Exposure Read Online Free Page A

chromosomes like playing cards.
    We evolved, or regressed. Became something new, yet ancient.
    The wolf became a part of us. And something more.
    We learned how to flare.
    I still can’t describe it very well. My mind warps and snaps. Powerful forces rack my body. Primal instincts resonate in my subconscious.
    Then my powers unleash.
    Every sense blasts into hyperdrive. Hearing. Sight. Scent. Touch. Taste. Each becomes sharper than humanly possible. My muscles pulse with canine speed and agility. I practically smolder with energy. And my eyes blaze with golden light—an unfortunate side effect we have to conceal.
    After nearly a year, the effects don’t seem to be fading. Quite the opposite.
    The wolf now lives inside our cellular blueprint. Welding us into a pack.
    We’re Viral. Genetic freaks. A brand-new species.
    And we don’t have the slightest idea what to do about it.
    What if the sickness returns? Or the mutations grow more extreme? Could the powers simply vanish one day? Or will they become too intense, our wolf traits overcoming their human counterparts?
    With Karsten gone, I’d thought any chance of finding answers had vanished along with him. Then we discovered his flash drive. A lifeline in the dark.
    Small problem: We can’t access the information on it. The stupid files are encrypted.
    “What’s goin’ on, Tory?” Shelton’s voice dragged me back to the present. He was tugging an earlobe, a nervous habit. “Did it happen again?”
    The sensation wavered. Began to slip away.
    “Explain what you’re feeling,” Hi suggested. “Talk it out.”
    “I can’t explain. I wish I could. Ever since the storm, this odd sensitivity randomly comes and goes, like a memory just out of reach. Or a song lyric I can’t place.”
    Hi snorted. “Too bad we can’t Shazam your head.”
    “You get this vibe without flaring?” Shelton pressed. “Just out of the blue?”
    I nodded.
    Then, on impulse, I tried something.
    SNAP.
    Power burned through me.
    Fire in my veins. Ice down my spine. A thousand sparking needles, tattooing my skin.
    The flare burst to life like a supernova, kicking my senses into overdrive.
    Vitality poured into my muscles. The wolf came out to play.
    “Hey, I’m in.” Molten gold exploded in Hiram’s eyes. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath.
    “Playing with fire,” Shelton muttered, but in seconds the same glow ignited behind his irises. Hands shaking, he removed his glasses and set them on the table—while flaring, Shelton’s vision was as sharp as a laser.
    Though our eyes gleamed with equal intensity, our powers weren’t uniform. The mutations varied slightly with each of us. Why? Who knows. Add it to the list of things we don’t understand.
    Hiram can see with spectacular precision, far outstripping the rest of us. Shelton has the best ears. Ben becomes strongest and fastest. Me? A little weirder.
    When flaring, my nose can sniff out almost anything, even other people’s emotions. Anger. Fear. Panic. Worry. Envy. Each has a specific odor, if you can catch the scent and know what to look for.
    My theory involves hormones and pheromones, but, in truth, I’m not sure. My brain just makes these leaps, and I’ve learned not to question them.
    It does work. After the events of the last year, I no longer doubt my instincts.
    But that’s not the apex of what Virals can do.
    When in close proximity, our powers become extrasensory.
    Telepathic. Psychic. Whatever term you prefer.
    During the hurricane, somehow, I shattered the mental walls separating us, allowing the Virals to share thoughts as easily as words. No: more than that. We could communicate without words, tapping into one another’s senses, and sending fully formed ideas, images, and emotions. Even seeing through one another’s eyes.
    In those singular moments, our minds had melded.
    Five beings, blending to form one unified consciousness. Completely. Seamlessly. The pack became whole. Our powers, fully