Page 105 of The Dark Stranger
Silas stayed exactly where he was.
One hand braced beside her, the other still wrapped around hers, thumb brushing lightly over herknuckles despite the bruising there. It was the only movement he allowed himself.
“Stay with me,” he muttered, low enough that it barely carried. “You don’t get to check out now. Not after all that fight.”
For a second—just a second—her fingers twitched.
Small.
Barely there.
But enough.
Silas leaned in immediately, his focus snapping tighter. “Becca.”
Her brows pulled faintly, like something was trying to break through. A breath hitched in her chest, uneven, sharp—and then her eyes fluttered.
Disoriented.
Unfocused.
Fear came first.
It always did.
Her body reacted before her mind caught up—hand jerking weakly, head turning, breath picking up in shallow bursts as panic clawed its way to the surface. The IV line shifted as she tried to move, instinct screaming at her to get out.
“Hey—hey—” the nurse started.
But Silas was already there.
His hand tightened around hers—not restraining, not forceful—but grounding.
“Easy,” he said, his voice dropping into something steady, controlled, cutting through the noise. “You’re safe.”
Her eyes struggled to focus on him, pupils blown, confusion and fear mixing into something raw. She tried to pull away, her body weak but still fighting, chest rising faster.
“Don’t—” she rasped, voice barely there. “Don’t touch—”
The words broke, her strength failing mid-sentence.
Silas didn’t let go.
“Look at me,” he said, quieter now—but firmer. “You’re not there anymore.”
Her gaze flickered, locking onto his for half a second.
Just long enough for something to shift.
Not trust.
Not yet.
But recognition of presence. Of control. Of something… different.
And then it hit her again.
Pain.
