Page 47 of Terror

“Mm-hm.”

“They want a story.”

“They’ll catch my ax in their foreheads.”

I snort.

She squeezes my shoulder and moves closer. “You will be a nice Omega for my nephew. Yes?”

“Yes, ma’am. He’s good to me.”

“He’s not good to you. He’s the very best.”

I chuckle. “They said he’s your favorite.”

“They, whoever they are, talk too much. Who is it?”

“Dreikx.”

Sidone rolls her eyes. “That one yaps all the time.”

Arkin’s marching back with long strides while a brunette and a cameraman wearing a baseball cap jog behind him.

“I’ll be right back,” I say and head for the kitchen to grab the iced tea. I bring a tray with glasses outside. The reporter and the cameraman politely refuse the refreshments.

“This will be a live broadcast,” I say and extend my hand, asking for the microphone.

The woman smiles like a shark and hands me the mike, stepping away from the picture. The cameraman lifts three fingers and counts down, mouthingLive now. The camera’s red light glows.

“Hi, my name is Tabitha Park, and I’m an Omega. When I was twelve, my parents died in a car accident and left me their fortune, namely Park and Build Construction Company, which developed almost the entire south side of California, namely the SDNU campus and all the areas surrounding the Horde Stronghold. Since their deaths, the money has sat in a fund. One day, years ago, Travis Gunnman, my lawyer, the man in charge of my funds, approached me and asked me to (I make quotation marks with my fingers)helpthe Omega community by funding a pharmaceutical project that suppressed our scent, freeing us from the social stigma people associate with Omegas and, honestly, freeing us from being thought of as breeders.” I swallow and glance at Arkin, whose pinched lips tell me he’s displeased. I press on. “I agreed. At sixteen, I thought I knew everything.” I smile a sad smile and take a deep breath. “The first Betaren pill was given to me about two years ago, and I have been taking it ever since. The shakes come when I don’t take it. My muscles lock, and I can barely move. This pill is highly addictive, and now they’ve laced it with poison. Travis has tried to kill me, to control me and many other Omegas since. I am sorry. Had I known, I never would have approved the funds.”

I fist the hem of my suit jacket. “And now that I know, I’m grateful Terror has collected Omegas and is keeping them away from people who would hurt them. If the pills don’t turn a profit, they will shut down production. No consumers means no profit. But the man who tried to kill me is still out there, and I fear he’ll hurt many.” I straighten my shoulders and fist my hands. “I turn nineteen in a few days and will have full control of my parents’ fortune, which has grown since their deaths. I will award a million dollars to anyone who provides information that leads to Travis’s location. I’m sure the fine people at the local TV station will provide an image of him and a phone number to call. Thank you, and stay safe.”

It takes a few seconds for the cameraman to shut off the recording. The reporter gapes. “A million?”

“Yes.”

She reaches into her pocket and hands me her card. “Call me anytime. Day, night, midnight.”

Sidone stands and dusts off her hands. “That’ll be all.” She ushers them away.

Terror is quiet.

I sit back down and stare at the dry fountain. “I should get rid of that monstrosity.”

Arkin blocks my view, hands on his hips. “The priority is not to look for him. The priority is to protect you.”

With one hand, I block the sun as I gaze up at him. “You can’t protect me and look for him at the same time. We’ll let other people look.”

Arkin’s jaw tightens.

I continue, “You know I’m right about this. He’ll never come here, Arkin, not with you around. He knows he can’t win the fight.”

He starts pacing back and forth. “People will descend onto this home now to try to get a piece of the million you offered. I must make more poles.”

I widen my eyes. I thought he was upset because I stepped into his territory, so to speak, but he’s upset because people will come and want a piece of me now. I stand and grab his shoulder. This male only worries about me. He cares nothing about my money, about Travis being at large, about the few unaccounted people from the birthday invites list. “I love you, Arkin,” I blurt. “You make me feel amazing. If someone spots Travis at the gas station, they’ll call it in. You’ll collect him like you collected all those Omegas. Wouldn’t you like that?”

“Definitely.”

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