Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

Blake

P anic grips me as I burst through the doors of Mosswood Care Center's emergency room, the sterile scent of disinfectant assaulting my nostrils.

Nathaniel follows, carrying Quinn in his strong arms.

"Why can't I sit in the car with Sprinkles?" she whines, burying her face against his shoulder. "I don't like it here."

"Shh." Nathaniel pats her back. "We can stay in the waiting room."

I approach the nurse at the front desk, trying to remain calm. "Chloe Richardson and Grady…"

When I can't dredge up the man's last name, Nathaniel supplies, "Grady Finch."

"Are you family?" The nurse's fingers dance across the keyboard as she searches for their names.

"Chloe's part of our pack," I say, my breath catching on the lie. "I'm not sure who to call for Grady, though."

Her expression softens, a flicker of understanding in her eyes. "Ms. Richardson and the rest of your pack are in a private waiting room. She's listed as Mr. Finch's emergency contact. The doctor will update her once she's back from x-rays."

Relief washes over me. "Thank you."

I glance back at Quinn before whispering, "Is there any news on my sister, Sadie Harris? An ambulance brought her in earlier this afternoon."

Pity flashes across the woman's face and my stomach sinks. "I'll inform Dr. Chen of where to find you."

We follow the nurse's directions down the corridor, my heart pounding. When Nathaniel received the call, I had wanted to come here immediately, but we were forced to hold off and speak to the police first, so they could let everyone know that we found Quinn and she was safe.

Dominic had kept us apprised of the situation, though, updating us when the helicopter arrived on the island and when they landed on the mainland. Dominic's family name convinced them to bring everyone to the same upscale hospital where my sister was taken so we could all be together.

As we approach bay three, I spot Holden sitting inside the small room, his head in his hands, while Dominic paces.

Bracing myself for the worst, we join them.

Holden stands and rushes over, pulling me into a fierce hug, his familiar vanilla cake scent washing over me.

I breathe him in, needing his pheromones to calm my frayed nerves. "What happened?"

"Dominic will explain." Holden sniffles, releasing me from his embrace. He turns to Nathaniel, holding out his arms for Quinn. "I packed some cookies for you, princess."

Quinn flings herself at Holden. "Did you bring snickerdoodles?"

"Of course I did. What kind of uncle would I be if I didn't deliver your favorite cookie?" He returns to the seats with her, cradling her in his lap as Dominic joins us.

In hushed tones, Dominic fills us in on the events that led to this emergency. "Grady went wandering around the island and somehow fell into the foundation dug out for the fitness center. He must have hit his head on one of the piers. It looked like he also broke his leg."

He swallows hard, his face clouded with worry. "We're not sure how long he was down there, or why he ignored all the warning tape."

Nathaniel curses, muttering about lawsuits before a glare from me silences him.

"When he didn't show up for dinner, Chloe went to look for him," Dominic continues. "She found him, and in her panic, she fell."

My heart twists. "Will she be okay?"

"Thank goodness a tree root snagged on her clothes on the way down and slowed her fall." Dominic's face, already pale, turns ashen. "She got banged up, though, and passed out. They think her wrist might be broken, too. They have her in x-rays right now. She came to in the helicopter before they dosed her with pain meds."

Nathaniel's brow furrows. "What about Grady?"

Dominic shakes his head, his expression grim. "When we arrived here, he was still unconscious. They took him into surgery, and we haven't heard any updates yet."

The soft click of the door opening draws everyone's attention as a man in a white lab coat enters.

As he scans the room, I recognize Dr. Chen. He's overseen much of my sister Sadie's care. Apprehension clenches in my gut. This is always the worst part of these trips, the guilt of wanting Sadie's suffering to be over and the hope she'll pull through one more time and finally change her life.

"Excuse me," I murmur to Nathaniel and Dominic, leaving them to approach the doctor.

"Mr. Harris." He extends a hand to me, and my nose stings from the scent of antiseptic that clings to him.

We shake briefly. "How is Sadie, Dr. Chen?"

He slips his hands into the pockets of his lab coat. "We pumped your sister's stomach, and she's resting now. However, I recommend placing her under a psych watch to assess if she intentionally self-harmed. Based on the outcome, she'll either need a stay at a psychiatric ward or an in-house rehab for detox, then to work on recovery."

Unsurprised by his assessment, I nod in acceptance. "I'll sign the paperwork to make it happen."

I glance back at Quinn, who sits in Holden's arms, nibbling on a cookie. "Did you call child services?"

Dr. Chen hesitates for a moment. "My staff has been unsuccessful in reaching your father."

I steel myself, knowing what I'm about to say may seem cold, but it's necessary. "Report the incident. I'll need documentation when I sue for custody of my niece."

Nodding with understanding, he pats my arm in sympathy. "A nurse will bring in the paperwork for you to sign."

"Thank you, Doctor." My throat tightens with emotion.

My father would want me to cover this up, just like all the previous times Sadie has ended up in the hospital or rehab. But the police are already involved, and I'm done letting him put Quinn's life at risk for the sake of appearances. If it means cutting ties with my father and sister, so be it.

As Dr. Chen leaves the room, I walk back to my bondmates—my chosen family—and take Quinn from Holden, needing to snuggle her to reassure myself that she's safe.

Nathaniel's hand settles on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Everything all right?"

"Yeah." The word rings hollow. "We'll take things one step at a time."

I slump into the seat beside Holden, leaning my head against him as he offers Quinn another cookie.

The people in this room are the ones who matter most. Them and one adorable, pink Omega who I hope to take home with us.

Thirty minutes later, when the doors swing open again, my heart lurches, expecting a doctor with news about Chloe, before confusion sets in.

A curvaceous, petite woman in high-waisted mauve pants and a cream blouse struts into the room. The pink hair piled artfully atop her head exposes the slender lines of her throat and highlights a heavy, pink-diamond necklace that nestles against her full breasts, along with matching two-carat studs in her ears.

She looks like Chloe will in twenty years, if Chloe dressed like a billionaire's wife. She stops near the entrance, a fur coat draped over one arm, while a handbag, just big enough to store a wallet, dangles from her fingers.

Her strawberry pink lips purse with distaste as she surveys us in the waiting room.

My nostrils flare at the pheromones coming from her, an intoxicating mix of flowers that leaves little doubt as to her identity.

Dominic bolts up from his seat, his face a mixture of anger and disbelief. "What are you doing here, Vivian?"

She lowers her sunglasses, glaring at him with icy pink eyes. "I could ask the same of you, Dominic, though it's easy to guess. How does this side of the tracks feel to one of the great Sterlings?"

Dominic storms over to her, fists clenched. "Leave. Chloe doesn't want you here."

"My daughter is hurt." She huffs with annoyance. "Why wouldn't she want her mother's comfort?"

Dominic's nose crinkles in disgust. "Are you drunk?"

Vivian raises her chin with a sneer. "I always knew you'd come sniffing around my little girl again once you found out there was money to be had. Alphas like you are all the same. But it's no use. I made sure of that myself."

My stomach churns at her words, bile rising in my throat. What could she possibly mean? I want to stand and join my bondmate against this vile woman, but my niece catches on to the tension in the air and clings to me.

"Leave." Dominic's voice trembles with controlled rage. "Chloe made her choice."

"How amusing." Vivian's cold laughter shivers through me. "Did she say that to you? Or did you assume because she's too nice for her own good?"

Dominic's lips open, but he hesitates, and Vivian latches onto the moment of weakness like a shark smelling blood in the water.

She smirks. "That's what I thought."

Dominic bristles with anger. "What have you done, Vivian?"

She smirks and raises a manicured hand to the necklace encircling her throat, a fortune at her fingertips. "Chloe has always been my number one bargaining chip. I won't let her go to a penniless pack of Alphas like yours."

Her gaze flicks over us, lingering on Quinn, who clings to me, and her lip curls in disgust. "Especially not one with baggage."

My muscles tense, the urge to defend Quinn surging through me.

Before I can say anything, Holden bursts to his feet, his face flushed. "You've never had Chloe's best interests at heart! She wouldn't want you here!"

Vivian sizes him up like a predator stalking its prey. "And who are you, exactly? What pack does your family come from?"

Holden falters before straightening his shoulders. "It doesn't matter."

She laughs, the cold, cruel sound putting me on edge. "Of course it matters. In a room full of Sterlings, Burtons, and even a Harris, you don't belong."

As Holden deflates under her words, Nathaniel stands, his fists clenched as he moves to block her view of Holden. "I won't let you speak to my bondmate like that."

Dominic's patience snaps, and he grabs Vivian's arm, dragging her toward the exit. But as they reach the doors, a new doctor arrives, freezing us all in place.

"Is there a problem here?" She takes in the situation in one glance and reaches for the phone on the wall, ready to call security if we start a fight in her ER.

Dominic releases Vivian with a snarl, and she straightens the cuff of her sleeve, unperturbed.

The doctor surveys the room. "Who is here for Chloe Richardson?"

We all raise our voices, clamoring to be heard, but Vivian shoves her way to the front, puffing up with self-importance. "I am here as a representative of Chloe's Alpha, Louie Santaro."

The world tilts around me, and my stomach drops like I'm in freefall. I struggle to breathe as the implications of Vivian's words hit me.

Ringing fills my ears as she produces documents from her tiny purse and hands them to the doctor.

Holden's fingers dig into my arm. "What's she talking about? We're Chloe's Alphas."

The doctor returns the paperwork to Vivian and nods for her to go through the door.

Vivian casts a cruel smirk over her shoulder, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. "As if you were ever going to get my daughter."

"Fucking bitch!" Dominic lunges toward her.

The doctor steps into his path and snatches the phone off the wall, hitting the call button. "We need security in Bay Three to escort out some distraught Alphas." She pins Dominic with a glare. "They will go peacefully."

"Please," Dominic pleads, despair bleeding through his anger. "There's been a mix-up. Vivian can't be allowed near Chloe."

"Take it up with the Omega registration center if you want to dispute the courtship," the doctor says coldly before following Vivian.

Dominic grabs for the closed door, shaking the handle, but the lock prevents him from chasing after them.

My heart hammers as I sit in stunned silence, unable to register Quinn worriedly asking if I'm okay and who that mean woman was.

Holden stares at the locked door in bewilderment. "Who the hell is Louie Santaro?"

Dominic snarls and punches the wall, doing more damage to himself than to the cement-backed plaster.

It's Nathaniel who answers, his expression tight. "He's the CEO of Pinnacle Ventures. He owns all of the casinos up and down the coast. He's the person you go to when you need to move large sums of cash and don't want it to be traced."

Dominic whips around, his face twisted with rage. "No way Chloe went into this courtship willingly."

Holden's face pales, and he slumps into his chair, his fingers digging into the armrests. "No, she didn't. She said she needed a big advance to pay off her mom's debts. She's the collateral for the money her mom uses to maintain her lifestyle."

The truth hangs in the air like acid, corroding the dreams we'd started to build with Chloe as part of our pack.

We were supposed to be her Alphas, her protectors, but now we're locked out, while our Omega is hurt and at the mercy of her mother's machinations.