Chapter 15
Samantha’s POV
The first thing I felt was the sharp sting in my arm. My eyes fluttered open and met with the dim glow of the tent’s lanterns, the fabric walls swaying faintly in the cool night breeze. Everything smelled of herbs and antiseptic, which was far different from the chaos that reeked with blood and stench of rogues.
I blinked, trying to sit up, but a voice stopped me.
“Easy there,” the doctor said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. Her face was lined with worry, though her tone was calm. “You have been through quite a lot.”
“Killian?” I croaked, my throat dry.
The doctor smiled reassuringly. “He is fine. A few scratches, but nothing serious. He has been pacing outside, demanding updates every few minutes.”
Relief washed over me like a wave, loosening the knot of tension in my chest. Killian was safe. That was all that mattered.
“What happened?” I asked, my voice steadier now as I tried to recall the night.
The doctor’s expression darkened as she set a bottle of medicine aside. “You were attacked by a rogue. But there is something strange about it...” She hesitated, as if debating whether to continue.
“Strange how?” I pressed.
She sighed, pulling up a small vial of crimson liquid. “We tested the rogue’s blood. It was poisoned. It was laced with something that should not be in a werewolf’s system. The poison is designed to destroy us from the inside out, to weaken us, to make us...” She trailed off, her brow furrowing. “Rabid.”
Rabid. The word sent a shiver down my spine. “And the claw,” she added, gesturing toward my bandaged arm. “A piece of it was lodged in your wound. That is why it would not heal properly earlier.”