It took days for the girls to wake up.
The infirmary stayed quiet, too quiet, like it was holding its breath along with everyone else. Word about the hunt spread fast, but no one talked about it loudly. They whispered instead, casting looks at the closed doors, at the beds where Lilian and Avelyn lay unmoving.
Cole barely left Avelyn's side.
He sat by her bed most of the time, changing her bandages, helping the healers when they asked, talking to her even though she couldn't hear him.
"You're stubborn," he murmured one night, brushing her hair away from her face. "So I know you'll wake up."
Her breathing was steady, but fragile. The healers said she was stable, yet one wrong turn and things could go bad. Cole stayed anyway, afraid that if he left, something would happen.
Across the room, Lilian lay still.
Too still.
Zane noticed it the most. The way her chest barely rose. The way the machines reacted differently around her. Something was off, and he knew exactly why.
On the third day, Lilian's fingers twitched.
Her eyes snapped open.
The first thing she noticed was the sound. Everything was loud. Too loud. She could hear footsteps outside the infirmary, heartbeats from across the room, even the soft rustle of fabric when someone moved.
Her throat burned.
"Lilian," Zane said softly, already at her side.
She turned to him, her gaze sharp, unfamiliar. "Why does everything hurt?" she whispered. "And why… why do I feel like this?"
Zane didn't answer immediately.
He couldn't.
Before he could speak, Lilian gasped, clutching the sheets. Her senses went wild, her heartbeat uneven, her body reacting to something she didn't understand.
"What did you do?" she asked, her voice shaking.
Zane looked away.
"I saved you," he said quietly.
And in that moment, she knew. Even without the words.
Something inside her had changed.
Later that night, while the infirmary stirred with panic and confusion, Zane stood in front of his mother.
She was calm. Too calm.
"You fed her your blood," she said, as if stating the obvious.
"She was dying," Zane replied, his fists clenched. "I wasn't going to let you kill her."
His mom smiled faintly. "You chose, then."
"I did."
She stepped closer. "You saved her life," she said softly. "And now she belongs to us."
Zane's jaw tightened. "She's not a thing."
"No," his mom corrected. "She's a Wilder now. And you crossed a line."
"Maybe if you hadn't set them up as preys, I wouldn't have turned her," he shot back.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that," she snapped. "I can waste your effort by killing the girls off. Don't try me."
The threat hung heavy in the air.
Back at the infirmary, Avelyn finally stirred.
Cole was half asleep when he felt movement. Her eyes fluttered open, confusion filling her gaze.
"Cole?" she whispered.
He sat up instantly. "Hey. You're okay. You're safe."
Her brows furrowed. "Lilian… where's Lilian? What am I doing here?"
Cole hesitated, then glanced toward the opposite side of the room, ignoring her last question.
"She's over there," he said quietly.
Avelyn followed his gaze. Nothing made sense. They were supposed to be home. All she could remember was getting ready to leave.
"Tell me what happened," she demanded, turning back to Cole. "How did we end up here?"
"I don't know, blondie," Cole lied, avoiding her eyes. "I only came here after finding out you passed out."
"Why is everything so fucking loud?" Lilian yelled, her voice echoing across the room.
"Are you okay, Lily?" Avelyn asked, trying to get up, but Cole stopped her.
"You can't go over there right now. I'm sorry," he said firmly.
"The fuck do you mean I can't see my friend?" Avelyn snapped. "Why is she chained to the bed? Tell me something, Cole!"
Then her voice softened. "Please."
It broke him.
"So you were set up as preys for the hunt—"
"Ah, you're awake, Avelyn," the school doctor interrupted.
"How are you feeling? Any sores? Headache?" she asked, checking her temperature.
"I'm fine," Avelyn said coldly. "Can you please excuse us?"
The doctor sighed. "Very well, but I'm afraid I'll have to steal Cole along. Class has started."
"Sorry, blondie," Cole said, kissing her forehead. "We'll talk later."
Once they were out of earshot, the doctor stopped and turned on him.
"What were you thinking?" she snapped.
"She deserves to know the truth," Cole replied. "Even if she'll be compelled later."
"No," the doctor said sharply. "Humans have limits. Too many compulsions cause memory blocks. They start trying to remember what they're forgetting."
She paused. "Be thankful it wasn't Ms Wilder who caught you. She wanted that girl killed. Zane begged for her to be expelled instead."
"Expelled?" Cole asked.
"She's being sent home," the doctor replied before leaving.
Cole stood there, chest tight. Avelyn was the first girl he ever liked, and now it felt like everything was being ripped away.
He turned back toward the infirmary.
When he entered the room, his heart stopped.
Lilian had her fangs buried into Avelyn's neck.
"Get the hell off her!" Cole yelled, yanking Lilian away with all his strength.
"You okay, blondie?" he asked, holding Avelyn as she gasped.
"Lilian… what's wrong with her?" Avelyn whispered.
"Don't worry about that," he said, lifting her into his arms. "Let's get you safe."
"Anybody! I need help!" Cole shouted as Avelyn's body went limp.
A teacher rushed over. "What's wrong?"
"She was bitten," Cole said, panic rising. "I need her alive."
"She's conscious but needs a blood transfusion," the teacher said calmly. "What's her blood type?"
"How would I know?" Cole snapped.
"Let's get her on a bed."
"I want a doctor," Cole insisted.
"I am a doctor," the man said, then shifted into the female doctor from earlier.
"Doctor Emma?" Cole gasped.
"She needs care now," Cole said urgently.
With a flick of her fingers, they were transported into a different room, one filled with machines and a hospital bed.