Elena's POV
My hands shake as I pour another cup of coffee. The fourth one tonight? Fifth? Hell, I stopped counting after the third pot. The caffeine isn't helping anymore, but the ritual of drinking something hot keeps me grounded.
"f**k," I whisper, staring at the blood sample under the microscope. The wolfsbane is one thing, but this other compound? It's like nothing I've ever seen.
The medical wing smells like disinfectant and fear. Twelve beds, twelve pack members still fighting off the poison. Some are doing better than others, but they're all struggling. Their healing abilities are shot to hell.
I move to the next bed where Maria lies sleeping. She's seventeen, barely more than a kid. Her face is pale, dark circles under her eyes. She reminds me of myself at that age – stubborn,
