"Why are you in such a hurry to get out of here?"
"There are some unpleasant men after me. I'd rather they not catch me."
"Shouldn't your pack be the ones who deal with that?"
"These guys? They're not my pack. They rejected me years ago."
She nodded, as if that made sense. "I've known these guys for a while now, I work in their lab, but I know how stubborn they can get. Especially Mace."
"Yup." I wobbled again as I stood up. "I need to shower."
"Tell you what? You shower, I examine you, and I'll give you a ride into town."
For a long moment, I studied her. "Why?"
"Because I want to make sure you're okay, first of all, and second, I think these alphas need to know what you've been through."
A ride back to town meant I wouldn't have to deal with the stupid alphas waiting in the living room. I nodded. "Fine. Deal."
It didn't take long to shower, but I stayed under the water for an extra half hour, just to see if Dr. Nova would leave. Unfortunately, she was still there when I stepped out of the bathroom in a towel. For the first time in years, I smelled good, with my natural lemon scent enhanced by the eucalyptus fragrance of the shampoo I'd used.
"You can drop the towel, if you're comfortable."
I tossed it onto the bed and Dr. Nova's eyes widened slightly. She remained professional though, stepping forward to shine a light on a few areas of my body, touching me with gloved hands.
"Where did these burn marks come from?" She ran her finger over some of the scars from the center.
"Taser sticks."
"At the Center?"
I glanced at her. "Maybe."
"You're safe with me. I've heard things about that place." Her lips tightened. "What happened here?" She pressed on a lumpy part of my rib.
I winced at the tenderness there. "I was knocked down."
"By?"
"Does it matter?"
"Liora, I'm on your side." She sighed. "Look, I know it's hard, but when an omega has been abused like this, the best thing to do is report the alphas who did it. That's the only way to make sure they don't do it to anyone else."
After she finished examining me, she let me get dressed before checking my head and shining a light in my eyes.
"Like I thought, you have a pretty serious concussion. And you're very malnourished. When was the last time you ate a proper meal?"
I snorted. "That hasn't happened in years."
"Even when you lived here?"
"Haven't you heard? Mace likes his omegas to look good on the red carpet," I snapped.
"I hadn't heard. I'll be having words with him."
"Don't bother. He won't care. It's all about looks with them." I shook my head. "Are we done?"
"I just need to set your nose."
