Page 9 of Fever

Nobody is breathing.

Arkin leans forward. “A she? An Omega?”

“Yes.”

Arkin widens his eyes. “This is certainly a surprise.”

“Fix the gate,” Raven says, “And I’ll give you a blessing for the Omega, a party with lights and music.” He smirks at Arkin, who rolls his eyes, “And Loyette’s entire litter.”

“And Canada.”

“Huh?” comes from Seer. “What the hell is this? Dreikx Request Day?”

“Indeed,” Dreikx says. “Prince, I shall hold you to your promised blessing.”

Raven nods.

“Tabby reserved one hound, so he can’t have the whole litter,” Arkin says.

“Okay, litter minus one,” Raven says.

“Two,” I pitch in. “The princess told me she’s keeping one. Minus two.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you all?” Seer marches out of the room.

“Horrible temper,” Dreikx says. “As I was saying, I only ask for one baby hound, and I will also take hound name suggestions. At a later date. For today, I will need Sotay’s full cooperation, especially his mind, if there’s anything left of it, for the duration of the gate problem, until it is fixed.”

“I don’t answer to you,” I say.

“But you answer to me,” Raven says and stands. “Or has that changed?”

I stand and hit my chest. “You offend me.” He’s questioning my loyalty.

Raven smirks. “Arkin, collect Sotay’s Omega and bring her to the Stronghold. Do this personally.”

“Over my dead body,” I say.

Raven slaps his palms on the table and bares his teeth. “I will have the gate fixed. Bring me Leah Jenkins, or I swear on the Serpent, I will ask my father to collect her.”

I sprint out of the office, hop on Deyo, and take off for Leah’s house. Arkin on my heels, we race through the districts. Arkin’s hound, Miyo, is fast, but Deyo’s got a head start and clearly enjoys the race because he’s sprinting like something’s chasing him. At Leah’s, I hop off him and then over the fence. Arkin’s behind me. At the door, I stop and turn around. “How do I look?”

Arkin surveys my body, fixes my belt. “Pretty.”

I fix his cape, center the clip on his neck, then knock on the door.

“Yes?” comes a lovely voice. The big vein in my dick pulses.

“Leah,” Arkin and I say in unison, and I push him away as she opens the door. She wears tight jeans and a tank top, and I take my sweet time perusing her nice legs down to her painted toes. She paints them white. It looks great against her dark skin.

She leans against the doorjamb, clearly not inviting us inside. “How long are you going to be doing this?” she asks me.

“Doing what?” I ask innocently. I know what she means.

“Showing up at my house uninvited.”

“Not long,” Arkin answers.

Leah takes in his red cape. “You’ve come to collect me.”

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