Page 8 of Follow Your Instincts

“Not really,” I said. “But it’s not any worse.”

“I’ll give you the full tour tomorrow, of course, but am I right in thinking you’d prefer to get some sleep to meeting anybody else?” Steffi was leading me down the hall, back to the main building after a brief examination by the Center’s doctor, Dr. Meninger. He’d seen me in a small room lined with bookshelves and white-washed wood paneling that looked more like a study than an exam room. But the plastic-covered examination table marred the intended calming effect.

He was a Beta, but had doused himself in descenters because I couldn’t smell anything. “You’ll have a heck of a bruise, but no lasting damage,” he had said after looking at my throat. “If the swelling gets worse, please come and see me.” I’d swallowed the two over-the-counter pain pills he passed me, and that was that.

“Yes, sleep sounds amazing,” I said. I was emotionally and physically drained. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d cried like I had in Steffi’s office.

We passed into a new wing of the complex. All of the hallways were cheerfully lit but narrow and the wooden floors were a bit creaky. The walls in each section were painted different soft pastel colors and this new wing was a shade of moss green.

“You’ll be staying here, next to Jessica,” Steffi said, leading me around a sharp corner and stopping in front of one of the 5 identical white doors. “You can meet her tomorrow, as well.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I’m sorry for being so emotional.”

“Oh, chicken, it’s my pleasure. When you wake up, come find me in the main part of the house, and we’ll do breakfast and the full introduction tour.” Steffi pulled me into another hug. “I hope you get some good rest.”

As Steffi bustled back down the hall, I opened the door to my room. It was small and cozy. The floors were the original hardwood I’d seen everywhere else, and the soft green paint continued here as well. There was a small window with white lace curtains and darker green drapes that looked like the light-blocking ones I had at home. Most of the room was taken up by a queen-size four-poster bed with an actual canopy draped from each corner. All the linens were creamy white, and the pillows looked indecently soft.

I dropped my duffle bag on the floor and opened the door to the right of the headboard to find a small closet. The door to the left of the bed led to a surprisingly large bathroom with a massive claw-foot tub to which someone had added a showerhead.

I fished my phone out of my pocket and called Kira.

“Hey, slut!” She yelled when she answered. There was pounding house music in the background. “Are you finally ready to come out with me? I’m at thebestclub downtown, you could be here in like no time!”

“Kira, can you go somewhere quieter?” I said loudly. “This is kind of important.”

“Oh god, that sounds ominous as fuck,” she said and I heard rustling and a few “excuse mes” until the music cut off in the background. “Okay, I’m outside. What’s going on? Are you alright?”

I started crying again. “I mean, not really. I’m at the Omega Center in Brookwood.”

“Like, for a case or something?”

“No, I… I presented as an Omega today.”

“WHAT?” I pulled the phone away from my ear.

“God, I have the worst headache, please don’t scream,” I said. “But yeah, I was at work and I guess I started perfuming or whatever it’s called and some asshole from the station attacked me.”

“I’m coming right now,” Kira said. “You said you’re in Brookwood?”

“Kira, please, don’t come here, it’s like 11 o’clock, and you sound drunk, and I bet you’re wearing a really cute dress. I don’t want you coming out here now, I just wanted to let you know where I am.”

“I don’t care what time it is, I want to come see you,” she said. “I’m calling a car.”

“Seriously, please don’t. I… I want to see you but I’m really fucking tired and my throat hurts. Can you come tomorrow, maybe? Like after work?”

Kira was silent for a minute. “Yeah, of course, Mags. I’ll text you when I get off and let you know I’m coming. Sorry, I just… I don’t know what to say.”

“Me neither. But I love you, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay. Go have fun, I’m fine, I promise,” I said.

“I love you, too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I hung up, feeling even worse. I should have waited until tomorrow to call. I’d ruined her night for nothing.

I stripped off my clothes and crawled into bed. The sheets were cool and soft against my skin, and I could hear the soft hum of the old-fashioned radiator under the window. Sleep claimed me faster than I expected.

Chapter 3

Soren

---