AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Don't you have work to do?” I ask him.
“Nope, Dad is handling it.”
“You know it doesn't look good when the boss sends daddy in to do his work for him, right?” I ask, laughing to myself.
“I said I didn't have work to do; I never said I wouldn’t work,” Valen retorts before getting up and walking into the closet. I hear him moving around in the closet before he walks out dressed in his suit and throws my uniform on the bed.
“Up. If I’m working, so are you.”
“I nearly died. Cut me some slack.”
“Nearlydied. Now up.”
I roll my eyes but haul myself out of bed before hopping in the shower to wake myself up.
Halfway through washing my hair, Valen comes in, telling me he’s running Valarian to school, and he’ll see me tonight. I nod when he opens up the shower door, the cold draft making me shiver as I try to wash the shampoo from my eyes. He grips my wrist, yanking me to him and pecking my lips.
“Dad! We’re going to be late!” Valarian calls out. Valen laughs, letting me go while I blink through the soap before stepping back under the shower spray.
“Hold your horses, I’m coming! And don't forget your raincoat, it’s supposed to rain today!” I hear him yell back as he walks out of the bathroom. I chuckle to myself and finish my shower before hopping out and drying myself. I have things I need to do today, or at least look into. My first mission is stopping by the council chambers to see if I can petition to be heard in court, and then I need to check up on Emily at the hospital.
The day flies by quickly. It’s overcast, and I figured the rain was coming. What I wasn't expecting was to step out of the city council to a storm brewing and coming in fast. We hardly get storms here, but when we do, they’re always terrible.
Walking back to the car, the wind howls, whipping my hair across my face. Thick, dark clouds roll across the sky, the thunder rumbles loudly, and streaks of lightning light up the heavy clouds above. Reaching my truck, it takes nearly all my strength to close the door with the wind pushing against it.
This storm is going to be a doozy, and I have to get back to the hotel. I need to double-check the backup generators just in case and prepare to lock it down. Trees bend over with the wind as I drive toward work. The drive takes longer when rain and hail start belting down halfway there, the road barely visible, and the windshield wipers are struggling to clear the windshield through the downpour.
Pulling into the staff parking lot, I notice a pool umbrella flying across it.“Shit!”I mutter to myself while tugging the keys out of the ignition. I force my door shut before chasing after the damn thing, only to slip on the slick ground.
Macey, I see, comes running out after the umbrella, and I get back to my feet, soaking wet, my hair dripping.
“Go secure the pool area; I’ll get this!” Macey calls over her shoulder. Her blouse has turned see-through from the rain, and her normally curly hair is straight and dripping. I chuckle as she curses the umbrella, chasing it down while I race to the pool. The wind is tossing the lightweight stuff and I shove it in the garden shed behind the fence where we keep the pool supplies. Rushing back out of the pool area, I turn to lock the fence. You never know when someone will be stupid enough to try to go for a swim during a storm, and I don't feel like scooping out a cooked werewolf in the morning. Once the chain and padlock are secured, I race toward the restaurant. Macey comes up behind me.
“Did you catch it?” I ask.
“Nope, gave up after it tried to whisk me away like Mary Poppins,” she says, wringing her outfit out under the awning. I swing the door open and step inside, the warmth welcoming.
Macey shivers behind me. “Geez, it came out of nowhere,” she says, shaking her head. One of the housekeepers comes over to us, handing us some towels, and I try to dry myself as best I can. Walking into the back to the kitchen, I look for Zoe, but she isn’t anywhere to be found. I turn to the head chef, who’s chopping potatoes.
“Amy, have you seen Zoe?” I ask her. She looks up from her station, her red hair in a hairnet and her chef hat sagging to one side.
“She said she wasn't feeling well and went to lay down before the afternoon rush.”
I look at Macey behind me, and she shrugs. “She was in here before I went out on my futile mission.”
“I’ll go check on her. You alright to check the generators, or do you want me to do it on my way back?” I ask.
“I'll do the generators; you can check to make sure the event room door is locked,” she laughs, and I glare at her; that’s a 30-meter dash with no shelter. She laughs, sauntering out, and I shake my head, heading for the restaurant's rear exit. Forcing myself to brave the storm, I suck in a breath and run like mad for the ballroom, cutting through the gardens and making a beeline for the building at the end of the property.
All the doors are wide open, and I quickly race around and shut them before flicking the lights off. The wind has carried leaves and debris inside the place, and it will need to be cleaned tomorrow. After checking everything is secure, I race back to the main building before detouring for mine and Zoe's apartment.
I climb the stairs two at a time and burst through the door.Well, that's my cardio for the day, I think. My shoes squelch and squeak on the floors. I can hear a groaning sound coming from somewhere up the hall and I quickly kick my shoes off, searching for Zoe and the strange noise. Stepping into the hallway, I turn toward her room, but her door is open, and the room is empty. After sniffing the air, I pick up her scent, but gosh, it’s strong. Approaching the bathroom door, I knock softly, hearing a whimper on the other side.
“Zoe?” I murmur, listening. She doesn’t answer, but it sounds like wherever she is, she’s in pain.
“Zoe, I’m coming in,” I tell her, gripping the doorknob. I twist and push the door open to find Zoe lying on the cold tiles, a towel wrapped around her like she just climbed out of the shower. I rush to her side and kneel next to her.
“Zoe?” I ask, gripping her arms and rolling her on her back. Her skin is hot to the touch, her face flushed and cheeks rosy red like she has a fever, and her scent is sickly sweet.
