Surely, they are not reporting on my actions, he thought. I’m helping their people!
He knew nothing about humans was ever that simple, though. Any meaning could be deduced from his actions, and humans would likely take the worst perspective as the truth versus the best.
“We are switching now to a direct feed from beloved local celebrity Sasha Dane and her mother, Jenna. This is breaking news from the forefront of the tragedy. We now know that Sasha was almost abducted by the Preor and rescued by her valiant mother.”
“What the…” Amryn muttered from nearby. Some of the other Preor present gathered to watch the broadcast, all of them wearing equal expressions of disbelief and disgust.
“Switching to live feed of Sasha and Jenna now.” The newswoman disappeared and the screen soon revealed a dingy, dark room. A shaft of sunlight from the window illuminated Sasha lying flat on a bed. She appeared so pale she didn’t even look alive. Whelon made a leap toward the screen and was halted by Radoo’s strong arms and fierce grip.
A slender woman appeared beside the bed. She had the same black hair as Sasha, but it was cut into a sharp-edged bob. Their blue eyes were the same enchanting color, but Jenna’s were cold and calculating where Sasha’s had been warm and deep… welcoming.
The color of waters in which I can never swim, he thought, and the mother’s are as cold as the ice caps that no longer exist.
“Mother,” Sasha cried weakly.
Jenna made no attempt to comfort her daughter, choosing instead to focus on the camera. “Look at what the Preor have done to my poor daughter.” The woman’s tone was heavy with malice, but Whelon detected no concern in her voice. “This is what the Preor do to claim a mate. This is how they will destroy the human race.”
The silence in the room was extreme, and every Preor in hearing distance was poised to fight for their race, desperately clinging to their two-legged form and suppressing their inner dragons.
“Since her first exposure to the Preor and the sudden onset of this alleged ‘Knowing sickness’ Sasha has not been able to walk, eat or in other ways care for herself.” She shook her head, looking down on Sasha mournfully. “This is physical and mental. Some form of hypnosis. We have all heard of the Knowing, but no one really understands it. I am here to warn you, my fellow humans, that this is akin to rape. Sasha has no choice in the matter at all.”
Shocked gasps from the humans flew around the room, and the frustration of the attending Preor was gradually turning into full-blown rage at the lies this female spewed.
“I show you this footage so humans have a clear choice. These are the facts of the treaty. Our women do not give consent. They have no choice. This Knowing sickness is a chemical reaction, an addiction stronger than any drug.” Jenna shook her head and wiped her cheek theatrically, even though Whelon saw no tears.
“I don’t know if she will survive.” Jenna sobbed—another fake expression. “It could be fatal.” She shook her head and buried her face in her hands, pretending to cry.
The screen went dark and the news reader came back on, full of fervor that would fuel a media frenzy—against Whelon and his people.
“Hey, I know that place.” One of the males in the waiting room spoke up. “It’s Shirley’s Bunk and Junk over by the interstate. She’s got rooms to rent and a bar where you can buy just about anything.”
Whelon glanced around the room and saw all his friends ready to fly. He turned to the field medic and clasped his shoulder. “Kyrin, you are in charge. See to these people to the best of your ability.”
“But, Healing Master, I’m only—”
“You’re a healing warrior.” Whelon squeezed his shoulder once more. “I have given you a field promotion and elevated your rank. I must go. Now.”
Whelon walked out of the dilapidated building and raised his arms as he took a deep breath. His dragon sighed deeply within as his skin tingled, and the change moved over him with agonizing slowness.
She is near.
He could sense her, almost smell her.
Soon the pain will cease, he promised himself and his mate.
He took a handful of steps away from the building, stepping toward the center of the cul-de-sac, and leapt into the air. He shifted midair as his powerful wings grabbed the winds and launched him above the rooftops. It would only take minutes to find her now. He was so close…
Soon, my love, shaa kouva. I’m coming.
Chapter Thirteen
Pain.
All Sasha knew was pain. Her mind was a vast expanse of red and black, a formless desert where she would wander forever, everlastingly thirsty with relentless agony rolling through her in sick waves.
Sometimes she blinked her way into the real world, but the light was too bright and the shadows deep enough for her to fall into. The murmurs of voices around her were both threatening and sharp. Then she always fell back into the world of red and black.
She was far away, so very, very far away, when she heard the commotion. She had managed to reach a detached plain where the pain was bearable, but loud, shocked voices and sharp thuds brought her back to semi-consciousness.
“Hey! Fucker. Stop! Let me go!” She was certain that was Dave. He made muffled moans and grunts as if he were being held captive and gagged. She wondered who could possibly take down someone as hardened and tough as Dave so easily.
Her skin tingled as air rushed across her flesh. Something had changed. She could feel it, sense it in her surroundings. Then the pain in her joints faded and
