Tony found his voice. “What are you doing?”
A tiny wrinkle appeared between her brows. “You expect me to shower in my clothing?”
“No,” he growled, keeping his gaze trained on her face, praying that his erection would calm down before she noticed it. “Do you strip in front of every man you meet?”
She had the audacity to grin. “I am not sure how to respond as you are the only human man I have been alone with in a bathroom.”
That pissed him off even more. He stepped in close, his nose nearly touching hers. “Do not ever disrobe in front of anyone else. Do I make myself clear?”
A quick nod was the only evidence that she understood.
He moved to slip around her, but her next words stopped him.
“Why do you dislike me, Anthony Vaughn?”
Tony lowered his head momentarily before meeting her gaze once again. “I do not dislike you, Naura. That would require feelings, and I don’t possess any.” He calmly exited the room, pulling the door closed after him.
“Do not judge my sister by her actions,” Vaulcron announced from the room across the hall. “She has spent her life below the surface and has no knowledge of the ways of land walkers.”
“And you do?” Tony shot back.
“I do not know everything about the human way of life, yet I would not consider myself to be on the same naive level as my sister.”
“Thank God for that.”
* * * *
Vice President William Pratt hung up the phone and ran a hand through his hair before facing his wife, Jaqueline. “Something doesn’t sit well with all this, Jackie.”
“What did you find out?”
“The alien that’s responsible for the outbreak?” At her nod, he continued. “He’s not alone.”
Her eyes grew huge, and a small gasp escaped her. “There is another one?”
“More than one,” William admitted in a hushed voice. “It would seem that they are holding two of them at Eglin Air Force Base.”
Jaqueline’s mouth fell open. “That makes three of those things, Bill. And God knows how many more may be out there. What if other aliens come in search of their missing? They could kill us in our sleep.”
William skirted around his desk and pulled his wife into his arms. “No one is going to die, sweetheart. I promise.”
“But how can you be so sure?” she cried against his shoulder. “When thousands have already died because of those things.”
Pulling back to make eye contact with his wife, Bill decided to let her in on what he’d learned. “I’m going to tell you something that goes no further than this room.”
She studied his solemn expression for several seconds before nodding. “I won’t say a word.”
“The aliens are not solely responsible for the outbreak that’s sweeping across the land.”
“I don’t understand?”
“Have a seat,” he coaxed, directing her into a nearby chair. “And I’ll explain.”
He knelt in front of her and clasped her trembling hands. “The aliens carry a virus that can be deadly to the old and young alike, but the majority of our people would have been able to survive had the CDC not spliced the virus with one of their own, mutating it into this pandemic we are witnessing now.”
The color drained from Jackie’s face. “We did this? Our own people?”
“Yes. I’m sure it wasn’t meant to get out of control, but…there it is.”
“Does the president know about this?”
Bill nodded. “He’s the main one behind the cover-up.”
“But why would he do such a thing?”
“He was up for re-election…” He left his meaning hanging in the air.
“Oh, Bill. All those innocent people.”
“I know, love. And if it’s not contained soon, the virus will continue to mutate into something far worse than what we are seeing now.”
She jumped to her feet, throwing her hands in the air. “How can it get any worse? And what of our daughter? Lily is just a year old, Bill. She would never survive an exposure.”
“Go visit your mother in Maine. Get out of here for a while. At least until a vaccine can be found.”
“You mean if a vaccine can be found.”
“It will work out, Jackie… It has to.”
Titles by Ditter Kellen
The Seeker Series
Ember Burns
Ember Learns
Ember Yearns
Ember Discerns
Ember Turns
Five Book Box Set available
Shon
The Rise of Vlad-Coming Soon
Scruples Series
Finding Carly
Cassandra
Fully Engulfed-Coming Soon
Secret Series
Lydia’s Secret
Midnight Secrets-Coming Soon
Time Travel Series
Turn the Page
Worlds Apart-Coming Soon
Enigma Series
Enigma: What Lies Beneath
Naura
Vaulcron-Coming Soon
Zaureth-Coming Soon
Eyes Without a Face
Coming soon in 2016
Neveah Series
Trayus-Coming in November 2016
Ditter Kellen
Ditter Kellen has been in love with romance for over twenty years. To say she's addicted to reading is an understatement. Her eBook reader is an extension of her and holds many of her fantasies and secrets. It's filled with dragons, shifters, vampires, ghosts and many more jaw-dropping characters who keep her entertained on a daily basis.
Ditter's love of paranormal and outrageous imagination have conspired together to bring her where she is today...sitting in front of her computer allowing them free rein. Writing is her passion, what she was born to do. I hope you will enjoy reading her stories as much as she loves spinning them.
In 2015 Miss Kellen launched DitterVerse, a social media network for the literary world; in hopes of bringing authors and readers together in a more favorable environment. For sign up information, go to www.ditterverse.com.
Ditter resides in Florida with her husband and many unique farm animals. She adores French fries and her phone is permanently attached to her ear. You can contact Ditter by email: [email protected]
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Shon (The Seeker Series Book 2) Page 17