Page 12 of Dark Goodbye

Again, no one seems to be around, but I know it’s just a matter of time before someone sees me. I glance up at the various cameras and pull the sheet over her face before stepping out where they can see me. I make my way to the door, my heart thundering in my ears.

“Alpha Healer?” I freeze, my body tensing, preparing for a fight.

“Yes?” I turn my head to look over my shoulder, glancing at one of the nurses.

“King Alpha Jaxxon requests your presence in the throne room.” She shifts her head, looking at me as if trying to see what I’m holding.

“Very well. I will head in his direction. Unless there is an emergency, you will consult with Alpha Healer Aeron. I am taking a personal day.

“Yes, Alpha Healer. I understand.”

“Shall I take those sheets for you?” The hairs on the back of my neck prickle as I hold Ladria even closer.

“Not necessary. They are too far gone and need to feed the incinerator. I will take care of it.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble. I can-.”

I cut her off with a soft growl, infusing my iron will in my words. “They have been contaminated, and I wish to not spread anything around the hospital. I. Will. Handle. It.”

“Yes, Healer Alpha,” she whispers, her voice drifting as she steps away. “I apologize Healer Alpha. Whatever you think is best.”

Tempering my tone, I turn a little more and flash her a small smile. “I appreciate your willingness. But I have everything under control.” Just that small nugget of kindness sends a smile across her face, easing the band of fear from around my heart.

Though I detest pandering to her in this way, I need to throw her off my scent. She’s more likely to forget about the sheets if she’s less angry. With a quick nod, I keep going straight, but instead of heading out the main door, I turn toward the incinerator, keeping an eye on the nurse.

She’s no longer looking at me, and instead is working on the gathering paperwork. Making my way down the long hall, I pick up my pace, needing to leave the confines of this hospital before I lose my sanity.

I pass by the incinerator, making a great show of opening up the door, blocking both Ladria and me from the cameras. Heat blasts on us, and I hold her close, shielding her as best as I can. After a few moments of pretending to dispose of the sheets, I turn and shift, hiding her in front as I shut the door.

Sweat gathers at my palms as I jostle Ladria in my arms, taking care to not move her shoulder more than necessary. Keeping my movements controlled, I leave by way of the main tunnel and out the back. It’s a far longer journey than I already had planned, and the chance of us being discovered grows higher with each step.

Easing out the back entrance, I look about, spotting a few fellow doctors chatting near the fence. My pulse is like a hammer slamming away in my chest as I turn and rush toward the main fence where the personal transports stay parked during the work shift.

Titters of conversations reach my ears, but I press on, keeping my head bent in an effort to make myself smaller, unnoticeable. Laughable, as if an Alpha can just disappear amongst the commoners. My sanity must truly be slipping.

Spotting my transport, I yank open the door and slide her inside the backseat, doing my best to both be hasty but also not jerking her around needlessly. Heart in my throat, I slam the door shut and climb inside, turning to glance back at her. Everything is still and silent, but then, I hear the soft snores escaping her lips and sigh in relief.

Glancing out into the transport storage facility, I listen for alarms, anything that indicates I’ve been discovered, but so far, there’s nothing. Worry claws at my brain as I maneuver my hovercraft around the others and head toward the exit. What could Jaxxon possibly want from me? Does he somehow already know?

The question burns through my brain as I school my features into a mask of indifference. As I near the gate, my fingers clench around the controls. So far, nothing seems amiss, but that can change in an instant. As the Alpha Guardian steps away from his gatehouse, I glance around, looking for backup.

“Done for the day Alpha Healer Davix?”

“Yes,” I respond, keeping my voice disinterested, nearly monotone. “King Alpha Jaxxon seeks my presence.”

With a broad smile, the young guardian nods and motions me through, waving as I slide past him. So far, every hurdle seems to fall before me, making my stomach twist with uncertainty. All of this seems easy. Too easy.

CHAPTER 7

Ladria

Agony races through my body like unchecked fire, muddling my brain. I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. I shuffle about, but I’m unable to move. My shoulder throbs and aches, the pain sizzling like a live wire through my arm, culminating at my wrist.

I need to see the damage. I need to know what that monster inflicted on me — hopefully, it’s just the omega sigil. But try as I might, my eyes refuse to open. It’s as if I’m caught in a dream, but one in which I’m very much aware. Noises surround me, soft whispers that I can’t quite understand.

Hysteria climbs my throat, lodging at the top of my esophagus, threatening to choke me. But then I smell it. The familiar scent that teased my nose at some point.

Honestly, with all I’ve been through, I’m unable to tell if it was today, yesterday, or a year ago. Nothing feels real, most of all, time. All of that slips away, but the warmth, the smell, the sound of a soft, constant rumbling slithers deep inside my psyche, taking hold, allowing me to slip back into unconsciousness.