Strings
Adea
“The Alpha wants to confirm if you are,” Odis said.
And just like that I was thrown back into the black pit of despair that was my life. My shoulders slumped, my eyes dropped, and I swayed where I stood. When I didn’t say anything else, Odis turned from me and reached for the handles. Both doors were pulled open and Odis stepped aside for me. When I found my balance, I lifted my chin, and walked through first.
Was my life a joke for those in power?
Did they enjoy playing with me and mapping out my life for me?
Would I ever be free from the strings that tied me to him?
This shouldn’t have been as big a surprise as it was. I knew the chances of my belling growing round with his child were high, but I refused to dwell on it. If anything, I pushed it from my mind daily.
Over the last month, I hadn’t thought about anything. My strings were pulled and I walked. I kept my strength for when I faced Ethan, but after what happened the other night I wasn’t sure how I felt about myself. I didn’t want to have to face him.
To have a near stranger show me from one place to the next without informing me first was one thing. To have that same stranger tell me I was going to be checked if I were with child was another thing. It was one more push towards the edge of what was left of my sanity. I was losing myself here. The unfairness of the situation cut me deep, but I refused to let the tears fall. Not here, not in front of them.
I walked through the door and peered around a dimly lit room. A fire warmed the room and a long table was placed in the middle of the room. A man who seemed no older than I stood in front of the fire. His focus on the flames as they crackled and waved.
“The Luna has arrived,” Odis announced.
The young man turned around has dark skin and his black hair is puffy and wild. A firm strong jawline, thin lips, and sharp prominent nose. The most surprising thing is his eyes, brown eyes with a white cloud over them. The doctor is blind.
“Good afternoon, Luna. My name is James Sylvester. It’s a pleasure and an honor to meet you,” the doctor said.
“A pleasure to meet you. You seem quite…”
“Young?” The doctor said. “I am. I turn eighteen next month.”
“How can you be a doctor?” I asked.
“It’s a family business. I’ve studied medicine like you’ve studied how to be a Luna,” he said.
“I see. Shall we get this over with, Doctor James?” I asked.
“Of course. You can call me Doctor Sylvester, it’s the family name,” Doctor James said.
“Isn’t it customary to call doctors by their first name?” I asked.
“My family prefers to keep the family name going,” Doctor James said.
“What would you prefer?” I asked. He stilled, his lips parting as my words registered with him.
“No one has asked me what I would prefer,”Doctor James.
“I’m asking,” I said.
“You are,” Doctor James repeats. A small smile pulls at the corners of his lips. “I would prefer to be called Doctor James.”
“Then Doctor James it is. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said.
“The pleasure is all mine, Luna,” he said with a bow.
“Can you wait outside?” I asked as I looked at Odis.
“I’m afraid I cannot. I am not allowed to leave your side,” Odis answers as he casts his eyes to the floor.
There are so many things I want to say, none of them ladylike, or on par with what should leave a Luna’s lips. Instead I glare at him and wait for him to raise his gaze. When he does he knows exactly how I’m feeling.
“I will not harm her. Our Beta can stay by the door to give her a sense of privacy,” Doctor James said.
“I—”
“That way you are following your duty and still treating the Luna as your superior. As her protector you can rest assured that she will be safe,” Doctor James said.
Odis considers what the doctor says and looks back to my face. His duty is to follow Ethan’s orders, but his Goddess-given duty is to protect me. Doctor James words are meant to remind him of this bond, but I no longer let myself hope for more. So I can’t help my surprise when he pulls the doors shut and stands guard by the only exit. If he’s waiting for a note of appreciation from me it never comes. He stares at me, but I turn from him, and walk towards the table.
“How will you know if I’m with child?” I asked.
“Please take a seat on the table, Luna. I will start by checking your pulse,” Doctor James said.
Without another word I lift myself onto the table, my legs dangle off the edge. He takes four steps that bring him to the head of the table. He reaches out and offers his hand. I stare at it until I realize he wants me to take it.
“Please grant me permission to touch you during this visit,” Doctor Jame said with a bow of his head.
“Of course. Is it that easy to tell?” I whispered.
“For me, yes,” Doctor James said.
I reached out and when our hands touch, warmth spreads from the tips of my fingers up my arm. He takes a step around the head of the table and it places him by my side. He reaches out with his other hand and places a finger on the inside of my wrist. His unseeing eyes close as he stills and I hold my breath in anticipation. I doubted she would hear me, but I plead with the Goddess.
Please.
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