— Intensely Personal 

Elira’s POV

The first thing my brain registered was the dull ache in my side, followed by the blinding white of a ceiling. A white ceiling?

I awoke in a small, antiseptic-smelling clinic. I was lying in a narrow bed, and a frail, kind-faced old woman was hovering over me, checking my pulse.

Where the hell was I? Who the hell was she?

"You're finally awake, child," she said, her voice sounding so soft and worried. She pushed a stray lock of hair from my forehead. "Are you aware you're pregnant?"

Pregnant. My baby. 

I quickly affirmed it, my hand instinctively pressing against my lower abdomen. The...