She nods in understanding. “It’s all right. Pretty common thing when omegas are hurt. Most of the doctors at the hospital are alphas, though, so you’ll need to keep it under wraps there, or you’ll get a hard nap from the happy drugs.”
I shake my head quickly, but then groan as pain lances my temple. “No hospitals. Please. I have some fairly intense medical trauma.”
She frowns. “Well, I can’t make any promises that you won’t need one, but let me check you out first, okay? My name is Katrina, by the way.”
“Hi, Katrina. My name is Ava,” I respond. “My brother-in-law is a trauma nurse at Weill Cornell. I have access to care at home, if that matters.”
“Well, it certainly doesn’t hurt.” She glances at the wound on my head. “The bleeding has mostly stopped, so I’m going to check your vitals before I clean it, okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Can you tellme when your last heat was?” she asks as she unwraps the blood pressure cuff from my arm and jots the numbers onto a notepad from her pocket.
“It ended yesterday morning,” I say quietly. “There’s a chance I’m pregnant, but it’s too early to really be sure. My mom called just before all of this happened, and she was going to tell me my results, but…” I trail off.
“Are you cramping or have any sort of pain?”
“No, ma’am. Well, none in my belly. My head is killing me.”
Katrina shines a small flashlight at my eyes and has me follow it. Seemingly satisfied with my vitals, she starts cleaning the blood off my forehead. I hiss despite myself as she presses an antiseptic wipe against the wound. Mark lets out another low growl from behind me.
“Easy, big guy,” she says without looking up, unbothered. “I’m almost finished.”
She rummages through her bag and pulls out butterfly closures. The sting sharpens as she draws the edges of the wound together, then dulls as she applies the bandages. “There we go,” she says. “You’re going to be okay. Though you’ll probably have a nasty-looking goose egg for a while, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that eye turns a little black.”
I exhale in relief, and I feel some of the tension ease out of Mark as well.
“My main concern is a concussion,” she says, meeting my eyes. “I don’t see anything here that requires an immediate ER visit, unless your symptoms worsen or you just want to be evaluated. Yourbrother-in-law knows concussion protocol, and he can walk your alpha through what to watch for once he has you safely back in your nest and he can think a little clearer.”
I smile. “I promise he’s normally not like this. It’s all just very new.”
She squeezes my hand gently. “You have someone who loves you. That’s a good thing.” Her tone softens a touch. “I do want you to follow up with an OB as soon as possible. Just to be safe.”
“So, I can take her home?” Mark asks, sounding mostly like himself.
“Yeah, but you’re going to want to talk with the police about the best way to do that. I know you’ll want to carry her out, and I’m certainly not going to stop you. We don’t havethatmany paramedics. But I imagine it will be like chum in the water to the sharks outside, considering who you two are.”
Katrina packs her supplies back into her bag before giving me one last smile. “I always said I thought you two had a thing for each other. Nobody fights like that unless there’s some chemistry there.”
Mark carefully stands, cradling me against his chest bridal-style. I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my cheek against his shoulder.
“Lieutenant Mulligan, can I take Ava home? Someone from the precinct can come take her statement tomorrow, but she needs rest now,” he asks someone that I don’t bother lifting my head up to look at.
The sound of his voice and his scent soothe me, and I close my eyes against all the brightness.
I must have dozed off, because the next thing I know, the dull roar of people beyond the door jerks me awake. “Keep your head down, little cereus,” Mark murmurs. “I’ve got you.”
“Mr. Taylor! Why are you carrying Ms. Kendrick?”
“Are the reports true? Are you two bonded?”
“Ava, how long have you secretly been an omega?”
Question after question is lobbed at us. I hear the police surrounding us and telling the reporters to back up. I can hear the clicks of the flashes on the cameras, and I’m grateful Mark told me to keep my head in his shoulder, because I can’t even begin to imagine how painful all the light would be.
“That’s her car and driver right over there. Help us get to him, please,” Mark says to someone. I press my face closer to him, whining. I should care more about people seeing me this vulnerable, normally I would. But I just can’t seem to bring myself to care. God, I want to be home and in my nest.
“Thank you, Tony,” Mark says quietly, easing me into the car seat through the open door. “Keep your eyes closed, Ava, and scoot just enough to let me in.”
