Chapter 43

• A sharp, stabbing pain jolted through my skull, a cruel reminder that I was alive. It took an agonizingly long moment to pry my eyes open, and even longer to adjust to the sunlight streaming relentlessly onto my face. As my senses began to stir, fragments of last night clawed their way into my mind. A sudden surge of panic gripped me, and my hands shot up to my neck, frantically searching for bite marks. None.
• Relief came second to the realization of my surroundings. I lay on the edge of a massive bed—one that wasn’t mine. The pristine luxury of the space was foreign, intimidating. Slowly, I lifted the sheets, my heart pounding as I noticed my dress was missing. What I had left on me was my underwear—black, lacy, and scandalously revealing. It didn’t seem like I’d been bitten, nor did I feel the violation of assault, but I had no clue where I was or what had happened.
• Tentatively, I tried to sit up. The moment I moved, a searing headache surged through my skull. The pain was blinding, leaving me uncertain whether it stemmed from alcohol, drugs, or both. Either way, it felt like my head was being split apart.