Page 40 of The Forgotten

A droplet of blood bubbles up to the surface of Olivia’s thumb, and she whimpers softly.

“I need you to answer something for me, Doc,” I rasp, terror clawing at my insides. “Betas can’t bond with omegas, right?”

Please tell me I’m right. She has to accept it or something, consent! Goddamn, please tell me I didn’t just fuck shit up even more.

“Yes, they can,” he says slowly, walking over to gaze at her thumb. “Ahh, that’s not good. Do you feel any different?”

“Her pain,” I say, panic flooding through me. Olivia whines in her sleep, and Dr. Royal growls under his breath.

“Stop freaking out,” he insists. “It sounds like you did just bond with her, but that would only happen ifshewas open to it. You’re going to need to tell her as soon as she wakes up, or she’ll feel betrayed. If you’re the only safe person in this house for her, don’t take that away.”

Forcing myself to breathe, I nod. I compartmentalize really well, which may be why it bothers me so much when Olivia disappears into her mind. I want her to lose it, scream, anything except disappear.

Today, she did lose it, which was an entirely different kind of terrifying. I really thought my stepfather was going to snap her neck or stab her. I don’t want to be left behind again. I want her to fight and survive it.

I refuse to call Dylan Behan my father ever again. He was, in a way, responsible for Olivia deciding that death was preferable to losing her bodily autonomy. This was her final straw.

“Working on not freaking out,” I promise. “I’ve bitten her before, nothing fucking happened!”

“You got cocky,” the doctor snorts in derision, gently taking her hand from me. “Actually, I think you should grab someclothes for Olivia. I’m realizing how torn the ones she’s wearing now are.”

His eyes are respectfully trained on the bedspread and my brothers surprise me by growling. Olivia’s shirt is still torn open, her breasts on display. Moving quickly, I pick up the first long sleeved shirt I can find that's oversized and comfortable and return to change her into it.

I’m less worried about modesty than her comfort, but I appreciate that Dr. Royal steps aside, and my brothers glance away as well. Olivia deserves respect.

I can yell and curse at my stepfather all I want, yet he gave me the best brothers I could ever ask for. Aled and I may be on the outs as well at the moment, however, he’s always been there for me.

Her skirt is next to go, and I cover her carefully with the comforter and sheet. Balthazar barely moves from her side outside of lifting his head to give me an unimpressed look.

Yeah, buddy, I know. Trust me.

Dr. Royal returns to Olivia’s side and sets up her IV before rattling off signs of infection before muttering that he needs to head to his shift. I don’t blame him for not wanting to spend any more time than he needs to around us, not when the tension is so high in the room.

“Tell her,” Dr. Royal grunts before he strides from the room with his things.

“I’ll make sure he leaves,” Maddox says, dogging his steps. Paranoid as always.

“I really don’t think the doctor is an issue,” I snort, finally glancing down at my hands to realize they’re covered in dried blood.

Sighing, I walk to the bathroom and scrub at my hands and arms, all while watching Olivia from the doorway.

“We aren’t going to steal her away,” Cai says drolly, watching my furtive glances.

“Why wouldn’t I be worried when you were ready to give her to that monster,” I snarl, referring to my stepfather.

“We wouldn’t have let it get that far,” Aled sighs. “Dad would have murdered her and left if we’d shown any signs of weakness.”

“I know how he fucking operates!” I scream, my jaw clenching as Olivia’s body stiffens. Scrubbing at my skin, I curse as the blood takes forever to come off. “We have a shitstorm building, guys. Not only that, but I accidentally bonded with Olivia, and she may never forgive me.”

“I don’t know about that,” Aled murmurs. “She trusts you. I don’t know how or when, but she looked to you for comfort.”

“She looked to me to save her, and I couldn’t,” I correct him. “There’s only one way to fix our biggest problem. The question is are we ready to fill his shoes?”

“Legitimate business is boring,” Maddox says, rejoining the conversation. “We can keep the company going because of the jobs it’s creating, and easily take over the crime side as well. The entire time Dad was here, I felt like I was silently screaming inside. The cycle of his abuse ends now.”

“Use some petroleum jelly for the rest of the blood on your skin and wipe it off,” Cai adds. “You’re just stripping layers of skin off at this point, Gareth. You can't inflict pain on yourself if you're connected to Olivia.”

Blowing out a breath, I dry off my skin with a nod. I fucking know this, I just can’t think. Applying a thick layer of petroleum oil to my skin, I wipe the blood off easily as I lean against the door frame.