Page 78 of Monster. Me.

"Sure, sure." I move to the door so fast it feels like I’m teleporting out.

The alpha who brought me here is gone, and good. I don't need more people sniffing all over me.

I navigate the corridors blindly, trying to find my way back. I spot an elevator and head for it, hoping it will take me down to reception. It dings, and the doors open.

Fuck, four alphas!

Fortunately, they’re not interested in sniffing me, because they're very focused on something completely different… a patient.

Almost flattened against the wall, I shuffle sideways past them. But I steal a peek at the person they’re wheeling on a hospital bed inside.

And I freeze. Oh wow. This is definitely not a normal patient.

Strapped down with thick metal restraints lies a strange creature. His skin is pale, almost ash-gray, with a faint silvery tint. His eyes are open, completely black, like a demon’s. No eyebrows. Between parted lips, I see a row of fangs, identical to Fenn Drax’s: double canines, dense, and sharper than human teeth. There’s something else about his face that resembles Fenn even more.

He looks like some ancient vampire with gray skin. Long black hair, pale lips. Probably not as tall as Fenn, but still over seven feet tall, long-limbed, though not nearly as muscular, leaner instead. Something like a black one-piece suit covers most of his body, but I catch a glimpse of something trailing beside the bed: a gray, bare tail hanging off the side of the rattling wheels.

Our eyes meet for a moment, and a chill runs down my spine, like something just brushed through my mind.

The alphas push the bed past me without a word, heading toward a glass gate at the end of the corridor. It slides open silently, and they disappear inside.

I stand there watching them go. I have no idea what I just witnessed, but I’m not even sure this facility is only about alpha fertility research. I sigh and shrug, stepping into the elevator.

There are more things in heaven and earth than philosophers ever dreamed of.

I ride down to the lobby, and then take the elevator I already know to the floor where the program participants’ rooms are located.

Hoping I won’t run into anyone else, I slip into my room to quickly change and rinse off. I don’t want to provoke any more comments, but the moment I’m done, I head out to look for Rupert. I more or less know the way to the hospital wing, so I rush in that direction. After a few winding turns, I manage to get there.

Fortunately for me, Rupert has already regained consciousness. I try to walk into the room, but an alpha is standing by the door and extends a hand to block my access.

"You can’t go in there alone."

"And why would I—" I cut myself off, not finishing, because honestly, that’s obvious. I beat him up. Someone might think I could come back to finish the job.

I peek in a little.

Dr. Lee is standing by Rupert’s bed.

"Can I come in?"

The doctor nods. But the alpha stays close by, ready to stop me if he has to, though eventually the doctor persuades him to let me through.

"Hi, Rupert," I say, feeling my jaw tighten because forcing a friendly tone with him really costs me a lot.

Rupert’s bloodshot eyes turn toward me, and it looks like he’s had a burst blood vessel in the whites of his eye.

Silence. Dr. Lee stares at me for a moment with raised eyebrows.

"I hope nothing serious happened. I went a little too far, but I’ve got a pretty explosive temper," I rattle on, glancing toward Dr. Lee and making an innocent face.

"I’m like that, but I trust Rupert can forgive me, right, baby? We both really want to stay in this program, Doctor, and I believe we’ll be able to get along," I add, partly to Dr. Lee, but the message is aimed at Rupert too.

I realize how that sounds, like a violent man trying to talk his victim into keeping the status quo. And they do not know that, in fact, he raped me. Still, the situation doesn’t look good.

"Doctor, could you step out for a moment? I need to say a few words to Marlow," Rupert says.

The doctor suddenly lets out a squeaky sound and sneezes loudly. Okay, I deserved that murderous look he sent me. Then he just waves the alpha who brought me here out with him, and they both leave, closing the door behind them.