The sharp scent of antiseptic hung heavy in the air, mixing with the faint metallic tang of dried blood. Tyler lay on the narrow bed, the cool white sheets tucked neatly under his sides. A dull ache throbbed through his body, but he stayed still, staring up at the pale ceiling. Beside him, James shifted with a low groan.
His eyes fluttered open, blinking at the sterile surroundings. Slowly, he pushed himself upright, confusion clouding his face.
"Where… where are we, Tyler?" he rasped.
Tyler turned his head lazily, his expression calm despite the stiffness in his limbs.
"Of course we're in the clinic. Where else are we gonna be?" he replied.
"Clinic?" James repeated, as though the word didn't quite register. "How?"
Tyler exhaled slowly, leaning back against the pillow.
"While we were unconscious, another pack came to get us."
James frowned. "How do you know? You were awake?"
"Mr. Jack told me," Tyler answered simply.
Across the room, Jasper let out a groan of his own, his voice rough from disuse. He blinked at the unfamiliar space.
"Where… are we?"
"At the clinic," James replied automatically.
"Clinic where? In Black Sea?" Jasper asked, still half lost in the haze of sleep.
"No, bro. At the estate."
That got Jasper's attention. He pushed himself upright in a sudden motion too sudden.
"Estate?" he repeated, as if tasting the word. "How oww…"
A hiss escaped him as pain flared at the side of his head. His fingers brushed the fresh bandage, and the memory of the battlefield came rushing back.
"The last thing I remember was carrying Henry… and then… everything went dark."
"Turns out some pack members came to save us," James explained.
"How do you know?" Jasper asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Tyler said so," James replied, jerking his chin toward him.
"Was the vampire killed?" Jasper asked.
Tyler gave a small nod.
"Of course it was," James said with a grin. "The older pack's got experience."
Tyler's gaze sharpened, his tone suddenly firm.
"They weren't the ones who killed it."
That silenced the room. Jasper and James stared at him, eyes wide with shock.
From the far bed, Sophia shifted, rolling onto her side with a faint rustle of sheets. Tyler swung his legs over the bed's edge.
"I'm going for a walk," he muttered.
"I might need one too," James said, pushing to his feet to join him.
Jasper followed, though his steps were unsteady.
"Whoa, bro," James said, catching his arm. "You need to rest."
"I'm fine," Jasper insisted, brushing him off.
The three boys stepped out of the quiet clinic together, their footsteps echoing softly in the hall.
The three boys stepped out of the clinic, the heavy scent of antiseptic giving way to the clean, crisp fragrance of the open air. The sunlight spilled over them in soft golden streams, warming their faces and shoulders. A light breeze stirred the leaves overhead, scattering specks of light across the dirt path. Somewhere nearby, the sound of children's laughter drifted through the estate, mingling with the rustle of branches and the distant chatter of nurses moving between buildings.
They all wore the loose white shirts and trousers of the clinic, the fabric fluttering faintly with their steps. The pale clothes caught the sunlight, making them look almost like they had stepped out of another world.
"Great atmosphere, huh?" James said, his voice light as he squinted against the sun.
"Yeah… great atmosphere," Jasper replied with a small nod.
They walked further along the path, passing people who greeted them with polite nods and clusters of tall trees whose leaves whispered in the wind.
"How did you kill the vampire, Tyler?" James asked suddenly, glancing sideways at him.
"Yes," Jasper added, curiosity in his voice. "I mean… that was something we had never faced before."
Tyler lifted a hand, running his fingers slowly through his hair.
"It was something I had never seen, nor felt before… or even heard of," he said quietly. "It was almost like… I wasn't in my own body. Like something was in me, and we became one."
"I don't understand," Jasper said, his brows furrowed.
"Me too," James admitted.
Tyler sighed, his gaze lowered to the path beneath their feet.
"I don't expect you guys to know. I didn't know what it was either."
"Don't worry, bro. We'll figure it out," James said with a small grin, resting a reassuring hand on Tyler's shoulder.
"Yeah… if that was what made you kill that vampire, then I guess you're pretty powerful," Jasper said, though his eyes dropped to the ground. "I know I would never be like that, you know…"
Tyler shook his head slightly. "Don't get so worked up. Most times, I question myself if what I'm doing is right… if it's safe for Bella. Would my parents have agreed with this? I don't know the right decision to make. But… I want to keep fighting, no matter what. Protecting my sister. Protecting my friends."
Jasper and James exchanged a knowing grin.
"I get it, Tyler," James said, his tone softer now. "I feel the same way. Seeing the my mom who loved me so much reject me… abandon me… after I had transformed, it made me feel insecure, feel lonely. But I want the same thing you do, make people happy. Protect what matters the most to me."
Jasper's lips curved into a faint smile. "My siblings were very kind to me, you know. My family was… a happy one. Not until the day I transformed everything changed. Sometimes, what matters most isn't what we lost, but how we keep on going, even after the struggles, the lost, the pain. Bella showed me that."
The sunlight caught his expression, making his smile warmer.
The boys grinned at each other, a quiet sense of understanding passing between them. Birds fluttered across their path, the soft beating of wings overhead.
"Tyler," James said with certainty as they kept walking, "everything will be fine."