Five years ago
Damian
The first thing I noticed when I woke was the throbbing in my head, like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my skull. The world spun sickeningly, and for a moment, I couldn't remember where I was or how I'd gotten there.
When I tried to open my eyes, they were assaulted by a harsh fluorescent light, and I smelled the sterile scent of an antiseptic. Hospital. I was in the hospital.
Voices filtered through the fog in my brain – my parents arguing in hushed, angry tones.
"...can't believe you let this happen!" My mother's voice, shrill with panic. "He's just a boy, Aldric! He had no business being there!"
"He's the future Alpha, Nova," my father's deep rumble replied, sounding weary. "He needs to understand all aspects of pack leadership, even the unpleasant ones.
