Page 109 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

Her gut clenched. Did he know that for days, she hadn’t been able to leave her home without a paper bag in case panic attacks stole her breath on the street? Did he know that it had taken months until she could get inside a car without starting to cry? Did he know that she hadn’t been kissed in years?

The urge to defend herself rose. “It was a brief period. I managed to cure myself. Almost.”

Mikhail held her gaze. “You will heal when you accept that you cannot change the past,” he said before focusing on the view once more.

“I’m not trying to change the past…”

He said nothing further, only watched the flickering lights of the city in the distance. Amelia crossed her arms and wrapped herself tighter inside the coat.

She knew now that he had had his losses, so she could assume what was going on inside his head. She wondered how many years had passed since he’d lost his family. Did the grief become easier with time?

While Amelia observed the city on the other side of the mountain, her mind was fixed on the man beside her. It had been three years since her family’s death and Mikhail was the first living person to whom she could relate.

She side-glanced at him. Life is funny, isn’t it?

“I’ll take you back now.” His vacant gaze indicated he was further closing in on himself.

Mikhail walked her to her room, still lost in silence.

35

Viktor was finally liberated from the sedative infusion. It had taken some effort, but he had awoken feeling in full control. For a time. Much too soon, he had realised the wolf had tricked him into believing he was gone. The animal had waited until they were alone to surface in his mind. The beast’s thoughts interfered with his own, struggling to manipulate him into bloodthirst.

This time, however, Viktor could handle him. He was the one commanding the body, after all, which meant the wolf was subsiding.

Today was just another day in the lab. Viktor was pondering over the recent events without getting to any useful conclusion. His head was brimming with thoughts, thoughts, thoughts… Useless thoughts.

How the hell had he diminished himself from a warrior to a tiresome philosopher? A bookworm. A scribbler. He should be on the battlefield. Not in the lab. He wanted to feel the rush, the danger, the physical relief.

Turning now didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Why had Mikhail made him promise never to turn again? Why hadn’t he done it for so many years? It was rather unlikely that he’d lose control over his wolf again. If anything, it was a way to show the wolf that Viktor was his master, not the other way around. Much like he was doing now.

Viktor took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

The wolf stirred inside, clawing to get out…

The lab door burst open, and Alex’s sudden entrance forced him to cease the turning process. She rushed in, clutching a book with a worn-out cover.

“Is everything okay?” She scanned the lab with a suspicious look, before settling on him.

Mikhail had lied to her, saying Viktor had suffered a traumatic brain injury in Italy and that was why they’d needed to keep him unconscious until he healed. Alex was not stupid, and the explanation had been falling apart before her determined questions. But when Viktor had awoken and confirmed as much, she had finally accepted it.

He cleared his throat. “Of course, everything’s fine. Why?”

“I don’t know. I just…” She glanced around again. “I suppose it’s nothing. Anyway, check out what I found!” She stuck the book in front of his face.

“This is not a good time, Alex,” Viktor said.

She had probably run into one of those secrets about the world that he already knew. Any other day, he would have taken the time to listen and discuss – that was part of his job as a teacher, a sage… a bore. But not today. Today, he had neither the patience nor the desire.

“Are you sure you’re all right? You look weird.”

He sighed and gestured to the book. “I’m good. Go ahead. Read what you wanted to.” It would be far easier to hear her story than explain his condition.

And how would he explain what was happening to him, anyway? How would she react if she knew that her favourite pacified teacher, her father figure, her mentor, had been so weak in the past, unable to control the animal inside, that he had vowed never to let it loose? That he had accepted his role of healer and lab rat only to keep himself as far away from anything that could provoke him? He had always convinced himself that this was his own choice, and not shackles. Temperance, he preferred to name it.

Alex pursed her lips, inspecting him. “All right. But sit down, because what you’re about to hear might rock your world.”

Viktor plopped on the nearest chair, defeated.

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