VALERIE
When I eventually woke up a few hours later, my head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. The pounding ache that greeted me the moment I woke up refused to let go. Everything was hazy, and the more I tried to focus, the more it felt like my memories were slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.
I sat up slowly, my muscles screaming in protest as I looked around. I was back at the pack house, in my room. The warm, earthy scent of pinewood lingered in the air, mingling with the faint traces of citrus and musk. It was comforting, but my heart still raced with unease.
“Valerie?” Chris’s voice broke through the haze. I turned, surprised and I saw him. There was a hint of relief on his face. Evans and Kyle stared at me as well and I felt a little uneasy.
"Feeling bette
