Page 101 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

Mikhail frowned. “You broke your oath.”

“And saved our asses.” For years, Viktor had been afraid of his other half, but now that the wolf had been awakened, that fear seemed baseless. They were doing great together.

“How come you were immune to the witch’s magic?” Suspicion crept into the manticore’s voice.

“I have no idea.” Viktor winced. “But that was the frostiest witch I’ve ever encountered. Witches are usually open for negotiations, and easily bribed… but this Mada? She didn’t even want to hear what we were offering.”

“Someone made sure to cast us in a bad light before we even got to her. Turns out the witch in Istanbul was killed right after she met with Constantine.”

“That explains a few things… I also heard that a chambermaid was killed.”

Mikhail narrowed his gaze. “How the hell do you know about that?”

“It seems my hearing cannot be impaired by drugs and sleep. The chambermaid’s murder has been one of Alex’s favourite topics lately.”

A quiet roar resonated in his head. Come on, you fool. Get off your ass and kill him.

The wolf was rising. So much for the idea of their peaceful co-existence inside himself.

“Any news from Constantine?” Viktor asked, muffling the wolf’s words.

Mikhail leaned back in his chair. “He called earlier today. They found Diana’s brother. He’s dead.”

You’re just a little weak pup, aren’t you?

“Don’t tell me he was killed, too?” Viktor tried to lift his head off the pillow.

“According to Constantine, he died as a result of his deal with Mada. Some creatures can’t survive the consequences of such a bond. Or something like that. I expect him to return to the Hospital soon.”

You fucker! Why are you lying around like some helpless damsel? Free us!

The wolf’s words forced Viktor to stiffen. Was he right?

He was resting in bed like a worthless fool while his friends struggled to control the situation at the Hospital.

Yes, you weakling! You are. Get up and show him you’ve got guts.

God, it was happening again – the wolf manipulating him into bloodthirst, forcing him to kill. He’d been there before and never won. The wolf always got the better of him. And when that happened, the consequences were devastating.

“Put me under again!” Viktor yelled over the wolf’s voice.

Mikhail stared at him, wrinkling his forehead. He couldn’t hear the animal but he surely suspected something. There was no way, just no way, that he wouldn’t suspect…

“Are you sure?”

Get up and kill him, you scumbag.

Canines pressed on the inside of Viktor’s gums. They were part of him, and he couldn’t even control that right now. The wolf knew him well enough. Viktor felt powerless, and the sooner he admitted it, the less innocents would suffer as a result. This time, he wouldn’t pretend to be stronger than he was. “Do it! I can’t control him.”

Mikhail switched the system back on. The wolf started scratching Viktor’s insides with his claws, but it was already too late.

Soon, they both fell asleep.

33

The forest always tamed Mikhail’s mind. Unrelenting ground under his feet, ferocious ice-cold wind on his face, night sky above, threatening to split open and pour itself on top of him – that was the Heaven they had been blessed with down here, on Earth.

Although most of the time he hid behind a human guise, a big part of him was still a beast. And beasts belonged to the wild; humans – to civilisation.

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