Torn

Chapter 38/39 Combined✓

Carter

I feel groggy and nauseous as I wake up and the pounding in my head is all that I can focus on. The physical whomp, whomp, whomp of my blood pounding with my heartbeat echoes painfully in my ears. Each breath I take causes shooting pain, but it feels restricted, like I can't take in a full breath. I try and open my eyes, but a low groan escapes my mouth when the light burns my retinas.

I'm being jostled while being held in someone's arms. Quick footsteps capture my attention as the clean air fills my lungs. Someone is running while carrying me. Where am I being taken now? The mystery person adjusts me in their arms and a shooting pain strikes my ribs, causing me to cry out before I can think better of it.

"I'm so sorry, Luna. We are almost there, I promise. Just hold on. Please hold on, we need you." The voice fades away slowly along with my consciousness.

I'm aware of little. The never ending blackness has taken over. I'm trapped in this vast nothing while surrounded by white hot pain. Suddenly I feel warmth, I feel my hands that are laying beside me as they are grasped in a tight embrace simultaneously. I can hear voices in a low murmur, but the pounding in my head is keeping me from making out what's being said. Pain sparks in the back of my head and I cry out as the world fades once more.

The next time I come around, the pain in my body has dulled substantially. Once more, I try to open my eyes and I'm thankfully greeted by a semi dark room. I lift my head slightly and notice that the only light in the room is coming from the soft glow of a lamp on a nightstand beside the bed. I look around the room to see I'm back in Quinn's room in the pack house, laying in the middle of his bed.

How did I get back here? The last thing I remember was Tyler throwing me down the stairs and knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it. Oh goddess, the pain I had felt...

On either side of me, the boys are asleep and still grasping one of my hands. Xander is snoring softly, and I can't help but smile. I look over my body and relief floods me to find myself dressed in clean clothes; a pair of black sweatpants and a baggy white shirt, from the smell of them they must be Quinn's. My bladder alerts me to the urgency of how badly I need to relieve myself, and I try to sit up. A sharp pain shoots through my side and I hiss through my teeth.

Quinn and Xander shoot up from the bed in a synchronized motion and drop down into a defensive stance. It takes me a moment to realize that they are searching the room for what ever could have caused me more pain. When they see for themselves that we are safe they stop and look at me. Their expressions soften and they reach out for my hands once more.

"Wh... what happened?" My voice croaks.

I had been so certain I was going to die. I can still hear the echo of my head cracking against the concrete floor. I can hear the crack of my ribs as I hit at just the right angle on the stairs on my way down. I can feel the hot, sticky blood trail down the back of my skull and neck.

I don't remember making it out of the lab alive. I don't remember getting off the blood covered cement floor. I have no idea how I made it back to the pack house at all. My brows furrow and Quinn and Xander move to sit up beside me. Quinn grabs my hand tightly in his and Xander wraps his arm around my shoulder, gently pulling me to his side.

"Tyler almost killed you, love. We were so close to losing you." Xander whispers.

My heart sunk. I had gone blindly into the flirtatious relationship with Tyler. I had ignored the guys' warnings against how dangerous he could be. I gave him my body because I was angry with the guy's for not telling me they were engaged. So many mistakes that I couldn't take back. Mistakes that caused others pain and suffering as well.