Chapter 24: Shadows of Crimson
(Vivian's POV)
I stepped out of Valerie's hospital room, my hand still warm from squeezing hers goodbye. The antiseptic smell of Grimwood General clung to my clothes as I made my way down the sterile corridor.
Something was wrong.
My wolf, Cora, bristled beneath my skin, her protective instincts flaring. Valerie had tried to hide it, but I knew my best friend too well. The "accident" that had left her with a broken leg and multiple bruises wasn't quite adding up.
Her scent had shifted subtly when she'd described the hit-and-run driver, a telltale sign she wasn't telling the whole truth. And when her phone had rung just before I left, I'd caught a snippet of her hushed conversation: "I guess they're after..."
The words made my stomach tighten. They
