Page 65 of Talk About… Rivalry

If they didn’t call my name soon, I might scream.

Thankfully, the doctor had fit me in as soon as he could today. My frantic email last night was enough for him to jump into action.

I honestly doubt half of it was coherent.

By the time the nurse had taken my vitals and put me in a room to wait for him, I was even more of a mess.

My anxiety had gone to new heights, making it hard to breathe. Nausea was rising with every single breath and my head started to spin like I was going to pass out.

Dr. Graves opened the door and took one look at me before closing it firmly and walking over. He rested his hands on my shoulders, eyes determined and voice firm.

“Sidney, you take a breath right now,” he ordered. There was no arguing with the gruff tone.

I sucked in a shaky breath that sounded pathetic even to my ears, but I clung to the calming sound of his voice as he eased me through several more breaths.

Finally, after a few minutes my breathing had calmed to normal. My head was still throbbing but no longer spinning and my stomach had settled a fraction.

“Now, walk me through what happened.” He wasn’t wasting time, likely hoping like I was that getting this over with would help.

My cheeks burned as I recounted the details of the night. He listened to every word, no judgment, his gaze as he soaked in all the details. I gave him everything from my jealousy spiking at Maverick being asked out on a date to the rest of the events unfolding on said date.

“And you caught a hint of someone’s scent? Not just a normal, everyday scent?”

If it wasn’t asked as gently as he did, I might have been angry.

With another shaky breath, I nodded. “Yes, it was like two overlapping together. Maybe, more. I don’t know for sure. It happened so quickly, then it was gone again. It was… different.”

“Different? How so?” he questioned, looking concerned now. Nothing about my case had ever been normal so I don’t know why he was surprised.

“My chest has been tight and my emotions are kind of all over the place. I’m not due for heat yet, or a pretend one, but then again who the fuck knows when that’ll actually come?”

The bitterness in my tone was sharp, but I couldn’t help it. All this chaos wouldn’t be an issue if my heats and scents were normal.

He let out a small chuckle and nodded his head. “As I said before, I had a feeling that when you meet mates that it couldkickstart this part of you that’s been dormant. I’m unsure which, if not all of these men, that you’ve described are your mates. But someone assuredly is. For you to get a glimpse of a scent like that is ahugestep in the right direction, Sidney.”

Now that I’d unloaded everything, I was exhausted. It felt like I hadn’t slept in years. Thanks to this newest mindfuck, I tossed and turned all night, barely sleeping.

It wasn’t like this doctor was a counselor. I wasn’t about to unload everything on him, but then again he was used to working with omegas and he knew me better than any other medical professional in my life.

He knew all the deep intricacies of my lack of scents and messed up heats.

So, when he looked at me and asked what happened next, I didn’t hold back.

“I freaked out and I left.”

He chuckled. “You wouldn’t be the first omega to find a mate and then run from it. Meeting a scent match is this visceral, vulnerable moment that is overwhelming. The more you get to know them, the more your reaction will even out.”

“What if it doesn’t?” I questioned, swallowing hard. “What if this is all I ever get?”

“You asked me that question almost every time we meet, Sidney. This is already more than you’veeverhad before. This could be exactly what you need.”

Then he shifted in his chair, fingers gripping the file in his hand as he gave me a serious look. Dread pooled in my stomach. Whatever he was about to say, I wasn’t going to like.

“We now know that you have the ability, it’s just been dormant. I am even more convinced now that when you find your pack and are claimed by your alphas, biting and setting that bond, that it will fix itself.”

The world screeched to a halt as my pulse thundered in my ears. He was asking me to take a leap of faith and gamble with not only my future, but theirs.

“I can’t ask this pack to claim me if I’m not their match. If we’re wrong then I’m taking away their chance at fate.”

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