Page 572 of Reign

Only for a second.

“Elena.”

My eyes open.

Rafael is crouched in front of me.

For one terrifying moment, I don’t know where I am.

Then I see the doctor standing behind him.

I shove Rafael’s jacket away and stand too fast.

The corridor tilts.

Rafael catches my arm and steadies me.

“Luciano?”

“The procedure is finished,” the doctor says.

“Is he alive?”

“Yes. He’s alive, and he’s stable.”

Everything inside me stops.

The doctor keeps speaking.

The bullet that struck Luciano’s upper arm passed through without damaging the bone or a major artery. The second lodged in the outer portion of his thigh, missing his femur, femoral artery, and the major nerves in his leg.

They removed it and stopped the bleeding.

He needed a transfusion because of how much blood he lost, but neither wound should affect his strength or mobility once he heals.

A full recovery.

No permanent damage.

The words move around me without settling anywhere.

Alive.

Stable.

Full recovery.

“Can I see him?”

“They’re moving him into a private recovery room now. Once he’s settled, you can go in.”

My knees give out.

Rafael catches me before I hit the floor.

“He didn’t leave me,” I breathe.

The tears come before I can stop them.