Chapter 49
The Physician and the Bear
JESSICA
Present Day
My head swirls with thoughts and questions.
Wills Powers is here, along with Marcus Greystone and Shadow.
This will be interesting. I’m still unsure how to play it with Wills.
He’s after something. I mean, after all, he is Elaine Powers’s brother.
The Powers Pack may have built their empire from nothing, but I can’t ignore their role within the Resistance.
Holden announces the name of the next contestant, but the inner chatter in my mind drowns out his words. My breath stutters when I recognize him. My eyes widen, and my lips part in shock.
He humbly bows his head in respect. He’s a tall man with dark brown hair peppered with strands of white on the sides. His light blue eyes are almost as pale as mine. He takes me in with those eyes, and a boyish smile appears on his face.
This man knows private information about me that I don’t want anyone else to discover. Anxiety clenches in my chest, making my heart race. I fiddle with the choker around my throat. “Dr. Chevalier,” I breathe.
He groans. “This is purely coincidental. I promise.” He steps closer.
“I had a contract to be the lead star in the game for the next season. When the changes were brought to my attention, I could either wait or join this season. I chose the latter. I don’t make it a personal habit to chase after my patients, although in my profession, I do cross paths with patients in my personal one. ”
Dr. Chevalier is an ER physician and board-certified psychiatrist. Speaking from personal experience, trauma and mental health go hand in hand. I first met him a few years ago during an emergent situation in the ER. He followed up and offered his psychiatric services.
“I know that this may not be comfortable for you, so let me make this easier. I’ll leave.” When I don’t protest, disappointment flashes across his handsome face. He spins on his heels, making his way to the door.
“Dr. Chevalier,” I call.
He stops midstride but doesn’t turn around.
Goddess, help me for doing this. “You’re fired. And don’t psychoanalyze me while we’re dating, or whatever it is we do in this game.”
He glances over his shoulder with a wisp of a smile. He is so damn handsome, and Goddess knows I need as many options as I can get. “Can we have a do-over, then?” he asks.
Holden looks over to Carmen who doesn’t exactly look all that thrilled. I’m sure I’ll hear all about this on my next break.
An idea forms in my head. I nod briefly to Holden and make my way behind the tree. Christian follows me with the camera. Once I’m hidden behind the trunk, I pop my head out and nod to Holden again.
“Dr. Alpha Erik Chevalier, Northern A, Colorado Territory, Chevalier Pack.”
I chance a peek to Erik. He spins around, and I offer a playful smile and step out to greet him.
“Cute,” he says, his smile widening.
“Alpha, is it? Or Doctor?” I add a little flirtatious gesture with my shoulders and flutter my lashes a little.
His cheeks pinken. “Just Erik. I’m not big on titles.” His smile doesn’t falter when he looks me over, but the color on his cheeks deepens.
“That makes two of us. I prefer Jessica.” I used a different name when I met him.
“Jessica,” he repeats my name. “I look forward to getting to know you better.”
I wrinkle my nose at his comment. In this situation, he already knows my crazy. So if he isn’t running for the hills now, I guess it can’t get much worse.
After Erik’s departure, clapping reverberates through the atrium.
Clap, clap, clap. I turn to the production team and my family standing near the entrance.
They all have a look of bewilderment on their faces.
The clapping grows louder, and a clomping sound joins in, creating a rhythmic beat. Clomp, clomp, clap, clomp, clomp, clap.
Soon, the leaves on the tree and ground vibrate along with the beat.
A command breaks through the slow pattern, and the rhythm adopts a faster pace.
My heart pounds along with the sound, quickening in anticipation.
A small group of large men enters the atrium.
I mean large, bigger than Elias and Ean large.
All of them stand more than seven feet tall, with broad shoulders, round faces, striking noses, and dark furrowed brows—all sporting serious expressions.
One of them slowly looks around the room.
He nods to the rest of the men and shouts another command in a foreign tongue.
They move in unison, spinning the staffs in their hands and striking them on the ground, creating yet another pattern of rhythmic beats between the staffs and their boots.
I’m in awe at their graceful movements in this synchronized march.
They form two lines, facing each other. Holding their staffs in front of them, they create a crisscross barrier in front of the main entrance.
We all stand, with slack jaws, marveling at the display.
Jeremy turns up his nose and gives Justin his side-eye.
I cock my head to the side and smell the air, sensing a tiny hint of bear.
I study the lines of men. One smiles when he notices me looking at him.
I recognize him. He’s a guard for someone I once went to school with.
I want to laugh and groan at the same time. I keep myself in check as I remember the cameras are still on me. A silhouette of a man over seven feet tall approaches the atrium, shoulders so broad they nearly engulf the double door frame.
Holden announces, “Young Alpha Prince Mikhail Fedorov, Russia Territory, Kamchatka Pack.” Mikhail, or Miki as I use to call him when we attended the academy together, steps through the doors.
The guards pull back their staffs as he walks their line.
His dark brown hair reflects the bright lights set up for the cameras.
His pronounced dark brows are raised, and a smile so wide and eager brightens on his face. He’s all lean muscle and very Alpha.
“Little wolf!” Miki exclaims, taking several long strides toward me with open arms. He has grown since I last saw him, and I crank my head back so I can see his face. Before I can respond, he crushes me into a bear hug. No pun intended.
“Miki, what the hell do they feed you in Russia? I swear you’re at least a foot taller since I last saw you.” My voice is muffled, crushed against his stomach.
His larger-than-life booming laugh echoes throughout the atrium. “Oh, my little wolf, I missed your sense of humor.”
I try to pinch his stomach, but I find only solid muscle. “Can’t breathe...” I feign a tap-out on his backside.
He releases his hold on me and drops to his knees so we’re at eye level. “Despite space and time, fate has brought us back together. This, my little wolf, is our destiny, and I will fight for you until the end.”
One of my brothers snorts.
I tilt my head down to look into his deep brown eyes. “Miki, you’re a bear.”
He frowns. “We cannot hold our genetics as a weapon against fate, my little wolf.”
I sigh. I forgot that he can be dramatic and hard-headed.
“Don’t fight it, little wolf. There’s a reason why we are here. You must see it for what it is.”
Sure. He probably got wind of this game and manipulated someone to let him in as one of the contestants. Fate had nothing to do with why he is here. With that thought, I’m reminded that this is all a game.
I put my game face back on and give him a winning smile. “Alright, Miki, but I am not making you any promises. You want to be here? You have to play by the rules.”
His smile widens, and pulling my hand to his lips, he whispers, “As you wish, my little wolf.” His eyes flick back up to mine, and he holds them with such intensity before his lips sensually graze the back of my hand.
I am so going to regret this.