"Blaze?" she echoes, frowning. Her fingers jump to the thin pink cut on her cheek. It’s too straight to have been stray shrapnel caught in the fight.
I huff. "Ah, I see you've already had a visit from the Sergeant."
Viper blinks and ducks his head to inspect the mark.'That mother-fucker. I'll kill him.'
"Blaze hasn't dealt with your departure with grace," I say dryly, the hypocrisy of my own words almost laughable.Noneof us handled it well. "I very much doubt a quick fuck in the cellar will inspire him to keep his knives to himself."
Halley's purple orbs swim with tears, clumping her eyelashes together.
"Is he okay?" she asks, her voice wavering.
I counter with a shrug. "Was he ever?"
Halley's lips tremble, and a tear escapes, spilling over her cheek.
The regret hits me instantly. I’m an asshole.
A door slams and footsteps echo from down the corridor.
"Halley?" A feminine voice calls.
A petite brunette in blue scrubs rushes towards us, concern etched into every line on her face.
She breathes a sigh of relief when she sees Halley.
"There you are. I swear I’m going to have to put a tracker on that collar of yours. Where did you go? You’re supposed to be resting."
Her voice is vaguely familiar, not just because she was the doctor that came to patch Knox up. I can’t put my finger on it, and my maelstrom of emotions won't allow my brain to connect the dots.
"I had to go see General Stone," she mumbles, furiously wiping the tears from her cheeks.
The woman peers at Viper and me, then asks, “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
“Ah, yeah." Halley clears her throat and nods. "Doctor Everlyn..."
I suck in a breath. I know exactly who Everlyn is. She's the person who told Halley her Omega friends were kidnapped right before she left us. She’s the spark that set this whole mess in motion.
"Meet Lieutenant Viper and Beta Specialist Shade."
The doctor's eyebrows fly up in surprise.
Halley continues. “They’re part of Scorch Squad, the soldiers who were training me.”
A sly smile curves the corner of the doctor's lips, and she crosses her arms.
"Oh, I'm well acquainted with their names. I’ve heard you moan them every night for the last three months—"
Halley slaps a hand over her mouth.
"Ooophs. Dih I shay too mush?" Everlyn says, the word muffled but unmistakably smug.
"Shut up!" Halley hisses at her friend, but drops her hand.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. She's still been dreaming of us... of me. It soothes the ache a little. It's not too late to salvage this mess, but I have to get a grip and stop lashing out at her.
I shift my weight, hooking my thumbs in my belt loops. Halley's eyes flick to my waist and linger a beat longer than polite.
I let my hands hang. Framing the problem she’s created. I’m still hard because she still smells like freshly knotted Omega.
