“The fuck I am,” I scoff, shaking my head. “I’m not due for an…appointment until after lunch.”
“Change of plans, asshole.” The other orderly takes out a syringe. “Brooks isn’t happy you lied to him. Don’t make me use this.”
I lied to him? I wonder which time he’s talking about.
“I’d like to see you try,” I growl, but a second later, the two of them are on me. The attendees of Circle Time all scramble back out of the line of fire as the scuffle breaks out. I throw them off easily, but a second later, two more orderlies are on me, and I’m taken down to the ground. It’s only when my cheek is pressed to the tile, that I see Adela’s horrified face as she stands in the doorway, a hand thrown overher mouth. Why does the little beta look guilty? Then they stick me with a tranq, and I fade out of consciousness.
nine
West
It’s been two days since Jo was taken to the Cathedral, and I’m getting really worried about Hayden. Obviously, I’m worried about Jo too, but our omega has a kind of ruthlessness to her that makes me think she’s better prepared for this than our pyro friend is.
We know Brooks wants to find out who she bonded to. He told us as much at the staff meeting this morning, saying she has a bite mark, and to keep an eye out for any alphas we think could be sporting a matching one. Obviously Jo isn’t giving Hayden up.
That’s my girl.
Mygirl.
Fuck, I miss her.
Only two weeks in her presence and she’s already ingrained herself into my very being, as if she’s always been there. The way her nose wrinkles when someone says something stupid, or how she’d raise her eyebrow at me when I’d say something especially “shrink-y”.
How she started calling me “Doctor” that last night, and not in the same way she’d say “Doc”. We got somewhere we’d never gone before. And that kiss? Just that single kiss is enough to keep me going. To keep in mind the plan that Declan laid out for us two days ago, and not fuck anything up in the meantime.
Meeting Jo has turned me into a different man. When we walked in on Jo and an unconscious Banesworth on Saturday night, I knew things would never be the same. And thank fuck.
Hearing what he had planned on doing to her? Before, the thought of watching her torture Banesworth would have had my stomach twisting, as much as I hated the bastard. But trying to turn my omega into nothing but a sex object, plus the realization of just how many women he’d victimized the last eight years?
Irredeemable. Thirty-two. Twenty of those being women possibly under my care, and I hadn’t realized.
I washappyto hold him down for her.
I don’t know what I plan on doing after we’re done here, but I think a career change is in order.
Regardless, with the way that Brooks showed up to the staff meeting this morning, half out of his mind and a little loopy looking, has me thinking he’s after more with Jo than just finding out who bonded her.
“I have something for you, Hayden.” My voice breaks the silence in the room, and the alpha looks up at me, dark circles under his eyes. The man is not doing well without Jo, and while my present might be ill advised, it’s also exactly what he needs.
He scowls at me. “Unless it’s Jo, happy and healthy, I’m not interested.”
“One more day, Hayden. That’s how much longer we have to wait.” My words do little to comfort him, and he scoffs.
“Yeah, and what will be left of her then?” He stands abruptly, his seat crashing down behind him. He runs his hands through his hair—something he’s been doing frequently the last few days and it’s left him with a serious case of bedhead. “She does her best to block me out, but she’s in pain. This could end if we tell them it’s me! The bond sickness will go away! But she’s protecting me. You’reallprotecting me. I’m not some fragile…thing! Tell them it’s me! Maybe they’ll let up on her!”
Jo isn’t giving him up for a reason, and I’ll be damned if he lets her efforts be in vain because he wants to play hero.
“Jo’s tough.” The words burn as they come out, because even I know that she’s not invincible. But we have a plan, and stressing out isn’t going to help anyone. I have to keep a level head. As a beta, and a psychologist, it’s the strength I bring to this pack. “Here.”
I reach into my desk, ignoring Hayden’s growl at my words. When I slide the metal lighter across the top, he stills.
“How did you…?” He picks up the lighter, and when he flicks it open, some of the tension leaves his body. It’s an exact replica of the one his dad sent him, complete with engraving. He freezes. “You…you left in the flint wheel.” He stares at it, his thumb hovering over the mechanism. “Did…did you mean to do that?”
“As your doctor…” I blow out a breath, looking at the way his eyes are focused on the wheel. “I shouldn’t have left it in. But as your packmate and friend, who’s worried about you being found out by Brooks…” Sighing, I run a hand over my hair. “You need an outlet for this anxious alpha energy, Hayden. I think, if you stick to only using it in my office and in your room, and if you…” I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes, not quite able to believe what I’m about to say, “promiseto not actually light anything on fire…I think we can last the next two days without anyone being the wiser.”
Turnip peeks her head out of Hayden’s pocket, making me jump a little. When Jo said something about a rat coming to her through the air vents while we were…“taking care” of Banesworth’s body, I had thought…well, I’m not quite sure what I had thought. Stress-induced hallucinations were high on the list of possibilities, but not for one second did I think there was an actual rat named Turnip that Jo kept as some sort of secret pet.
It does come in handy though, having her around to sniff out bugs before I have these meetings with Hayden.
