Page 39 of Fever

“And superior intelligence.”

“Yes, a Telean stuck in a Regha costume.”

“Was that a compliment?”

“Indeed.”

Dreikx hands me the crystal. His feels slightly heavier and warmer than mine. To protect my palms from the heat, I leave my armor erected. “While I work on this, I need aerial shots of the Koral Hotel, specifically the two guests from the penthouse suite. A black female and a white male, both in their late fifties. He’s bearded and tattooed. Can’t miss him.”

Dreikx tsks. “My surveillance is limited.”

“I know. Just ask your people. Maybe they saw something.”

“Something what?”

“I don’t know.” I hope it’s not murder.

* * *

An hour later, I lose control of the gate. It pulses, creating a loud bang, and expands all the way to the office’s entrance. Dreikx’s control goes dark. Dreikx loses his mind and spouts obscenities. I stare at the gate, then climb the building from the back. Inside, I dial from Tamika’s ground line.

“Hello,” Tabby’s sleepy voice answers.

“Wake up Arkin.”

“Who is this?”

“Sotay.”

“Well, hello to you too. What time is it?”

“It’s two ten and time to evacuate the Omegas. Get him up and going.”

Chapter 14

Leah

Lies. I smell them.I jerk out of sleep, heart pounding, cold sweat dripping down my body. Getting up, I notice simmering heat in my lower belly. Slowly, I use the bathroom and stare into the mirror, leaning over the sink to check my pupils. Though not normal, they’ve shrunk. My heat lasts for three to five days, and my pupils cover all the brown of my eyes. My biology is screwed up. Probably due to all the stress.

I contemplate telling Sotay about my mom. He would find a way out of this horrible mess.He made the mess,my brain supplies. But did he? He can’t control what other people do. He set his sights on me and went in pursuit. This is what an Alpha male does, and if I were to be honest with myself, it’s flattering, sexy, and everything a girl could ask for.

The male who approached me that day on the beach said if I told him, they’d know and they’d kill my mom. Mike would tell them, so I have to be careful. I bite my lip and return to the bedroom. By the door, I spot water bottles. My parched mouth almost thanks me as I drink. My eyes are so glazed over from heat, I can barely see straight. My chin trembles, and I suppress tears. Wipe the few that escape my eyes anyway.

Crying never got me anywhere in life.

It never persuaded the principal to punish those boys who called me racist slurs.

It never persuaded Mr. Smith to accept my late paper, even though I told him I’d just recovered from pneumonia.

It never gave me a job when I walked into an interview with two dollars to my name.

It didn’t bring my sister back.

Standing up for myself drove off the boys in middle school.

Retaking the class the following year made me pass it.

Ideating on what I can do on my own gave me a job, namely self-employment.

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