My legs are freezing, and that’s when I realize I’m in a hospital gown. The blankets are scratchy and too thin, making my omega recoil in disgust.
No.
No, no, no, no,no.
I’m not wearinganyundergarments. Which means…
They’ve seen my bite.Hayden’sbite, right on the underside of my breast.
Ice settles in my veins as my vision starts to cloud.
Our bond. He’s probably feeling everything I’m feeling right now. He’s going to panic. He’s going to come looking for me. This is bad. This is really, really bad—
“Ah, Josephine, you’re awake.” Doctor Brooks peeks his head into the room, then comes the rest of the way in, two orderlies at his heels. “We have many things to discuss.”
To anyone else, Brooks’ black walnut scent would be mild and unoffensive. But to me? Memories of being beaten senseless behind Daddy’s trailer next to a black walnut tree filter through the back of my mind. I try to fight the panic rising in me—Daddy’s not back from the dead, and he can’t hurt me anymore.
I swallow the lump in my throat, tears stinging my eyes. “I don’t have anythin’ to discuss with you, Doc.”
In the back of my mind, I work on shutting down my connection to Hayden. He can’t feel everything I’m about to be feeling. It’s not right. It’s not fair. He shouldn’t have to deal with the panic of feeling my emotions on top of the stress of me being gone.
Doctor Brooks gives me a sad smile. “Oh, but you do. I have a feeling that you’ve already realized what it is.”
The two orderlies behind him, one beta and one alpha, by the looks of it, eye me with barely disguised interest. Looks like it’s been too long since they’ve been around someone who can talk back.
They’re too far away to scent properly, but a mix of grass clippings and wet asphalt tickles my nostrils, thankfully diluting Brooks’ scent somewhat.
“Don’t give me too much credit there, Doc.” I try my best to give a weak smile. “My mind isn’t quite all there right now.”
Brooks sighs and pulls a seat up to my bedside. I eye him warily as he takes off his glasses and cleans them with a cloth. “Let’s not insult each others’ intelligence, okay, Jo? Both Doctor Whitmore and I saw the bond mark. So, we need you to answer a few questions.”
“And whereisDoctor Whitmore?” My voice goes sharp as my courage returns to me. “If this is such a big deal, shouldn’t he be here?”
“I’ll be asking the questions, Josephine,” he snaps, losing his patience for the first time since I’ve met him. “Firstly,how? How did you get the bite to stick? Between both yours and the alpha’s inhibitors it shouldn’t have been possible. Unless…was it an orderly? Banesworth perhaps? No…it’s clearly not a forced bond, the bite is too clean. Perhaps the Vasiliev bastard? The drugs don’t work on him.”
“What? No!” The idea of being bonded to Banesworth is so revolting, the words are out before I can stop them. Then, because I don’t want him to even think about Sam, I add, “It wasn’t an orderly, and it wasn’t Kole. Check him if you want—you won’t find a matchin’ bite mark.”
“Then who? I want a name.” He really does sound like he means business, and I’m trying to figure out what I can get away with. I mean, what else can they do to me? They already stuck me in Zombieland. “At least we know it wasn’t Lars Devereaux, seeing as his canines have been removed.”
I stiffen, noting that I don’t feel my necklace around my neck. The one made of beads and the teeth of an alpha who threatened to bond me against my will. The symbol of devotion from my Russian Giant. Gone.
“Where is it?” My words are filled with venom as pure rage fills my body.
Howdarethey?
How dare they take something so precious from me, when they already have my body at their mercy?
“Where is what?” Brooks asks calmly, like he’s not at all surprised by my rapid switch from panicked to pissed.
“Where the fuck is my necklace, you fuckin’ quack?!” I struggle against my restraints, the metal biting into my skin. “You hadno rightto take that from me!”
“Oh…you mean…this necklace?” He gives a smarmy grin as he lifts the pile of string, beads, and teeth from his doctor’s coat pocket. “Does FAFO mean…‘fuck around and find out’? It’s quite clever, really. Looks like you’re the one who fucked around and is currently finding out, though.”
“That’smine!” I cry out, thrashing like a mad woman.
“Maybe I’ll give it back if you tell me who bonded you.” Brooks raises his brow, thinking he has me trapped in a corner.
But…I can’t. Not even for the necklace.
