Chapter 2

OLIVIA;

After that day, I woke up and found myself lying on a white bed, the medical device beeping near my head.

My eyes took in my surroundings, and I realized I was in the pack hospital. The thick smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils, but as my eyes swung open, I saw him — Mark George, wearing a yellow sports jersey and blue shorts that he wore for his basketball games in the pack's basketball competition against other neighboring packs.

"What is he doing here?" I wondered as I tried to move my hand. I didn't know how long I had blacked out, but as the nurse saw that I was awake, she screamed, "She is awake, doctor!"

That's when I noticed my head was wrapped in bandages. The last thing I remembered was my foster mother's brutal beating that morning, after Mark had defended me for the first time in his family's house. Now he was here.

*What did Mark want from me? Why was he in my hospital room? Who brought me to this hospital?* A series of questions flooded my head, and I could feel a pounding headache at the thought of it.

Luckily, my foster mother and her daughter, Emily, weren't present in the hospital room, and that was a relief. But I was saddened by the thought that I wouldn't be able to further my education at the pack's university.

"You're finally awake," Mark said, as he rushed over to my bed. I recoiled away from him as I tried to sit up, but he frowned.

Mark had always avoided me, so why was he acting like he cared about me now? I didn't want to get hit by my foster mother again. It was best that Mark kept his distance from me.

As I tried to speak, my throat was sore, and I couldn't speak but croaked out words he didn't hear.

Surprisingly, Mark brought out his bottle of water that he had been drinking from when I awoke. He stepped closer, his earthy scent of sandalwood filling my nostrils as he positioned his water bottle at my mouth. His right hand instinctively reached for my back, and he helped me sit up properly on the bed.

"Here, drink some water," Mark said, and I froze. However, my throat was too dry, and I saw the female nurse who had rushed out earlier arrive with a male doctor. They walked up to my hospital bed. I realized I was the only one admitted in this hospital room.

"Good morning, Miss Olivia. You are finally awake. Do you feel any headache again?" asked the male doctor in a white doctor's coat, black trousers and shoes. He held a file in his hand and was checking the monitor to see if he could turn it off.

"Yes, Doctor. My head aches. Since when was I brought in here?" I asked the doctor hoarsely as my throat still felt dry, even after I had drunk the bottled water.

I couldn't drink much water because I could taste Mark's lips on the bottle, and with the way his yellow eyes were watching me intensely with a look of worry on his face, I couldn't comfortably meet his gaze like before.

*Why was Mark watching me like a predator? What did he come here to do? He didn't care about me, right? He just wanted to be sure that his mother hadn't killed me. If she had, she would be sent to jail for murder,* I guessed.

The male doctor cleared his throat and said, "You were brought in here three days ago and fell into a coma. Thankfully, you only suffered from a wound. We thought you had memory loss or a severe head injury due to the level of your attack."

I scowled, and the doctor assured me, "Don't worry, you are improving just fine, even though you are an ordinary omega."

The words "ordinary omega" hurt me, but I forced a tight smile and replied, "Thank you, Doctor."

"You can call me Dr. Sam," he said with a charming smile. He was a young man, but Mark, who stood a short distance away from my bed, coughed to show his presence in the room.

"Doctor, how is Olivia's health? Will she be discharged today now that she is finally awake?" Mark asked, his yellow eyes watching me as his lips parted and spoke to Dr. Sam.

I felt uncomfortable at the way Mark's eyes were staring at me, and I had so many questions to ask Dr. Sam about who had brought me to the hospital.

I clearly remembered that Mark had driven off in his car, so how was he here with me?

Dr. Sam cleared his throat and told Mark, "Well, it seems your sister, Olivia, is improving. She will be discharged tomorrow, as we need to keep a close watch on her to be sure she didn't suffer any form of traumatic head injury. Kindly warn your mother to desist from hitting Olivia to that extent again. If this occurs, I will personally report her to Alpha Johnson and have her arrested."

Mark's gaze hardened. I met his gaze and lowered my head.

"She is not my sister, Doctor," he replied, his voice cold and making my heart cringe.

"I know, and that's why I am warning you and your family to abstain from child abuse. The next time this happens, it will not end here in this hospital. Excuse me, I would like to see other patients." Dr. Sam walked out of the hospital room with the female nurse who had accompanied him.

I could feel the atmosphere in the room become tense as Mark strolled to my bed. I didn't want to raise my head to look at his face. I could feel his eyes watching me intensely, and it made me nervous, like I had a swollen face.

As Mark neared my bed, I held my breath. His sandalwood scent filled my nostrils. His right hand reached for my hand, and I felt sparks from the touch.

I quickly withdrew my hand as if it burned. Still, I did not want to look at his face.

"I am sorry about what my mother and sister did to you," Mark apologized, his voice soft and his eyes watching me.

I lowered my head and nodded. "You do not have to apologize. It's fine. Just stay away from me, and there will be peace."

"Mm," Mark hummed and asked, "What if I cannot stay away, and I want you?"

"Huh?" I raised my head and met his gaze, my eyes locking with his desirous gaze on me.