Forty-six. That's how many hybrids survived the Hunter attack in the woods after I revived them with an injection of my blood. That's how many followed me home to Frederick Falls. And that's how many were now mentally linked to me through a blood bond. Two days. Three valium. Fourteen hours of sleep. That's what it took to realize I wasn't losing my mind as a result of the noise in my own head. Sixteen. That's how many days have passed since I almost killed Alex. That's how many days I've sat by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up. To ease the guilt, to understand his betrayal, to...

Wood Point Academy is not at all what I expected. For one thing, it looks like a cross between military school and Buckingham Palace. Everyone stares, the floors shine so bright you can see your reflection in them from a mile away, and no one smiles. Unless they're kicking your butt in the process. At least I've got plenty to take my mind off the fact that my psycho cousin, Miles De'Luca, keeps calling and declaring his love and promising to come for me just as soon as he's destroyed anyone standing in our way. Wes isn't going to like that idea. So between Miles, Wood Point's evil welcoming...

Hybrids. If I had to choose one word to sum up all of my problems, this would be it. Without hybrids, I wouldn't have to watch my best friend slowly becoming a monster. Without hybrids, I could let go of the mentality "hunt or be hunted." CHAS wouldn't be scouring the Earth, intent on slaughtering and using Alex to do it. Without hybrids, I wouldn't have to be on guard that losing my temper meant losing my shape. There would be no monster inside me, struggling to get out. Then again, without hybrids, I wouldn't have Wesley St. John.