Marissa POV

Pain greets me before I even open my eyes.

Every muscle in my body protests as I shift beneath the thin blanket.

My ribs ache. My shoulders burn. Even my fingers feel strangely heavy.

At least I'm alive.

The last thing I remember is collapsing, then drifting in and out of darkness as I'm hurled into a windowless van.

I honestly thought I was being driven to a graveyard to be buried. Instead, here I am on soft sheets, surrounded by the sharp scent of antiseptic and a strange warmth tingling beneath my skin. As though I've been touched by the moon.

Only the ache in my chest...