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“He’s not my husband,” I deny.
“Then, I’m afraid you aren’t going back there.”
“Your name is Mary?” Sean responds. My eyes widen in surprise as he reaches out and brushes his finger over her name tag. I’m sure he’s giving both me and the receptionist whiplash at this point.
She slaps his hand out of the way while giving him a dirty look. “As tempted as I am to let you go just to get rid of you,” she mumbles, “I’m afraid I can’t.”
“It’s fine. I’ve seen the doctor before and you’ll be right out here,” I tell Sean.
He frowns but relents silently. The receptionist escorts me through the door that leads to a small corridor.
“I’m afraid Dr. Cooke had a family emergency and had to take a leave of absence.”
“Oh no. I hope everything is okay.”
“Me too. It was very strange. He left a voicemail letting us know. Still, you don’t need to worry. Dr. Cooke has referred all his patients to Dr. Brashear. The patients seem to love him.”
“That’s good. I’m a little nervous. I’ve not been to a therapist before. Well, that I can remember.”
“I’m sure you’ll like Dr. Brashear. All our patients have so far.”
She opens the door, allowing me to walk in and then follows behind me.
“Miss Miller, so nice to meet you,” the doctor says, standing up and reaching out his hand. I shake it and for a minute his face is blurred. My body goes rigid as the image of the doctor with his mouth open replaces reality and large fangs protrude out. I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. Then, the world goes black.
15
#7
(STARK)
Our meeting was more of the same. The only bright spot was Endy telling us he caught Scar’s scent downtown. The smell was masked but it was definitely him. The problem is that downtown is so congested with vehicles, people, and other things that it makes it harder to track. Still, that’s information I didn’t have. That means I’m not going insane. Scar is staying close, and I need to make sure I find him before he finds Grace.
That also means that I need to keep Grace at the compound and not in town where it might be dangerous. That put a kink in my plans to go on a date with her tonight, which sucks, but can’t be helped. It made me get inventive and thankfully, Ettie agreed to help.
Our compound has what we call the outside. It’s still underground but there’s a patio that goes around the area. It looks like you’re walking outside, but it’s actually a large two-story room. The ceilings are vaulted and that enables us to make it appear as if you step out of the house onto a patio surrounded by a huge yard and in-ground pool. The landscaping is even designed to make you feel as if you are in nature. It’s remarkable the way flowers grow with the right lights and watering system. It cost us a fortune to put in, but it was perhaps our wisest investment.
We’ve collectively come to the conclusion that our lives are never going to be normal. We’re not safe and that means our mates aren’t. Oracle said that if Scar and Draven—men of our own species—exist then there are more. That feels like a heavy truth on our shoulders. We need a safe place to bring others. At this point we’re convinced there are out there. We’ve built a mansion here to house the ones we find. That may sound impossible, especially considering it’s all underground, but lighting and projectors do amazing things.
In this area, we can make it appear as if it’s a clear blue-sky day with the warmth of the sun shining down on us. We can even make it cloudy and overcast. With the flick of a button, we can make a light drizzle of rain begin. There’s a thunderstorm and lightning setting too, although the storm is more for show than providing actual rain. The water we use here returns into hidden drains and is cycled back into a state-of-the-art filter system and reused.
My favorite—and the setting I’m using tonight—makes it so the “sky” above us is covered in stars and even a moon. It makes me feel peaceful and I love how the “outside” lights and reflection of the moon in the pool make the area feel. I also have a table and two chairs that Ettie has styled with what she calls fancy dishes and linens. I have no idea. I’d be okay with paper plates. I just know I want Grace to be happy. Ettie also hung these things she calls fairy lights over the pergola that the table is under. I thought it was silly until she showed me what it looked like when the nighttime setting was in effect. It’s perfect and I can’t wait.
