Instincts

AN- Apologies for the late update. I just couldn't wait for tomorrow's normal time to update. Please enjoy, and everything will fall back to schedule tomorrow. Enjoy.

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"Someone, anyone, get me the drug—STAT, please!" Ella screamed at the top of her lungs. But no one budged.

She gritted her teeth, feeling weakness creeping in as she struggled to keep Derek at bay. His weight bore down on her, making it harder and harder to hold him back. His salivating only worsened the situation, making everything slippery. Her arms trembled from the effort, but she refused to let go. If she did, she knew what would happen. And she wasn't ready to die.

"Grrr." Derek let out an incomprehensible growl, his pupils dilated with an unsettling hunger. 'She smells so good. I want to sink my teeth into that skin… bite deep.'

The thoughts startled him. They were unfamiliar yet instinctively his. He wanted to act on them—just one bite, one big scoop of her right shoulder, and then he would stop. He could already imagine the way her skin would tear beneath his teeth, the warmth of her blood filling his mouth. The thought sent a shiver through his body, not of fear but of pleasure.

'Wait… What am I doing?' The realization sent a shock through his system. 'Are these really my thoughts? I want to eat Ella? Her flesh? But… she's human like me.'

Or was he? The momentary doubt froze him in place.

Ella saw her chance. Summoning every ounce of strength she had left, she shoved Derek off with all her might. 'Those leg days weren't for nothing.'

She didn't wait to see if he would recover. She turned and ran, her heartbeat roaring in her ears. She didn't dare look back, afraid Derek would be right on her heels. But he wasn't.

He remained crouched where she had thrown him, unmoving. The sight puzzled her, but she didn't slow down. She rushed forward, grabbed her bag, and tore through it, searching for the emergency dose of haloperidol. Her fingers found the vial just as Derek stirred, his internal struggle seemingly over.

Their eyes met.

The air between them was thick with tension. Ella's rapid breaths echoed in her ears, her fear exposing itself in ways she wished she could suppress. Trembling fingers, sweaty palms, a chest rising and falling too fast. But worst of all—

Fainting.

For as long as she could remember, she had suffered from stress-induced fainting spells. It had started when her father left, worsened when she was nearly hit by a truck. Doctors had told her it wasn't just trauma—it was her body's coping mechanism. A complete shutdown when danger became overwhelming.

Convenient, right?

She used to call herself weak and selfish. What good was losing consciousness in a life-or-death situation? It had gotten so bad in her childhood that she had been on medication just to stay awake. Anxiety followed her like a shadow.

And career day had been a disaster.

Her doctor had been blunt. "You'll hurt people, or worse… kill them. Now, we wouldn't want blood on our little Ella's hands, would we?"

His words had stayed with her.

"Choose something else, something easier. Less labor-intensive. How about engineering? They make good money and hardly do anything. I even heard they just submit group work as individual assignments—it's a cruise! You'll have the time of your life."

Back then, she had believed he was just concerned for her. Later, she discovered his words stemmed from an intense rivalry between medical and engineering schools. It had never been personal.

But to Ella, it had been.

And that's why, as long as she wore the white coat, she swore she would never let a patient die on her watch.

Derek growled, snapping her back to the present. His decision was clear—he would rather lose his humanity.

Ella took a deep breath and steadied herself. She got into a defensive stance, ignoring the murmurs from the crowd.

"Instincts. It must be instincts," someone whispered in disbelief.

"How could the golden student know a fighting stance?"

Ella nearly laughed. These people were so simple-minded. Did excelling in academics mean the rest of her life was a neatly arranged puzzle? That she had never faced danger before? Life wasn't a classroom, and being the best student didn't mean she couldn't be held at gunpoint, attacked, or forced to fight for her life.

Life didn't favor anyone.

She flexed her fingers, feeling the blood rush through them. This wasn't some theoretical lesson or an exam she could study for. This was survival. And she intended to survive.

Derek moved. His muscles tensed, a snarl forming on his lips. He was faster than before, his hesitation gone.

Ella adjusted her footing professionally, bracing for impact. But inside, she was screaming. Was she truly ready for this? Could she hold her ground against him? Against whatever he was becoming?

No time for doubts.

Her breath slowed as adrenaline took over. She had one shot. One chance to put him down before he tore her apart.

Derek lunged.