Chapter 29 The Blood Sample

Chapter 29 The Blood Sample


VANESSA'S POV

I spent the entire night trying to convince myself that everything was probably going to be fine. Unfortunately, my brain just wasn't buying any of it. Every single time I tried to close my eyes, I just kept seeing that stupid little glass tube sitting on the clinic tray with my name printed across the side. VANESSA VANCE. Two ordinary words that had suddenly become the scariest thing I had ever seen on a barcode sticker.

By the time my alarm finally went off, I was already wide awake, just staring at the ceiling and wondering where my blood sample was. Which was definitely not a normal thing to be thinking about right before breakfast.

I rolled over on my mattress and grabbed my phone from the nightstand to check the time. It was 6:21 AM. I stared at the numbers for a few seconds before groaning and dropping the phone right back onto my bed.

"Great," I whispered to the empty room. "Another beautiful morning at Cresthaven."

I forced myself to get dressed and headed downstairs, trying my absolute best to act like I hadn't spent half the night imagining a group of doctors putting my blood under a microscope and suddenly screaming, “OH MY GOD, THIS GIRL IS A WOLF!” Which was probably not how medical science worked anyway. Probably.

The moment I walked into the cafeteria, I immediately spotted Lena sitting at our usual table in the corner. She was already busy eating pancakes and scrolling through her phone at the same time. She looked up the second I pulled out my chair.

"You look absolutely terrible," she said, squinting at my face.

"Good morning to you too, Lena."

"I'm serious, V. Did you even sleep at all?"

"Of course I did," I lied, looking down.

She just stared at me until I finally sighed. "Fine. Barely."

"I knew it," she grinned, pushing a fresh plate toward me. "Eat."

I looked down at the pancakes and rolled my eyes. "I'm seriously starting to think you have a weird obsession with making me eat."

"You're very welcome," she chirped.

I picked up my fork and started cutting into one of the pancakes just to make her happy, while Lena went right back to her phone screen. "By the way, everybody is dramatically complaining about the blood tests today."

"Really?" I asked, perking up a bit.

"Yeah, the whole school app is blowing up. Apparently the administration has decided we're all secretly dying or something."

I almost laughed out loud, and a boy sitting at the table right next to us suddenly piped up, talking to his friend. "They took two whole tubes from me yesterday, man."

His friend didn't even look up from his phone. "So? What's your problem?"

"So that is a lot of blood, bro! You don't know what they're doing with it."

"Relax, you still have plenty left in your body."

"You don't actually know that," the boy muttered, looking genuinely stressed.

Lena covered her mouth, trying her best not to laugh at them, and I had to look away because I was starting to find the whole thing kind of funny too. If only these rich kids knew the real reason I was out here worrying about my own sample.

I took another bite of the pancake, but the brief moment of fun vanished and my mind went straight right back to the clinic. I kept replaying the image of the two tubes, the armed guard standing around, Derek Thorne walking in, and that wire basket with my name on it.

I put my fork back down on the table, and Lena noticed the change immediately. "You're doing it again, V."

"Doing what?"

"Staring at your food like it's going to answer you."

I looked down at the pancake. It definitely wasn't answering. "Well, maybe it knows something I don't."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Okay, you are officially losing your mind."

"I know," I muttered.

She leaned a bit closer across the table, her face turning serious. "Seriously, Vanessa. Are you still worried about yesterday?"

I hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Yeah, a little bit."

"Because of the needle?"

"Not exactly."

She waited for me to say more, but I couldn't tell her the real reason. I couldn't tell her that my family had spent years running because my blood wasn't completely human. So I just shrugged my shoulders and gave a safe answer. "I just keep wondering what they're actually testing for."

Lena rolled her eyes and sat back. "Probably the exact same boring stuff they test everybody for, V. You're completely overthinking it."

"That is literally one of my greatest talents in life."

She smiled. "Well, at least you know."

I forced myself to smile back at her, but deep down, I knew I wasn't overthinking it. Not anymore. Yesterday, I had been scared because I didn't know what a blood test could reveal. Today, I was terrified because I knew a dangerous man like Derek Thorne was personally interested in the results. I needed to know what was happening with my sample, but I had absolutely no idea how to find out.

I spent the rest of breakfast thinking about it, and by the time the first bell rang for classes, a terrible idea popped into my head. And unfortunately, it was the only idea I had. I was going back to the clinic.

The daytime classes felt painfully long. I tried my best to pay attention in History, but the teacher could have been explaining how to survive on Mars and I probably wouldn't have noticed a single word. My mind was completely stuck on the clinic layout. Where did they keep the files? Who tested them? Were the results already back? And most importantly, had Derek seen mine?

I was so distracted that I didn't even notice Lena nudging my elbow until she whispered right into my ear, "Earth to Vanessa."

I blinked, shaking my head. "What?"

"The question, V."

"What question?"

She pointed her pen at my notebook. I looked down and saw a giant blank space where my answer was supposed to be, and the teacher was standing right at the front of the classroom, staring directly at me.

"Miss Vance?" he said, crossing his arms.

I sat up straight. "Yes, sir?"

"Would you like to answer the question?"

I looked around the room frantically, but nobody was helping me. I cleared my throat, trying to sound confident. "Absolutely."

The teacher waited, and I had no idea what he had even asked. "Um..."

Lena covered her mouth, giggling, and I quickly glanced at the chalkboard. It had something written about the American Revolution, so I just took a wild guess. "The... revolution?"

A few students in the front row instantly burst out laughing, and the teacher closed his eyes for a long second like he was praying for patience. "Thank you, Miss Vance. That was incredibly specific."

More people started snickering, and my face burned completely red. "You're welcome, sir."

I sat back down and whispered to Lena, "I'm going to die of embarrassment."

"No, you're just failing History," she whispered back, laughing quietly.

"That is literally worse."

Normally, I would've laughed along with her, but by lunchtime, I had already made my final decision. I was going to do it. I didn't have a genius plan, I didn't have a backup plan, and I didn't even have a good excuse if someone caught me sneaking around. But waiting for someone else to tell me what was happening with my blood felt like the worst possible option.

After our last class finished, Lena packed her things into her bag and looked up at me. "You coming down to the lounge?"

"I have somewhere I need to go first," I said, grabbing my backpack.

"Where?"

"The library."

She stopped zipping her bag and stared at me. "Vanessa, you literally hate the library. You always say the old carpet smell gives you a headache."

"I know, but people change, Lena," I lied, looking down at my shoes.

She stared at me for a second longer, clearly suspicious. "Okay..."

I gave her a quick, fake smile. "See you later at dinner."

"Don't disappear on me, V."

"I won't."

I walked away fast before she could ask me anything else, letting out a heavy, nervous breath the second I turned the corner. Lying to Lena made me feel absolutely awful, but I couldn't exactly tell her I was going to sneak into the clinic to spy on my own blood sample. That sounded completely insane even inside my own head.

I waited a bit until the school buildings had gotten completely quiet. Most of the students had already gone back to their dorms or their after-school sports, so I stayed away from the main paths and took the longer, hidden route toward the back of the clinic. The sun was already going down, leaving the windows along the hallway covered in a warm orange light.

I kept checking behind me to make sure I was clear. Nobody. I continued walking, but suddenly, my ears picked up the distinct sound of footsteps before I could even see a shadow. I stopped dead in my tracks. Two people were coming right down the hallway.

I immediately stepped behind a concrete corner and flattened myself against the wall, holding my breath. A security guard walked past with another staff member, chatting casually, and I stayed completely still until the sound of their heavy boots fully disappeared.

My heart was beating so fast that I was honestly starting to wonder if the security cameras could somehow hear the noise. I finally reached the front clinic doors, grabbed the handle, and pulled. Locked. Of course it was.

I stared at the glass, feeling stupid. "Brilliant, Vanessa. Truly brilliant."

I walked around the side of the brick building, searching the dark windows until I found a smaller administrative staff entrance. I pushed the handle gently, and it wasn't completely locked. The latch made a tiny clicking sound as it opened, and I froze instantly, my eyes darting around. Nothing happened. I pushed it open a little more and slipped inside.

The clinic looked completely, totally different without students everywhere. Yesterday, it had been noisy and crowded, but now it was almost dead silent. The bright fluorescent lights were still on in the corridors, but most of the examination rooms were pitch black. The only sound was the low, creepy hum of a machine near the main nurses' station.

I swallowed hard, my mouth feeling totally dry. This was an absolutely terrible idea. I knew that. I should've turned around right then and walked out. Instead, I forced my feet to move farther inside.

I found the main administrative desk first, packed with computers, stacks of printing papers, and a large metal cabinet filled with green files. I started looking through the labels as fast as possible. West wing. Athletics. Routine screening. Emergency records.

I kept sliding the tabs over until my eyes locked onto one specific folder near the back: WELLNESS EVALUATION — WEST WING STUDENTS.

My fingers immediately went cold. I pulled the folder out, my hands shaking a little as I flipped through the names. There were several students listed in alphabetical order, and then, I saw mine.

VANESSA VANCE.

I stared at the name on the white sticker. For a long second, I didn't even want to open it. I knew that was completely ridiculous—it was literally my own medical file, and I already knew what was inside. Still, my fingers were trembling as I flipped the folder open.

The first page just had all the basic, boring information the nurse had taken yesterday morning. My temperature was normal. My blood pressure was fine. My pulse, oxygen levels, and weight were completely ordinary. I stared at the numbers, checking them twice. There was nothing strange, nothing suspicious, and nothing that said I was anything other than a completely ordinary seventeen-year-old girl.

I almost smiled, a huge wave of relief washing over my shoulders. Maybe all of this really was just in my head. Maybe my blood sample was completely fine, and Derek Thorne was only standing in the clinic because of the regular fire investigation. I had spent the last twenty-four hours completely freaking myself out over absolutely nothing.

I flipped to the next page, expecting more of the same normal metrics. It was fine. I felt some of the tight tension fully leave my muscles.

But then, I reached the very bottom of the page. There was a tiny, fresh note written under the doctor's signature. I read it once, and then I read it again just to be sure.

ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS PENDING.

My fake smile disappeared instantly. I stared at the words, my throat tightening. "What?"

I checked the page again, thinking maybe the light was tricky and I had read it wrong. I hadn't. I quickly grabbed another student's file from the folder and opened it. Normal. I checked another one. Normal. Another. Nothing. I even opened the file of a student who I knew had been logged right in the Science courtyard during the fire. It was normal. No extra notes, no warnings, no additional analysis pending.

I went straight back to mine. ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS PENDING.

My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit. Why? Why was my sample the only one that was different? I looked through the rest of the paperwork, my eyes scrambling until I found another small note attached to the very back of my sheet.

SECONDARY REVIEW REQUESTED DUE TO PROXIMITY TO INCIDENT LOCATION.

I stared at the purple ink, the truth hitting me like a physical blow. So that was it. They weren't just doing a routine check on the west wing. They were taking a much closer look at the specific students connected to the fire, and somehow, my name had been flagged at the top of their list.

I swallowed hard, my mind immediately racing back to the night of the fire. The burning smoke, the heavy laboratory door handle twisting like soft plastic in my hands, my injured palms, the pre-shift fever, Derek standing in the clinic, and the guard watching the samples. Everything was starting to connect in a way that terrified me, but I still didn't understand what they were actually looking for inside my veins.

Then, my ears picked up a sound. Footsteps.

I closed the file so quickly the heavy folder almost slipped straight out of my hands and hit the floor. Someone was coming toward the annex. Two people, and I recognized one of those voices instantly. It was Derek.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," I whispered to myself, my eyes darting around the room desperately.

There was nowhere obvious to hide. The heavy footsteps were getting closer by the second, and I couldn't leave through the main entrance because they were already walking through the door. I grabbed my file, shoved it back into the cabinet, and slammed the drawer shut without making a sound. My eyes landed on a narrow, tight space between a tall storage locker and the concrete wall. It wasn't comfortable, and it definitely wasn't safe, but it was my only option.

I squeezed myself into the tiny gap, pulling my body as far back into the shadows as possible. A second later, the clinic door opened, and the bright overhead lights flicked on.

Derek walked into the room, his security specialist following right behind him. I immediately covered my mouth with both hands, pressing my back against the wall and trying to breathe as quietly as possible.

Derek walked straight toward the main administrative desk. "Any updates?" the specialist asked, setting a stack of papers down.

"Some," Derek replied, his voice low and completely serious.

"Anything useful yet?"

"Not yet."

I stayed completely still, my heart hammering so hard I was terrified they would hear it through the wood. The specialist tapped the desk. "Most of the west wing students are completely clean, sir."

Derek opened another folder, his boots creaking. "Most?"

"The ones we checked today."

"What about the students who were logged closest to the courtyard corridor?"

"We're still reviewing their timelines."

Derek was quiet for a long moment, the silence in the room getting super heavy. Then, he spoke again. "And the blood samples?"

My entire body went completely cold. The specialist looked down at his clipboard. "Some of them are still being processed in the annex lab, sir."

"Which ones?"

"The specific ones marked for secondary review."

I pressed my lips together so hard they hurt. My blood. It had been officially marked for their secondary review.

Derek picked up another file from the desk, and I could see the edge of the white page from the tiny gap where I was hiding. He flipped it open, and my heart nearly stopped dead in my chest.

VANESSA VANCE.

No. No, no, no. This could not be happening.

Derek looked down at the lines of text. "Scholarship student," he muttered.

The specialist nodded. "Yes, sir."

"How long has she been at Cresthaven?"

"Not long. Only eight weeks."

Derek flipped to the next page. "Family?"

"Limited information in the primary files."

"Previous schools?"

"Several."

Derek stopped turning the pages. "Several?"

"They've moved around quite a bit, sir. Four states in five years."

I felt my stomach tighten into a knot. Derek stared at the page for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing. Then, he continued reading the log. "She was near the Science courtyard during the fire incident."

"Yes."

"She was also injured that night."

"Minor injuries reported by the dorm staff," the specialist said.

Derek looked up from the paper. "What kind of injuries?"

"Scratches on her palms."

His face went completely hard, and I held my breath. I knew those scratches hadn't been normal human injuries. They had come from the door handle, from the heat, and from everything my body had been trying to hide from the world.

Derek closed the folder halfway, leaning against the desk. "Anything else on her?"

The specialist hesitated for a second. "Her reflexes during the evacuation were unusual, sir. She reacted before some of the other students even realized something was wrong."

Derek was silent, his gray eyes staring blankly at my file. Then, he looked back down at the pages. "There's something wrong with this girl."

I felt my fingers go completely numb. The specialist asked, "Medical?"

Derek just kept staring at the paperwork. "I don't know yet. But we need to monitor her."

My entire body was screaming at me to get out of that room, but I couldn't move an inch. Derek was standing only a few feet away from my hiding spot. If I made even a tiny sound, he would know I was there. The specialist reached for another file on the desk, and then, out of nowhere—

BZZZT.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

My eyes widened in pure horror. I had completely forgotten to silence the stupid thing before sneaking in.

Derek stopped moving instantly. A suffocating silence filled the entire clinic.

"Did you hear that?" the specialist whispered, his hand dropping toward his belt.

I squeezed my phone through my hoodie fabric so hard my knuckles turned white, trying to choke out the vibration, but it was too late. Derek slowly turned his head toward the back storage cabinets. I could hear his heavy boots moving across the floor.

One. Two. Three steps. He was coming straight toward me.

My breathing became incredibly shallow as his massive shadow blocked the light through the cabinet gap. He stopped directly in front of the locker, his hand reaching out toward the handle. He was seconds away from pulling it open and catching me.

I looked around the dark space desperately, my eyes landing on an empty metal medical tray sitting on a counter just outside the gap. I stretched my right hand out as far as I could through the shadow, my fingertips barely brushing the cold edge of the iron. Just a little farther. I gave it a hard push.

CRASH!

The metal tray hit the floor on the other side of the room with a massive, ringing noise. Derek immediately spun around toward the sound, drawing his weapon.

"What the—"

"Someone's in here!" the specialist shouted, both of them rushing toward the secondary storage room.

I didn't wait for them to look back. I squeezed out from behind the cabinet and slipped through the main doorway while their backs were turned, moving as quietly as a shadow. The second I reached the open hallway, I heard Derek’s voice echo behind me.

"Who's there?"
I didn't answer. I ran. Not supernaturally fast, not enough to make anyone suspicious if they saw me on camera, but just fast enough to get away from the clinic doors. I reached the concrete stairwell and ducked behind the wall, pressing my hand over my mouth to quiet my breathing. Footsteps came rushing down the corridor after me.

A security guard suddenly appeared at the end of the lower hallway, his radio blaring with static. I waited in the shadows, my heart hammering, until he walked straight past my hiding spot without looking. The moment he disappeared around the corner, I bolted down the remaining steps and burst out into the fresh night air.

I didn't stop moving until I reached my dorm room, slamming the door shut and locking it with a sharp turn. I bent over, resting my hands on my knees and trying to catch my breath. My fingers were shaking like crazy.

I had actually done it. I had broken into the clinic, I had looked at my secret file, and I had nearly been caught red-handed by Derek Thorne. I should have felt some relief, but instead, I felt ten times worse. Because now I knew something I hadn't known before. My blood hadn't been ignored. It had been flagged for an advanced secondary review, someone was looking deeper into my past, and Derek had officially noticed me. Not as a werewolf, not yet, but as a serious problem.

I looked down at the little white bandage still covering the spot where the needle had gone into my arm yesterday morning, and I couldn't help thinking about how completely ridiculous my life had become. Yesterday, I was scared of a simple blood test. Tonight, I was running through the school corridors because someone might discover why I wasn't human.

I rubbed my forehead, groaning out loud. "This is officially the worst week of my entire life."

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my hand again. I flinched, my stomach doing a violent turn as I looked down at the screen.

Unknown Number.

I frowned, thinking maybe it was just random spam. I opened the message, and my blood ran cold.

Unknown Number: You shouldn't have gone looking for your blood, Vanessa.

I stared at the glowing screen, my fingers going completely cold. Before I could even take a breath, a second message appeared right underneath it.

Unknown Number: You're running out of places to hide.

I looked around my empty room immediately, a sudden wave of paranoia hitting my chest. I checked the window behind me, then the locked door. The hallway outside was dead silent, but a horrible feeling told me someone had been watching me the entire time. Someone knew exactly what I had just done inside that clinic. And suddenly, getting caught by Derek Thorne didn't seem like the biggest problem anymore.

I looked down at the words on my screen again, my mind racing in a million different directions. Who sent this? Was it Derek? One of his security people? Someone working inside the clinic? Or someone else entirely?

I didn't know the answer. But there was one thing I knew for sure: someone was actively watching me. And if they already knew I had gone looking for my blood, then they probably knew a lot more about my secret than I wanted them to.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and walked over to my bed, the silence of the room feeling twice as heavy now. For the first time since the fire happened, I wasn't only worried about hiding my secret from the school board. I was worried about who else might already know it existed.