Dusky purple and indigo patterned Quinn’s arm, the thick bands and mottled circular shapes leaving no question as to whose hand had inflicted the wounds. Quinn thought nothing of it, the passive abuse of Alphas not knowing their strength so ingrained that she was surprised when Dr. Annan stiffened and ran a finger over the multitude of hues.
“Do you always bruise this badly?”
“I don’t know. I guess.”
“This is… extensive,” Dr. Annan murmured, voice tense as she pulled the strap tight over Quinn’s bicep and prodded at the veins that jumped into stark relief.
“What are you implying doctor?” Tobias spoke for the first time in an age, dark shadow slipping over the bent woman as he neared.
“I’mstatingthat this bruising is considerable, Mr. Kahler.” The needle slid into Quinn’s vein with practiced ease, the strap unwound as rich red began to spurt in slow pulses into the vial she’d connected.
“You’re saying far more than that, Beta.”
“No, Mr. Kahler, I am not.” Dr. Annan replaced the vial with another, this one filling faster as Quinn’s heart began to pound out a warning rhythm.
“How I treat my mate is no one’s business but mine.”
“So it is.” Dr. Annan removed a third and final vial, pressure applied to the small puncture with a thick cotton ball before she placed a band-aid over the wound.
“I believe your business is concluded here,” Tobias said, the reverberating thunder of his growl sending Dr. Annan back from Quinn when she might have pressed further.
“As you wish, Mr. Kahler.” Annan was not pleased with this turn, but her movements were just as smooth and swift as they had been when she unpacked her gadgets. When her bag was packed away, the vials safe in a hard sided kit, she turned to Tobias with a defiant chin. “Might I suggest you take some care with her person until I’m able to get the results back. This amount of bruising is not normal under the usual circumstances, and if you feel you haven’t—”
“Out!” He didn’t wait for Dr. Annan to move, grabbing her by the arm to haul her towards the door where Curtis appeared from thin air. Shoving the doctor out of the door, he slammed the heavy slab of wood in her face when she turned to say something more.
“How dare she suggest I beat you!”
Quinn ran her fingers over the bruises, contemplating them as she prodded at the tender spots. For an outsider, it must have been a surprise. More shocking for a Beta who maybe didn’t see such things day to day. Nodding her head side, to side, she presented the offending limb to Tobias. Let him see the dark, mottled bands and rounds, until he came to a stop and cradled her wrist to smooth a hot palm over them.
“Can you blame her?”
Chapter Six
“I would never hurt you, little bird.”
“I hate that, you know. And you do hurt me.”
“Not on purpose. I’ve never beat you for the sake of it,” he murmured as he went to a crouch, still holding her arm. Bowing over her hand, he placed a long kiss against a dark smear of purple.
“You’ve hit me before.” Quinn didn’t tug her arm back or protest his gentle mauling as he laid more slow presses of his lips against her skin. She studied him instead, watching his profile as he did it.
“I have not.” There was a warning there, his agitation still too close to be poked at. Fingers tightening around her wrist, he pulled her arm as he leaned in, forcing their faces close.
“You threw me when you came to my apartment. You slapped me when you came down to the warehouses to get me. You’ve hurt me in other ways.” They were old hurts, long scabbed over and left to leave a scar amid so many others. It had happened though, and for him to denounce it hurt far worse.
The deep pink of his tongue slid over his lips, tangling with her concentration so that pale grays zeroed in on the firm line of taut flesh. A momentary flash of heat, her pussy clenched over empty air with a lurid train of thoughts before she frowned and dragged her eyes back to his.
“I never thought you would fight me so hard,” he murmured, the richness of it flowing over her in sticky waves that clung to not just her sex, but places it had no right to touch. Her heart shouldn’t flutter at the hint of self-deprecating humor or the darkness of regret that teased at her senses.
“Is that supposed to be an apology?”
Before he could answer, Curtis returned. Stiff backed and ever derisive when it came to Quinn, he directed his attention to Tobias. Didn’t even deign to glance at Quinn as he spoke of her as if she wasn’t right there.
“The doctor advised filling the prescription as soon as possible. It should become effective within half an hour of her taking them, and that you should get her eating immediately. Dr. Annan said that should help with the fatigue. She also says to call her if any other symptoms appear or worsen in the next two to three days before she gets the results back.”
Tobias stood, drawing up to his full height to look down at Quinn. It was an intimidating move, one she had seen a thousand times. Meant to make her feel small and too insignificant to matter. Sighing, she felt as if nothing at all had been accomplished despite their brief reprieve.
It would be the grind of an endless battle after all. At least she wouldn’t be puking her guts out while it happened.
