Chapter 4 Behave Yourself

Leona's POV: "Patient 008. Patient 008, your family member is here to pick you up!" I jolted awake and sat right up in bed, panting heavily. The scenes from three years ago felt like they'd just happened yesterday. Yet, the bite mark on my shoulder reminded me that all that was not just a dream. If my wolf, Hatty, had not broken free and protected me at that crucial moment, I couldn't even begin to imagine what would've happened that night. I gritted my teeth, fighting against my trembling body as I looked to the door. The nurse shouted at me impatiently. "Patient 008, what's taking you so long? Come on out. Your family member is waiting for you outside!" Family? Did I still have family members? When the nurse saw me sitting lifelessly on the bed, she came forward and grabbed me up by my hair. "Are you about to die? Didn't you hear me?" She shoved me to the entrance of the mental asylum. The moment the doors opened, sunlight shone on my pale face, prompting me to shield my eyes with my hand instinctively. How long had it been since I last saw the sun? A month? Or two? Or, half a year? I couldn't remember anymore because I was confined in isolation since I beat up the mental asylum director's son. I had been in the dark basement for far too long. "Hurry up!" The nurse behind me gave me a shove. Already feeling weak in the first place, I stumbled forward. The pain in my left leg made all color drain from my face instantly. The nurse pouted. "Why are you pretending? Didn't you break someone's arm just a month ago? You're just pretending to be weak now that someone's here to back you up, aren't you?" I lay sprawled on the floor, trying my best to prop myself back up. The patient gown hung loosely over me, and the pain in my calf and wrists made me break out in cold sweat. A black Bentley was parked across the street from the mental asylum. The car window rolled down, revealing a man's charming face. Clearly, he had heard what the nurse said earlier. He got out of the car. His gaze brushed across my legs, then he let out a scoff. "It looks like you still haven't learned to behave yourself, even after the last three years. Now, you've even learned to act miserable?" My heart dropped. For some reason, I welled up. He was Lucian Barnett, the son of the Larkspur pack's Alpha. He was also… my very own elder brother. No, he wasn't my elder brother anymore, not since six years ago! My mother passed away when I was very young. Because my father, Leonard Barnett, was occupied with the pack's matters, Lucian and I grew up depending on one another. He was once the best brother in the world. As long as there were any clothes, bags, or accessories that I liked, he would come up with ways to get them for me. When I scraped myself accidentally, he would feel bad and blame himself for it. Nevertheless, he was the first one who suggested admitting me to a mental asylum three years ago, all because of our stepsister, with whom we shared no blood. I could still remember the look of disdain in his eyes right before I left. Now that three years had passed, he still hated me as much as before. I got to my feet slowly. The spot where my leg was broken started throbbing painfully again. "Aren't you here to pick me up? Let's go," I said, avoiding his hand that he had extended to me as I limped toward the car. My actions seemed to have angered him. He grabbed me by my sleeve and questioned in anger, "Addicted to acting weak, are you? Don't forget that you got people to humiliate Elara three years ago. "Not only did you steal what her grandmother left for her, but you also hired people to violate her. Yet now, you can't handle spending only three years at the mental asylum?" In an annoyed tone, he threatened, "If you're still not going to repent, you should continue staying here." I jumped in fright. No, I couldn't stay here any longer.