“Sorry.” He grimaces. “I didn’t mean to startle you. You just looked…” he pauses like he’s looking for the right word, “lostfor a second there.”
I immediately nod. “Yeah. Sorry. I’m good,” I lie, but the truth is too much to unpack right now.
“There you are,” A voice cuts through the quiet kitchen seconds before the doctor walks briskly into the room. His gaze drifts from me to Beck.
“Hey, Dr. Pace,” Beck says, straightening a little. “Do you want some breakfast? I made eggs and bacon. There’s toast.” He holds up a tiny jar of strawberry preserves. “The jam’s from the farmer’s market.”
Dr. Pace lifts a hand, already shaking his head. “No, thank you. I’m fine.” He sets his medical bag on the table. It lands with a thump, like it weighs a thousand pounds. “I just finished up with Mr. Vexler.”
Beck’s shoulders tense.
“He’s not out of the woods just yet,” the doctor says plainly. “But his fever is coming down.”
“Thank goodness.” Beck exhales, relieved.
“It’s definitely good,” Dr. Pace agrees. Then his attention shifts, and his eyes land on me. “I can only attribute the improvement to you, young lady,” he says, matter-of-factly.
My spine stiffens. “Me?”
He nods once. “Omega pheromones have a measurable effect on alpha recovery. In the old days, they called it the elixir of life.”
I bite down hard at that, the phrase crawling over my skin.
Elixir of life?God, that’s disgusting.
But before I have a chance to show my disgust, the doctor’s gaze swings to Beck. “Of course, the effect would be stronger if she and Mr. Vexler were mated.”
I go still as my stomach twists with rage.
Of course, that’s what I am to him. Not a person. Not a girl who woke up drugged and terrified in a stranger’s house. I’m just a biological boost he can give to his patient.
I don’t look at Dr. Pace again. Because if I do, I might say something I can’t take back.
Beside me, Beck clears his throat. His voice comes out low and uneven, like he’s bracing for a reaction. “Uh… she might not be staying,” he mumbles, not quite looking at either of us when he says it, embarrassment and sadness bleeding through every word. “She wants to go home.”
I blink, shocked.
For a second, I can’t even breathe.
I can’t believe Beck said that out loud for me. He’s not going to try to keep me here. He’s actually respecting what I want.
“Go home?” Dr. Pace’s eyes go wide as they lock on my face. “You’releaving?”
I nod, still looking at Beck. He keeps his head down, staring at his lap, but the rush of emotion I feel for him is shocking. I want to launch myself at the Beta and hug him long and hard.
Dr. Pace angles his head down, catching my eye. “And what did Mr. Vexler say about that?”
My shoulders stiffen, and I clear my throat. “I haven’t told him yet,” I admit quietly.
Something loosens in Dr. Pace’s posture all at once, relief flickering across his face before he can school it away. Then he smiles, bright and reassuring, like everything issuddenly back on track. “I want to give you an immunization booster,” he says, reaching for his bag.
My entire body locks up. Every muscle goes rigid as heat flashes under my skin.
“It’s nothing to be scared of,” he says as he pulls out a small vial of clear liquid. “The Morder isn’t exactly the cleanest environment,” he continues, still calm, still clinical. “Especially for sheltered omegas. You could’ve been exposed to something. This is only a precaution.”
I don’t answer. I can’t.
The vial fills my vision, the glass catching the light as he turns it between his fingers. I can’t look away. My throat locks, words backing up somewhere behind my teeth.
