I lift two fingers. “Two. Zack bonded Rickon not long before the attack.”
“Oh, I didn’t know.”
“He was willing,” I add. “And Rickon hasn’t bonded me, as per the rules.” I slide my silk collar down to show my shoulder. “Only one mark.”
Dr Woods smiles, knowing what I’m getting at. “And the third alpha?”
I tap my head. “Still murmurs up here. He’s in court today and sounding mighty confident.” Happy even. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because we kissed. No matter our difficulties, Callisto’s going to be part of my life in some form from now on.
“Fascinating,” she murmurs.
“But,” I say, holding up one hand, “Zack’s been attacked in prison, and I experience all the aggression and terror like a conduit direct to my soul. It’s utterly petrifying to sense thedanger he’s in but be completely helpless. I’m having nightmares again and forgetting my lines. I never did that when I had Zack in my line of sight, even when we were still wrestling with some of his wild behavior in public.”
“Okay. And you’re camping in a tent near the prison, correct?”
I nod. “Yeah. Besides the media statement, I can sense him better through the bond at close range. I don’t know how, but it’s true.”
The doc leans forward. “I believe you. The wonders of the bond confound science, but no one doubts its existence.” She glances down at her notes, brow furrowing with concentration. “I have to say, sleeping in a tent on the roadside is very dangerous.” She glances up at me, a sparkle in her eye.
“Absolutely,” I declare with enthusiasm, catching her meaning. She’s looking for ways to help me this time. “Rickon gets nervous too. Something about wanting me inside sturdy walls. It’s very dangerous.”
“Would you say you’re pining for your missing alpha?”
“So much it hurts.”
“Hm.” Dr Woods tracks her stylus pen across her notes. “But you can’t go back home because . . .?”
I clutch my chest. My first instinct is to assume a role, but do I really need to? Dr Woods says she needs real data to help with his release. I swallow hard around a lump in my throat. For Zack, I can be honest.
“I keep telling everyone I’m okay, even myself, just so I can get through the day, but I panic without Zack. The last time he was in prison, they scheduled his execution.” I grip the armrest, digging my fingers in deep so the Ghost flittering just out of reach can’t attack.
“I wake up in cold sweats, wondering why I can’t feel him and thinking he’s been attacked again. For my whole life, I’ve relied on acting various roles that kept me alive, but the truth is Idon’t want to keep living that way. I want to live as the real Red Jones . . . but I can’t do that without my alphas. Rickon’s trying to keep a brave face, but he misses his alpha too.”
Tears prickle behind my eyes, and I clear my throat. If I’m not careful, I’ll lose my composure entirely. “Isn’t long-term absence from a bond mate psychologically damaging or something?” I ask haughtily.
Dr Woods sets her tablet down on the table. “In your case, I’m certain it can’t be good. You seem to have an especially powerful connection to your alphas. I looked into it, and there’s an entire field of research exploding around the concept of a pre-bond. It would also explain how people feel compelled to travel to countries where their scent matches live.”
“Well, it would explain a lot of things,” I mutter, looking away. Like how I walked into Callisto in the middle of a city, and how I found Zack locked up in a random prison.
The therapist leans forward. “One of the lead researchers is coming to Laversham. I’d like for you to talk to him in the future.”
I narrow my eyes. “Hey, I’m not being anyone’s lab rat again.”
She shakes her head. “No labs. Just in one of our conference rooms, or here in my office, if you prefer. The fact is, you’re the only case I’ve come across where the pre-bond might be audible. Other omegas in the case study have only ever referred to their connection as a sensation.”
I drum my fingers on the couch arm. “I’ll do it if Doc Leanne agrees to be with me.”
Dr Woods’s mouth tightens, but she nods. “I’ll ask her.”
“Good. Are we done here now?”
“Of course. I’ll write an official release request and deliver it to the Justice Department.” She picks up her glasses and flicks the metal arms open. “You should know that lots of omegas askus for help when their alphas get incarcerated, but we rarely intervene. We can’t when crimes are involved.”
I jump to my feet and grin down at her. “So, you’re telling me I’m just that special, right?”
Her shoulders twitch with a silent laugh, and she waves me away. I grab my handbag and cross the room, glad to be getting out of here.
With my hand on the doorknob, I pause and turn back. “You know, next time an omega tells you she can hear her alphas in her head, how ’bout you believe her instead of waiting for some scientific research team to tell you it’s possible? Could have saved both of us a lot of heartache.”
