Page 98 of Monster. Me.

Suddenly, a wave of intense emotion hits me. Everything we talked about, everything I promised Marlow… I can’t give up, not ever. I need to get out, now.

"You’d better go see Dr. Lee. You smell like vanilla; you’re pregnant," I blurt out, though I don’t care at all, because everything I care about is heading right now toward Franklin.

My decision locks in within a fraction of a second. The only chance at happiness I’ve ever had is slipping away from me.

Marlow, my Marlow, my beautiful auburn furball!

I close my eyes and see his gentle, always slightly sad face, rarely smiling, and I feel his hands sliding across my face as he whispers, "You deserve everything good, Fenn…"

No, I can’t lose him.

Not a chance. The only person who ever showed me tenderness; I can’t have him taken away from my life.

That precious treasure, that one rare feeling that seemed to connect us, growing, beautiful, strong. I won’t let it disappear, even if I have to die fighting for it.

Frowning, I turn away, leaving shocked Caspian and Tobias in the hallway, heading straight for the exit.

I reach the ground floor and pass the receptionist, determination fueling me.

The beta stares at me with wide eyes.

I move toward the entrance booth and immediately see one of the alphas stepping outside at the sight of me.

"Hey, I’ve got direct orders from Dr. Lomax to stop you here. You’re not allowed to leave the facility for the next two weeks!"

"Get out of my way!" I hiss.

I simply have to catch Marlow. I’m not going to let my life fall apart any more than it already has!

I try to get past him, but then he pulls out a taser.

"Don’t move or I’ll stun you!" The second alpha steps out as well. They’re older men, probably pushing sixty, but still fully committed to their role as security.

They block the gate with their bodies, and it’s locked.

"Not another step. Turn back, Drax! Dr. Lomax needs you for two more weeks, then you can go wherever you want. Return to your cell!"

"I don’t care what Dr. Lomax wants! Let me go right now!" I shout.

"No chance, son. Get back inside!"

"I don’t want to hurt you. You’re out of your depth, gentlemen; you'd need something like a bazooka to stop me. So for your own good, get out of my way."

"You get out of ours. Move back!"

The exchange is going nowhere. I can’t argue with them any longer. Time is critical here.

I know what they’re going to do, but I also know I can take it. They fire tasers at me at the same time. My body locks up, but I was already close enough that when I fall, I drop into them, grabbing their waists, and slamming them to the ground.

For a moment I jolt from the shock, but it’s not as bad as I expected.

I recover quickly, ripping the tasers out of their hands like toys. I don’t want to hurt them, since they’re just doing their job.

What surprises me, though, is how strangely passive they are. They don’t try to protest. First they stare at me, then at each other, and then it hits me.

They aren’t wearing nose clips!

They’ve just gotten a full dose of my pheromones.