“Oh, God,” I said, tugging at the clasp at the back, trying to take it off. “It’s the necklace. Of course, it’s the fucking necklace.”
“What are you talking about?” Sarah said, coming over to help.
“Don’t touch it!” Dax yelled, grabbing Sarah. He took a breath when she jumped away from me. “I’m sorry for yelling, but if it is the necklace that’s making her act this way, I don’t want you touching it.”
He leaned down and kissed Sarah’s brow while I fiddled with the clasp, then got it off. I held it in the air as if it were a dead snake.
Dax retrieved a small wooden box and I dropped it inside. He placed it on the table and picked up the ReGen wand. “I’m going to change the settings. If you’ve got poison in your system, this will analyze the chemical and program your cells to begin to produce an antidote.” The blue coils turned a strange shade of orange as he waved it over me again.
Within a couple of minutes, I started to feel better. My skin stopped being so sensitive, my breathing slowed and I didn’t feel as on edge. I no longer felt as if I wanted to run a marathon or scrub their house.
I took a deep breath, then another. “Holy shit. That’s so much better.”
Dax looked at the ReGen wand, growled. “I fucking knew it.”
“What?” Sarah and I asked in unison.
“It’s Rush.”
“What’s Rush?” I glanced down at the box and the necklace most likely coated in the stuff.
“It’s been banned for decades. Highly illegal. It speeds up our metabolism and makes it nearly impossible for us to control the beast. They used to use it at sex parties, until the males lost control and started to kill each other. It’s been banned for a long time, but there is still an illegal trade off-world.”
“Like Earth?” I asked.
“No. Not Earth. It doesn’t affect you like it does Atlans or other planets.”
“That’s why I didn’t go into a rage when Deek did, why I acted neurotic when he got angry.”
“Exactly. We’re not sure exactly why you react differently. Scientists know that some aliens—sorry, but you both qualify as aliens to Atlan’s scientists—respond in different ways.”
“Perhaps it’s good then, that I was drugged too. Otherwise…”
I didn’t finish that sentence. Didn’t even want to think about it.
“You will be fine. The ReGen wand took it from your system. But for Deek, for an Atlan, even as big as he is, this drug will bring forth the beast, make him feel as if he has mating fever.” Dax picked up the box and we all looked down into it at the tainted necklace. “In the other races, like yours, it makes the heart race. It brings heat and thirst and it…”
“Horny,” I supplied. “It makes you horny.”
“Oh, shit.” Sarah put her hands on her hips. “So this drug must have been used on Deek.”
I nodded. “It had to be. Deek touched it when he put the necklace on me. He went crazy right after that. So, he must have gotten enough on his skin to react.” I looked up at Dax. “That means—”
“Deek doesn’t have mating fever. He was drugged.”
“And he’s mine.” Rage rolled through me at the thought of what had almost happened. “Engel drugged him. But why? I thought they were family.”
Dax’s frown deepened. “I believe Engel was on board Battleship Brekk when Deek was first struck with the mating fever.”
The implication was obvious, but I was so ready to scratch someone’s eyes out that I couldn’t help but seethe. “He’s been drugging Deek from the start, trying to get him executed.”
Sarah crossed her arms. “Or mated to his daughter.”
I took a deep breath and tried to think. Think! “Why would Engel do this? They’re family, right? What does he have to gain? Even if Deek had mated Tia, I don’t get it. It’s not like that much would have changed.”
Dax put the box down and paced the kitchen, his anger making his eyes darken. I recognized the signs of the beast rising in response to his rage, and quickly stepped out of the way as Sarah rushed to his side to calm him.
“Let’s all settle down, call the guard, and go over to Engel’s house and ask, shall we? We have time.”