Chapter 101
Chapter One-Hundred-One
Robin
Chills roll over me when I hear the first notes of a song that’s been playing in my head ever since Dr. Morgan restored an early memory of my mother. I stand up straight, letting the laundry fall right back into the basket.
“Oh no, did you hurt your back?” Katie asks, her gaze concerned as she moves to where I am.
“It’s not … Do you hear that?” I ask, making her pause and cock her head.
“Huh. Yeah, that’s kind of weird. An Omega who used to live here played violin …”
“That’s a violin?” I blink at her.
Falcon told me about his Omega.
Harper. He plays the violin!
He’s supposed to be coming out here today.
What are the chances he’d play that song?
“I have to go see,” I tell Katie, knowing it’s a flaky move but not able to bring myself to care.
“Um, sure,” Katie says, clearly not understanding why. “I’ll cover for you.”
I leave quickly, before I get a chance to rethink what I’m doing.
It’s that song. I can’t not go.
I rush out of the kitchen, heading toward the sound of the music.
It’s louder the second I step into the corridor.
I slip into the reception area, where Erika’s standing near the door, watching.
My gaze goes to the player. He’s tall and slim, with wavy light brown hair, and his eyes are closed as he plays, a smile on his lips.
He loves this song. I can feel it as easily as I can see it.
My eyes prick with tears as I listen, hands going up to cover my mouth.
The swell of emotion that comes over me is so overwhelming, my knees feel weak, and I know I’m seconds away from bursting into tears.
The song ends and the violinist opens his eyes, his smile brightening as he brings his instrument down to his side.
Erika starts to clap her hands together beside me, and he turns toward us, his gaze fixing on me.
So this is Harper. My pack’s Omega.
I drop my hands and fight back the tears.
I don’t want to cry in front of him, but I don’t think I can stop myself.
His smile turns into a grin. “Robin.”
“That was beautiful,” I whisper, as he comes toward me.
My vision is blurring, and I’m shaking when my weakened knees make me pitch forward, ready to fall at his feet and make a complete idiot of myself. I gasp as I’m steadied from behind by a strong pair of arms.
“That’s Jay,” Harper introduces. “He’s usually less hands on. At least, at first.”
I feel my cheeks flushing as tears leak from my eyes.
This is awful. I’m such a mess.
I didn’t want our first time meeting to be like this.
“Are you okay, Robin?” Shayne asks, his concerned voice coming out of nowhere to ground me.
“I’ll get a doctor!” Erika cries out beside me.
Then all I can hear is the sound of her heels clattering across the tiled floor.
I wipe at my face, trying not to lean too heavily against Jay.
I didn’t even see him before he rushed to my recue.
All I know is he feels like Falcon and Shayne do.
Safe, warm.
It takes every last shred of my willpower not to collapse in his arms.
“Robin?” Shayne asks.
“I’m fine,” I murmur, as he reaches out and strokes the side of my face.
“You’re not fine. You started to collapse. What happened?”
I shake my head, knowing I won’t be able to explain without crying even more.
“It’s … complex. She’s grieving, but she’s also feeling something that’s close to euphoria,” Harper explains my emotions better than I probably ever could.
He seems amazed by how I’m feeling, eyes full of awe.
It takes me a few seconds to realize the spicy-sweet scent in the air belongs to him.
His perfume, maybe? I’ve never experienced an Omega’s perfume before, but if I had to categorize this scent, I’d probably call it supernaturally divine.
It’s definitely something I could get used to being around.
“I got Dr. Clarke!” Erika exclaims as she returns.
“What happened?” The doctor looks as worried as Shayne as Harper moves to the side to let him get close to me.
It helps to sober my emotions, seeing someone I’m not bonded to, or about to be bonded to, react to how vulnerable I’m feeling.
My face feels like it’s burning as I pull away from Jay.
“I’m okay,” I tell them, knowing it sounds more certain this time. “It was Harper, playing that song. It made me remember my mom. It was hard to contain the feeling.”
Dr. Clarke looks at everyone, spotting Harper’s violin and letting out a breath.
He looks back at me as I’m wiping away the last traces of my tears.
“I think this would be a good time for a check-up.”
I nod in agreement, knowing it’ll give me a bit of time to compose myself.
“I’m coming with her,” Jay growls behind me.
His tone doesn’t invite a conversation.
I watch Dr. Clarke’s face harden.
“That’s not permitted.”
“Bull …” Jay starts, before Shayne interjects with, “Of course. We’ll be waiting right here, Robin.”
Relief floods through me. I’m embarrassed enough. I’m glad I don’t need to go through a check-up with one of my pack members sitting in the corner, growling at the doctor’s questions.
I nod at Shayne, taking the briefest glance at Jay before I walk toward the medical ward with Dr. Clarke. He’s only slightly terrifying with that icy look on his face.
His rough voice matches his muscular form.
He has a thick neck, close-cropped dark hair and tattoos on his hands, which are currently balled into fists at his sides.
That flash I catch of him tells me he’s just as protective as my other mates.
I feel a little lighter as I follow Dr. Clarke into his office.
He waits for me to sit before he closes the door behind us.
Then he sits down behind his desk and types something into his computer.
“Okay. Can you tell me what happened out there?” he asks, his voice as soft and friendly as ever.
I laugh, I guess because I’m all cried out.
He waits patiently for me to answer.
Clearing my throat, I start. “It was the song my mother used to sing to me. I heard it from the laundry room. I was emotional and realizing those guys are the mates I hadn’t been introduced to yet only made it more overwhelming. I don’t think I’m unwell. At least not physically.”
Dr. Clarke nods slowly. “Okay. You’re due a check-up anyway, so I’m going to check your blood pressure, and I’ll have one of the nurses take your blood so we can make sure you’re all good.”
“Sure.”
It seems unnecessary, but I can understand why he’s worried.
I spent weeks in a hospital bed. I struggled to walk more than a few steps at a time once I was conscious enough to leave my bed. This probably looks like a relapse into poorer health to him, not a moment of emotional vulnerability that overwhelmed my body.
These tests won’t do me any harm.
If nothing else, they’ll prove that I’m all good.
I hold out my arm as he takes my blood pressure.
“Normal,” he confirms, after a few silent seconds.
I smile back at him.
One test down, he asks a few questions, before he calls for a nurse.
I answer them honestly, and he seems satisfied with my responses.
The questions make me even more certain that I collapsed for a single reason.
I was well hydrated, I’d eaten breakfast in the kitchen that morning, and I hadn’t overexerted myself physically right before it happened. Therefore, there was no reason for me to collapse, other than because I being overwhelmed by my emotions.
The nurse enters the room, and I do what she asks, giving her my right arm for the blood to be taken. The needle nips my skin, making me wince. I don’t watch as she draws my blood.
When it’s all done, and the nurse has left the room with my sample, Dr. Clarke gives me a smile.
“If you’re feeling okay to get up, we’re done. For now.”
I get to my feet. “I feel fine. Thanks.”
He nods, and gets up, moving past me to his office door.
He opens it and I walk over to where he’s standing.
“You know if there’s every anything you want to talk about …
” he starts, giving me an awkward smile and sighing before adding, “I’m not trying to insinuate anything bad about Pack Falcone.
Clearly, you’ve chosen them as your mates, and it looks like a fated match.
But given the situation here, it would be an oversight not to offer you help.
You’re not alone here, Robin. You have friends if you need them.
If anything ever feels … off, about someone or some situation, I’m here for you, and so is Lana. ”
I give him a smile that’s probably even more awkward than the one he just gave me.
He’s trying to look out for me, like Lana does, but neither of them really needs to do that anymore, and I think they know it. Still, it’s nice that they care.
“I understand.”
He nods. “Well, have a good day and make sure you get some rest. I’ll call the kitchen. I don’t want you to have to go back to work after this. I should have your test results tomorrow. You can think about going back to work after I’m sure you’re doing okay.”
“Uh, sure,” I murmur, realizing that means I’m heading straight back to spend time with my new mates. “Thanks.”
“I’ll speak to you tomorrow,” he says, holding the door open for me.
I leave the room, waiting for him to close the door over before I slip into the nearby bathroom.
The lights flicker on when I enter, and I can see I don’t look quite as awful as I’d imagined the moment my gaze catches on my reflection in the mirror above the sinks.
I take three steps closer, getting to the sink closest to the door.
Leaning in, I look at my face.
My cheeks are red, which isn’t a surprise.
Other than that, it’s not so bad.
I don’t look like I’ve been crying.
My skin is clear. My eyes are bright.
The hairstyle Katie gave me when I got to work has held up to the flop back against Jay’s hard chest when he caught me and stopped me from falling.
It feels fine when I use my hand to check it in the back, too.
Letting out a relieved breath, I nod at my reflection.
It’s time to go get to know my last two mates.