#Chapter 69: Heartbeats

Ava I awoke with a groan, my head pounding like I had been up all night drinking. Every inch of my body burned, and each breath made me feel like I was about to dissolve into a fit of coughing. Goddess… What had happened to me? Slowly, memories slowly trickled back in disjointed flashes. The council meeting. The Alpha selection votes. Olivia storming out. Dedrick’s strange behavior in the parlor as I tried to dismiss the candidates for the night. And then… nothing. Just an inky black void swallowing me whole. A soft noise beside me caught my attention then, and I turned my head—albeit with great difficulty—to find the source. There, sitting hunched in a chair pulled up beside the bed, was Chris. He looked utterly exhausted, dark circles ringing his eyes and his face lined with worry and fatigue. But the moment his gaze landed on me and found my eyes open, he jolted upright like he had just been struck by lightning. “Ava!” he gasped, shooting to his feet so q