Chapter 151 Bonded pt 1
Lucian
‘Gamma Lucian, you asked to be updated about Amelia’s status?’
‘Yes, Doc Theo. What have you got for me?’
‘We’re ready to discharge her if you know where she’s going. Overall, she’s healing normally. Mentally, I’m recommending daily sessions with the counselor she feels most comfortable with. She’s been…beyond traumatized.’
I looked over at my mate as we ate our breakfast. Amelia wasn’t the only one who was traumatized in Silver Rain.
‘I’ll come by myself and take her to her temporary lodgings.’
‘Thank you, Gamma Lucian.’
I reached over, taking her free hand in mine. “What do you know about the woman who helped us get you out?”
“Amelia?”
I nodded.
“She showed up in the dungeons a couple of weeks before you did. Maybe two? She was sent down to clean them.” Alexis tapped her fingers on the table. “She wasn’t treated well. I don’t know where she came from, if that’s what you’re asking, but they treated her as a maid and fucked her whenever, wherever. Guards would make a game out of abusing her in front of me.” She shuddered. I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her into me, giving her what comfort I could.
“She stayed pretty quiet, so I didn’t get to know her. Mostly I was trying to survive. I was shocked when she seemed to know Princess Seren.”
“Yeah. They have a history. Not really my place to share that, but I can say that Amelia is the daughter of Alpha James from Blood Moon Pack, where Seren was raised. That she is in the condition she is and wanted to help Seren escape is a far cry from the person she used to be.” I studied her for a minute. “Doc Theo just let me know that she’s ready to be discharged. I need to get her settled. Would you like to come with me?”
Alexis smiled. “Yes. If I’m going to be your mate, and Gamma female here, then I need to learn what’s required of me.”
Squeezing her against me, I dropped a kiss on top of her head. “I’m sure you’ll pick it up in no time.”
We headed over to the hospital. The short walk from the pack house was a pleasant one, thanks to the bright sunshine and unseasonably warm day. Though we ran hotter than humans, we were well into winter and the chill still bit, so it was nice to have a glimpse of what spring could bring us.
Doc Theo met us at the front desk, a stack of paperwork in his hand. “Here you go, Lucian. Her discharge instructions, as well as a list of her follow-up appointments with the counseling office.” He took a moment, appraising eyes flicking over Alexis. “You’re looking well, Alexis. Any issues with your healing since I last saw you?”
“I’m feeling great, Doc Theo. Nitsa is back at full strength, and those last lingering injuries are all gone. It’s like I’m a whole new person,” she joked.
This time when Doc Theo smiled, it reached his eyes. “That’s what I like to hear. Don’t hesitate to reach out if something comes up.” He turned back to me. “She’s in room five, Gamma. You’re all set.”
I thanked him, then found Amelia sitting on the bed in room five, staring off into space. In just a few short days, she’d already gained some weight back, and the bruising on her face and throat had calmed down significantly. I knocked lightly on the open door.
She startled, then glanced my way before casting her gaze to the floor. “Gamma Lucian. Come in.”
I let Alexis go first, stepping in behind her before I took the chair beside the bed. “Amelia. Doc Theo says you’re ready to be discharged.”
“Oh. Okay.” She looked around, lost. “I don’t…I’m not sure where to go.” She started picking at her fingernails, her movements twitchy.
I released some calming energy, letting it roll over her gently, hoping to ease some of her anxiety. “We’ve got a place for you. A temporary one until we figure out what your next steps are. It’s a small cottage on the edge of the territory. I thought you might be more comfortable there, where you wouldn’t be surrounded by…unknown pack members.”
Her gaze flicked to me, then back to the ground. “Thank you, Gamma Lucian,” she whispered.
“Amelia, we’re here to help you. I hope you know that,” Alexis said.
She simply nodded, then stood. “I don’t have anything other than what I’m wearing, so whenever you’re ready, we can go.”
I exchanged a glance with Alexis, and she shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “Let her lead.” Standing, I extended an arm. “After you.”
I grabbed one of the golf carts we kept near the hospital once we exited the main doors. “Jump on,” I told the women. Once they were settled, I drove to the cottage.
It was a small, two-bedroom building that we typically used for guests who didn’t want to stay in the pack house. Duncan had agreed it was the best place for Amelia to stay for now, as it kept her away from the warriors who were constantly in and out of the main building, as well as away from Seren. While she had been instrumental in rescuing Seren from Silver Rain, neither of us wanted to subject Seren to the constant presence of one of her main childhood bullies.
When Amelia walked through the doors, she gasped. The place had been thoroughly cleaned and aired out, as well as stocked with food. It was an open concept; only the bedrooms were closed away behind doors, so as she spun around she could see the living and kitchen areas clearly. There was a fire already going in the hearth.
“You’ll stay here until the counselors clear you for more interaction with the rest of the pack, for a start,” I said as she wandered, hand trailing over the sofa, taking in the texture there. “I’ve arranged for someone to stay here with you—one of our omegas—who will help ensure your discharge instructions are followed, as well as with the cooking, cleaning, and whatnot.”
“That’s not necessary. I can clean,” she said quietly.
“You’re still healing, Amelia,” Alexis responded gently. “We need you to focus on that for now. Gia will help you get around the pack and get back to full health.”
“But Amelia,” I said, my voice coming out more stern than I’d intended. “If we hear even a whisper from Gia that you’re mistreating her, our hospitality will end. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Gamma Lucian. You don’t have to worry.” She twisted her hands together. “I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”
Someone knocked on the door. “That’s likely Gia now. We’ll head out and let you two get acquainted, get settled in.” I opened it, letting Gia through before I stepped outside. I heard Alexis making the introductions before she joined me, the door closing behind her. Her arms came around my waist.
“Now that we’ve got that duty taken care of,” she whispered, “there’s something I want to show you.”