The Apocalyptic Queen's Werewolf Journey (Thora and Darius) novel Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: A Vow to Keep**

**Thora’s POV:**

As I gradually emerged from the depths of unconsciousness, the first sensation that enveloped me was the pungent aroma of antiseptic lingering in the air. It was a sharp, clinical scent that hinted at the medical attention I was receiving, and with that realization, a small wave of relief washed over me. At least the man who had bargained with me had kept his promise.

I was acutely aware that this new body I inhabited was grievously injured. Even though I had been given a second chance at life, if I didn’t receive proper treatment soon, it would deteriorate beyond repair. My eyelids felt heavy, and movement was impossible, yet I could distinctly sense two individuals breathing softly in the room. Their voices drifted toward me, muffled yet filled with urgency.

“How is she?” The voice of the man who had made the deal with me was laced with concern, a stark contrast to the confident demeanor he had shown before.

“Good thing you brought her in when you did. Otherwise, she’d either be dead or permanently crippled,” came the reply from the healer, his tone clinical yet tinged with a hint of compassion.

“How was she hurt?” the man pressed, his worry palpable.

“Fell off a cliff,” the healer responded matter-of-factly. “Severe head trauma, multiple fractures, internal bleeding, bruises everywhere. Nothing else could cause this level of damage.”

I could hear the healer’s voice shift, a note of intrigue creeping in. “But here’s what’s strange. She’s just a teenager. Her wolf spirit hasn’t even awakened yet. With injuries this serious, she should have succumbed long before now. Yet somehow, she held on until you found her. I just ran some tests, and aside from the injuries, her brain and nervous system appear to be perfectly intact. It’s unbelievable!”

“Yeah, it’s unbelievable,” the man muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Alpha, her recovery rate and vital signs are completely abnormal. She’s the perfect research subject! Let me take her to the lab for a full examination,” the healer urged, excitement bubbling beneath his professional exterior.

A surge of indignation flared within me at the thought of being treated like some kind of experiment. I wanted to frown, but before I could muster the energy, a familiar wave of alpha pressure surged through the room.

“Get out!” the man commanded, his voice sharp and authoritative.

“Alright, alright. I’m leaving,” the healer conceded, the sound of his footsteps retreating echoed in the silence that followed.

I let out a slow, shaky breath, relief flooding through me. The healer, who had viewed me as nothing more than a specimen, was gone. Yet, the man who had struck the deal with me remained, his presence palpable even with my eyes still closed.

Even without seeing him, I could feel the intensity of his gaze. It was the same piercing stare he had directed at me in the car—sharp and deep, reminiscent of a werewolf king fixating on his prey amidst the shadows of the night. His eyes held a mix of curiosity and a quiet, unyielding judgment.

“Who are you, really?” I thought I heard him whisper, his voice barely a breath in the stillness of the room.

Time seemed to stretch indefinitely as I slipped back into the darkness, my mind swirling with questions. Eventually, I felt the weight of my eyelids lift, and I opened my eyes to a world that felt both foreign and familiar.

I was cocooned in bandages, lying within the confines of a sealed medical pod. A tube snaked into my left hand, delivering a cold, sterile fluid that coursed through my veins, numbing the sharp, tearing pain that had plagued me. My limbs still felt heavy and unresponsive, but at least the paralysis had lifted.

Tentatively, I wiggled my fingers, and to my astonishment, a familiar surge of energy rippled through me, awakening the same power I had felt before the fateful race. Shock coursed through my veins as I delved inward, searching for the source of this newfound strength.

This is incredible!

My abilities were intact! In this strange new world, that realization offered me a semblance of safety and strength.

After the apocalypse, werewolves had awakened their powers in battles against mutants. But here, such abilities seemed non-existent—at least, for now. I would need to keep mine hidden, a secret weapon in a world that didn’t yet understand.

As I glanced at the screen on the medical pod, a jolt of panic coursed through me. I had been unconscious for five long days. That was far too long. I had to return to the Silverleaf Pack immediately.

If I didn’t act quickly, Hazel would spread rumors that I had died or vanished to claim what rightfully belonged to me. Now that I inhabited the body of the original Thora, I swore to avenge her and protect everything that was hers.

With determination coursing through my veins, I forced myself to sit up, wincing as I pulled out the remaining tubes that tethered me to the pod.

But the moment I stepped out, a cool, mocking voice sliced through the air from the doorway.

“Well, it looks like you really do have a death wish.”

I lifted my head, and my breath caught in my throat. A tall, striking man lounged against the doorframe, his intense eyes locked onto mine, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

It was him. The man I had made the deal with.