Eli was starting to feel better.
This probably wouldn't be the last time he did something like this to himself. As long as he could survive where someone else couldn't, he'd jump in front of a train to save them.
But he was still angry.
What could possibly be so terrifying in that forest that someone would forget all common sense—forget road rules entirely?
Eli frowned.
Better take that thought back.There could definitely be some seriously strange things in that forest.
Suddenly, an agitating voice, high-pitched and squealing, cut into his ears.Eli nearly stabbed them out with his fingers, clamping his hands over his ears with a groan.
He turned to find the source—really wanting that bottle.
The girl in front of him. She was saying something, but he couldn't make out a word.The older woman, however, was watching him through the window.
Her gaze felt like a finger hovering above a trigger.
What the hell is her problem?Maybe he needed two bottles.Actually—three. One for the squealing girl, two for the trigger-happy grandma.
The "Agitant" stopped talking and turned to her mother, squeaking even louder.The older woman cracked her window and turned up the A/C.
What a waste.
Eli rolled his eyes. Did she actually want the A/C or not? Could she not decide? Was this how she compromised? How stupid.
Victoria was tense.Extremely tense.
Not for herself—for Allison.
She wasn't ready for her daughter to learn about the supernatural.And this boy—this boy she was almost certain was a werewolf—was just sitting in her car.
And that attitude of his? Not even during a full moon. Unbelievable.
While Allison looked away, Victoria reached down and pressed a button on the dash.
A small dose of aconite would now flood through the A/C vents.
Not enough to hurt a human.But to a werewolf?Even a little could be lethal.
The Agitant had finally stopped speaking.
Good.
Eli could finally relax his ears.
But then, something changed.
The hum of the vehicle faded.Eli felt—no, heard—someone pull back a safety.
Like someone was getting ready to fire.
"Hey!" Victoria shouted—just as Eli turned his head toward her, startled.
It was the older woman. Her voice was clearer now.
"So you're not deaf. How are you feeling?" she asked.
Her tone sounded... searching. Like she was looking for something.
Eli reached instinctively for his bucket.
This was suspicious.
Had he really climbed into a serial killer's car?
"What's this?" he murmured, ignoring Victoria and looking inward.
He focused on the bucket.
The red paths—they were shrinking.
No—more like being pushed back.
"What's happening?" he whispered.
The retreat continued until the red zones returned to their original borders.
Then, he felt it.
A prick. A small pain.
Then it grew.
Like pepper heat—that creeping kind that only gets worse after you swallow.
Disliking the sensation, Eli directed his power toward one of the red zones.
As expected, it exploded outward.
The burning stopped.
It happened again, and again—each burst triggering another nearby.A chain reaction—an avalanche of red.
His breathing quickened.A deep white mist escaped from his nose.
Thankfully, he hadn't used much energy.
Slowly, the reaction settled.The red paths receded once more.
Just as they returned to their original borders—and Eli was contemplating giving it another push—
He heard the door open.
Victoria stood there.
"Let's go," she said, coldly.
Eli didn't trust her hands.They felt like sheathed daggers.
Victoria frowned."Boy, remember your manners. I might've hit you, but be glad I didn't leave you out there."
Yep, Eli thought, definitely a serial killer.Also, he really needed to find something with a Luck stat. ASAP.
Victoria heard her daughter call to her after the outburst.
Yes, she'd hit the boy. But he'd been disrespectful from the start—refusing to speak, ignoring her entirely.
She would not be ignored.
"Mom," Allison said, "I got the attention of one of the nurses. Let's get them to bring him inside."
Victoria kept her eyes on the boy.
He looked... almost innocent.
And he hadn't reacted to the wolfsbane.
Was she wrong?
Had she damaged his brain in the accident? Was that why his mouth was so foul and he hadn't spoken?
Just then, a nurse approached.
"What's the problem?" he asked.
Allison spoke before Victoria could.
"We hit this boy. He just came out of nowhere."
"Okay, okay," the nurse said, holding up his hands. "Calm down. Let me take a look at him."
Victoria turned to her daughter.
Allison was crying.
The weight of the night was finally sinking in.
The nurse knelt beside Eli.
"Okay, little miss. Don't worry too much. He's awake, and he doesn't seem to have a concussion. But I'll still need you all to stay—for the police."
Victoria stepped in quickly.
"Is the police really necessary? The boy's fine. He's the one who ran into our car."
The nurse almost shrunk under Victoria's stare—but summoned some courage.
"It's just procedure, ma'am."
Eli lay back on the bed as they wheeled him inside.
Oddly enough... he felt at peace.
The sad, heavy atmosphere of the hospital...
It felt like home.
Ms. McCall was working at her desk.The night was busy, as always.
She'd grown used to it.
At least she didn't have to take or test any stool samples tonight.
God, she thought, I really need to stop thinking about that or I'll lose my stomach right here at the desk.
It was nasty work. But she had to do it.
"For Scott," she whispered under her breath. "I'm doing this for Scott."
A motion caught her eye.
A male nurse pushing a bed down the hallway—not unusual.
But something about the boy on that bed pulled at her attention.
Hm... it can't be, she whispered.
Ms. McCall pushed her chair back and started walking—her steps growing faster as her eyes widened.
The closer she got, the clearer his face became.
"What…?"
Eli looked up.A familiar face.The first one since… whatever happened last night.
He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.
How would he explain his height?Or anything?
Then her hands cupped his face—gentle and trembling.
"Eli… oh my God, you're awake."
She didn't wait for a reply.
Ms. McCall turned to the nurse, her tone sharp.
"Where are you taking him?"
The nurse fumbled for words.
"Uh… he just arrived. Hit by a car. No major injuries, but we were taking him to get checked out—wait, you know him?"
Ms. McCall stared at the boy, then back at the nurse.
Her voice dropped in disbelief.
"What? That's not possible."
The nurse blinked. "Ma'am?"
"Eli can't have been outside," she said, louder now.
"He's been in a coma for four years! People don't just get up and walk after that!"
Her voice echoed down the hallway.
Other nurses froze, turning their heads.
Now everyone was looking.
Then—ping.
A chime from the nurse's desk.
One of the nurses walked over and checked the screen.
"It's a notification... for Eli's room."
Amid the chaos, Eli sat frozen.
Ms. McCall's words echoed in his mind.
Coma… four years…
Four years?
What...?
A nurse came running frantically down the hall.
Spotting Ms. McCall, she rushed straight toward her.
"Eli's missing—he's not in his room!"
But as she spoke, her eyes dropped to the bed beside them.
At the pretty, almost crystal-brown eyes staring right back at her.
She turned to look at Ms. McCall—then froze halfway.
Her breath caught.
Realization hit her like a wall.
Those eyes.
Eli was right there.Awake.
What?