CHAPTER 25: AFTER THE BITE
HAZEL'S POV
The first thing I registered was the scent. It was heavy, intoxicating, and thick enough to feel like a physical weight against my chest. Chocolate and honey. It was a beautiful, rich aroma that seemed to wrap around my senses, pulling me upward from a darkness that felt miles deep. I inhaled sharply, dreamily, my mind still caught in a soft, hazy fog. For a moment, I let myself drift. Am I in heaven?
Then the weight of my own body returned. My limbs felt like lead, and a sharp, stinging heat began to throb at the side of my neck. It had been a week and three days since the attack.
The memories hit me like a physical blow. The cold, leathery grip of the vampire. The shattering glass. My eyes snapped open, and the ceiling of Caleb's room came into focus. A slight movement to my left caught my attention. Caleb was sitting on a chair by the bedside, his head resting on my pillow. Even in sleep, his brow was furrowed.
