27
Liv's POV
My eyes felt heavy. My body felt like lead. I wanted to sleep some more, but the banging pain in my head was enough to keep my eyes open.
I might have probably died, and now my soul hung in limbo before it went to paradise. I didn't know if I was a good person, but I trusted that I might have passed to enter paradise.
Anyway, the sleepiness I was feeling was starting to ooze away.
I was becoming more and more aware of where I was.
I could smell sharp chemicals in my nostrils, I could hear faint clanging sounds, the sounds of small wheels being rolled on the floor like a trolley of some sort.
I opened my heavy eyes a little, like slits to be aware of my environment.
It was white, it was faint and hazy, but I stared up at the white I closed my eyes again and frowned.
I could taste the chemical smell at the back of my throat and I coughed.
It was wrong, I was supposed to be in limbo or paradise.
If I were in either of the two, I wouldn't be able to perceive man-made chemicals.
I forced my eyes open, and I stared at the white ceiling. I was in a building, one that I didn't recognize.
I survived after all.
I closed my eyes and placed my hand to my head.
I could feel the veins on my forehead bulge as I readied myself to sit up.
I heard a faint murmur and shuffling of feet.
I wasn't alone.
My eyes flew open, and it took some time for me to correct the blurry image. In a corner, there were four people. I sat up as fast as I could, which I soon regretted because my headache erupted.
I reduced my eyes to slits so I could see them clearly.
Callum, Ryder, Max, and a fourth person—Frank?
I blinked rapidly, sitting up. The triplets and Frank sat by my bed side, watching me closely like i was a fragile egg which would fall and crack if care wasn't taken
If they had put aside their differences temporarily and decided to sit down at my side without ripping themselves apart, then it was very serious.
"Frank? Callum?" I looked at the rest of them.
I winced and held my head.
"Gosh, what happened?" Those words left my parched lips, hungry for water.
"Oh, thank goodness, you are fine now," Frank moved his chair a bit closer to me and almost held my hand but Callum stopped his hands, glaring hard at him
"Thank your lucky stars she's fine. Your incompetence in holding her back resulted in her drinking it," Callum shot at Frank, his eyebrows furrowed jn annoyance
Frank broke free of Callum's hold. He grunted as his nose flared in anger. "And what were you doing? Mere Kingsguards were holding you back. I heard they mopped the floor with you. How badly does your injured arm hurt?" Frank taunted.
Callum smirked. "At least I can still use it to hold scumbags like you back," he retorted.
"You have nothing on me. They were planning to kill the Alpha but none of you noticed because you were off messing around"
Callum's lips tightened in anger. "You don't have any fucking shame. You were sucking on your mother's titties then. Let me put it in your own words when I mopped by the guards," he smirked at Frank.
Frank twitched and stood up, ready to attack. "Don't you dare mention my mother's name," he shot, angrier than I had ever seen him.
"Hey, you too, it's fine. Liv is awake now," Max warned them.
"At least, let's give her some peace," he said softly as he held his eyes to me.
I dropped my legs to the side so that they would touch the floor when they touched the ground. Ryder offered me water, which I received gratefully.
I held my head after I had drank the water, it seemed to have sucked some of my pains away with its soothing effect.
I was in new hospital clothes, I'm sure my bloodied clothes had been kept somewhere.
Max drew his chair closer to me and clasped his hands together. He looked at me unwavering and held his hand into a fist.
"Liv, what the hell were you thinking by calling out the Luna like that?"
I gripped the bedside handles.
"Because she was trying to kill the Alpha," I replied.
"I felt it was my responsibility to help him,".
The four of them exchanged looks and then they glanced back at me.
Ryder palmed his face and shook his head at me.
"You just challenged the powers that rule this kingdom,"
"She isn't fucking stupid. She probably made arrangements to make you look like a fool," Ryder concluded.
But I was poisoned. I was sure I had ingested poison, I was sure I was kissing death in the face. What had happened?
"Then how am I still alive?"I asked. Callum opened his mouth but he stuttered.
Frank sighed and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry this happened to you, I couldn't think of anything else to save your life," he said to my face.
"What do you mean you saved my life?"
"You're lucky your little bloody tricks didnt leave her dead" Callum glared at Frank.
"What happened?" I demanded with more curiousness
Frank sighed.
"It's a special ability, I can knock people out cold by increasing their blood flow abnormally, that's what I did to you," he chewed on the side of his mouth.
"I had to act fast, the Alpha would lock you up and kill you the moment he realizes there was no poison to begin with," .
I looked down and frowned.
"So you are telling me that there was no poison in the glass?" I asked in puzzlement
"There wasn't,"
"You should never do anything like that again. If he wasn't there, it would have been another story. The fact is, no matter how much evidence you find against Luna, she'll still walk away free. Proof of poison or not, don't do anything as reckless as that again," Ryder's voice was firm. It felt more like a demand, rather than a plea.
Frank stood up and looked around.
"Now that everyone is planning to kill you, you aren't safe here. You just rebelled against the alpha and his Luna, you are in deep trouble, you have to go somewhere safer" his eyes dimmed as he spoke, but I failed to realize where he was driving.
There was something about him that reminded me of Callum, but he was gentler. Remove the womanizing elements, both of them behaved almost the same way. However, Frank was even more reserved.
"Oh shut the fuck up," Callum stood slamming his hand which he held me with. "What are you doing? Do you think we'll let her leave with you? You almost killed her, you wanted to kill her! Why do you think I would let her go with you?" He grimaced at Frank.
I couldn't understand the outburst Callum had. It felt like, amongst the three of them, his hatred for Frank was more. He wanted to rip him apart and it felt like the only thing stopping him from doing that was me
"You had better walk out that door," Max pointed at the door to Frank. "And get that thought out of your bloody brain"
"She is staying here with us, and you're not changing that," Ryder's voice shook with intensity.
Frank pinched his temple, breathing heavier in frustration.
"Y'all know she isn't safe. Do you want her to fucking die here? Where would you keep her? Your mansion? Impossible, I will take care of her, she isn't in your care anymore. Your loving father almost had her killed," Frank retorted bitterly.
"Motherfucker, don't you start acting all smart. We know what you are playing at and we both know you don't give a fuck about her safety," Max stood beside Callum.
"You had better leave now, alone," Ryder growled at him.
"Stop being immature, I'm not after her, I want to protect her," Frank said slowly.
"So you can mate with her behind our back? Do you think we are that stupid?"
"Why don't I break his fingers so he can remember to leave?"Max suggested.
It had turned into a heated argument again. The two parties were trying to keep me close to them but their noises caused my head to hurt even more.
I thought about it. If I stayed with the triplets, I was more likely to inquire the wrath of the Luna for daring to go against her.
I stood up and held my head. "Let me live, the noise you are making is like bells in my head. It's making it hurt even more," I complained,
The noise died down and they all stepped back, except Frank.
"I'm serious, I'm still going to take her with me. But I won't force her, she would have to choose," he watched me closely as he clenched his jaw hard. There was this look of desperatiom in his eyes that showed he wanted me to say yes so badly.
What was this sudden desperation?
I heaved a sigh.
My decision was going to hurt one side, but I was doing it for the sake of my safety.
I didn't have plans of dying soon, even though I had tasted it a while back.
I stood up and folded my hand. "I'm going with Frank," I blurted out confidently.