Focus

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  “Good luck with that.” Hailey easily brushed off his hand, and continued up.

  We followed behind.

  A guy with short, black hair blocked Hailey at the top of the stairs.

  “Where’s Carl’s room?”

  “Carl’s room? I think he’s already busy, but I’m free, definitely free.” He grinned at her.

  “Does Carl happen to be busy with a blonde?”

  “Maybe, why do you ask? I happen to love redheads.”

  “Okay, this is how it’s going to work. You tell me where Carl’s room is now, or I kick your ass.”

  He didn’t have a chance to respond. Even with the blaring music, the unmistakable sound of screaming pierced through the air.

  “What the fuck was that?” Nick asked, looking below us.

  “I don’t know, but I have to find Tiffany.” My body and common sense were yelling at me to turn around and get the heck out of the house, but there was no way I was leaving Tiffany behind.

  “Fine, I told you I’d help.” Nick’s expression revealed genuine concern. “Come on, Sean, they’re looking for their friend.”

  “I’m sure she’s fine. Carl’s probably taking good care of her.”

  “Shut the hell up and help us find her.” Anne put a hand on his chest. Hailey and I both looked at each other. Anne had more nerve than we expected.

  Sean gave in, holding his hands up in front of himself in defeat.

  We had just pushed our way past the guys when I heard the whoosh.

  I turned around just in time to watch a wave of fire engulf the stairs.

  “Shit, we have to get out of here,” Nick yelled.

  “How? We can’t go back down those stairs.” Sean glanced around him nervously.

  “We’re not leaving without Tiffany. Where is Carl’s room?”

  “Upstairs,” Nick finally answered. He was definitely starting to panic.

  “There’s another floor?” Anne asked.

  “The stairs are down that hall, but we can’t keep moving up. Let’s go out a window.”

  “We’re not leaving Tiffany,” Hailey and I said at the same time.

  Anne leaned over wheezing.

  “Anne? Are you okay?”

  She shook her head.

  “Do you have your inhaler?” Anne had asthma that was usually well controlled.

  She shook her head again.

  “Let’s find Tiffany and go.” I moved toward the stairs without checking to see if the guys were following us. I felt the heat as the fire continued to spread across the floor boards. Smoke gradually filled the small hallway, and I fell to the floor. I crawled towards the wall. Anne was wheezing so hard, I knew she probably couldn’t breathe.

  I shook Hailey. “You have to get her out of here.”

  “I can’t leave you and Tiffany.”

  “You have to. Hopefully she won’t remember your wings. Come back for Tiffany and me, or get Levi.”

  “Allie, I can’t.”

  “Do it, Hailey. Do it.”

  She nodded. “I’ll be right back.” She pushed open a door into a bedroom. I followed with Nick and Sean behind me. Hailey picked up Anne and jumped out. Her wings came out and she disappeared into the night.

  “This smoke is making me hallucinate,” Nick said to himself.

  Sean looked out the window. “We have to jump. There’s no other choice.”

  I stuck my head out the window and breathed in some fresh air before heading back into the hallway. “I have to find her.”

  I didn’t look behind me as I reached the hallway. The heat was intense, and I could barely see through the smoke. I looked toward the entryway to the second flight of stairs but it was blocked by a large piece of wood. Objects fell from the ceiling as the house appeared to be caving in. More screams could be heard from downstairs. I turned around and saw Nick trapped under fallen debris.

  I crouched low and moved toward him. I tried to pull the boards off him, but they wouldn’t budge.

  “Nick, are you okay?” I asked, praying he’d respond. I coughed, the smoke was getting worse.

  I saw the flames and knew it was over. I was going to die in a frat house fire. I didn’t cry. I just wished I’d been able to see my family and Levi one last time.

  The smoke was too much. I lay down, trying to cover my face with my hands. There was nowhere to go.

  “I’ve got you, Al. I’ve got you.” Through the haze, I heard his voice.

  “Levi?” I choked out. I opened my eyes, feeling his strong arms around me.

  “I’ve got you.”

  I looked around me. “But Tiffany and Nick.”

  “Jared has Tiffany. And who’s Nick?”

  “The guy over there.” I didn’t have the strength to point, but I knew he’d figure it out.

  “We don’t have time.”

  “Levi! Get him now or I won’t ever talk to or look at you again.”

  “Fine.” He adjusted me so I was in one arm and then moved the debris like it was nothing. He picked up Nick like a ragdoll and carried us into the bedroom where Hailey had left. Sean was gone. He must have jumped too. As Levi jumped out, the deafening sound of sirens pierced my ears. Without warning, Levi dropped Nick, before landing a few blocks over in the shadows of a house.

  “Levi!”

  “You’re lucky I even grabbed him. I can’t get slowed down again. I need to get you away from here.”

  “Where is everyone?” I tried to steady myself in Levi’s arms.

  “Your friends are already at the hotel. We need to go. I need to make sure you’re okay.”

  I knew the tears were forming, so I let him pull me closer. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there sooner. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “This wasn’t a random fire, Allie, trust me.” He kissed my cheek. “Can you handle a longer flight? We need to get downtown.”

  “Yes.” I could still feel the heat across my body and the smoke in my lungs, but I wanted to get away. I needed to make sure my friends were okay.

  Levi wrapped his arms around me and took off.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Levi landed on my balcony at the hotel. “We need to get downstairs, but Dr. Ellis is already waiting for us here.”

  He pushed open the door and carried me inside. Sure enough, the doctor was sitting on the couch. Helen sat next to him. I didn’t bother to ask how they got in.

  “Allie, oh my goodness.” Helen moved to give me space on the couch. She took my hand.

  “I’m fine,” I assured her.

  “We just need to make sure.”

  Dr. Ellis listened carefully with his stethoscope to my lungs. He then used a small penlight to look in my mouth, and he closely examined my skin.

  “Are there any burns, other than the redness on your legs?”

  “No. Nothing.”

  Dr. Ellis turned to Levi. “She’s likely fine. She’s very lucky you got to her when you did.” He turned back to me. “Just keep the area clean and apply this antibiotic ointment daily.” He handed me a tube.

  “Thank you.” This was the second time the doctor had examined me. I hoped it was his last. I liked him, but I was tired of getting hurt.

  “Where’s everyone else? Hailey, Anne, Tiffany?”

  Helen squeezed my hand. “Tiffany’s in the hospital. She was unconscious when Jared found her, but she’s going to be okay.”

  “Oh my god. Is she alone?”

  “Of course not. Hailey’s with her. Her parents are already on their way.”

  I started to get up. “I need to see her.”

  Levi placed a hand on my shoulder. “You have to stay here.”

  “No. I’m okay.”

  “You need to rest. Besides, it’s safer here. We need to keep you safe.” His voice was soft, but there was an urgency in it.

  “Safe? I am safe—you saved me.”

  Levi swallowed nervously. “I already told you this wasn’t random.”

&
nbsp; “What aren’t you telling me?”

  He looked away from me. “You were the target.”

  My chest tightened. “What? How? Why?”

  “We think it was Martin and his men, but we don’t know for sure yet. I’ll know more once we get downstairs.”

  “Then let’s go.” I hopped off the couch but moved so fast that I felt dizzy.

  Levi caught me before I could fall. “Slow it down.”

  “We should go. You can get cleaned up downstairs.” Helen looked at me sympathetically.

  I nodded, not sure how I could get cleaned up in the basement. I didn’t care. I needed more information.

  “Is Anne there?” I realized no one had mentioned her.

  “Yes. Hailey made sure she was okay before going to the hospital. I believe Anne’s with Owen.” Helen touched my arm gently before opening the door.

  Levi insisted on carrying me all the way downstairs. He wouldn’t even put me down in the elevator. I didn’t complain—I was still shaken up. My chest clenched a little again as we entered the complete darkness of the basement.

  ***

  “I’m not high, am I?” Anne asked as soon as she saw me. Levi set me down on a chair in some sort of sitting room in the basement.

  I gave her a small smile. “No. You’re not high.”

  “So you guys are actually half birds?”

  “I already told you, Allie’s human,” Owen said in an exasperated tone I’d never heard him use before.

  “Oh, excuse me. You guys, besides Allie.”

  Levi laughed. “Are you okay here? I need to find my dad.”

  I moved to get up. “I’m coming. You promised me answers.”

  “You’ll get them, but right now you need to wait here. Please, Al, don’t fight me just this once.” Something in the way he pleaded kept me quiet. I nodded. He kissed me lightly on the forehead before leaving the room. Owen went with him.

  Anne waited until the door clicked closed to start with more questions. “You knew what he was, right? When were you going to fill me in?”

  “I knew, but—” I stopped, wondering how much I should tell her.

  “Don’t hold back on me now. Your roommate had wings grow out of her back. You might as well tell me the rest.”

  I smiled despite the somber mood of the evening. “When Owen told you I was human, did he tell you anything else?”

  “He said you were Levi’s mate. That’s what I don’t get. Why would you be his mate if you’re human and he’s not? And by the way, who is he? People were treating me like royalty when Owen told them I was your friend.”

  “Pterons usually go for humans, and Levi’s a prince.”

  “A prince? You’re the mate of a paranormal prince? So does that make you a princess?” she asked excitedly.

  “So, you’re no longer questioning your soberness?”

  “No. But what were you about to tell me before?” She froze like a light bulb had gone off. “Wait, did you somehow not know what you were getting yourself into?”

  “Not really.” I looked away. “I didn’t know I’d become his lifelong mate.”

  “Wow, it all makes sense.”

  “What makes sense?”

  “Why you didn’t want a guy that gorgeous calling you his fiancé. But how did he do it so that you didn’t know what was happening? Drugs?”

  “Sex.”

  Her eyes widened. “What?”

  “He gave me a ring, and we had sex.”

  “Seriously?” She leaned forward in her seat.

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  “That’s pretty awesome.”

  “Awesome?” I asked incredulously.

  “He’s a paranormal prince. You do realize how cool that is, right?”

  I laughed without meaning to, but once it started I couldn’t stop. Anne joined in.

  “So he’s been trying to make it up to you, huh? Trying to get you to forgive him?” She crossed her legs, getting comfortable. She was eating it up.

  I shifted uncomfortably. “Pretty much.”

  “So he can only have one mate?”

  “Unfortunately.”

  “Please tell me you don’t mean that.”

  I didn’t know if I did or not. I shrugged.

  “You’re lucky. You’ve got a hot, powerful, rich guy wrapped around your finger. Embrace it.”

  “But I don’t know how I can trust him.”

  “I didn’t say to make it easy on him. Have you been with him since?”

  “As in, have I slept with him again?”

  “Yeah.”

  “No.”

  “That’s good. You still have the power. Enjoy it—but not for too long. You might as well enjoy the rest of him too.”

  “That’s one way to view it.”

  “Come on, Allie. You are obviously crazy in love with him.” She picked up a throw pillow.

  “Obviously?”

  “Yeah. The way you look at him; the way you move around him, it’s hard to miss.”

  “Oh.”

  “So, how does Hailey fit in?”

  “She’s Owen’s sister.”

  “Which means…” Anne tied her hair up in a messy bun.

  “Owen’s one of Levi’s best friends.”

  “So they’re not royal?”

  “No. But really, I don’t get the hierarchy yet.”

  “You better learn it. You are the princess, after all.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. It was always so cold down there, and my dress wasn’t cutting it. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

  “Probably not.” Anne got serious all of a sudden. “Tiffany’s going to be okay, isn’t she?”

  “I think so…that was crazy.”

  “No one’s told me anything, and by the sound of it, they haven’t told you either. What do you think happened?”

  “They think another Pteron did it. Maybe to get to me…”

  “Oh, that explains why they want us here.”

  “I hope we get to go home tonight, but we can always stay in my room upstairs if we need to.”

  “I’d rather not get burned to death, so I’ll do what they say. Besides, I wouldn’t mind spending some more time with Owen…don’t tell Hailey, but he’s pretty hot.” Anne smiled.

  “I definitely won’t tell Hailey.”

  The door opened, and Owen walked in. His ears must have been ringing. “Levi wants me to take you to your room, Allie.”

  “Then why did he make me come down here to begin with?”

  “Not that room. You have a room downstairs. It’s a safe room.”

  “A safe room? Are you crazy? We can go upstairs.”

  “Anne can, but there are some extra beds down here if she’d prefer.” He paused and looked at her.

  “I’ll take a guest bed downstairs. It seems safer.”

  “Okay, let’s set Anne up and then we can continue discussing this, Allie.”

  “Fine.” I understood why Anne wanted the room. The truth was, I was terrified too. “Can’t I stay with Anne?”

  “I don’t think so. The king agreed you needed to be in your safe room.”

  “My safe room? What makes it mine?”

  “It’s Levi’s…”

  “Oh…”

  “Yeah. The king has one, and the prince. It’s always been that way.”

  We followed Owen down the hall, turned a few times and stopped in front of a door. He pushed it open, revealing two twin beds.

  Anne eyed it approvingly. “Wow, nice guest digs.”

  Owen stepped back to let Anne move into the room. “Glad you like it. I bet Hailey will crash with you.”

  “Cool. Thanks.” Anne smiled. She was taking things so well. I wondered when reality was going to set in. “Night, Allie. And by the way, you officially have my permission to enjoy all of him tonight if you’re feeling up to it.”

  “Your permission? I don’t think so. Goodnight, Anne.”

  “Night.” She closed the
door.

  Owen raised an eyebrow. “Enjoy all of him?”

  “Don’t start.”

  He laughed. “I won’t.”

  I followed him as he led me through two sets of double doors, each guarded by large guys I didn’t recognize. I didn’t need to ask to know they were Pterons.

  Owen opened a metal door, and I entered Levi’s safe room. “My bet is that this is fancier than the President’s bunker.”

  Owen chuckled. “Yeah, I’d think so too.”

  The place was decorated to the nines with red tapestries. Marble floors matched the hallway, but the large bed in the center of the room was perched on a plush red rug. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling above the bed. A full dining set was positioned on the other side of the room, with a kitchen located off it.

  “Is the bathroom just as nice?”

  “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  “Great, I hope I can find something of Levi’s to wear.” I needed to get out of my ripped and dirty dress. I opened one of the large armoires stocked full of men’s clothes.

  I opened the armoire next to it, expecting to find more of the same, but it was full of women’s clothing—all in my size.

  “Please tell me Levi didn’t buy all of this…” I closed a drawer after realizing it was full of lingerie.

  “I would guess Helen did. This might be a safe room, but the Laurent’s have been known to use their room for other reasons.”

  “Other reasons?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Can you get more privacy?”

  “Ugh. We don’t need to use ours for that reason.”

  He laughed again. “Weren’t you supposed to be enjoying all of him tonight?”

  I hit him on the arm. “Shut up.”

  “I’ll get out of your hair then.”

  “Do that, and do me a favor and tell Levi I expect a full report.”

  “Aye, aye,” he said in mock salute.

  Owen left, and I jumped when I heard the door slam closed behind him. The room was completely silent once the door closed, and I couldn’t help but feel trapped. As I looked around, I realized there could be much worse places to be confined.

  I walked into the bathroom, and I’d been right—the place was gorgeous. There was a dual vanity with marble counters, a large soaking tub, and a shower big enough for two. I could have moved in.

  I turned on the water in the shower, letting the whole bathroom get steamy before stripping off my dirty dress and stepping in. I hadn’t thought to search for shampoo or soap or anything, but someone already had the shower stocked—with my favorites.