When I stepped into the room reserved for Laura’s medical practice, the first thing I noticed was the mild tension that assailed the room. Laura wasn’t comfortable with the boys-at least it was obvious to me-she was only here because she loved her job.
When I came in, however, they all turned to look at me, including Adam who was lying with his back on the same bed I had spent months in.
“Dora, you are back?”
I nodded to Laura’s question, gesturing with my head at Daniel who wasn’t sporting his usual smirk, not until I indicated his involvement with my walk home.
“I came with him. He told me about the matter. Are you okay?”
Laura nodded, understanding what I was talking about. She will be fine with treating the boys who had made me this way.
To think that we had talked and laughed about this, during the night that the Queen had paid me a visit, the night I had told my family everything, and it was happening now. What a coincidence.
“How much longer till you are done?” I asked, my hands in the pockets of my trousers. I noticed Noah and Daniel watching the weird clothing, and when I saw pain flash through their eyes, I knew they had remembered me, the me before Naomi, that hadn’t cared about my style, the me that they had taken pleasure in bullying because they were bored and seeking entertainment, because they were looking to quench the stupid feelings they had.
“I’m not sure. An hour at the most.”
That was fine. I could wait for an hour.
I strolled to a stool, close to the exit door, and sat down, retrieving one of Diana’s book of spells from the bogus trousers pocket. I will read, and become inconspicuous. This way, I wouldn’t talk, or get pissed by their faces.
Laura returned to her work after giving me a last glance. She was currently rubbing some sort of ointment on Adam’s face. The latter winced and groaned at intervals. I wondered if that too was rehearsed, if that too was part of the plan.
Even though I got absorbed into the book a second after I started, my eyes drifted to Laura intermittently, to check if she needed my help or support. So far, everything was calm. It continued for thirty minutes, until I noticed that Daniel was getting restless. He was tired of sitting and doing nothing.
“Dora, can you take me for a walk around your house?”
I ignored him. He wasn’t the patient, so I wasn’t liable to be cordial with him, not even when we had spoken well enough a few hours ago.
If I spoke with Daniel, it would create some kind of picture that I wanted to talk to them, that my invisible beef with them was over. When that happens, Noah and Adam will be keen to speak to me by next week. I didn’t want that. I wanted to kill any form of competition that Daniel had threatened would burn up. I didn’t want to be swamped by the Lycan boys. I wasn’t ready for that game. My significant order was right. I needed to train my emotions properly.
‘Good that you admitted your shortcoming now. It will help you with your training tomorrow with the Queen, and in the others too. Hiding shortcomings or flaws that need to be worked upon does no good to anyone.’
I sighed. So now she wants to talk?
I ignored her, but I still took her lessons.
“Are we reverting to the no-talking phase? Wa it because of what I had said?”
Without looking up from the book which I was no longer understanding its contents again, I knew that everyone’s attention in the room had become roped onto I and Daniel. They were wondering what discussion he was talking about.
I still ignored him.
When he flung his hands in frustration, I held back a smile. Good. He will stop now.
“Dora…”
“Daniel right?”
I smiled now, unable to hold it this time around, when I heard Laura’s irritated voice.
“I need utmost silence when I am working. If you can’t keep silent, you can go outside.”
“I want to, but Dora..:”
“Dora isn’t your feet, young man. If you want some air, go get it alone, or you can go with your brother. I’m sure he is restless too.”
Daniel huffed, waited for a few beats of silence, and then stood up and walked out of the clinic. Noah followed him a few seconds later. I sighed audibly at their departure. Laura was the best.
“Doctor, can I ask you a question, and expect a truthful answer?” Adam asked soon after that, as Laura dabbed his cheek with cotton wool.
What now?!
“I don’t owe you any truth, Adam. I only owe you my healing service, and when I am done, you will leave with your brothers.”
This was said in a gentle, professional tone. How did she do that? I would have stabbed Adam with a pin by now and blame it on some acupuncture shit.
“Still…why do your family hate me and my brothers? Is it something my father did or something we did, or maybe my mother?” The last phrase was said softly, barely audible to the ears.
He involved his late mother? He was really desperate to resolve this issue then. Too bad he was in the dark about what the issue is.
“Why are you so intent on knowing our reason of hatred, is it because of your reputation or do you want to just get into my daughter’s pants?”
My mouth fell open at Laura’s expertly delivered words. Adam kept quiet after that. I thought he had given up with the questioning until three minutes later.
He said softly. “I don’t want to get into your daughter’s pants, Doctor Laura. I just…want to know why she carries such hatred for my family.”
“I suggest you keep quiet, Adam, and let me concentrate.”
He didn’t say a word again.
I relaxed with my back on the wall, a smile on my face, as I read the spells on how to make something disappear.
Fifteen minutes later, Laura was done. She stepped aside from the bed, and gestured that Adam should stand.
Adam obeyed, and with a grunt, sat up on the bed.
He was far from being the handsome Greek god, but in a day or two, he should be heading back to that base.
“Thanks Doctor. I will see you some other time?”
“You are planning to get injured again?”
Adam chuckled and stood on his feet.
“Not at all, Doc. I mustn’t be in such a state to meet you. Thanks again.”
He said with all princely dignity, before walking out of the room.
He didn’t even bestow a glance on me. Strange.
Had he gotten over his affection and obsession with me? That was great. I mused. Annoyed with the painful beating of my heart, and the pulsing on the mark that he had given me. I needed to get rid of this. I wanted to ask Laura now, but Adam might be outside. The last time this had pulsed, he had been a few feet away from me.
I stood up from the stool after a few minutes and walked to the entrance door, relieved when I saw that he and his brothers were already at the gate of the fence, about to get past it.
However, just before I could turn away from the sight, Adam swerved so fast that I couldn’t outrun his gaze that met mine in a long second. I broke the state first and withdrew into the room. Laura was cleaning up.
“Those boys are really bent on conquering you. You can see it in their demeanor. What are you going to do?” Laura asked me, packing up the first aid kit.
I stood by her to help with the sheet. We were going to wash it with everything we got. I don’t want to scent Adam on them, never mind that I might not use it again.
Meanwhile, I shrugged my shoulders at Laura’s question. “I’m not sure. Not allow myself to be conquered?”
Laura shook her head and chuckled. “You will need bouts of goodluck and anger and resolve with those three. They are a handful.”
Yeah, they really were.
“He asked you about his mother, did you know her?”
“Yes. A good woman-would have been a better queen than her elder sister, but for her black hair. I never had any issue with her. She was actually a good mentor. I still don’t understand why the king will kill her? What would he stand to gain from that? A true mate which the gods had blessed him with? It was what had kickstarted the war that had been brewing between us for years. There was no winner though. The council overseeing the supernaturals had to step in, to avoid more bloodshed.”
“Do you think the boys know of their father’s act?”
“I don’t think so. If they did, they might have killed him off. I pity those who would find themselves on their wrong side. Their anger is palpable.”
Tell me something I didn’t know. I had been on their wrong side once.
“Well, that’s by the way, did you eat the food I left for you?”
I nodded, dumping the sheets on the floor, and lifting the bed up. I was taking it out for a total sun drying.