Sugar-Free Cyanide

Shadow wanted a fucking cigarette.

He hadn’t smoked since college (it was hard to avoid the habit given how much Rouge partook), but he was considering starting again. He had access to a compounding pharmacy with clearance for Schedule I substances, but apparently nicotine in inhalant form was what he had a hankering for.

That wasn’t strictly true. What he craved was Amy. To hold her, to hear her voice, to breathe in her scent. All other forms of relief paled in comparison to her company. If he thought he had it bad before, after spending the previous evening with Amy, despite all the tumult, his addiction to her had grown ten-fold stronger.

It was a big, fucking problem.

On some level, Shadow found the attraction alarming. His desire for her felt too much. He hadn’t experienced a romantic relationship before, but surely this was too much? More and more of his energy was spent just keeping himself in his chair during the long discussion with his team concerning their strategy for the Prower Report.

Much of the day had already disappeared into the past and energy levels were flagging. Blaze was on fire, figuratively, and tensions between his team and Dr. Prower’s were building. Shadow kept himself out of the conversation as best that he could, mostly because he didn’t trust himself to speak given who’d been called in early into the afternoon on Prower’s side of the equation.

A break was called and Shadow found himself slumped on the couch of a waiting room, a nice place to park vendors or customers when they came to visit KLS’ offices. He leaned his head back and pressed it against the wall, his expertly coifed quills splaying carelessly.

Eclipse half-leaned against the arm of a matching armchair. «Taking a shot at Starline is the same as firing on Robotnik. Are you really sure you want to start something like this?»

Shadow breathed out slowly through his snout. «This is more retaliation.»

«What?»

«I am not starting this conflict.» Shadow explained, his eyes closing. «I forgot to mention. Gerald backed the no confidence business. It was sideways, but there were too many coincidences to ignore.»

«No.» Eclipse growled. «I was not aware of that.»

Shadow made eye contact with his brother. «I’m sorry. I have been occupied.»

«So, all this business is revenge for Ivo.» Eclipse huffed. «We should be so lucky that Gerald waited this long to violate the agreement.»

«Maybe.» Shadow shrugged. «It has to be more than that. Why attack all Omega’s like this?

«You’re sure of that?» Eclipse leaned forward. «You are absolutely sure?»

«I won’t bore you with the details,» Shadow drolled, trying to convince himself more than his brother. «but the accusations are sound. Starline is poisoning Omegas.»

«Why?» Eclipse asked sharply, an edge crawling into his voice. The younger Kintobor brother was thoroughly bound, but a low-level protective instinct still lingered for all Omegas.

«I don’t know.» Shadow admitted. He felt like he knew nothing at all. Well, he knew one thing that seemed to have bullied out all other facts and notions from his brain: Amy. That’s why Shadow had brought in Eclipse. Shadow had effectively been lobotomized recently.

«Father will-»

Anger sparking, Shadow straightened suddenly. «I don’t give a shit what Father will do.»

Eclipse glared at Shadow’s sudden hostility. «You better fucking start. He will not ignore this.»

«I know.»

«And when he asks, and,» Eclipse huffed and pointed a gloved finger at Shadow, «he will ask, you need to have an answer why you’re doing this.»

Shadow’s ears pinned back aggressively. A biting remark formed quickly on his tongue, but he swallowed it. He asked for this antagonism. Eclipse’s inquiries were child’s play compared to Black’s. If Shadow couldn’t satiate his brother, then Father would eat him alive like Cronus. «You heard in the meeting. It is the right thing to do.»

Eclipse did not answer immediately, instead considering Shadow with a hard eye. «You know that will not satisfy him.»

«Yes, I do know.» Shadow was acutely aware how distasteful his father would find that answer. He wasn’t sure how much time he had to find an alternative, but there was no doubt that he needed one. If taking on a persona to pacify his mother sickened him, doing similar for his father was like to corrupt his soul irreversibly.

Eclipse sighed. «How is she?» His tone softened.

«I don’t know.» Shadow’s throat constricted. «Nicole said she would make sure she was taken care of.»

Before the break, he’d been slowly crumbling into a mess in his high-backed seat, grinding his teeth and clenching his fists. A constant chant of Amy, Amy, Amy had been building in his blood like a slow-moving poison. Thankfully, Nicole leaned beside him and whispered that she’d be stepping out to make sure Miss Rose was being accommodated properly. The relief wasn’t total, but it was urgently needed and quick acting.

«Then I am sure Amy is fine.» Eclipse shifted uneasily. “And the Omega the duck mentioned? The one from the riot last night. Also fine, I’m sure?»

Shadow frowned. «You needn’t humor me with feigned ignorance.»

The marketing and PR teams had been excited when Dr. Quack announced that his team had made successful contact with the inciting Omega from the previous night’s riot. They now had additional corroborating evidence for the conclusions drawn in the Prower Report. Designs for a media blitz around the Omega were eagerly discussed, but Shadow shot the idea down immediately. Protecting the Omega’s privacy was of the utmost importance, he declared. Anyone found violating this directive would face harsh reprimand and potentially swift dismissal.

He fielded protests, but remained firm. Only a scant few would know of Amy’s involvement if he had anything to do with it. Shadow would leverage all of his resources to shield Amy from any and all difficulty. Perhaps it was selfish of him, perhaps Amy wouldn’t care for the paternalism, but he seemed incapable of doing anything else.

She was his and his alone.

Eclipse’s gaze softened. «I can’t begin to imagine how you felt during all that. If it were I, you would be marshalling the troops against my manslaughter charges right now.» He smirked, clearly trying to add some levity to the situation.

Unfortunately, Shadow wasn’t in the mood to pick up what Eclipse was laying down. Just the knowledge that Eclipse was thinking about Amy, in any capacity, prickled Shadow’s pride. Now that had to be abnormal. Was he just this broken? He’d known his ruts were exceptional in their intensity for years, but maybe the extremity extended into all aspects of his second-sex’s expression?

«I don’t want to talk about it. What happened. What could have happened. None of it…not now at least.» Shadow grimaced. «Maybe sometime in the future, just…not now.»

Eclipse studied him. «Very well.» His brother allowed the matter to fall by the wayside. «However…you are aware you reek of pre-rut, right?» Shadow startled, his eyes wide, and Eclipse cursed. «Idiot!» His brother snapped.

«But-!» Shadow clenched his fists. «But that can’t be! I’m not-»

Eclipse narrowed his eyes, his snout pulling back in a disgusted grimace. «Believe you me, brother, I am incredibly knowledgeable of your cycle.» Shadow refused to risk having anyone else near him in rut except for Eclipse, because, in the thick of it, he became…

«Fuck!» Shadow took his head in his hands. «I have been neglecting my blockers.»

«And you’ve been with Amy.» Eclipse pointed out dryly. The younger man would take what stabs he could, collecting a fraction of what was owed for his long-suffered services.

Shadow growled. Eclipse glared at him and he forced himself to relax. «Apologies.» Impending rut would explain how heavily Amy draped over his every thought. Shit! Fucking hell! «How could I have miss the signs?»

«As you said. You have been a very busy man of late.» Eclipse provided Shadow an out for his ego, a simple explanation to save face. Still, Shadow had no legitimate excuse. Addressing his rut superseded all of his responsibilities. «How long do we have?» Eclipse asked with urgency.

Shadow ran a hand through his quills. «I have some measures I can take to delay it.» He would need to talk to Dr. Quack at the earliest possible convenience. As a precaution, he should confine himself to his home unless absolutely necessary, managing his company remotely and entertaining no guests (except for Amy, of course) Shit! No! Not even Amy! And especially not-

Nique-moi aveugle!

Shadow groaned. «Mother is holding an infernal gathering of her coven of witches at my home this very weekend.»

“Feu de l'enfer!” Eclipse cursed. «I had forgotten.» He took and deep breath and released it. «If it were anyone else, I’d say beg off, but Mother…I advise you not to be on both Mother and Father’s shit-lists simultaneously.»

«The party is also her pound of flesh for voting for me during the no-confidence bullshit. Or part of it, at least.»

Eclipse quirked a brow. «So, you cannot cancel nor avoid the gathering.»

«Not without the risk of significant punishment, no. I have enough on my plate as it is.»

His brother frowned. «I am uncomfortable with the risk.»

«If push comes to shove, I will retire to the basement. You have my word.»

A drained swimming pool in the depths of Shadow’s home had been modified to contain him during his ruts. It was a demoralizing and unpleasant location, but served its purpose perfectly. He hadn’t hurt anyone in ten years, and he planned to maintain the streak.

«And now I must be there as well.» Eclipse grimaced. “Absolument merveilleux.”

Shadow ran his hands through his quills once more, digging his fingers into his scalp. «What horrible timing. I cannot simply disappear for a week right now.» A week, if he was lucky. As he’d gotten older, his twice yearly ruts had taken longer and longer to break.

Eclipse looked away. «It doesn’t have to last-» He muttered.

«No.» Shadow refused to even consider what Eclipse was suggesting. «I don’t want Amy anywhere near me when I’m- She’s not-!» He stopped himself. «I’m not ready for her to see me like…I’m not ready for her to see what I become.» He admitted. «Not yet.»

Eclipse leveled a hard stare at Shadow. «I do not agree with you hiding this from her. She deserves to know. Who knows what will happen in the next six months if you hide now?»

Shadow hung his head. «I said no.» The reiteration came out far weaker than he would have liked. His body ached at the notion of having Amy in the midst of his rut. He wouldn’t let her escape. He would fuck her back into her heat, thrust his pups into her, and then finally, FINALLY claim her as his and only his for eternity. Stop it! Shadow realized he’d been growling quietly, very low in his throat and he shook his head. «No.» He repeated.

Eclipse shifted uncomfortably, clearly struggling to remain silent. Shadow frowned. He just wasn’t ready to bare himself like that to Amy. He’d promised to share his burdens with her, but she couldn’t know exactly how much weight she was asking for. Rebalancing the load over time was simply the more prudent option. Moving too quickly might frighten her away. His chest tightened sharply at the idea.

«Thank you for being here.» Shadow said finally, wishing to change the subject.

«You’re welcome.» Eclipse answered simply, looking away. His brother’s appreciation, though heartening, embarrassed them both to an extent. Gratitude was a foreign sentiment to them, one they’d only learned about outside of their home or from Maria. Did her bright spirit take inspiration from her sunny coloration or vice versa?

An uneasy silence settled over them, both men lost in thought. Shadow stared at the boring patterns on the low pile carpet below his feet. Who had been responsible for choosing it, he wondered as means to distract himself. KLS had only moved into these offices five or six years ago and ahead of their arrival, the space would have been renovated. He vaguely remembered a special multi-departmental committee had been formed to make those sorts of decisions.

«Do you know what we haven’t done in far too long?» Eclipse asked, snapping Shadow out of his reverie.

He arched a brow.

«Would you like to go shooting with me?»

Shadow’s ears perked instantly. “Fuck, yes!”

Eclipse grinned slyly, a fierce twinkle gathering in his eyes. “When the time is right, of course.”

“Of course.” Shadow grinned back. In his month of hopelessly pining after Amy, much of his free time had been spent trying to work off his restlessness with exercise and one of those exercises had been blowing the shit out of his range at home. He was in perfect form to get up to some truly diabolical ridiculousness with Eclipse. His heart was racing just thinking about it.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Well,” He leaned in. ”I might have heard that Hope has a new combat unit that needs cartesian-space training data. The last of the E-Series, she said.”

“Should be an even match then.” Shadow was full of bluster. After Gamma, the brothers had been regularly handed their asses, but each event was a fucking great time, nonetheless. Bruises never felt so good.

Shadow’s hand slid into his pocket and found it empty. Right. “What time is it?”

His brother gave him an incredulous look. “Time for you to get a watch. Where is your phone?”

“With Nicole. Otherwise, I would be checking if-“ Shadow snipped off the sentence, unwilling to finish it. He’d reluctantly relinquished his device to Nicole because otherwise he be constantly checking it hoping that Amy had texted him. “I did not want to be distracted.”

With an indignant huff, Eclipse checked his watch and straightened. “We better get back at it.”

Shadow nodded and pushed to his feet. «One last thing.» He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back slightly, taking on an imperious air.

Eclipse’s brow furrowed briefly. “Ah.” He said, realizing what Shadow was getting at. «You’ve waived your strangulation privileges in exchange for a hefty cash settlement.» What? Oh right, Shadow had asked Nicole the night before to find some fresh liquidity. That she’d already secured a loan from his brother was distressingly fast. That woman’s efficiency was inmobian. «We are settled.»

«You’ve gotten off very easy for your poor manners, brother. How much was your life worth?» Shadow grinned. «And at what usurious rate do I owe you on repayment?»

The younger man shrugged. «Frankly, I have no idea. Aph manages the money and she is a jealous monogamist with her ledger. I couldn’t tempt her away from it if I was the last man on the planet.»

Shadow laughed. «I have no idea how much I have borrowed and you as little notion on the value lent? Am I understanding correctly?» Fuck, what fools they were.

«Seems like.» Eclipse shrugged. «It’s probably better that way, to be honest.»

«It makes one wonder why our women keep us around at all.»

«Speak for yourself.» Eclipse feigned insult. He pressed a hand to his chest. «I have it on very good authority that I am very funny on occasion.»

«On occasion.» Shadow repeated incredulously.

«Beats your never.»

«Perhaps. But back to what I was getting at. You and I are even.» Shadow declared.

Eclipse released an exaggerated sigh. «I shall cancel my life insurance policy.»

«Funny on occasion, indeed.» Shadow sneered. «But,» He gave the word exaggerated weight, «you and Amy are not.»

«Oh?» Eclipse arched a brow. «And what exactly did you have in mind?»

Shadow smirked.

---

A cursory search for a Jackob Null wasn’t turning up any good leads, but Amy wouldn’t have worked for a private investigator if she was easily deterred by dead ends. She’d started the investigation (if you could really call it that) pretty much the moment she’d gotten home after seeing Liam the previous week. Amy reasoned that she could be his friend, but he could use more help than she alone could provide.

The closest she had come was a Jacoline Doe, a golden-eyed black and white jackal who was a special education teacher at a rural elementary school on the far side of the Provinces. Scrolling through the woman’s Prompta, Amy found it full of Jacoline smiling with her wife and two adopted children. Not really fitting the bill, but Amy sent a private message anyway. Might as well be thorough.

After scanning miles and miles of social media accounts and Flitter feeds, Amy dug up as much as she could about Liam’s trial. It was a long shot, but maybe someone from Liam’s family had been there? She zoomed in on any picture she could find trying to see another jackal in the crowd, but none presented themselves.

No dice. Liam had had a public defender and was in the Provinces illegally. An open and shut case with most of the record being sealed by request of the victim’s attorneys. Maybe she should ask Vector for what he’d been able to dig up, but tipping off the detective that she was still in contact with Liam in some capacity was probably not the best idea. Though, what was he going to do? Fire her?

As she sat in a very nice waiting room, Amy approached her search from a different angle. Maybe there’d be something about his family in the records regarding Ruby. She gripped her phone. Was she doing this for the right reasons? Was looking into Liam’s past the right thing to do? She was being nosey and violating his privacy, right?

But he needed someone…and one day he’d probably catch a whiff of Shadow on her and realize she’d been lying to him about her second-sex this whole time. He’d probably not want to ever see or speak to her again…and then he’d be alone again.

Maybe it was selfish of Amy, but she didn’t want him to be alone. Listening to his story through that locked door had been devastating in ways Amy still hadn’t really sorted through yet. Perhaps trying to find Liam’s brother was her way of sifting through her feelings…or her way of running from them.

A few Gaggle searches led to a few articles that gave Amy some information about Ruby Fantasy’s death, after feeding them through a program to translate them from Apotosan. There wasn’t much. The beautifully plumaged hummingbird was just another dead Omega…nothing special. The local authorities, after an investigation and inquiry, had deemed her passing an accident.

Amy frowned. An accident? Liam had been very certain Ruby had been murdered. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard of her phone. She could stop this. Look along some other angle. Give up entirely. This wasn’t her business and nothing good would come of it for her? What would Shadow think if he knew she was friends with another Alpha?

She shook her head and typed Ruby’s name into the Gaggle search bar. Amy’s brow creased. A series of fresh articles, some only a month old, popped up. What was the Ruby Fantasy Memorial Scholarship?

A knock issued from the door. Amy darkened her phone and took a breath, preparing for whatever was coming next. Everyone she’d interacted with today had been kind and informative and so, so focused on her comfort. Still, she was weighed, and measured, and stuck, and prodded, and no amount of courtesy could fully numb that sort of stress.

“Come in!” Amy called, with enthusiasm she did not feel.

A black striped lynx in a purple pantsuit opened the door. Amy blinked, knowing she’d seen the woman before. “Nicole? What are you doing here?”

Shadow’s assistant smiled. “Has anyone thought to offer you lunch?”

Amy found herself following Nicole from the elevator into a parking garage in the subbasement of the building. “I hope you don’t mind going out.” Nicole said as she opened the door of a very nice-looking Lexus. “The cafeteria isn’t operational on the weekends.” Amy slid into the passenger seat, clutching her purse.

The world looked normal and boring outside Amy’s window, as the City Center rushed by. The sky was grey and the temperature had dropped dramatically, the warmth of the previous evening completely evacuated ahead of a front threatening an early snow. The sidewalks were largely bare, vacant due to the day and weather.

“Is there anything you have a preference for?” Nicole asked, signaling as she changed lanes.

Amy shook her head. “No. I’m not picky. I eat just about everything.”

Just about everything translated into a trendy looking bistro. The late brunch crowd was thinning, but a number of tables were still filled with clusters of well-dressed yuppie friend groups, laughing and talking loudly, completely enraptured in the sitcoms they starred in. The hostess greeted Nicole by name and led them towards a two-top by a wall of windows overlooking a courtyard full of unused outdoor seating.

Amy continued to cling to her purse like some sort of mobile lifeline and meekly followed. She’d rushed out of her home that morning barely taking a moment to make sure her quills weren’t a mess. Now she was fresh from having every crack and crevice of her body examined and didn’t really like the idea of being in public. Settling into her seat, she declined to have her purse or coat checked and begrudgingly removed her hood and mask. It would just look weird if she remained covered.

Nicole assured her that she needn’t worry about paying, but Amy still ordered the cheapest entrée on the menu, which was still way, waaaaay more than she’d ever normally pay for a salad, holy shit. And a glass of water. When the waiter asked her if she’d preferred sparkling or still, Amy blinked at him, completely at a loss about what she was being asked. “Still is fine.” Nicole answered for her, without commenting on Amy’s bright, embarrassed flush.

“How are you?” Nicole asked once they were alone.

“Fine.” Amy answered reflexively. Not only was she not sure what she should be sharing about her situation, but she simply didn’t want to. She did not know this woman. Both times Amy had met Nicole previously, she’d been working. They weren’t friends.

Nicole raised a brow. “That’s wonderful, given all that’s happened.”

Amy’s face heated. She was getting pretty tired of people knowing more about her situation than she’d like. And the condescension? “What is that supposed to mean?” She asked with an edge. All of Amy’s patience had been used up sitting still while her skin burned and people in white coats reduced her to samples and data points.

Nicole straightened, suddenly very professional. “Nothing more than that I’m happy you are doing well.” Amy’s indignation shrank into embarrassment. Their drinks arrived and Amy covered her shame by taking a large sip.

“I would like you to know,” Nicole said, “I do not have any romantic designs on Mr. Kintobor.”

Amy inhaled her drink and coughed. She had not been prepared for candor of this magnitude. As Amy sputtered and fought to regain her breath, Nicole seemed unphased and offered her a napkin.

“I just thought you would like to know.” The lynx reiterated.

“T-that’s, uh…” Amy stammered once she’d recovered enough to speak. “Good to know…” She hadn’t thought specifically about Nicole like that in regards to Shadow, but that was the cliché wasn’t it? The businessman cheating with his young, pretty secretary? Amy felt the acidity from earlier stirring inside her. Why would Nicole be bringing this up unless she was trying to get with Shadow…or had already been with him!?

Woah, girl! She needed to slow her roll, or else Amy would find herself spiraling again. Plus, she was pretty sure she was younger than Nicole…not that that was important!

Nicole produced her cellphone. After thumbing through the security screen, she navigated to a text message conversation and slid the device across the table towards Amy. “Feel free to read my communications with Mr. Kintobor. Our relationship is purely professional. He is a man of outstanding character.”

Amy’s blush deepened, the torrent of disclosure making her deeply ashamed of her earlier outburst and current unfounded jealousy. “N-No, thank you.” She attempted to cover her fluster, “That’s okay. I believe you.”

Nicole searched her face for a moment before collecting her phone and storing it away. “The invitation remains open, should you change your mind in the future. I have nothing I wish to hide.”

“That’s, uh…” She wanted to say not necessary, that Amy trusted Nicole, but Amy had vowed not to lie anymore…and she was genuinely curious. “I appreciate the offer.” And reserved the right to snoop in the future.

Nicole simply nodded. “He is a good man. I have no doubt that Mr. Kintobor deserves your confidence.”

Oh my god! What was this conversation? Amy desperately wanted to talk about something else, anything else rather than infidelity, true or imagined. Unfortunately, she wasn’t exactly thinking clearly and the only thing the two women had in common was Shadow and Silver…and Amy didn’t really feel like gossiping about Sonic’s boyfriend. She was in enough hot water as it was in that regard.

“So, what are you to Shadow?” She asked. “His secretary?”

“I am his personal assistant. I provide whatever he requires for his personal affairs. I am not an employee of KLS, though Mr. Kintobor’s personal and professional spheres often converge. I see my professional responsibility as enabling Mr. Kintobor to achieve his goals.” Nicole explained like she was reading off her resume.

Amy frowned. Well, that was nebulous…Wait, is this an interview?

Nicole’s expression shifted. “He has the means, conviction, and ability to do real good for the world and I wish to support his ambitions.”

“Real good?” What did that mean?

Nicole’s ears perked, the black tufts on the ends waving gently. “Has Mr. Kintobor described to you his Alpha suppressants project?”

Amy brightened. “No!” Alpha suppressants? Like, like Omega ones, but for Alphas? Was that a thing? She’d never really thought about it, but it made so much sense. If Omega instincts could be dulled with pharmaceutical intervention, why couldn’t Alpha’s? Her mind swirled with possibilities. “I had no idea. That’s…that’s a thing?”

“Once KLS brings their product to market, it will be the first of its kind.” Nicole’s green eyes shined. “Mr. Kintobor is going to change the world.”

“Do they…work?” Amy asked.

Nicole nodded. “Mr. Kintobor takes the prototypes himself.”

Amy straightened. Should Nicole be telling her this? Why was Nicole telling Amy this about her own boss? Why was everyone so comfortable telling her all these personal details about Shadow? She struggled not to be suspicious of some deeper, darker motive. Maybe, just maybe, everyone was actually rooting for them…though that seemed dissonant with Amy’s life experiences.

“Though Mr. Kintobor’s mood has become more…animated since he began…” Nicole paused, as if looking for the right word, “courting you, I can attest that his temper has become, well, tempered since beginning his current regiment.”

Amy frowned. If Shadow acted as he had on blockers, what kind of person was he off them? The thought filled Amy with a mix of emotions, foremost trepidation, but darker, deeper ones as well. Fear and apprehension. Lust and pride.

Shadow was a monster.

Yes.

But.

Shadow was her monster.

They were making each other sick trying to fight the inevitable. What was the use? Sooner or later she’d give in, she’d submit to him fully, and then they’d both be complete. They would fit into each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually, a muti-dimensional puzzle finally solved.

It was fate.

It was the right thing to do.

Why was she being such a stubborn bitch about this?

Amy shook her head.

Their food arrived. Though she was pretty darn hungry, Amy picked at her salad with her fork. Which was a shame, because no salad had any business tasting as good as this one did. The dressing had to be laced with something illegal.

They largely ate in silence, Nicole giving her space as Amy churned through her thoughts.

Her head felt thick. Between the horrors and excitement of the previous evening and all the new things she had learned today, Amy was cooked. Stick a fork in her, she was done. Normally she’d be craving her own bed, her own pile of stuffies, and her own stash of potentially illicit teas, but right now she just wanted to go back to the office tower…where Shadow was.

“Do people…know about me and him?” Nicole clearly did…so there were probably others.

Nicole gave her a pitying look that Amy tried really hard to not take offense at (she tried, she may not have succeeded, but that was between her and god). “As I mentioned, I’m not officially an employee of KLS, but I do have access to a few unofficial group chats. Mr. Kintobor was seen entering the premises last night with you in a compromising position. Though it hasn’t yet been twenty-four hours, rumors have already widely circulated.” She sighed. “And your visit to the offices today solidified the general opinion on the matter.”

Amy drug her fork through her salad, pushing a quartered cherry tomato around. “And that is?”

“That you caused the rut-riot and that Mr. Kintobor personally saved you from arrest or worse.”

Amy’s brow rose. That was…well, not great, but also, not as bad as she’d thought? “So, not that we’re…”

“The idea of your romantic entanglement has been floated, but Mr. Kintobor has been without a serious companion for his entire tenure as CEO, so such would be a black swan event, you see.” Nicole said like Amy knew what she meant. “There is an active betting pool with a significant amount of action regarding his relational preferences.”

Amy huffed. “That’s…kinda weird what with him being everyone’s boss, right?”

“He has a somewhat aloof air and that attracts speculation. That he is generous and well-meaning garners feelings of familiarity.” Nicole shrugged. “I am telling you this in confidence, by the way. It would only distress Mr. Kintobor if he knew.”

Amy found herself agreeing with Nicole. Shadow didn’t seem like the one who’d enjoy his subordinates betting on which way he swung. “Oh! Yeah, of course.”

A feeling of nostalgia struck the back of Amy’s head with a baseball bat. The way Nicole was feeding her bits of rarefied info and taking her out for lunch. She’d seen Rouge perform the maneuverer many times. Nicole was trying to build rapport with Amy…which made sense. Nicole worked closely with Shadow and Amy was becoming an important part of his life. If Amy and Nicole had at least a cordial relationship, all sorts of stupid trouble could be avoided

Or Nicole was trying to get in Amy’s good graces so she would lower her guard and then Nicole would strike!

Amy jammed a forkful of well dressed red-colored lettuce in her mouth. The stuff was strangely bitter, but that also worked well with the dressing somehow. Culinary black magic. She chewed and swallowed and found she had a sour stomach. The salad was delicious, but she couldn’t tolerate another bite.

“I’m ready to go back.” Amy declared, pushing back her plate. She should eat more, she knew, especially after all the blood she’d given today, but she just couldn’t.

Nicole offered no opposition, just nodded and signaled for the cheque.

The drive back to the KLS offices was uneventful. The world continued its plodding progress through history seemingly unaffected by Amy or her struggles. The thought of a world without rut-related violence filled her with a surreal hopefulness, like she’d suddenly discovered she lived in a science fiction novel. She had had no idea that was what Shadow’s work encompassed, and she was both intimidated by the scale of the endeavor and a bit ashamed of having assumed, however unconsciously, that his business was the usual exploitation kind (Sonic sure had thought so).

Nicole paused before the wall of elevator doors. “Dr. Quack hasn’t responded to my inquiries.” She looked up from her phone at Amy. “Do you know if you’re needed still on the technical floor?”

Amy shrugged. The people who’d been taking her measurements had spoken at length, but also quickly, as if Amy was supposed to understand what all they meant. Sure, Dr. Quack had asked her to ask questions, but after a certain point she just didn’t have the energy. Someone had probably told her If she was still needed that day, but she’d be damned if she could remember.

“I’ll ask him in person, then.” Nicole keyed a floor into the touch screen inset into the wall.

High in the sky, Amy followed Nicole around a corner, and her eyes were drawn to the imposing figure of Shadow down the hall. Absently, as her feet rapidly carried her over the firm corporate carpeting, she was aware of a second dark-colored hedgehog whom Shadow was talking to, but she didn’t care what she was interrupting. Amy possessed no ability nor desire to resist the urge to force her way into her Alpha’s arms.

Shadow turned his head at the last moment before she collided with him, his features lighting up into an involuntary smile, surprised as he was. Then her arms were wrapping around his waist, and her face was pressed into the fine fabric covering his chest. Though she impacted him at an unladylike speed, he stood firm, not needing to retreat an inch to absorb her force.

“Amy.” He whispered. Maybe he was embarrassed by such a flagrant display of affection, but she didn’t care. She was overwhelmed with affection from so many sources. Wild horses couldn’t drag her away until she had her fill of him.

“I missed you.” Amy said, though her mouth was buried and she wasn’t sure he could hear her. The smell of him was equal parts exciting and calming. Addicting in how grounded his scent made her feel. Intoxicating in how fearless she felt around him.

“As did I.” She could feel his chest rumble as his deep voice issued forth, low and laced with authentic relief. He was as happy to see her as she was to him. Amy’s tail wagged wildly.

She leaned back and looked up into his eyes. “Is that invitation to stay over still open?” Circumstances had robbed her of the opportunity the previous night, but she’d be damned if she let it slip by her again.

His posture shifted in her grip, eagerness crackling through him. A self-satisfied shiver ran through Amy in just the most prideful way. His ears shot forward and she heard two sharp wacks as his tail wagged before he schooled it back into a professional form. “Always.” His voice was adorably higher pitched than normal and he cleared his throat. “Always.” Shadow repeated.

Amy smiled. She could not describe how much she enjoyed his excited reactions. Every smile and twitch of his tail seemed to be a rare treat made just for her.

Shadow’s previous conversational partner, whom Amy now realized was Eclipse, coughed. A gentle reminder that they weren’t alone and that she’d interrupted something that was probably pretty important.

Amy pulled away. Shadow glanced to his side, his jaw tightening and brow pinching slightly. Curious what gave him pause, Amy’s gaze followed.

Her body erupted into an all consuming inferno. Her very soul lay sacrificed on the altar of humiliation, all hope of recovery flowing away like a river of blood.

Through a wall of clear glass panels, a room full of people stared directly at her. Stared at her…hugging Shadow…just right here…out in the open…oh, god…

Someone just won the betting pool.

The range of expressions varied, but the confusion displayed by…wait, was that Dr. Prower? What was he doing here? Oh no, then-

The fox was on his feet with his mouth agape, but Amy’s attention fell from him to the man sitting beside him at the conference table. Emerald eyes boring into her and face crimson in fury, but also disconcertingly blank, was Sonic.