Chapter Eleven: A New Pack

The world came back to focus. Layla opened her eyes. She squinted at first, dazzled by the light that surrounded her. "How long have I been out?" Layla wondered. Her voice was barely audible though. Her body felt thoroughly sapped of its strength, her throat was parched, and her stomach burned. She tried to push herself to a sitting position on the bed as memories of the previous days resurfaced in her mind. But she couldn't muster enough strength within her body to accomplish that. She wet her mouth with her saliva–it tasted acrid, and she almost recoiled from the bitter taste. Nausea rose in her chest, and Layla dry-heaved. She raised her hand to her mouth to stifle it, managing a tiny croak. "Hello." There was no response, so she tried again. "Hello? Is anybody there?" Just those few words seemed to rob Layla of all her energy. She sagged deeper into the bed, her heart plummeting down to her belly Her eyelids fell back to a close while she lay immobile on the bed. Her