Chapter 7 · Glitch in the Collar

"Get the hell away from me!" I shoved Vivian back, my palms stinging from the contact.

Her eyes were wide, searching mine with that terrifyingly sincere intensity. She didn't move. She just stood there, her breath warm against my cheek, her voice a low, dangerous murmur. "You're shaking, Tess. Why are you shaking?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. Because the collar around my neck was starting to hum. Not a gentle vibration, but a high-pitched, jagged frequency that felt like a drill pressing into my spine. It was getting hot. Fast.

"I'm fine," I snapped, stepping back so quickly I nearly tripped over a piece of loose rebar. "I just... I don't do the whole 'emotional intimacy' thing, okay? Now go find someone who actually wants to be comforted."

Vivian frowned, her brow furrowing. "You're lying. Again."

Before I could tell her exactly where she could shove her intuition, a sudden, violent jolt ripped through my neck. I gasped, my knees buckling. The collar wasn't just humming anymore—it was searing.