly making sense - his was the alluring masculine aroma teasing the air around me.

The legendary King of the Lycan races, the most powerful alpha in existence, had been the one to find and rescue me in my hour of need?

Even though I never met him but only heard his name, my heart fluttered strangely at the mental image of the fearsome golden-eyed ruler cradling my broken body in his arms.

Part of me basked in the idea of such an almighty figure going to those selfless lengths to save a mere peasant stranger's life.

But another part felt a surge of confused despair. "Oh no...my father!" I gasped, the memories flooding back in a torrent.

The explosion, being injected before falling unconscious, slipping in and out of consciousness - and worst of all, the ominous taunting voice of my father's kidnapper declaring they had my poor father imprisoned somewhere.

They had warned me to blow him up if I didn't show up. What if that monster had succeeded in blowing him up? Who knew if Dad was even still alive! I had to get to him immediately, before it was too late.

Surging upright, I flung the covers off and began to slide my legs over the edge despite the nurse's panicked protests about not overexerting myself.

My head swam dizzily and agony laced through my battered frame, but I persisted until her wrinkled hands clamped down on my shoulders with surprising strength for her age.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss, but you absolutely cannot be up and about in your condition," the elderly woman fretted, gently but insistently pushing me back against the pillows.

"We were given very strict instructions to ensure you remain abed and resting until you've regained your full strength. His Majesty would have our heads if we allowed you to become reinjured by dismissing doctor's orders!"

Involuntary tears welled in my eyes as I slumped back in utter defeat and despair. "But you don't understand...my father, he needs me! Those awful people took him and said...how long have I been here?..." My voice cracked as I dissolved into thick sobs.

The nurse's stern expression melted into one of sympathy as she patted my arm consolingly. "Two days dear - just try to remain calm. Is there someone I can contact on your behalf to advise of your circumstances and whereabouts?"

I remembered my phone and tried to get it. I searched for it but I couldn't find it. "Where's my phone?" I asked her warily.

"You haven't had one on you since you were brought. Even alpha Gabriel asked us for it, but didn't find any on you." She explained. I was afraid. How could I contact my maids, anyone, to go check on my dad since I was in no condition to leave the hospital.

"Did anyone come to see me while I was asleep? I asked again. "Well none. And even the king warned us to be careful of your visitors, they might be here to poison you again. We all wondered who you were and why you were and why you were trying to be killed." She explained.

Mutely I shook my head, tears leaking from the corners of my tightly clenched eyelids. I didn't dare admit to this kind stranger that I was alone in the world now, betrayed and hunted by those who should have loved me most.

Even the few palace staff left to me were scattered and unaware of these recent calamities. I had no one to help me now.

No one to turn to, no one to ask for aid rescuing the one person who mattered most. I was well and truly helpless.

"No one to call..." I finally choked out, curling into a defensive ball under the thin hospital blankets and sheets. "I can't trust anyone. Not anymore."

"Oh you poor dear..." The elderly woman clucked her tongue sadly, then patted my arm once more before rising stiffly from her seat.

"Well try not to fret - the king himself is watching over you. Whoever these fiends were that did this, they'll not be granted a second attempt on your safety, I can promise you that. I'll have some chamomile tea brought to help settle your nerves."

Her soft footfalls faded out into the hallway and I allowed the fresh wave of tears to flow freely, dampening the crisp linens enveloping me in their pristine cocoon.

All the sorrow, betrayal and terror from recent events cascaded out in an unbridled torrent of raw emotion until utter exhaustion consumed me once more.

I drifted off into an uneasy, nightmare-plagued slumber filled with haunting memories awaiting my eventual awakening.