“Tess. Tess, can you hear me?”
My mother’s voice pulled me out of the dark. It sounded far away at first, muffled and shaky, like she’d been crying for hours.
I blinked slowly. My head throbbed, my chest ached, and there was a sharp sting in my left hand.
When my eyes finally focused, I saw my mother leaning over me, her face pale and wet with tears. Then, behind her, I saw them.
Ryder.
Cole.
And the other Serpents standing by the door.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. The air in the room felt too heavy, like I was trapped under it.
I glanced at my hand, and that’s when I saw the needle stuck into my skin. My heart lurched. My mother quickly removed it, whispering, “It’s alright, baby. You fainted. Just… breathe, okay?”
My throat burned when I tried to speak. I swallowed har
