Page 42 of Monstrous Rampage
:I never thought I’d end up on a squad with an actual mate.:Shock echoed through the grid. :Let alone with an alpha as formidable as you. You’re terrifying, Syko. Never in a million years did I think you’d let me live.:
:She chose you. She wants a squad. She’ll fucking get a squad.:
:Fuck yeah, motherfucker.:
I sighed.:Your adaption of her language’s colorful metaphors needs adjustment.:Then I sent him a hard mental shove down the grid.:And don’t fucking call me that ever again.:
The damned medic was too smart for his own good—or simply that good at seeing through my bullshit. He merely laughed.:Acknowledged,Syko.:
20
HOLLY
Iwoke up on the exam table. Naked. Paralyzed. Unable to speak.
Screaming in my mind, I tried to find the secret indigo room in my head, but I was still too groggy and scared. Damn it. Why hadn’t I demanded Snyder take the bracelet off as soon as I got put back in my room?
Two silver agents stood on either side of the bed, both staring at a view screen. I wasn’t sure which one was Snyder, until the one on my right turned and saw me awake. Silver flowed into the professor persona, but he didn’t look happy.
The other agent must be the medic. He typed something on a clear panel but didn’t turn to the bed.
“There you are, my dear. How are we feeling today?”
He looked the same and wore the same Indiana Jones cosplay Natalie and I had joked about. But something was off. Wrong. My Spidey senses blared a warning.
“Now that you’re awake, we’ll adjust the amount of sedative so you can speak and feel more of your body.”
I swallowed and moistened my lips. “What’s going on?”
“You didn’t answer the question, Holly. How are we feeling today?”
My knee-jerk reaction was to simply say, “fine,” but when I paused and thought about it, things weren’t so fine at all. My stomach was sour and acidic, like it’d curdle if I drank a glass of milk. Without the heavy sedative, my head ached. My temples felt sore and tender. My eyes burned too hot like I had a fever. “Am I sick?”
“We do not detect any viral or bacterial infection,” the other agent replied.
“We were just about to interrogate you about your recent visit with the SPTD but your scan has the medic a bit concerned.”
Interrogate. Fucking great. Maybe I could puke on them, and they’d put me back in the room. I normally didn’t like to whine about being sick, but I leaned into this like I had the world’s worst man cold. I even managed to whimper. “I don’t feel so good. What’s wrong with me?”
I had the feeling they were communicating on the grid deliberately so I couldn’t hear. Bastards. The medic extended an implement and touched the delicate skin on the inside of my elbow without turning around to even look at me. I didn’t feel a needle or taste saline or feel woozy, but my hopes they weren’t injecting me with anything were dashed.
“We’ll try some fluids with a little dose of hCG to make sure that follicle continues to develop,” Snyder said. “The SPTD recommended more nutrients and calories to maintain your weight, so we’ll be sure to offer additional meals.”
The thought of eating anything made me queasier. Evidently I looked a bit green and pale, because Snyder said, “Add additional supplementation intravenously.”
“Acknowledged,” the medic replied. “Though her body will absorb nutrients better from food she’s familiar with.”
“Understood.” Snyder gave me a wide smile that didn’t reach his glittering silver eyes. “We need to get you feeling better, Miss Price. Especially if you’re going to be a mother.”
I closed my eyes, trying not to cry in front of them.Please, Syko. Rekt. Get me out of here before that happens.
“Now then, I’d like to ask you a few questions about your interaction with the SPTD.”
I didn’t open my eyes but gave a tired little nod. “Okay.”
“What did you think of him?”
Starting easy. “He was nice. Considerate. A perfect gentleman.” Until he wasn’t. Though I couldn’t fault him for coming on me. I’d been out of control myself. “I could definitely see him working well on the squad, and I liked his bedside manner.”
