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Whoops, guess I overshared. This was why I generally didn’t share at all. My social skills were lacking. If group therapy even counted as a fucking social situation. For me it was usually just me talking to Monty or the other shadows that popped up. They were horrible conversationalists, but at least I didn’t get this kind of reaction from them.
Dr. Bradley cleared his throat and gripped his notebook for dear life.
“It sounds like someone was looking out for you. Likely your father more than a hallucination,” he said with a sympathetic look.
My blood ran cold and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Excuse me? You think the man who sold me was doing it to look out for me?” I laughed bitterly at his sheer stupidity.
“I ... uh,” he stumbled over his words now, realizing what he’d said, or he was flustered at being called out for the insanity of it.
“It was Monty,” I said with confidence, not entertaining his idiotic thoughts any longer.
“Who is Monty?” he asked, but I was done sharing. I pinched my lips closed and sat up taller.
Flashes of that night had me balling my hands into fists. When I closed my eyes I could see the blood covering the floor and me. The alpha slumped over, pants still undone. My father was at the doorway, knife in hand, but I remembered Monty putting it there after he’d killed them both himself. It was the only time I’d ever questioned if he was real. Otherwise, how would that be possible? Or did I do it myself and locked those memories away, using someone like Monty to keep me from losing my mind completely?
They never even thought it was me. I was a young omega after all. There was no physical way I could have killed two alphas.
But if he saved me then . . .
Why not today with Dr. Vane?
He and I were going to have a chat when I was alone again.
“Well, that escalated quickly,” Layne blurted out before cackling. The laughter was hysterical and unhinged, but it had Crew joining, then Hiro, and finally I couldn’t stop myself from joining in. Even Drake gave a brief flash of a smirk before it fell away and he was gazing out the window again.
“She’ll fit right in,” Crew agreed as he wiped his eyes, still chuckling to himself. “We’re all crazy here.”
“We don’t use that word,” Dr. Bradley growled, like that was his hard limit. “And yes, I’d say that would work for finding good. Finding something redeeming about an affliction that we often view as vile or wrong is a great perspective to try and find.”
Okay, now I was positive he was talking out of his ass. I know to everyone else, Monty wasn’t the one who did it, he couldn’t have. But I’d seen Monty blur the lines of reality and fantasy more than once.
The scratch on the priest’s face.
The murder-suicide.
Something in me knew that wasn’t normal and feared that I was really the monster who’d done it all, but how could I? I’d remember that eventually... right?
“Sorry to interrupt and cut you short, but dinner starts in five,” Nurse Drew said as she walked back in, her footsteps echoing in the room that had fallen silent again.
“Great,” Layne said as she hopped up, ready to go. Nurse Drew’s stern look had her sitting back down with an annoyed huff.
“I won’t see you for two more days while you all adjust, but I want you all to be sure to welcome Harlow and not exclude her as she settles in,” he said. “Have a good week, everyone. Next session we’ll dive deeper into finding our positives.”
“Let’s go,” Nurse Drew called out. I followed the others and we all piled into the elevator, taking it down to the basement.
In here the scents of the group were overwhelming. I hadn’t gotten close enough to Crew to notice his scent, but I could smell Layne’s fruity and sweet scent, Drake’s dark and spicy, and Hiro who smelled like s’mores to me. Hiro’s was stronger than the others, like Drake’s was, but I was trying to ignore that. I’d had enough insanity to deal with today.
As the elevator ticked down the floors I tried to calm my nerves. That moment with Monty did not leave me settled.
The moment I saw the B on the elevator light up, I felt my body freeze. Like someone was gripping me and pinning me in place, forcing my breaths out in quick little pants. Dr. Bradley had brought out too many bad memories for the simple thought of a basement to not strike me like lightning.
My body hit the back of the elevator as I backed into it, drawing attention to myself. Again.
“Hey, stop,” Drake hissed at me. It shocked me enough my head snapped up. His eyebrows were drawn down like my mere presence pissed him off. “Stop causing a fucking scene. Get your shit together. I’m fucking hungry.”
“No fucking problem, let me just stop my panic attack to appease you,” I snarled with enough venom it drew the attention of Hiro who was standing closest to us.
