Still nothing.
Dr. Hampton made a slight note on her paper pad. Then she looked up again.
“Are you scared?”
That did it.
Lena’s eyes flicked instinctively, for just a moment. First to Silas. Then to me.
Dr. Hampton didn’t react outwardly, simply following theshift in her gaze.
“Are you scared of your alpha handlers?” she asked calmly.
Lena’s posture stiffened. From where I sat, I could see her fingers curl faintly in her lap.
“Has an alpha hurt you?”
Lena’s breath caught, just the tiniest gasp of air, but it was enough of a response.
I felt Silas tense beside me. He’d been different lately, more angry, more impatient, more reactive than usual. Those traits had always been part of him, but now they were intensified, harder to control.
It reminded me of how he acted when he went too long without an outlet for his violence and rage. When he bottled his vices and let the pressure build. But this felt different from that.
I suspected the omega was affecting him, even if he would never admit it. It would be a lie to say she wasn't affecting me too.
Dr. Hampton nodded once, as if Lena had voiced her answer.
“Thank you,” she said. “Your reaction tells me all I need to know.”
She leaned back slightly, minimizing her presence without fully retreating.
“No one is going to hurt you here, Lena,” she said evenly. “You are a protected Arca witness and under my patient care."
Lena watched her closely, eyes narrowing, assessing the validity of the woman's words.
“If you understand that,” Dr. Hampton continued, “nodonce.”
For a long moment, nothing happened.
Then, slowly, Lena dipped her chin.
Once.
Silas let out a breath under his nose, quiet and disbelieving.
“Lena,” Dr. Hampton said calmly, “it is not in an alpha’s nature to hurt omegas. Instinctively, they are driven to protect them.”
A short sound burst from Lena’s throat. Not quite a laugh, more like a bitter and disbelieving snort.
“I know that may be hard to trust,” Dr. Hampton continued, “given your experience. But Special Officers Silas and Knox Mercer are not Marco Bellini. They are your AIED alpha handlers, assigned to protect you. To help you.”
She bristled at her words. Lena’s eyes stayed on the doctor as disbelief lingered in the set of her mouth.
"I know your introduction to them was… rocky, but they were just doing their jobs," Dr. Hampton said, “In time, you will see that they are not your enemy.”
She paused and let that settle before continuing.
“I’ll be meeting with you every day, Lena. Same time, same room. These will be your therapy appointments. You don’t have to speak unless you choose to. We’ll work at a pace you can tolerate.”
