Elena’s POV

I didn't wake up in the hospital the way people do in movies where everything is bright and calm and someone is smiling next to the bed. I wake up confused with my mouth dry, my head pounding, and my body feeling like it belongs to someone else. At first, I didn't even realize where I am. All I know is that something is beeping nearby and my arm feels heavy, like it is made of stone.

When I try to move, pain slices through my side and I gasp before I can stop myself.

The sound ...