เข้าสู่ระบบCAMILLE’S POVTraining that morning felt sharper than usual. Maybe it was the news about the eastern road that had already started circulating in low voices, or maybe it was the way everyone kept glancing toward the science buildings like they expected another explosion to light up the sky without warning. The instructors didn’t ease up to match the mood. If anything, they pushed harder, calling out corrections and demanding faster resets between rounds.I paired off with a stocky warrior named Marcus for the first sparring set. He was good—fast for his size and not afraid to use his weight when the opening appeared. We circled twice on the packed earth before he came in low, aiming for my midsection. I stepped aside at the last second, caught his extended arm, and used his own momentum to send him past me into the dirt. He rolled with the fall and came up grinning, one hand brushing dust from his shoulder.“Getting better,” he said.“Or you’re getting slower. Hard to tell from here.”
SARAH’S POVI woke before the others. The room was still dim, the kind of early gray that made the edges of the furniture look softer than they really were. Camille’s breathing stayed even across the room, deep and steady the way it always was when she finally let herself rest. Lilliana had fallen into a deeper sleep sometime after midnight; her face looked younger when she wasn’t holding everything so tightly, the small line between her brows finally smoothed out.I sat up slowly so the bed wouldn’t creak and reached for the notebook I kept under my pillow. Writing helped when my thoughts started circling the same places over and over. Today the circling was worse than usual. The pen felt familiar in my hand, the weight of it a small comfort.Jordan hadn’t come by the hostel last night. That shouldn’t have mattered. We weren’t attached in any official way, and the pack had enough going on without me inventing extra reasons to worry. But after what Lilliana told us about the conversat
LILLIANA’S POVThe walk back from the eastern road felt longer than the walk out. Dust still clung to my clothes and the ringing in my ears refused to settle completely. Every few steps a small stone shifted under my boot and the sound seemed louder than it should have been. Killian stayed close, not quite touching me but near enough that I could feel the heat coming off him whenever the wind shifted. Clarke and the two warriors scanned every shadow like they expected another device to go off under our feet.The ruined storage building sat behind us, half its side blown outward and the air still sharp with the smell of scorched wood and chemicals. A thin column of smoke rose from the far corner where some of the old shelving had caught. Whatever had been inside that sealed vial was gone. The person who set the charge had been careful. They wanted us to see the symbol, to recognize it, and then to lose the sample in the confusion that followed.I kept replaying the circle crossed by th
LILLIANA’S POVThe Eastern road was nothing like I expected. I had imagined some dramatic location hidden in the woods, maybe an abandoned building or a cave. Instead, it was an old road that had almost disappeared beneath weeds. Killian walked ahead of me, with Clarke and two warriors following behind.“You know,” I said, “you could have stayed behind.”“No.”“I figured.”He glanced over his shoulder. “You shouldn't be here.”“I also figured you'd say that.”“You're enjoying this.”“Not particularly.”He almost smiled. We continued walking. The message had led us here.Come to the eastern road if you want answers.It sounded like a trap. Which was exactly why Killian had brought guards. We reached an old building just before sunset. It looked like a storage shed, but the scent coming from it was familiar.Chemical.Old. I stopped.“What?”I pointed toward the door. “I smell something.”Killian moved closer. He sniffed. His expression hardened. “Everyone stay back.” He opened the door
CLARISSA’S POVBianca came into my room later that evening, looking nervous. That was not something I saw often. Bianca was many things, most of them irritating, but nervous was not usually one of them. She had always been the kind of woman who could walk into a room full of people who hated her and still find a way to act like she owned the place. I looked up from the papers spread across my bed.“What happened?”She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. “I think someone followed me.” I stared at her for a moment. “You think?”“I’m serious, Clarissa.”“So am I.” I placed the paper I was holding down. “If you think someone followed you, tell me what happened instead of standing there looking like you’ve seen a ghost.” She pushed herself away from the door and walked further into the room. “I noticed the same man twice.”“Where?”“First near Adrian’s room.”I frowned. “And the second time?”“Outside.”“Outside where?”“Near the east side of the pack house.”I sat up strai
LILLIANA’S POVI hated being told what I couldn't do. Maybe that was because most of my life had been spent being told exactly what I could and couldn't do.Sit there. Clean this.Don't speak. Don't leave.Don't ask questions.For years, those words had been the difference between a quiet day and punishment.So when Killian told me to stay away from the laboratory, a stubborn part of me immediately wanted to march back inside.I did not. Not because I agreed with him.Because I needed a better reason. Grace was waiting for me when I returned later that afternoon.“You came back.” She said, relief evident in her eyes. “I said I would.” She smiled faintly. “I like that about you.” “Being difficult?” “Being persistent.” I dropped my bag onto the chair. “Did you find anything?” “Not enough.”She handed me a folder. I opened it. Inside were copies of old reports. “These aren't from Eliza.” “No.” “They're from the human outbreak.” I looked up sharply. “Where did you get them?”“Ol
I left him in the room to mope and worry about the girl who was literally beneath his feet. I returned to the lab where Doc was patiently waiting for me.“I was beginning to wonder if you got lost on your way to the vending machine, I was going to send out a search party.” She joked as she collecte
I didn’t want to admit that they were right. I was living like I would leave here at the drop of a hat. I was still waiting for something to go wrong. Was that a good thing? No, it was not, but what was the point of knowing who was whose sister when I wouldn’t be staying long? It was insane how qui
THREE MONTHS LATER.My three months at Blood Fang had been quite illuminating and restful. I now had a stable grasp and understanding of the subjects, and my understanding of the school had improved. My friendship with Camille and Sarah had improved. Camille and I did not mention our conversation i
I woke up to Angelica’s footsteps as she moved around the room packing up.“Did I wake you? Sorry, I wanted you to sleep for as long as you could.”“Oh no, it’s ok, I’ve never been one to sleep deeply anyway. What time is it?”“It’s six thirty. There’s still time if you want to sleep in some more o







