Page 136 of Psycho Alphas: Part Two

Cypress side-eyed Vance for a moment, watching as he tugged gloves from the box she’d provided. “Check on whatever’s going on with him, I’d rather focus on one patient at a time,” she said, nodding faintly in Rogue’s direction.

“I’mfine,” Rogue grunted as Cypress wiped down Bambi’s arm, IV kit on the table. He grabbed a hand towel from the kitchen and put pressure on it. “Just a graze.”

Cypress rolled her eyes, then returned her attention to Bambi. She’d managed to find a vein, and was pushing a syringe of clear liquid into the IV.

“What is that?” Thistle asked, voice tight as she looked at the drugs. I watched as Bambi’s eyes fluttered closed, and her grip on Bunny loosened as she went limp. “What did you?—?”

“Maverick.” Cypress glanced up at Ace, cutting her off. “Am I here to work, or babysit your traumatised Omega?”

Thistle growled, but Ace caught her before she could launch at the doctor. He lifted her from the table before she could argue, and she spun on him.

“Enough,” he said, taking her chin. “Let her do her job.”

“And you—” Cypress jabbed a bag of fluid at Rogue, eyes flicking to the sticky blood on his shirt. “Sit down. I didn’t bring enough of these for a meathead your size.”

“I said I’mfine.”

“You were shot,” I said. He probablyshouldsit. And Thistle had to calm down too. I rested a hand on her waist.

“Too many hormones in the air,” Cypress said. “She’s scared. She’ll burn through the drugs quicker.”

“I’m not going?—”

“Your scent will help during recovery, but right now I need you out.”

“We can go,” I said.

“No!” Thistle hissed, throwing her weight against me as I pulled her toward the door. “I can’t leave her!”

I had to sling her over my shoulder when she tried to bite my arm, which was a good indication this was the right call.

I took her down the hall to the west wing. I don’t know what possessed me to bring us here, but once the idea had entered my head, I couldn’t shake it.

“I can’t—I gotta go back!” Thistle cried as I shut the door behind us.

“You will be there when she wakes,” I told her.

“Let me go! You don’t understand?—”

She cut off as my hand clamped around her mouth, and I dragged her against my chest. I held her close as I tugged over a stool, positioning it before a dusty canvas I’d set up ages ago. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I picked up an old stick of charcoal from the table beside us.

“I do understand. Let me show you.”

I paused right before the charcoal met paper, heart thundering in my ears, a slight tremor in my fingers as I realised what I was about to do—the world I was about to re-enter.

Then I took a breath, loosening my grip on Thistle, who was no longer fighting me, and began.

The piece formed quickly. The forest was one I’d carved into the cream of a canvas over and over again. I knew every blade of grass, every tree.

Each rustle of leaves above… The beat of my own heart slamming into my ribs.

I used my finger to smudge the lines, blurring shadows and building up the nightmare once more.

I was back in that forest, footsteps crunching through shrubs, a few birds the only sound I could hear. That was good.This place was a sick game, and I was being hunted.

I was alone for a long time, until at last I was stopped by another.The Omega looked maybe eighteen, if that, with black hair and ruddy skin from running. He was distinct, with dark eyes, and one slightly crooked front tooth.

I remembered his fear as he stopped me in the woods, eyes wide as I tried to push him away—telling him to hide, to run, to do anything. At the time I didn’t understand his words, but it didn’t matter. I felt them as if my instincts could understand better than any language.