Chapter 24
Becky leaned against the door, listening to every word being said on the other side. Her throat tightened until it felt like she was strangling, and no matter how hard she tried to breathe through it, she couldn’t stop the tears from sliding down her face.
I never would have chosen this.
The words kept playing over and over in her head, each time cutting deeper than the last. Was that how he really felt?
Had he lied when he told her things were okay between them?
Did he feel the same as Sid about mating with a human?
So many fucking questions she wished had been answered when she’d asked him not hours ago.
And now he was talking about resigning from the VC. Why hadn’t he told her any of this? Why was he spilling his guts to his men while keeping it from her?
She was hurt. Pissed. And God help her, devastated, but hadn’t she done the same to him. Kept things from him that as her mate...her husband he had a right to know.
Old feelings and memories started clawing their way back in.
It was stupid, she knew that, but they still haunted her.
She knew Sloan wasn’t her ex. He had never once made her feel like she was too much, too needy, or too damn inconvenient just by existing.
But standing there with his words tearing through her, she felt that old, ugly feeling crawling back in anyway.
Becky pressed a hand to her stomach, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.
She hated that feeling. Hated that she could still be dragged back to a place she thought she’d left behind.
She was a strong fucking woman, and yet, right then she felt useless.
Like she was always someone’s problem to solve.
And she was sick and tired of it all. Realizing she had heard all she needed—no, all she wanted to hear—she walked back toward the bed and lay down.
Forcing herself to stop crying wasn’t easy, but she was so sick and tired of her emotions, and this was just the start of it.
She knew pregnancy could have her laughing one minute, cursing someone the next, and then came the crying.
Another tear slipped free, and she wiped it angrily away.
She could hear the low murmur of male voices, but couldn’t make anything out.
They were probably making rules against mating with humans about now.
She snorted, wiping away another tear. The assholes.
She knew that wasn’t fair. Sid was the one who had made the comment about being mated to a human, but Sloan and Jared had remained silent, which to her said more than words ever could.
Hearing heavy footsteps, she quickly wiped the wetness from her cheeks, then controlled her breathing as she closed her eyes.
The door opened slowly, and she knew it was Sloan.
No one else would dare open that door without knocking first. He didn’t come in, but she could tell he stood there staring at her.
She could feel it, feel him all around her.
Then the door shut with a quiet click. She listened to his footsteps fade before the office door closed.
It had been a long time since she had felt this lonely, and damn if it didn’t drag her right back to a place she thought she’d left behind.
Reaching toward the nightstand, she picked up her phone and sent Frankie a quick text just to say hey, hoping he would text back.
Becky knew she was going to have to tell Frankie about the baby, but that conversation would be with Sloan.
She stared at her phone as if that would conjure up a text from him.
She missed her son, and usually their texts cheered her up.
She rolled her eyes, then put her phone next to her on the bed.
Who was she fooling? It would take more than a text, even from her son, to cheer her up.
It would take more than a text to heal her fractured heart.
Done feeling sorry for herself and tired of trying to sleep because that definitely wasn’t going to happen, Becky got off the bed.
Grabbing her phone, she went to the bathroom.
She picked up a brush and stared at herself in the mirror as she made herself more presentable.
She looked pale, her eyes red and slightly swollen.
She looked like total shit.
Tossing the brush on the sink, she headed toward the door.
Walking into the office, she glanced at her desk, but didn’t really want to do any work.
Then again, maybe it would take her mind off things.
She wasn’t hungry and honestly didn’t want to run into anyone at the moment.
With a sigh, she went to Sloan’s desk, grabbed some files with notes on them, and headed to her desk.
Sitting down, she cleared her mind the best she could and dove into work. Hearing the door open, she glanced that way to see a woman enter followed by Kent.
“Can I help you?” Becky asked from her desk.
“This is Dr. Holloway,” Kent introduced, shutting the door behind them.
“I’m Becky. It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Holloway.
” Becky looked the woman over. She had a friendly smile, her dark hair slicked back into a neat ponytail.
She was dressed business casual with a leather binder tucked under her arm.
“You can have a seat. I’m not sure where Sloan is, but he should be back soon. ”
“It’s nice to meet you also, Becky. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.” She walked past the chair Kent pulled out for her by Sloan’s desk and went straight toward Becky. “Please call me Dawn.”
Becky smiled with a nod as Dawn pulled a chair over in front of her desk and sat down. She placed her binder next to her on the floor, then looked at Kent, who was looking straight at her.
“I think we’ve got it from here,” Dawn said, dismissing him.
Kent’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded, then turned and walked out without a word. Okay, as pissy as she was with anyone with a dick at the moment, Becky decided instantly she liked this woman doctor very much.
“That was impressive.” Becky chuckled. “These Warriors don’t like being told what to do, especially by a woman.”
“Can’t be much different than the male doctors I’ve had to deal with,” Dawn replied with a smirk. “He was told by Dr. Buchanan to bring me here, and he did. His job is done.”
Becky’s smile grew a little despite herself. “Yeah, I think we are going to get along just fine.”
“Good, because I’m hoping we can get to know each other without a roomful of men trying to hover.” Dawn’s expression softened. “I’ve talked in depth with Dr. Buchanan as well as your husband about the situation.”
Becky frowned. “You talked to Sloan?”
“That’s news to you, I take it.” Dawn sighed, shaking her head. “Well, I’m glad they’re busy doing whatever they’re doing because I asked repeatedly to talk to you by Zoom first.”
“Really?” Becky was definitely not liking what she was hearing.
“Really.” Dawn nodded, then leaned forward slightly. “Listen, after what I learned, and after having a very thorough background check done on me, I can understand why your husband is very protective. But I also made it clear that my patient is you, Becky. Not him. Not Dr. Buchanan. You.”
Becky blinked, and something in her chest loosened just a little. For the first time since all of this started, she felt like she might finally have a say in what came next.
“I’m sorry about what has happened to you.
” Dawn’s smile faded a little. “I’m sure you are sick of hearing that, but what was done to you never should have happened.
I know trusting another doctor isn’t easy for you.
Especially when that doctor walks in already having spoken to your husband and Dr. Buchanan before ever speaking to you. ”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Becky replied, then looked away for a second before forcing her eyes back to Dawn. “No offense.”
“None taken.” Dawn’s voice stayed gentle, but there was strength under it. “You don’t know me yet. You shouldn’t trust me just because they do.”
Becky studied her for a long moment. “That’s actually the first thing you’ve said that makes me want to trust you.”
“Then we’re off to a good start.” Dawn smiled, then studied her for a second. “This is your second pregnancy?”
“Yes.” Becky nodded, then glanced briefly at her phone before setting it aside. “My son Frankie is in college.”
“So, you had him very young.” Dawn said it more like a thought than a question, then sat back in her chair. “How does this pregnancy compare to your first?”
“I’ve been sicker and more run down.” Becky replied, feeling comfortable with her. She had never had a female OB and was kind of regretting that now. “But I’m also a lot older than I was with my first.”
Dawn laughed, nodding. “Yeah, that can definitely play a role in how you feel with this pregnancy.”
Dawn reached down and grabbed her binder.
Looking through it, she pulled out a packet.
“I took notes on what Dr. Buchanan told me. I want you to look this over and make sure nothing was left out. I’m not going to make you repeat everything to me.
There is no reason for you to keep reliving it.
Just read through the notes and let me know if something needs to be added or corrected. ”
Becky actually wanted to hug her. She was so sick and tired of talking about it. Every time she had to, it was like reliving it all over again. “Thank you.” Becky took the notes, placing them on the desk.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you, Becky.
” Dawn’s expression grew more serious. “From what I’ve been told, this is hard to believe.
It goes against everything, and I mean everything, I learned in medical school as well as my years of practicing.
But I promise you I will do everything I can to keep you and this baby healthy.
I will also help you figure out exactly what was done to you. ”
Feeling her chin begin to wobble, Becky could only nod because if she spoke, her words would just come out as one big sob.
“And I will make sure Dr. Phillips, as well as any other doctor involved in using women for their own greed, never practices medicine again.” Dawn leaned forward, her expression hardening. “They will be held responsible for what they’ve done.”
Becky stared at Dawn for a long time. She believed her. She didn’t even question herself on trusting this woman, this doctor, after everything she had been through. It was a gut feeling that what this woman was saying was real and true.
“Obviously you know that my husband is a vampire,” Becky said, watching her closely.
“I do,” Dawn replied, not breaking eye contact.
“And to be honest again, that is out of my expertise. Yet I am fascinated by the concept that a vampire can become fertile by Golden Blood transfusions. Everyone in the medical field knows about Golden Blood because of the rarity. I have personally never had a patient with this blood type, and there has not been much research done, but I absolutely agree with Dr. Buchanan that this needs to stay within these walls. If the medical world found out about the power of this blood, then those who possess it will become targets.”
Becky’s stomach dropped. “Targets.”
“Yes.” Dawn didn’t sugarcoat it, and Becky appreciated that more than she probably should.
“For research, money and God knows what else. Rare blood types are already highly protected in the medical world, but this is different. If what Dr. Buchanan believes is true, then this blood doesn’t just protect vampires from silver.
It changes things no one understands yet. ”
Becky’s hand moved to her stomach without thought. “Like this baby.”
Dawn’s eyes followed the movement, her expression softening. “Possibly. But I want to be very clear about something. I’m not here to study you, Becky. I’m not here to study your baby. But there are people out there who will go to great lengths to do exactly that if word gets out.”
Those words hit Becky hard. Not because she didn’t believe them, but because she did.
For days, it felt like everyone had been talking about her, around her, and over her.
What had been done to her and what it meant.
But Dawn was looking straight at her and warning her about the one thing Becky was already starting to feel: to the wrong people, she and this baby wouldn’t be seen as a woman and child.
They’d be seen as a medical mystery to solve. A discovery to claim.
Becky’s hand pressed more firmly against her stomach. No. That wasn’t going to happen. She didn’t care who came at them, what title they carried, or what power they thought they had. Doctor. Demon. Scientist. Greedy bastard in a suit. None of them were getting near her baby.
Becky blinked hard, fighting the tears that wanted to come again.
She was so damn sick of feeling weak, confused, and scared.
But as her hand stayed pressed against her stomach, something inside her shifted.
This child may not have been planned. It may have been impossible.
It may have scared the hell out of every Warrior in that compound, including Sloan, but none of that mattered. Not anymore.
Because this baby was already loved and she would protect her or him with her life.
Becky took a slow breath, her fingers curling protectively against her stomach.
She didn’t know what Golden Blood had done, what Dr. Phillips had tried to do or who else was involved.
Nor did she know what the Warriors would decide, what Sloan would do, or what danger waited outside those walls.
But she knew one thing with a certainty that settled deep in her bones.
If anyone thought Becky Spencer was going to sit back and let them use her child in any way, then they were about to learn that Sloan Murphy wasn’t the only deadly parent this child had.