Page 42 of Petals and Strings
Another forgotten soul drifting in these dim hallways.
When the door closed behind them, Rydell took a seat in the waiting area, glaring at the door.
I stepped out of the room, not wanting to be as obvious. Instead, I settled in the atrium, snatching a book from the side table, waiting to see if she needed us.
It had been a while since I’d spilled blood.
Chapter Fifteen
Audrey
Theo and I were having a silent stare off. He hadn’t spoken a word since the door closed behind us.
There were no pretenses of kindness or compassion now. The mask had been ripped off and I was staring at the darker side of him, the one he hid from Director Cross and everyone else.
“You know,” he drawled, breaking the silence. “Making an enemy of me isn’t wise.”
“It’s strange that you think us refusing to be abused is ‘making an enemy’ of you,” I said casually. “I was comforting a fellow patient that was in distress when not a single staff member tried. In fact, you tried to take him away from the person who calmed him down. That is more damaging than anything I could do.”
“And the alphas who seem to think they have a right to you?” he asked, just as calm.
He’d noticed their protective side. This was getting complicated.
“They’re keeping me safe. You tried to force me to let in the trauma then wanted to sedate me when I was trying to face it head-on. Last time I checked, your job is to guide us through those episodes, not take the easy way out.”
His nostrils flared, eyes flashing with fury as he glared at me. Otherwise, his posture stayed the same, unmoving and rigid.
“You know, if you cause trouble there are plenty of ways to make your life hell. That little omega you seem so fond of? I’m sure an all-alpha floor could be a good fit. The beta who is lost half the time might need a little time in solitary to reflect? Actually, come to think of it, solitary is a good fit for that feral alpha as well.”
I didn’t let a single thing show on my face as he continued to list all the ways he could hurt us, one by one, then moving back to me.
“Maybe you’d like solitary yourself. Or perhaps long sessions with yours truly,” he mused.
Each word had my blood boiling and my nails digging into my skin until blood was beading up in the shallow crescent-shaped cuts. The sharp sting of pain grounded me and kept me from letting panic start.
“I think it might be time to go see the good doctor,” he finally said as he stood. “Up. I’m sure Dr. Malik wouldn’t mind a drop in on my recommendation.”
“Dr. Malik just changed my medication,” I said as I rose to my feet. It took everything in me to keep my stance neutral as I envisioned slamming his smug fucking face into the wall then letting the alphas have him.
As we walked out, Rydell was waiting. He stood, angry eyes on Theo who ignored him and clicked his fingers at me like I was a fucking dog.
“Let’s go.”
I turned to Rydell. “He’s forcing me to go see Dr. Malik because he thinks I’m working you guys up and defying him. If I walk out of there sick or sedated, go to Director Cross and let him know I was compliant and calm the entire time and absolutely against the sedation.”
My words were loud enough that people nearby heard us. Theo twisted around so fast he nearly toppled, a low snarl echoing out before he shifted forward, finger inches from my face.
He was so angry he didn’t care that Rydell was at my back, daring him to touch me. Damn, it was nice having a man as large as him as a bodyguard.
“If you think you get to control anything here, Audrey Walker, you’ve got another thing coming. I own you here. I call the shots. You step one inch out of line, are late a single fucking minute to therapy, and I will follow through on my threats. He won’t be here every single time to protect you.”
“One of us will,” Ledger said easily as he joined us, boxing Theo in. A few nurses hurried over but Theo had stormed off, spitting mad but defeated.
The moment he was out of sight, I nearly deflated.
“Come on, we’ve got you,” Ledger promised, the alphas moving to my sides as they practically carried me across the atrium to our wing. Ansel was still waiting and he stood quickly as he took us in.
Then he was in my arms, hands sliding around my waist as I curled in on him, letting him hold me up this time.
