As she stepped down, the manager and producer came forward, all smiles and congratulations for her performance. They promised her a weekly spot, maybe even more if she was willing to keep reporting honestly and without bias.
“What the fuck was that?” Her mother’s howl cut through the air as she fought free of the security team. “That is not what we rehearsed, Sasha! How dare you disobey me. No big dinner. No day spa. You’re going home to eat a bowl of rice and work on the exercise bike for at least an hour.”
Sasha’s heart sank though she knew she would never succumb to her mother’s strict punishments ever again. Her heart hurt because Jenna was so twisted that she had to keep behaving this way and would likely never accept that she was in the wrong.
The production manager and producer argued with Jenna immediately, showing her the feed from social media and the onslaught of praise and support Sasha received from the audience. As Jenna yelled louder and louder, Sasha drifted away in the direction of the break room.
But she didn’t enter. No, instead, she kept walking toward the hated elevator, feeling a throb in her chest that was more than just her heart.
Whelon’s coming.
She didn’t know how she knew. She simply knew. The most likely place to find him was his clinic and as she stepped into the elevator, she pulled out her phone to call a taxi.
It would take her mother a while to figure out that Sasha wasn’t getting coffee. She had become so accustomed to Sasha’s obedience that she could be gone for an hour or more before her mother noticed she was gone.
Sasha left the building with a spring in her step, her body coming alive at just the promise of seeing Whelon again. She didn’t know how they were going to work their mating out, but for now, that didn’t matter.
All that mattered was getting to him. They had plenty of time to work the rest out later.
Chapter Eighteen
Whelon could not get away from Preor Tower until mid-morning though he had some trained healing warriors head out to his impromptu clinic first thing, just to triage and give support to those waiting to be seen. He wanted more food on offer and hoped to pull in an even bigger crowd than the previous day.
Chashan and a few others wondered why he wasted so much time on people who hated their kind and most likely always would. Whelon took the attitudes to heart, wounded by their opinions, especially from Chashan.
“You were not there, friend,” he spoke carefully, mindful of his anger. “I know you, Chashan. You are a healer to your core. You would not let these people suffer.”
Chashan shook his head. “You know there are conflicting media reports about what happened there yesterday. Do you not?”
Whelon frowned. He had had not known. Chashan raised his eyebrows, wings ruffling and making a rustling sound like an aggravated bird preparing for flight. “Some news reports say you are helping the humans, but others believe you are hurting them.”
Whelon shrugged, big wings moving with the subtle shift of muscle. “Sounds like our people need a better press editor.”
Then he turned to make his way to the roof, realizing that the Knowing had gifted him with some knowledge of his mate’s profession.
As he packed the short flight shuttle with supplies, he could not cease thinking about Sasha. He planned to find her today, even though he knew he would have a full day’s work ahead of him simply treating the poor.
When he arrived, he was pleased to see that the warriors and healers had set up more tents—the area looking more like a fair than a hospital. Especially with the big tables of food up and down the street.
Children played up and down the road, kicking a ball or trying to fly paper airplanes. Whelon was touched by how many warriors played with the children. It was obvious that they all truly cared about improving conditions for the people who lived there.
If they wish to report that I’m a monster, let them, he thought. I shall be a monster any day of the week so long as I can help these people.
As he entered the main building they had commandeered, he found it even more full than the previous day. He knew most of his tasks would be to administer vitamins, immune-boosting serum and antibiotics. They would have to keep providing good food for several weeks. Otherwise his help would soon be worse than useless.
Treating the symptoms does not alleviate the cause, he thought with mounting frustration. I can patch them up, but they will not stay well unless we do something permanent.
He had no idea what that might be, but it would not be hard to continue sending out food and other supplies like blankets and clothes. A few Preor could also fix broken walls and roofs within a few hours.
“Welcome.” He smiled as he passed the line of people. “Thank you for your patience. I will see everyone as quickly as I can.”
Near the exam room a tall figure stood. She was wrapped in a loose smock and covered in paint and chalk, but he recognized his mate immediately. His heart leapt when he saw she had been playing with the young ones, setting up an art class of sorts to entertain them.
“Shaa kouva!” he called out to her. Sasha ran into his arms with no hesitation, and the moment her arms wrapped around his neck was like heaven.
Once as a young Preor he had been caught flying across a vast desert and collapsed in the midday sun. When a
