Page 83 of A Dove To Break

“I’m relieved,” I say. “I’m glad it was her. Not because I wanted her to die, but it wasn’t one of you. She is at peace.”

Brent moves me to the bed when the doctor comes in. He is cautious but seems to relax when he sees the guys. “Alania,” he says. “I am Dr. Torres.”

“You’re a psych doctor, aren’t you?” I deadpan.

“I am,” he says with a smile. “I’m also a member of The Society and part of the marriage program.”

“The what?” I ask, looking at Adrian.

“It’s an anonymous marriage program. Dominants and submissives take a compatibility test, and they are then matched. They meet, fuck, and then they’re married,” Adrian explains. “The program restarted this year after being canceled for about a decade. I signed off on its return when classes started, since not all submissives are married off during classes, and there are more to enter the program. It’s a very strict program.”

“Ah. Well… Mkay,” I say. “What do you want?”

“Tell me what happened tonight. The real story,” he says.

“Well… I’ll call them my parents, but really, they aren’t. They’re just who raised me. Mom killed Dad because Dad raped me my whole life. She can’t cope without him, so she killed herself. When Cian, who is my biological uncle, called, I didn’t hear who he said died. I panicked, thinking it was one of them. I was on my way when I wrecked.”

“When you got here, you were screaming about someone shooting at you. Explain that,” he says.

“I’m not crazy,” I say with a frown.

“I never said you were, Alania,” he tells me.

“It sounded like a gunshot, and the truck went off the road so fast… I tried to pull it back, but then we flipped,” I say. “It sounded real, but there was no one around me.”

“The tire blew out,” Adrian says.

“Definitely sounds like a gunshot, especially in that big truck,” Raul says.

“I’m sorry I wrecked it.”

“It’s just a vehicle, baby,” Adrian says. “I can replace a vehicle, but I can’t replace you.”

“So, I observed everything while you were here,” Dr. Torres says. “I’ve talked to your partners…”

“Get to the fucking point,” I snap.

“You have complex post-traumatic stress disorder,” he says. “Observing you, I do think that you also have ADHD. Around seventy percent of women who have ADHD also have Autism. I’d like to do some more in-depth tests so I can give you definitive answers. Because of the trauma you’ve experienced, I’d like to talk to you regularly.”

“And if I say no?” I ask.

“Then I will sign involuntary commitment papers,” he says simply. “Alania, they had to pry a razor from your hands.”

“Fiona died!” I yell at him. “Her brains were in my hair! Half of her fucking face was missing. I get to grieve.”

“You can yell, scream, rage, or cry. That’s fine. What you aren’t going to do is kill yourself,” Adrian says.

“You did this,” I seethe. “It would be way fucking easier if you just called me crazy.”

“You aren’t crazy, Alania,” Adrian says softly.

“Fuck you!” I yell as I get up from the bed to back away from everyone. “Get out.”

“No,” Adrian says as he walks closer to me.

“Don’t fucking touch me. Get the fuck away,” I say with rage in my voice.

“Alania,” Adrian says.