I am 15 chapters ahead on my patreón, check it out if you are interested.
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The deep, soothing thrum of hospital machinery filled the otherwise sterile quiet, a chorus of steady blips and whirrs punctuating the heavy air. All around, pale artificial light painted everything in hues of white and gray, blurring the edges of real and surreal. In the center of it all, Isaac lay on a narrow bed, connected to monitors that beeped rhythmically—a metronome for his heart, signaling that life persisted. His breath was slow, steady—strong.
I lingered just inside the doorway, silent, feeling a mix of exhaustion and a strange relief wash over me. For a few minutes, it was just me and the constant electronic hum, time stretching out like elastic.
When his eyelids fluttered, I leaned forward without meaning to. His eyes opened slowly, unfocused at first, then locking onto me.
And the second he saw me—he knew.
Recognition flickered behind his gaze. Not surprise. Not fear. Just... clarity. He remembered.
We didn't speak right away. There was something about the silence that felt sacred, like breaking it too soon would shatter whatever fragile bridge had formed between us.
Finally, I broke it. "Did you talk to the sheriffs about last night?"
"What did you tell them?"
He gave a small shrug, voice still scratchy. "Told them I was with my dad. We were working late at the cemetery—just like always. Then outta nowhere, this… monstrous monkey thing attacked us." He paused and offered a dry, almost sheepish smile. "Said I got knocked out before I could see anything else."
Isaac held my gaze, then added with a small smirk, "It's not like I can tell them I saw the new kid from school snap that monster's neck like it was a damn toothpick. Pretty sure they'd wheel me straight to Eichen House."
That finally managed to pull a soft laugh out of me, breaking through the tension. For the first time that day, I actually smiled.
"You're dealing with this surprisingly well," I said.
Isaac's smirk vanished, replaced by a faraway seriousness. His voice dropped to something more vulnerable. "I remember that thing on top of me... claws in the air, teeth ready for my throat. I remember thinking... 'this is it.' And then you came out of nowhere. Kicked it off like it weighed nothing."
"You saved my life, Lucas."
I didn't say anything.
He stared down at his right hand, slowly flexing his fingers, then looked back at me. "But… I also remember how bad it was. I mean, I was dying, right?"
I nodded once. "You were."
His voice was quiet. "So what happened? I mean... I feel fine now. Better than fine. What did you do?"
I stepped closer. "I did the only thing that could save you."
"I gave you the Bite."
His brows pulled together. "The... bite?"
"You were too far gone for an ambulance. A few ribs were broken, your lungs were filling with blood. You wouldn't have made it another five minutes. So I gave you the Bite to trigger the healing."
His lips parted slightly, as if he thought he misheard.
"I turned you into a werewolf," I said, without flinching.
Isaac scoffed, half-laughing, but it died in his throat when he saw I wasn't joking. "…Wait. You're serious?"
He stared at me. "So… what? I'm a werewolf now? I'm gonna grow fangs and claws and howl at the moon?"
"You'll grow fangs, yes. Claws too," I said evenly. "But there's more to it than that."
He leaned back into the bed, eyes scanning the ceiling like he hoped it might give him answers. I gave him space, let him breathe.
Then he looked at me again. "So… what does this mean? What happens now?"
"It means your life just got a lot more complicated. You're part of a world with monsters, hunters, ancient codes, and traditions. And you're not human anymore."
He swallowed hard, trying to process.
"But it also means you're not alone," I added. "You're part of my pack now, Isaac."
His eyes widened just slightly. It was a lot to take in. I could feel the questions lining up in his head, but he didn't ask them yet. Instead, he just looked at me—like really looked at me—for the first time since waking up.
"There's a lot to explain." I told him. "It won't be easy. But I'll be with you every step of the way."
There was silence again, but this time it wasn't heavy.
Isaac stared at the ceiling, then back at me.
"Okay," he said quietly.
He smirked again. "Yeah. Okay. I mean, you did save my life, so I guess I owe you one."
"You owe me nothing," I said.
His smile faded into something more serious, something that understood the weight of the moment.
"Thanks," he said softly.
Then I turned toward the door, pausing as I reached for the handle.
As I stepped out of the room, I heard Isaac's voice behind me—calm, steady, laced with curiosity and a little fear.
"…What was that thing?"
I looked back at him. "Something corrupted. Something wrong. But not the last one."
Then I shut the door.