#Chapter 132: The Door Seals

Amelia The heat came for me like a tide, slow at first, then crashing. Every sense sharpened until even the air felt too heavy. Light scraped at my eyes, the hum of the vents throbbed against my skin, and beneath everything was one scent that cut through all the rest. His. Whispers followed me down the hall. They didn’t need to say his name. I already knew. Richard’s rut had started. By the time I reached the security wing, the air felt thin. My palms were slick, my mouth dry. Nathan stood with a clipboard and a look that warned me not to ask, but I did anyway. “Where is he?” “You don’t want to see him right now,” he said, trying for calm. “I do. Take me.” He hesitated, then sighed. “If you go in, you follow his lead. No arguments. If you go in, you’re really in this. He doesn’t think you’re ready for what happens.” “Fine.” My body trembled. The heat under my ribs was a living thing. The hallway to the private wing was cold enough to bite. Nathan keyed in the code, and