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“My ribs hurt pretty bad,” I murmur.

“Here, how about you sit on the side of the tub and I’ll take a look at it,” she says.

I do as she says, lifting up Madden’s shirt over my head and turning to the side so she can start examining the full extent of the damage done.

She gasps and I wince. “Oh my god,” she says, her voice thick with sympathy. “I’m so sorry Luna.”

I feel her fingertips against my skin and jump a little at the touch. “Is that a bite mark?”

I shift, glancing down to where she’s pointing, and wince. There is a bite mark on the bottom of my breast. The splotchy bruising forming around it is ugly and disgusting. It must’ve happened during my heat.

“I—yeah. It—it must’ve happened during my heat.”

“Was your heat recent?” She asks, her brows drawn down in concern.

“Yeah, it ended a couple days ago.”

She hesitates, her apple pie scent going a little sour with her change in emotion.

“Was it consensual, Luna?”

I hold the fabric of Madden’s shirt to my front like the thinfabric can protect me from my memories. My shoulders curl in as I do my best to make myself as small as possible.

“Oh, darling. I’m so sorry.” She grabs my hand, squeezing it gently until I look up into her eyes. “I have to document this before I get to treating anything.”

“Documenting?” I whisper, fear making my chest tight.

She pulls her hand out of mine and digs around in her briefcase before pulling out a digital camera. “I’ve never had to use this before, so the SD card is completely new, but I need to take pictures of your injuries and write down notes.”

“Do you—do you have to?” The only reason I’m comfortable asking such a disobedient question is because Charlotte is an omega and a seemingly kind one at that. But I can tell from the sadness in her expression what her answer is going to be.

“I have to do this, Luna, I’m sorry. If you choose to go to the police later on, this will help your case.”

“But, I don’t want to go to the police,” I beg. “Do you still have to?”

She sighs. “I’m going to be really honest with you, Luna. You’re such a sweet girl, I don’t think you’d do this, but because you’re an unregistered omega, if someone wanted to, they could say that my brother’s pack did that to you if you don’t have this documented by someone like me.”

The thought of the pack that’s been so kind to me getting in trouble because of me has my mouth snapping closed. I give her a firm nod before I drop the shirt onto my lap. “I’ll—I’ll do it. Please do whatever you need to do.”

“Thank you, Luna. I’ll do this as fast as I can.”

I give her a half-hearted smile before turning away. With each flash of the camera and the feel of cold marble on my skin, I find myself drifting further and further away from my body.

CHAPTER 8

Kane

Itrust Charlotte, she’s an excellent doctor. Luna is in good hands. But I still find myself glancing up at the stairs every few seconds.

It’s understandable, the effect she has on me, on all of us, really, considering she’s our scent match. But this situation is far from normal.

“I need a fucking drink,” Archer mutters, opening the liquor cabinet and pulling out a bottle of whiskey.

“Well, then,” Nolan, one of Charlotte’s alphas, says, his eyes darting between all of us while his eyebrows reach toward the ceiling. “I think I’ll just wait in the car. One of you text me when Char’s done so I can come help her carry her stuff. I, uh, it seems like this is a rough situation. I’ll let you guys talk it through.”

As the front door closes with a thump, I scrub a hand down my face.

“Pour me a glass too,” I mutter under my breath.