16. Jasmine

16

JASMINE

A s Jasmine stepped out of the elevator on the clinic level, her heart was heavy with what was about to happen to Rob the next day. While Ell-rom would be embracing his family, Rob would be facing his fiancée's betrayal.

He obviously loved Lynda, and they were to be married in less than a week. Seeing her with her ex would be like a stab to the heart.

Poor guy.

As she made her way down the corridor, her footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway, the heaviness gave way to anticipation. It was ridiculous how much her heart fluttered every time she was about to see Ell-rom, even after the shortest separation. It was like he was her sun, and when he wasn't near her, everything around her dimmed.

Was that love?

It must be, because she had never felt this way toward anyone else.

She paused outside Morelle's room, expecting to find Ell-rom there, but the room was empty save for the comatose princess and the equipment surrounding her.

Frowning, Jasmine turned and headed towards the doctor's office, but as she raised her hand to knock, the door opened, and Julian stepped out, quickly pulling the door closed behind him.

"Hi, Jasmine." He greeted her with a bright smile. "Ell-rom isn't ready yet."

Something in his manner set off alarm bells in Jasmine's mind. "What's going on? Are you running more tests on him?"

Julian hesitated for a moment before answering. "Ell-rom is on a video call with the clan therapist, Vanessa. It might take a while."

Jasmine felt a knot form in her stomach. "The therapist? What for?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't discuss that with you." Julian smiled apologetically. "I know that you are his mate, but I take patient confidentiality seriously. You can ask Ell-rom about it later, but I'd advise you to wait for him to volunteer what he talked about with Vanessa. I'm saying that not as a doctor but as a happily mated man. People need their space from time to time, even if it's only the space in their heads."

Julian was right, of course, but Jasmine's mind was racing, trying to piece together what could have prompted this sudden therapy session. Hopefully, it wasn't about Ell-rom's dream of killing someone with a thought.

Damn it. She was so stupid. She should have warned him to keep that to himself, but she assumed it was self-explanatory. What she hadn't taken into account was how naive Ell-rom was.

Still, it might be about something else, and she wasn't going to give Julian any hints by asking questions that would make him suspicious.

Plastering a smile on her face, she nodded. "Thanks for the advice. It's good. I need to remember not to overdo it and make Ell-rom feel like I'm mothering him."

Julian chuckled. "Some mothering is okay. Just not too much."

"Right," she agreed. "How long do you think it will take?"

"These sessions can sometimes run long. Why don't you go back to the penthouse? I'll make sure Ell-rom knows where to find you when he's done, and if he needs me to take him up there, I will gladly escort him."

It hadn't even occurred to her that Ell-rom could probably travel between the penthouse and the clinic without her help.

Talk about mothering.

Nevertheless, she wasn't comfortable leaving Ell-rom alone there, especially given what she suspected he had revealed to Julian.

If Kian thought that Ell-rom was dangerous, who knew what they would do to him? They were not bad people, but their sense of self-preservation might kick in, and they would not want someone who could kill with a thought anywhere near them.

"I think I'll wait for him in Morelle's room. I promised Ell-rom I'd talk to her."

"Sure thing," Julian said. "I'm going to take a break and get something to eat. But don't worry. I have my phone with me, and I will be notified immediately if Morelle needs me."

"I'm not worried. Is Gertrude around?"

He shook his head. "I'm the only one here for the weekend, but again, you have nothing to worry about. Morelle doesn't need constant supervision."

"I know."