Hooked up and met his eyes. This close, I could smell the faint scent of pine on him. My heart hammered, and a strange warmth spread through me.
“Thanks, “Inthispered.
He didn’t let go right away, just looked down at me, his eyes full of tenderness. “Elena, I-”
“Derek! Elena!” An anxious voice cut him off. It was the town sherift. “Trouble at the shelter! Someone reported seeing strangers breaking Bra?
“Riley and the other kids are still there!”
Derek and I sprinted to the parking lot. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would burst. If those Bloodfang wolves hurt Riley…
When we got to the shelter, the main door was wide open, and the place was a wreck. Chairs were overturned, medicine scattered everywhere. But what scared me more was the heavy smell of blood.
“Riley!” I yelled.
No answer.
We carefully went inside and found Scott on the floor, covered in wounds. There was a nasty gash on his chest, bleeding heavily.
“Scott!” I rushed to him. Even though I hated him, right then, all I felt was fear. “Riley and the kids?”
“Basement… safe…” Scott coughed up blood. “I… held them off… but they said… they’ll be back…”
Derek was already calling for an ambulance. “He’s lost too much blood. Needs to get to a hospital, now.”
“No,” Scott struggled to sit up. “A normal hospital… can’t treat… silver wounds.”
I saw it then; the edges of the wound on his chest were tinged green–silver poisoning.
“You can save him, Elena,” Derek said suddenly. “With your abilities.”
I froze. I knew I had some healing ability, but I’d never really understood where it came from or how it worked. And why should I save Scott? He deserved this!
But looking at his pained face, a flicker of something uneasy stirred deep inside me. Not love, but… responsibility? Pity? Or something more complicated?
“I don’t know if I can,” I hesitated.
“I know you hate him,” Derek knelt beside me, his voice gentle but firm. “But if you let him die, you’ll always wonder if you could have chosen differently.”
Derek’s words hit me. Yes, I hated Scott. But letting him die wouldn’t erase my pain; it might even haunt me for the rest of my life.
“Okay, I’ll try.”
