Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Chapter 47

Lysander slowly began to regain consciousness, but the first thing he noticed was the sound of voices around him. They were speaking in low tones, and although he could not understand everything they were saying, he could tell that several people were standing nearby.

His body felt heavy, and even opening his eyes required more effort than he expected, while the pain from his injuries reminded him of the terrible fight he had been through. He tried to move his fingers, only to discover that someone was holding his hand, and the warmth against his skin felt strangely comforting.

"Everyone should move away for now," a gentle voice said. "When he wakes up, he might feel threatened if he sees so many people standing over him, especially after what he has been through."

"You’re right," another voice replied. "Let him wake up peacefully, and we can speak to him when he is ready."

Lysander wanted to ask where he was, but his throat felt dry, and his mind was still struggling to make sense of his surroundings. As he slowly drew in a breath, the smell of foxes entered his nose, which immediately made him more alert. He could recognize the scent of the Fox Clan, but there was something else mixed with it, something familiar that made his heart beat a little faster. It was the salty smell of tears, and judging by how close it was, someone was crying right beside him.

Who was crying?

Lysander tried to open his eyes again, and this time, he managed to lift his eyelids slightly. Everything appeared blurry at first, and the figures around him looked like shadows moving beneath a bright light. However, he could feel the warmth of the hand holding his, and his fingers instinctively curled around it as though he were afraid the person might leave. That familiar scent grew stronger, making him turn his head toward the woman sitting beside him.

"Ingrid?" he said, the name finally coming out, his voice nothing more than a hoarse and dry whisper.

The woman beside him immediately stopped crying. Lysander blinked several times as his eyesight slowly cleared, and when he finally saw the person sitting beside his bed, he stared at her in complete shock.

She had long, black, wavy hair that flowed down her back in thick curls, with a few silver strands hidden beneath the darker hair. Her face was softly rounded, with full cheeks and a gentle fullness around her jaw that made her look warm and beautiful, while her figure was neither particularly slim nor heavy, carrying a natural softness that suited her. The corners of her eyes were red, and there were tears still clinging to her lashes as she stared back at him with obvious relief.

Lysander continued staring at her. He had never seen this woman before. At least, he was certain he had never seen her. Yet her scent was so familiar that he could not understand why his instincts were reacting to her as though she were someone precious to him.

He suddenly remembered the reason he had woken up in the first place, and his expression changed.

"Ingrid?" he called again, trying to sit up. "Where is Ingrid? The woman I came here with, where is she?"

The foxes standing nearby exchanged confused looks. "What are you talking about? What other woman?"

Lysander tried to push himself up, but pain shot through his body, forcing him to stop halfway. He ignored it and looked around the room, his breathing becoming faster as he failed to find the person he was searching for.

"Where is she?" he demanded. "Is she injured badly? Did something happen to her while I was unconscious?"

The foxes continued staring at him, seemingly unsure how to answer.

Lysander’s patience finally snapped. "Why are all of you staring at me? I asked you a question, so someone should answer me instead of standing there like a bunch of fools!"

A slightly heavy smack landed on the back of his head and Lysander froze. For several seconds, he remained completely still before slowly turning his head toward the woman sitting beside him. She had withdrawn her hand and was now looking at him with an expression of disbelief and anger.

"Is this how you speak to the people who saved your life?" she demanded. "You just woke up from a coma, and this is the first thing you decide to do? Yell at the people who saved you? Can’t you speak carefully?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Lysander stared at her for a moment, shocked. Did this woman just... Did she just hit him? His eyes were wide, pupils dilating and becoming even more slitted. He couldn’t believe it. This woman just hit him?!

"Why are you staring at me like that?" She asked, crossing her arms under her breasts. For a second, his eyes went down a little, catching the full swell of her breasts and how they were slightly exposed due to the kind of clothes she was wearing.

Was she a fox? Lysander wondered inwardly. Foxes were the best at seduction which could explain why she was so beautiful. However, he couldn’t smell any trace of fox on her. She smelled... weird. Like a mix of different beasts but it was only slightly. It went away as quickly as he smelled it.

"Are you zoning out right now? I’m talking to you, Lysander. Apologise to them! Look at how you scared them!" The woman glared at him, her eyes filled with the kind of fire he only associated with one person.

"Are you even listening to me?!" She yelled again, pushing out her hips.

Lysander gore his eyes away from her hips and looked at her face, regaining his senses back, "How dare you hit me?"

The woman raised her eyebrows. "What did you say?"

Lysander pointed at the back of his head. "You hit me! Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Unfortunately, I do."

"Then you should know better than to..."

Another smack landed on his head and Lysander’s mouth fell open. The foxes standing nearby suddenly became very interested in the floor, while one of them covered his mouth to hide a laugh. Lysander slowly turned toward the woman again, his purple eyes wide with disbelief.

"You actually hit me twice!"

"And I will do it a third time if you continue shouting at everyone," she replied. "Honestly, don’t you have eyes? Even after losing some weight, I am still the same person. How could you fail to recognize me?"