Nixon’s POV
"Do not move, Alpha," a voice commanded.
I blinked. My eyelids felt like they were glued shut with sand. When I finally forced them open, the world was a blur of harsh white light and the sharp, biting scent of a clinic. My throat was a desert. Every breath I took felt like I was inhaling broken glass. I tried to shift my weight, thinking I could just push through the haze, but my muscles gave out instantly. I hit the mattress again. A wet, hacking cough tore through my chest. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth.
"I said stay still," Dr. Alice said. She leaned over me, her face tight with worry.
"What happened?" I managed to grate out. My voice sounded like a stranger’s. It was thin and trembling.
Nathan moved into the light beside her. The old healer looked like he
