Page 191 of Retribution

I accept full responsibility for this, especially knowing Paula let those men in. That’s none of his business, so I refuse to say any more. The need to do something normal led us to her being taken.

I know there can be arguments on both sides, and she could have been kidnapped at any point since Ophelia was gunning for Isolde. It doesn’t help remove the bitterness from what happened.

“That explains some things,” Dr. Royal admits. “It appears that the drugs Ophelia was pushing attempted to override it, but was unable to because it became part of Isolde’s genetic makeup.”

My lips part in surprise, as I wasn’t expecting that.

“Isolde, your body is going to need time as it heals, but eventually you’ll be able to go into heat. I’m unsure whether that’ll happen again in the coming months or years though.”

That’s not the end of the world since I hate my heat,she whispers into my mind. I know how much she hates feeling out of control. Heats aren’t the only part of being an omega in a pack, as she settles something in each of us. I’m obsessed with my scent match as a person, not what she biologically represents.

“Marie explained her findings to me, and there’s nothing that tells me that you’d be unable to have a child if that’s what you want. She didn’t find any excess scar tissue either, which would be a concern if you did want to carry a child to term,” Dr. Royal adds.

He takes the next few minutes to go through the rest of her results, but outside of a pause in her heats, Isolde is healthy.

“Thanks, doctor,” I say, standing with my pack. “I apologize that we were?—”

“Please don’t,” he says. “I am used to things delaying the patients Cian sends to me. I was being a dick. I’m deleting any evidence of you being here, as I doubt you want there to be any. All paperwork will be shredded, but I can send the lab work results wherever you’d like.”

Grant hands him a card with my professional email address on it, and the doctor takes it. I’m the only one who checks it now that Paula is in jail until someone from our pack can collect her. The betrayal still pisses me the fuck off.

“Thank you,” I say again, herding my pack out the door and down the hall.

“Are you hungry?” Alesso asks, watching Isolde closely.

“I really want a smoothie,” she grumbles. “I also have a pit stop I want to make before we leave Minneapolis.”

“Okay,” Grant says, brow raised. We borrowed a vehicle from Duncan so that we could come to this appointment tonight, so we have wheels. “How soon do we want to go home?”

“Home home?” Isolde asks, yawning widely. “I’ll be fine after I get some sugar into me, don’t mind me.”

“We’re always going to worry,” I remind her. “I wouldn’t mind going home soon after this. Maybe we can pack up and make sure the plane is ready for us by midnight?”

“I’ll make sure the pilot knows,” Grant says easily. “I really fucking miss our house with Isolde. It’s weird to say that, huh?”

“What do you mean by missing it?” she asks.

“None of us could walk inside there without you,” Oli says. “You’re our glue, Kitten. Nothing feels right without you.”

He’s right, for all the ways that we love each other, she holds the best parts of us. She always will.

Chapter Forty

Isolde

The smoothie helps boost my sugar, and I sigh in appreciation as I give Grant directions to the building commissioner’s home. It’s a brownstone in a quiet area of Minneapolis, a place where nothing bad really seems to happen. I’m about to prove that’s incorrect.

Bad things can happen anywhere.

Pulling out my phone, I text my group chat with Cian and Corbin.

Me:

I’m taking care of that problem we discussed earlier today. Please be advised that I won’t need a clean up crew for this. I expect to make a statement.

Bubbles begin to form in the group message, and Oli clears his throat to get my attention. Glancing up, I show him that I’m listening by making a noise. He’s head down on the computer, and I expect that he’s working on something.

“Two things,” he begins. “Our presence has been scrapped from any hospital cameras we may have been caught on tonight, and no one has any cameras on the street we’re headed to. Reginald Mathers is in the middle of changing over his own security system, so we’re in the clear there as well.”