16. Maia
16
MAIA
T he door slams in front of me, and I nearly buckle under the weight of my tiny baby. My heart is pounding, my legs are shaking, and I don’t even understand what has just gone down.
Topher growled low in his throat before shutting a door with a doctor .
A doctor who has made me ill, and his vibes are creepy and uncomfortable.
A man who makes me feel like ants are crawling all over my skin.
Is he a werewolf, too? Is that what Topher sensed? But if that’s the case… why is he so mad? They explained a week ago about how the only wolves in this area belong to their pack.
Is he just lecturing Dr Thomas for scaring me ? For not telling their alphas about Phoebe being a wolf?
The unknown is terrifying me.
I’m terrified.
But I take a deep breath and try my hardest to compartmentalise. I can’t let this tsunami of anxiety overpower me when I’m alone with Phoebe in a potentially dangerous situation .
The soundproofing has cut off anything that I could see or hear in the room, but I know that something is going down.
I just don’t know what to do.
Do I leave? Do I hide? Do I run?
Should I wait in the waiting room? The car?
My hands are trembling, and I’ve got a tight grip on Phoebe. Her grey eyes are wide as she watches me, and I hate that she can sense my anxiety.
“I love you,” I whisper, pressing a soft kiss to Phoebe’s head before turning on my tail and fleeing the corridor. The receptionist glances over at me, and rather than try and explain, I rush into the feeding room instead.
I don’t have his car keys on me, and I don’t know if they’re in the bag or not. I don’t know what I’m meant to do.
The room is thankfully empty, and I nestle in on the very large and comfortable chair, praying that nobody will enter. I cuddle Phoebe into my chest as I let out a long, shaky breath.
A few seconds turn into minutes as I try to calm my racing heartbeat and soothe my daughter at the same time. My anxiety is still there, simmering away slowly, as I try to figure out what I should do.
What Christopher would have wanted me to do.
He didn’t have time to tell me, but I know he’ll have an opinion.
Leave. He’d want me to leave.
I bend down to rifle through the bag the best I can one-handed, praying like hell he managed to slip the keys in here so that I can sit in the car whilst I call.
But he didn’t. They’re not here.
There’s a burning in my throat as I hold the next wave of tears back, and I have no fucking idea what to do. I’m alone with my infant, and Topher’s just unleashed his wolf on the doctor. Which likely means the doctor is a wolf, too.
The slimy doctor who scares me, who has a napkin with my dead fiancé’s name written on it .
Fuck.
Phoebe whines a little, and I rock her back and forth. “Sh, sh, sh, baby. We’re okay.” I lean down and kiss her head again. “I’m coming up with our plan.”
Phoebe gurgles, and I jump before grinning down at her. “Call the others,” I murmur, grinning at her. “Clever girl. Mama’s just going to call for some help, okay?”
She doesn’t answer other than to give me a dazzling smile, but then I never expected her to. I pull my phone out, channelling a calm I do not possess, and immediately call Alex. He doesn’t answer, so I call Ben, since he’s next in my phone contacts.
It rings and rings.
And rings some more.
But then, finally, he answers. My stomach lurches, and I can feel the relief pouring through me. He’ll know what to do. He’ll be able to get me help. It’ll all be okay.
“Was I your first call? I bet I?—”
“Ben, I need your help,” I say, cutting off his teasing. He sounds so joyful, so upbeat, and here I am about to ruin his day.
“The better Wolfe brother is at your services, pretty girl,” he says cheerfully. “What do you need from me?”
“I need you to be serious.” I wait a second for him to agree. “Topher has just lost it. He growled at the doctor, and I’m scared. Phoebe and I are in the feeding room at the surgery, but I think…” I trail off, biting my lip as a fresh wave of tears overfill me. “I think Dr Thomas is a werewolf, and Topher seemed so angry .”
“Fuck,” Ben hisses. I hear movement on his end and huddle Phoebe in closer. “Call Seb and tell him it’s an emergency. Are you safe?”
“I think so.”
“Good girl,” he says softly. “Alex and I will be there in ten minutes, okay? ”
“Okay.”
The line goes dead, and with shaky hands, I call Seb next. It rings once before he answers, and any other time, that would bring a smile to my face.
“Seb,” I choke out. One word. That’s all it takes for me to start sobbing down the line.
“Where?”
“The-the-the doct-ors,” I hiccup out.
“On my way.” The line goes dead, too, and Phoebe begins to cry. I wrestle my boob out of my top, letting her latch, and I move the chair slightly so I can see the door. Ben told me to stay put, but maybe I should’ve run outside before calling him. Maybe I should’ve gone to sit by the car or left the building entirely rather than staying here.
So many maybe’s, but not a single plan.
Phoebe’s mostly quiet as she feeds, her little grunts extremely cute, but my panic won’t disappear.
There’s a soft knock on the door, and I squeeze my eyes together as bile rises in my throat. I clutch Phoebe closer to my chest as the handle slowly bends down. The door opens, and sobs overtake me when I see him standing there in the doorway, and I know everything is going to be okay.
I don’t care which of them it is. Whether it’s an angry Seb or a tactless Ben, their presence makes me feel safe.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he murmurs, closing the door behind him. The silver tie brings out the silver flecks in his eyes, and as he crouches down next to me, I lean into Alex’s touch. “You’re okay now. You’re both okay.”
“Toph—”
“Shh,” Alex soothes, gently smoothing out my hair. “Take a deep breath for me.” I try to imitate his breathing, and he gives me a big smile. “Well done, little butterfly. You’ve done amazing. I’m so, so proud of you.”
I nod, and he wipes my tears away. “I think Dr Thomas is a werewolf. ”
“I know, and Topher is handling that with Seb and Ben,” Alex says gently. “We’re going to leave as soon as Phoebe is done feeding, okay?”
“The keys, I don’t, I didn’t, Toph?—”
“I have keys,” he murmurs, leaning in closer to me. He’s rumbling low in his chest, and it’s very soothing. “It’s going to be okay, little butterfly.”
“I just don’t understand. Why didn’t he tell me?” I look down at Phoebe, her eyes closed, as she guzzles down her milk, and anger surges through my veins.
“Why didn’t who tell you?” Alex’s brows scrunch together.
“Dr Thomas. Why didn’t he tell me what Phoebe was? Why didn’t he tell your parents as the police officers did? Why didn’t he help me? She… I was terrified , and he could have helped.”
I squeeze my eyes tight so that the tears don’t get any funny ideas and gently stroke my finger up and down Phoebe’s cheek to try and keep her calm. I open my eyes once I’m settled, but I don’t think it’s going to last long with my mood like it is.
My mind is chaotic, my body trying to fight the confines of my control.
Alex’s jaw tenses, and his eyes flash silver. I watch as he wrestles with control from Max, and somehow, Alex wins. He blows out a breath of air. “I’ll answer that once we’re home.”
My heart stops, just for one singular beat, as dread fills my stomach.
He knows why.
How long has he known? Since today? Longer?
They don’t think I’ve noticed, but I can feel the tension between the brothers. The glares when I’m not looking or the uncomfortable atmosphere with angry men as I enter the room. They’ve been arguing about something for a couple of weeks now, and I can’t help but think these instances are linked.
“No. Answer it now.” I huddle Phoebe in as close as I can without disrupting her feeding, and I give Alex a dirty look. “ I’ve placed so much trust in your hands. I demand to know whatever secrets you’re keeping from me.”
Alex sighs, and even though I can see how uncomfortable he is, I’m not going to stop probing him. Clearly, this is something I need to know.
“Dr Thomas is not a wolf from our pack,” he admits. “He’s from a rival pack, and unfortunately, his interest here seems to be primarily in Phoebe.”
I frown. “She’s four weeks old. How could he be interested in her when he’s only met her twice.” I feel sick to my stomach at that man touching my child, examining her, knowing her.
We place trust in medical professionals, and he abused that.
Bile rises in my throat, and I glance down at her. Is this… is this the forcible mating? Is he her actual mate?
“Let’s go, and we can talk about this properly at home,” he pleads.
I shake my head, and Alex rubs his face. He’s still crouched down next to me, but it’s clear that I’m making him nervous. His eyes flicker repeatedly between hazel and silver, and I’m curious what Max has to say.
Alex heaves out a sigh. “Dr Thomas is part of a pack we know, and...” He trails off and closes his eyes. When he reopens them, his eyes are bright silver, and I know he’s lost the battle.
“Mate sad.”
“Mate is demanding answers,” I say, giving Max a piercing look. “You’re not getting out of this by hiding from the truth, Alex.”
His mouth drops, and a big grin appears on his face. Dimples form on both cheeks, and I’m surprised since I’ve not seen those on any of them before. “You acknowledged that we’re mates.”
I nod slowly. “That’s not going to get you out of telling me the truth, either, Max. ”
“Mate smart.” He narrows his eyes, giving me a flirty grin. “Too smart.”
“I’m terrified. I’ve spent all day anxious, and it’s become clear why.” I purse my lips and sigh when he doesn’t speak. “I want answers. Now, Max.”
Max nods, resting back on his legs. “The day you gave us Ryan’s information, we found out who he was.”
“You told me you didn’t know him personally.”
“We lied.” Max’s face betrays no guilt, and it’s like I’ve been stabbed in the chest once more. “We needed to. Ryan... he’s not a good guy.”
“He’s my fiancé and the father of my daughter,” I say, glancing down at said little girl. She’s asleep, and my heart breaks. “Who is he?”
“Our cousin.”
Our cousin .
“Ryan Tartan is actually Ryan Grey—Ryan Wolfe . His father left the harem with my dads for a wolf-born female before they all met my mum, and eventually, my aunt and uncle had Ryan. Like Topher, he was groomed to be the alpha of their pack before he ran away,” Max tells me. “He’s a weak wolf. A bad wolf. A bad Wolfe. We do not claim him, and we will not let him claim Phoebe.”
“And yet their doctor is somehow here and aware of her existence,” I say, rising to my feet with a delicate hold on my daughter. “So what the fuck do we do now?”
Max purses his lips and stands. He’s so much taller than me, and as he approaches me, I don’t cower away from him. He’s going to try to grovel, I can see it in the puppy dog look on his face.
But I’m not feeling very forgiving. Not over a lie as huge as this.
“I love you, my beautiful mate,” Max says, reaching for me, but I flinch away. “We kept this from you to protect you.”
“Just like when Topher stole my choices and made me move in with you all before I was ready?” I ask, cocking my brow. “It’s not fair to wield your love at me like that, and you know it.”
“Max loves his mate!” Max growls, glaring at me. “Max will protect his mate. He will love her and keep her safe.” He looks at Phoebe, and I tilt her away from him. “Max loves Phoebe and will kill anyone who tries to take her.”
I purse my lips and shake my head as I look up at the light to try and gather some patience. “You said we needed to go, so let’s go.”
“Mate is sad,” Max whispers, reaching for me one more time.
I step away from him. “No, Max. I’m fucking furious. So stop trying to touch me, and let’s leave.”
I kick Phoebe’s bag on the floor towards him, grateful when he takes the hint and picks it up, and then I adjust my little girl so that I don’t disturb her too much. I’m furious as I tuck my boob away, and I ignore the look of longing on Max’s face.
Whether he wants me, the baby, or my milk, he can go fuck himself. He gets nothing.
I storm out of the room and give the receptionist a quick thank you before leaving. I stride towards the car and get Phoebe settled into her car seat before sitting in the back with her.
Fuck Alex.
Fuck Max.
Fuck the entire werewolf race.
Phoebe is mine . Mine to protect, mine to love, mine to fucking raise. Werewolf or not.