“We’ll know more once the doctor takes a look at you,” Sam says comfortingly as he turns the shower back on and starts to undress.
“I don’t see why I need a doctor anyhow,” I start towel drying my hair, glancing at him in the mirror, “‘specially since I already saw every doctor on Dec’s payroll, and none of them were any help.” Hemming and hawing and guessing at what the hell is actually wrong with me.
“Well, a lot has changed since then, Trouble.” Sam raises his voice to be heard over the torrent of water as he steps into the shower. “You’ve met your true scent matches, the doctors injected fuck-knows how many drugs into your system,andMabel is finally safe.” I can see the slightly blurry outline of his body through the shower glass in the mirror, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to undo all the effort I just spent drying off and join him in the shower.
Unfortunately, we’re about to have company.
My gaze shifts back to my face, and I frown, studying myself as I work product through my hair. The red strands nearly reach my waist now…it’s probably time for a trim. “I s’pose you have a point.”
He doesn’t answer, just starts humming to himself as he starts to wash his body.
I’m halfway done blow-drying when he turns off the water and steps out, wrapping a towel around his waist. He says something, but the blow-dryer is running right in my ear so I can’t hear anything. “What?” I yell, and rolling his eyes, Samcomes over and takes the blowdryer from my hand, switching it off.
“I said, you have about thirty minutes to finish up your beauty routine.”
“I’ll be done in twenty.” I snatch the blow-dryer back from him. “You should know better than to take a lady’s weapon from her like that.”
His brow arches. “Weapon?”
Kole’s voice pipes up from the doorway. “I have always found it interesting that hair dryers are shaped like guns.”
Looking over my shoulder, I spy my Russian giant, freshly showered. He must have used one of the other three on the upper floor. “That explains why I’m so good with them.” I shoot him a wink and a grin, and in the next moment, he’s marching over to me, tilting my head back and stealing my breath with a kiss.
He pulls back, nothing but adoration in his eyes as he looks down at me. I blink, suddenly feeling lightheaded. “Not that I’m complainin’, Sugar Bear, but what was that for?”
“You have simply never looked more beautiful,lyubov' moya.”
Arching a brow, a glance at myself in the mirror. Half my hair is smooth and shiny, sure, but the other half is a wet mess. “I don’t follow.”
“There is something different about you when you feel safe,” he says softly, running a thumb over my cheek. “Your shoulders are not as tense, you are not coiled to strike. You are simply with us, doing normal, everyday things and I…” he leans down again, brushing his lips lightly over mine, “I cannot wait until this is the default and not the exception.”
Well, shit. Now I’m gonna cry.
A watery laugh leaves me. “Me too.” He smiles at me again before leaving the bathroom.
“Twenty-five minutes.” Sam taps his wrist. I roll my eyes and turn back to the mirror, but Sam pauses. “And…and I agree with Kole. For the record.”
A small smile tilts at my lips as I flip the power to the blow-dryer back on.
“Well, Jo, you’re looking about as healthy as I’ve ever seen you.” Doctor McFadden pulls the earpieces of the stethoscope back around his neck.
“She’s recovering from several external injuries, including a bruise from a bullet that hit her in the stomach, and a black eye from being basically tortured.” West folds his arms over his chest and eyes the doctor warily.
When I came out of the bathroom twenty minutes ago, dressed and with my hair freshly blown out, the guys all stopped in their tracks, jaws dropped. It then occurred to me that they’ve only seen my hair a wild mess, and between my new hairstyle and the eyeliner and mascara I put on, I probably look like a whole new person.
I swear Sam nearly demanded I go take it all off so the doctor didn’t see me—but I explained that this is how I was before I sent myself to Thornfield. Hayden just kissed me and told me I’m “hot-as-fuck no matter what cool makeup shit I put on”.
So now, as we sit in the living room of the guest house, it’s no surprise that Sam and Kole are standing right behind me as if they might need to interfere when the beta doctorinevitablyloses control.
Not to mention he’s nearly seventy and married to his sweet husband of forty-five years.
Doctor McFadden huffs. “In this business, everyone is always recovering from a bullet wound or worse. I mean her physiological health—especially the omega side of her. The last time I saw Jo, she was fine, sure. But she wasn’tthriving, not in the way a newly presented omega should be. Just by finding you four—her true scent matches—she’s the glowing picture of health on the inside. Since her body isn’t actively rebelling against her omega-nature, and especially now that she isn’t constantly in fight-or-flight mode, her systems—”
“Hold up there, just a minute.” I stand, crossing my arms. “What do you mean ‘constantly in fight-or-flight mode’?”
“Jo.” He gives me a look like he can’t believe I’d be this dense. “Your childhood was filled with almost nothing but constant abuse. Even when the stress came to a breaking point, more was piled on by way of the disappearance of your sister. I would be more concerned for your psychological well-being if youweren’tin that state. The problem is, it became your new normal. Now, well…now it’s time for a different normal.”
“What does that mean, then?” Hayden asks, standing and wrapping his arms around my waist in a comforting embrace. “What’s her ‘new normal’?”
