“Leonard, what the hell are you doing here?” I asked, rising from where I crouched by a section of wall. “You should be resting.”He waved a hand at the window, where the sun was setting. I hadn’t even realized how much time had passed. “You’ve been in here for hours, and… I can’t just sit at home w
AvaAs soon as I got home, I immediately checked my phone in the hoped that I would find a message or a call from Chris. We had been playing phone tag all day, our schedules seemingly in perfect misalignment. To my relief, there was one text from him, sent hours ago:“Been busy all day. Probably bes
AvaThe days following Chris’s return were a nonstop flurry of activity. Patrick continued his surveillance of Elise, reporting back to us every morning. The pattern was always the same: late at night, Elise would slip out and head to the clinic, where she would stay for anywhere between fifteen min
“Leonard!” I rushed over, Chris close behind me.“I’m… fine,” Leonard wheezed, trying to wave us off. But the handkerchief in his hand was stained red. Deep red.“Alright, that’s it,” Chris said firmly, his words suddenly no longer slurred as though his body just forgot the alcohol in his system. “W
AvaAs we followed the doctor into his office, my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. Chris’s hand found mine, squeezing tightly, but I hardly felt it through my panic.The doctor’s face was grim as he gestured for us to sit in the worn leather chairs facing his desk.“I’m afraid
The doctor hesitated, his brow furrowing. “Well, I would prefer if he stayed the night for observation, but…”“But he refused, didn’t he?” Chris finished with a wry smile on his face. We all knew how stubborn Leonard could be.The doctor nodded, a hint of fondness in his expression. “He’s insistent
AvaThe night was unusually quiet as Chris, Patrick, and I crept through the shadows towards the clinic. We were all dressed in black, our faces partially obscured by dark hats and scarves.Even though Chris was the Alpha, we couldn’t just walk into the clinic; the staff would never give us the info
Patrick, however, made a soft sound of triumph. “I’m in. Idiot set his password to his kid’s name… I mean, what year are we in?”Chris and I exchanged eye-rolls. “Focus, Pat,” Chris hissed.“Right. Now, let’s see what secrets you’re hiding, Doc,” Patrick whispered.The minutes ticked by agonizingly