Page 187 of Retribution
Dr. Royal sits down slowly as he watches us.
“We started off badly,” he says, shaking his head. “Do I need to get psych in here? I mean, do you need to talk to someone? How are you so calm?”
“I’m not calm,” Isolde says honestly. “You scare me more than the three alphas who raped me last night. I need blood tests done because I’ve been repeatedly drugged for the past several years by a well known sex trafficker. My alphas are concerned I may be suffering from sexual trauma due to yesterday’s events, and I’m here to help set their minds to rest. I really don’t fucking want to be here. Any other questions?”
“None for now,” he says. “Who do you want in the room with you during your exams? The room isn’t large enough for everyone.”
“Lucas,” Oliver, Alesso, and Grant say together.
Eyes wide, I glance at them.
“I don’t like him,” Oliver says honestly. “I may punch the asshole.”
“Same, but I have a gun,” Grant shrugs. “I’m sure you’re a great doctor, Dr. Royal, but your bedside manner fucking sucks.”
“I’m off my game,” Dr. Royal sighs. “I’ve been working too much, and my empathy is in the toilet. Let’s try this again.”
“Ugh, can’t we just do this when we get back?” Isolde asks. “I can do one last hit, and we can be on the road right after.”
“What hit?” I ask, ignoring the doctor. If he works for Cian, then he’s gagged harder than any nondisclosure clause.
“The building commissioner,” she says. “I’ve been meaning to come out here to have a discussion with him, remember?”
“Omega’s Haven’s permits,” I nod.
“Fuck,” Dr. Royal groans, standing. “I’ll get the nurse now. She does a lot of work with the Haven. I promise I’m not usually this much of a dick. Excuse me.”
Isolde gives me puppy dog eyes as he leaves the room, making me sigh.
“Baby, you know just as well as I do that we’ll get wrapped up in something and completely forget about following up on doctor appointments,” I remind her. “I’m so sorry to be a bastard and push this.”
Sighing, she trudges over to the medical table and pulls herself up onto it, ignoring the stairs.
“Yeah, good luck with that,” Alesso mutters. “I’m going to go check on the baby and hunt down some coffee.”
“I’ll go with you,” Oliver murmurs.
Grant follows them out, and I walk toward Isolde.
“What if I’m broken?” she whispers, swallowing hard. “What if I can’t have kids or she fucked with my body chemistry and I can’t fix my bonds with all of you?”
Deciding to face her ire, I pick Isolde up and move up a chair so I can cuddle her in my lap.
“None of that would make you broken,” I say. “No. I mean it. We have already touched on the topic of kids and Leila is ours. No one can take her from us. Biological children aren't necessary for any of us. Until recently, the four of us were lost bachelors,trying to figure out what was missing in our lives. The answer to that is you and Leila, because you’re all we need to feel complete. My concern is your health, and ensuring that we don’t lose you. Ophelia injected you with several drugs, right?”
“She injected me with a lot of things, forced me to swallow pills, but I have no idea what any of it was,” Isolde says, laying her head on my shoulder. “Ophelia was frantic, and I doubt she’d remember what she was pumping into my body. That's why I didn’t bother to ask.”
“I have her notebook,” I remember. “It’s on the nightstand. I almost forgot I took it with everything that happened. The medication that Ophelia gave you is different from the one my company developed, because it irrevocably breaks the bonds. Grant is already well on his way to reestablishing your bond with him.”
Shuddering, she nods. “That’s such a scary thing to have in existence,” she whispers. “We know what it’s like to have them destroyed.”
“We do, but if I got sick and I knew I was going to die, I would take it without a second thought. My death could kill you if we were bonded, because with time, the bonds get stronger,” I say. “That’s true of those who are sick with cancer or illnesses that don’t have a cure.”
“You created it for instances where the person is going to die either way,” she realizes.
“Yes, and I will add even more failsafes so that it’s very difficult to misuse it. You’re right, this is a dangerous drug?—”
“But it does have its place,” Isolde sighs. A knock on the door brings a nurse and Dr. Royal, and she stands to resume her place on the medical table.
