The doors slide open and I glance around, my brow furrowing. I expected a busy gynae ward, but it’s deserted. The only sign of life is more beta guards, all dressed in black, milling aimlessly around the reception. All eyes turn to me as I step out of the lift. The two next to me shift on their feet.
What’s going on here?
An older nurse dressed in purple scrubs, her face pale, steps out of one of the side rooms, pulling the door closed behind her. Her brows dip down, spotting me, and she strides forward.
“Can I help you?” she asks, her voice strained.
“I’m Dr. Morgan, the locum. Reception sent me up – something about your gynae consult being out of action?”
She tenses, glancing around the corridor. The guards watch us closely, paying attention to every word. My back stiffens.
“Dr. Hale is currently on leave. I’m not sure… excuse me for a moment.”
She turns on her heel and heads back to the room she just left. I lean against the wall, crossing my arms. This whole set-up is weird. My money is there’s some sort of VIP in residence and they’ve cleared space out.
Uneasiness curls through my stomach. I need to stay under the radar, and this definitely doesn’t fit the brief. Luc would lose his shit.
I’m about to cut my losses and leave when the nurse leaves the room again. She’s followed this time by a stocky older alpha. He’s early fifties, salt and pepper hair, clearly ex-military from the way he holds himself. He looks me up and down with gunmetal grey eyes, expressionless.
“You’re the doctor?” he asks, a hint of derision in his voice.
It’s a struggle not to let my lip curl, but I’m not interested in a dominance battle with this prick. I don’t like the look of him. Even his scent is off, sulphuric oil and some sort of acidic mix I can’t quite identify.
I decide on the affable, nice guy approach. “I am,” I say, sticking a bemused but polite smile onto my face and holding out my hand. “I’m Dr. Morgan – temporary locum support. I was told to head up to this floor. Has there been a mistake?”
He ignores my hand, pursing his lips slightly as if he’s displeased. The nurse shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot, her hands fidgeting.
“What’s your background?” he asks.
Shit.
“Medicine at Northwestern, specialized in general surgery, moved around a fair bit. I’ve just come back from Colorado so I’m on the lookout for a permanent role but picking up some locum in the meantime.”
I’m trying not to sweat. If he investigates my backstory, there are some false trails, but any deeper digging and they might realise I’m not who I say I am.
“And your gynae experience?” he asks.
“A year’s residency in Colorado.”
Lies.I should have told him I didn’t have any gynae experience, but it’s too late now. And I can’t deny the spark of curiosity in my chest.
The alpha thinks it over for a moment, his stare assessing and cold. Ireallydon’t like the look of this guy.
“Any work with omegas?” he asks abruptly. The nurse lets out a tiny, shocked sound and he glares at her. She stares at her feet, mumbling apologies.
A grim feeling uncurls in my gut, and I try hard not to let my eyes wander to the door behind them. If I was curious before, it’s nothing to how I feel now. If there’s an omega in there, I need to get a look.
“Some.” I don’t expand.
He eyes me before turning on his heel and walking back to the private room. I stay where I am until he turns and beckons me.
“Maybe you’ll be able to assist us, Dr. Morgan. The last consultant was… unhelpful.”
If it’s possible, the nurse turns paler. A touch of trepidation fills me as I wonder what happened to the unfortunate Dr. Hale.
What am I heading into?
ChapterTwo
