Page 184 of Chosen Beta

This is where it gets tricky.

If she was an Omega, Lana would have guardianship because she’s in charge of the academy and any Omegas in the building. She’s a Beta, so there’s not much Lana can do if she insists on leaving.

All I can do is give her the truth.

“As long as you’re cleared as healthy you can do what you want to do.”

Her eyes brighten. She looks back at Dr. Morgan.

“I can leave when I’m healthy?”

“You’re an adult, so you can do what you like when you’re healthy,” he confirms.

She smiles. “I feel better, thank you.”

“However,” he adds, “You can’t go back to that house. Not ever. The man who took your mother has been arrested for what he did. He’ll be tried for her death, and for the deaths of others.”

“What about Colleen?” she asks.

“She’s free now. She was paying a family debt being his housekeeper, and now that he’s going to prison, that debt has ended. She left the house two weeks ago. She has family in another town.”

“I’m glad,” she murmurs. “Don’t I have family?”

“I’m sorry, Robin. You don’t.”

“What was my mother’s name?”

“Scarlett Yates,” he says, without hesitation.

She sighs softly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

She closes her eyes as he lets go of her hand.

She’s asleep a few seconds later, the sound of her breathing steady and slow.

Damian looks at me. “We should let her rest now. We can come back later to check on her, but that might have been enough.”

“It was,” Dr. Morgan says. “She understands now.”

“I’ve never met … someone like you before,” I admit, steering clear of the name for it in case he takes offence to that. It was a derogatory term for a while, used to single out Omegas who were thought to be less desirable.

“Most people haven’t,” Damian says. “I trust you’ll keep this between us. Rob has a PhD in Psychology, but obviously his natural talents work a lot faster to help traumatised people. In cases like this one it might be the only way to achieve the breakthrough that’s needed.”

I nod. “Thank you for agreeing to help us.”

“You’re welcome,” Dr. Morgan says, looking at Damian. “We can leave now.”

“Almost,” Damian corrects him. “I have some decoding to do first.”

“Actually,” I start, hoping I’m not overstepping. “Dr. Morgan might be able to help with that, too.”

Damian raises an eyebrow at me. “How so?”

Dr. Morgan smiles wryly. “I think I know.”

He probably does. It really wouldn’t surprise me.

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