Page 76 of Dubious Match
Ugh, why do I feel like crying? Shaking my head, I blink rapidly to try to dispel them.
“You have her eyes,” the alpha with the green eyes mutters. “What did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t,” I mutter, wiping away a tear that escapes with my thumb. This is getting really weird, and I don’t know what to think about this.
Taking a step back, I glance up to see the alphas are moving forward to mirror my movements. Fuck. Why do I suddenly feel as if I’m their prey now that I’ve caught their attention, pulled into their web? I’m the girl who usually exists in the background as a midwife, and I’m happy being in that space.
This? I feel as if the rest of the world has fallen away for them and I’m the only thing that exists now.
“Anyway,” I say, voice cracking from stress. “I hope she gets better quickly. I have to go back to my client.”
Turning, I walk quickly away, forcing myself not to run. Isn’t that a red flag for a predator? That’s what it feels like they are.
“Wait,” the alpha with the glasses barks out. There’s a hint of power to it, and I almost fall from the weight of his alpha bark.
My father liked to use his bark on me, and it’s another reason why I left home as soon as possible. Whining, I think about good things, something that I’ve instilled myself for more than just insisting on positive thinking.
For me, it’s about survival. It’s how I break free, stay focused, and break the curse of being an omega. I won’t bow down to an alpha ever again.
Time seems to speed up as I break the effect of the bark on my body, and I begin running. Fuck trying to not play into this dumb alpha’s instincts.
“Shit, she broke my alpha bark. Fuck, don’t tell Hollis I did that. She’ll have my knot,” he panics as I disappear around the corner.
I have a feeling Hollis is the girl laying on the bed, but not who these alphas are in relation to her. If she keeps their leashes, I hope she wakes up soon. However, I don’t know why I had such a strong reaction to her, and I don’t know if it’s worth finding out.
Shivering, I try to find my way back, but there seems to be a dead end. Fuck. I can’t loop around to where those alphas are. I’m stuck.
“Can I help you?” a nurse asks, glancing up from a desk.
“Yes, please. I just attended a birth for one of my clients and decided to take a walk. I think I’m lost,” I say with a sincere wince.
The nurse grins, standing.
“That’s fine. It’s easy to do,” she says, walking over to hit a button that opens a pair of doors that I thought was a wall.
Well shit. I feel kind of dumb now. Taking in my face, she chuckles.
“Did you think you hit a dead end?” she asks. At my nod, she shrugs. “It happens often. Happy walking.”
“Thank you,” I breathe, continuing on my way.
“Caleb, you left your post,” the nurse teases someone.
Looking over my shoulder, I put a name to the alpha with the intense green eyes. He’s taller than I am, and his shirt sleeves are pushed up to show off his tattoos.
“Only for a second,” Caleb grumbles, shoving his hand through his brown hair as he glares at me.
I look away and keep forcing my feet to move forward. The doors close behind me to separate us again, and I finally get a full breath as I rush back to the elevator to return to the safety of the maternity ward.
My heart is threatening to break out of my chest, but while my parents make me want to flee a city, I don’t get that same feeling. I’ll never see Caleb and the other alpha again. Minneapolis is large enough to hide in.
I just don’t understand why I’m feeling as if I’m making the wrong choice. Whoever is laying on that hospital bed is important to me, I just don’t know why.
HOLLIS
I’m alone when I wake up, and I’m not happy about that. As the all consuming ache in my body settles from laying in a bed for so long, I whimper as the sunlight shines in my eyes.
I fucking hate hospitals. I want to leave.
