Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
HOLLIS
Frowning at my phone, I drop my head back on the couch pillows. My laptop is on the table beside me, saved over from helping Caleb and Lars find Nova. I am learning a lot about what’s been happening to her, and I’m not happy about it.
How the fuck can my very chronic migraines be hurting my twin sister? I want to hug her and apologize, but I don’t know how I’d start it.
‘I’m sorry I was born first, created some type of psychic link that only sometimes works, and you felt what I did when I purposefully got my ass handed to me when I was kidnapped because they thought I was you?’ Somehow, that feels very long winded and uncalled for.
“You okay?” Malcolm asks, walking into the room.
I glare at him even though none of this is his fault and he holds his hands up in defeat. Hacking into networks with broken fingers and finding out your sister is in heat don’t go well together.
“My best friends both have the emotional intelligence of gnats outside of their interactions with me, and they’re my sister’s scent matches. What are the fucking odds?” I ask.
My other pack members trail into the room, and Felix brings me an emotional support water bottle. I’m supposed to be drinking more liquids after being so dehydrated, so I take an obligatory sip from the straw. I’m glad I don’t have to lift it, because that wouldn’t go well.
I’m tolerating the pain from my injuries alright, but I really want a nap. Unfortunately, I can’t get my brain to shut down long enough to sleep. How can I sleep when my sister isn’t doing well?
I got a text from Caleb earlier to tell me that they’d found her and were driving to someone’s house to help her, but that wasn’t enough information for me.
Instead, I tracked his phone to where they currently are, and I need to figure out if Dr. Tyde Stewart and I will need a conversation about what happens to people who treat my sister badly.
“Biology is wild,” Remy mumbles, a hint of a smile on his lips.
Don’t we know it.
“It feels like it’s been a week instead of a couple of days,” I sigh. “I want to shoot Caleb and Lars both in their dicks for keeping the fact that Nova is their scent match from me, but I only shoot to kill.”
The last part is said with some sadness, and my pack stares at me with varying degrees of horror.
“You’re secretly a serial killer, aren’t you?” Brice asks slowly.
“Would you love me any less if I told you that I am technically a serial killer?” I ask. I did kill three people recently.
“Nope,” he says. “It’s just really fucking weird to say it out loud.”
Malcolm moves over to sit behind me, his fingers sinking into my hair to massage my scalp. I love when they do this. I’m glad that Brice helped me shower earlier and washed my hair, because it was filthy. Apparently, my skin wasn’t as bad because Nova gave me a sponge bath.
The knowledge that she took the time to help me get clean while I was sleeping and my pain was hurting her is humbling. I don’t know how this psychic link works or why she feels my pain for some things but not others, but as Remy said, biology really is wild.
“Please don’t stop,” I sigh, melting against the pillows as Malcolm continues to massage my scalp.
“Did you find anything else about the house that Caleb, Nova, and Lars went to?” he asks, his fingers steady as he continues to press them into my skull.
Moaning, I make a sound that’ll have to work as a reply.
“I did. They went to Tyde Stewart’s house?—”
Felix makes a sound deep in his throat, and I turn my head slightly.
“I met him at the hospital when I was taking you back to a room with Nova. He seems like a jerk. The good doctor is also your sister’s scent match,” he explains.
“Caleb and Lars haven’t been scented or recognized by Nova as her scent match yet because her sinuses tend to be a mess, so she’s only connected to Tyde.
It makes sense that they’d drive her to his house for her heat. ”
“So she doesn’t really know him at all,” I groan. “This is the part of biology that I fucking hate. No wonder she was trying to make it work on her own. Nova doesn’t trust any of them. That’s a shitty position to be in when your body insists that it needs knots and dick.”
“Why don’t you do some homework for her?” Remy asks with an evil smile. “What do you think Adrain thinks about him?”
“He hates him,” Felix grunts, smirking.
“That’s lovely,” I mutter. “May as well find out why. I’m shocked that my phone survived being thrown out the window.”
“Your bag saved it,” Felix chuckles. “That thing is a fortress. Let Malcolm keep you relaxed while you call Adrain to find out the tea on your sister’s doctor.”
A look passes over his face, and my gaze narrows on him.
“Explain that look,” I demand, though Malcolm is doing a really good job of keeping me relaxed.
Brice comes over to massage my feet, and I’m sent straight to a very happy place. The stabbiness I’ve been feeling is slowly draining away. It’s always harder for me to acclimate after killing people. I just want to keep killing.
It’s why I tend to abstain or let others do it for me.
“I have a feeling that Nova isn’t very happy about her scent matches,” Felix sighs. “She grumbled that she wished that Adrain was her scent match instead.”
“I would prefer that too,” I admit. “Adrain is a good alpha and so is his pack. However, I’ve known Caleb and Lars my entire life, and they’re two of the best alphas I know. They have a tendency to be grumpy assholes at times though. I’m not very pleased that they can’t do better by Nova.”
“Only time will tell,” Malcolm mutters as Felix hands me his phone.
“I want to hear the tea,” Felix teases me. “Put it on speaker?”
Rolling my eyes because my pack really enjoys gossip while not engaging in it by spreading it, I nod as I connect the call.
“ Hollis,” Adrain greets me. “ I didn’t think I’d hear from you so soon. Are your pain levels manageable? Are you having trouble sleeping?”
My lips twitch because this has nothing to do with my health, and I haven’t touched my pain meds since they make me sleepy. I wonder if it would keep Nova from feeling the pain if she came back into town if I did.
I was drugged up for a lot of the time after Emilia’s goons hurt me. Felix told me that Adrain didn’t give me pain medication until after he began setting my fingers in an attempt to wake me up. Asshole.
All of this is conjecture though, since there’s no real way to know why my body is telegraphing my pain some of the time.
“I’m good,” I promise. “I have some questions about Dr. Stewart though. This is off the record, purely for selfish reasons.”
The phone call is on speaker, and Felix leans in with a small smile. They really are very easy going.
“ Well that sounds both scary and fun,” Adrain chuckles. “ What do you want to know?”
“Is my sister safe with him?” I immediately ask. “She went into heat and is at his house now. I shouldn’t stick my nose into things, but?—”
“ She’s your sister. Of course you should stick your nose into things, ” he grunts.
“ It’s no secret that Stewart and I don’t get along.
I think he’s an asscrack dipped in acid without a filter.
He’s a fantastic doctor, but any kind of interaction outside of patient care is messy and often insensitive.
Outside of that, he’s not dangerous. I also highly doubt that he’ll be doing much talking with your sister. ”
“You can still fuck up a heat without speaking,” Felix chimes in. “Is it possible that he’ll be insensitive during her heat?”
“ I don’t know,” Adrain says. “ Chop his knot off if he is? Somehow I’m not surprised that your pack is invested in this, Hollis.
Nova is going to have a lot of guard dogs to contend with.
I don’t envy her scent matches in the least. In reality, as long as he doesn’t open his mouth, he’s fine.
The nurses sing his praises about how considerate he is.
However, he pissed off the scheduler for the ER department, and he’s working the worst shifts now. ”
“I’m not the slightest bit sorry for him. Stupid is as stupid does,” I say. “I very much hope that he behaves and is good to her or I’ll have to break my rule about only drawing to kill.”
“ I bet it’ll be hell to be your in-law,” Adrain chuckles. “ I’m sure he’ll shit his pants if you pay him a visit. While there’s often a mafia presence when I’m working, he’s still getting used to how scary it can be to have patients who would rather stab first and ask questions later when hurt.”
“Yuck. I hate when alphas shit themselves in my presence,” I tease Adrain. “That’s not my kink, Adrain.”
Malcolm sounds like he’s choking, and I can feel mirth through the bond. Smirking, I wink at Brice who shakes his head.
You’re terrible , he purrs in my mind.
Spank me, Daddy.
My pack looks pained, and I wince. I still suck at sending thoughts to just one of them. The learning curve is apparently steeper than anyone bothers to tell you.
“ Keep your kinks to yourself, Hollis,” Adrain grunts. “ I don’t need nightmares, thank you. Did you at least fill the script for pain meds?”
“I always fill the script, Adrain. I just don’t always take them.
I have this running hypothesis currently,” I explain.
“I may need to take the medication if Nova wants to come back and not feel my pain. When Emilia’s guys ambushed me, I was under heavy medication.
I’m not sure if that’s why Nova didn’t feel my pain then or not. ”
“ So you’ll only take the meds on the off chance that it’ll keep her from hurting?” Adrain asks. At my grunt of agreement, he sighs. “ That’s either the most selfless thing in the world or the dumbest. I’ll get back to you when the jury comes in.”
“Play nice,” Brice growls.
“Yes, Daddy,” Adrain says before coughing and hanging up.
“Well then,” I giggle. “We learned a lot today, didn’t we?”
“We did,” Malcolm murmurs. “I think we all deserve a nap though, baby, don’t you think?”