Page 145 of Interion

“Don’t you dare look at me like that.” I reached the middle of the stairs, my pheromones wafting through the house in great waves. My cheeks were the color of a ripe tomato. “I’m going to pretend I don’t see you.”

I walked toward my room, each step sending maddening sensations through me, and even the fabric of my panties felt like too much. By the end of the short journey, I was no longer thinking straight. Then I heard Kiara moving downstairs, audibly sniffing the air.

“I’m also pretending I don’t hear you,” I grumbled and slammed the door. “Nosy animals aren’t welcome in this room.”

A few seconds passed, then I heard Zion's door open and Kiara come in. That night, I slept without nightmares, but I could have sworn a chimera and some shadows were mocking me from just outside my room.

Chapter 37

I woke to the sound of two cell phones ringing at once—one of them mine. I jumped up and bolted downstairs since I’d left my purse in the living room. Above me, I heard Zion answering his phone in his room.

“Kyller speaking!” I answered breathlessly. It was Ambrose’s number.

“Good morning, sleepyhead! I’ve got two pieces of news for you!”

There must have been tons of adrenaline coursing through me, because I could barely stand still.

“Good morning, Ambrose! For the love of the gods, I thought no one would ever call. Did the patient wake up?”

I paced around the room, biting my nails. My heart was in my throat, and I wondered if the two wanted to trade places.

He laughed on the other end.

“Congratulations, my dear! Kaori woke up an hour ago and all her tests came back normal,” he announced excitedly. I heard clapping on the other end of the line. Lorenzo was celebrating.

The words filled my mind, spreading relief through my chest.

“Just a moment, Ambrose!” I said, putting the phone on mute. Then I grabbed a colorful pillow from the couch, buried my face in it, and screamed at the top of my lungs. I poured all my worry, anxiety, and adrenaline into that pillow. A husky laugh drifted down from upstairs. I pulled the pillow away, set it in my lap, and took one last deep breath. Then I composed myself and returned to the phone.

“By the gods, Ambrose!” I was so anxious I couldn’t keep my hands still, running my fingers across my forehead as I continued. “I can’t believe it. Is she talking? Acting normal?”

“All brain functions are working perfectly, Kay! No lasting effects. Dr. Liríope monitored her thoughts through mental mapping, and everything’s in place. Kaori even remembers the seconds before she was hit and lost consciousness.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it, Ambrose! I’m going to get ready and I’ll be there soon.” I headed toward the stairs, but Ambrose interrupted me.

“No need to rush! The other news is that the phantom pain is intense and she wasn’t handling it well. Obviously, half her brain was blown apart. So I put her under—the family agreed to keep her sedated for a week while her brain recovers from the trauma.”

I went back to the living room and sprawled on the couch, letting my heart settle. Kaori was whole, and I’d done well.

“Thank you, Ambrose! Thank you for taking care of everything for me! Anyway, I’m heading to the hospital now—I want to talk to you.”

“I’ll be waiting, my love! I want to know all the details of the surgery—I have so much to ask.”

“See you soon!” I hung up and stared at the ceiling.

By the gods! Everything really worked out. No lasting effects. This surgery would go down in history, and my name would be recognized throughout Jupiter. I heard the click of footsteps across the living room and stood up smiling. Kiara was wagging her tail—she seemed to understand what had just happened and was euphoric.

“It worked, Kiara! You’ve got a friend who’s excellent at neural surgery!” I said, opening my arms for her to come rub against me. Seeing her so excited made me even happier. But instead of coming toward me, she headed to the kitchen, tail wagging frantically. Then she came back, pushing her enormous food bowl with her nose.

“She says you promised her two bowls of food if the surgery went well.”

I heard Zion’s voice from the top of the stairs and slowly lowered my arms as understanding dawned. Then my eyes narrowed in her direction.

“You little opportunist!” I went to the cupboard, pulled out the bag of kibble, and poured it into her bowl.

Zion came down the stairs already dressed, a half-smile on his face. I crossed my arms as she attacked her food.

“She’s happy for you—she just thinks food comes before hugs,” Zion said, sitting on the kitchen counter. I stretched as he looked me over, then closed my white robe to hide the blue mini nightgown. “Did you sleep well?”