Hidden in Smoke

by Harper Wylde

  I wanted to object—desperately—but I wasn’t sure how to. The request was invasive but wasn’t off-the-wall enough to account for my refusal. Objecting to them, and having to explain why I was not willing to undergo basic medical testing, would be even more embarrassing than undergoing the tests. “I am honored at your interest, Councilmen. I look forward to learning about my people.” I knew my smile had faltered in my disgust, and I did my best to will it back into position. With a nod of my head—I couldn’t bring myself to bow, and a curtsy felt ridiculous in my pants—I turned and strode from the room. My Phoenix hissed, already on edge and irritated from the session, not liking me turning my back on a room full of threats.

  I let the thud of the doors closing echo behind me before letting my breath out in a rush. I needed my guys, and I needed them now.

  Twenty-One

  Nix

  My footsteps echoed down the hallway as I followed one of the stoic guards back towards the front of the house. While I wasn’t looking forward to this medical appointment—more like fucking dreading it—I was more than ready to leave this scary house of horror behind. I flinched at my thought and re-checked my mental wall, making sure it was intact. The last thing I needed was Damien’s father hearing how I felt about the ruling body of shifters I’d just met—or how I felt about his son. I rubbed absently at my forearm, a nervous tick I’d developed in my past, and tried to control the shivering that wracked my body. Yeah, to say I wanted out of this place and away from the creepy shifters I’d just met with was an understatement.

  The second I saw the front door, I almost tripped over my own feet in my hurry toward it. Seeing my pace increase, one of the guards quickly jogged to the door and opened it for me, as his job must dictate he do. Geez, did these dudes do nothing for themselves?

  Nodding my thanks, I rushed out the doorway and started jogging down the steps.

  The sight of my guys at the bottom of the stairs was like a breath of fresh air, and I felt my eyes getting watery as I fought back the tears. I knew it was a girly reaction, but all my strength had just been used up trying to keep myself together during that meeting.

  “Nix!” My name was a relieved whoosh of air from Ryder’s lips more than it was a coherent word. It garnered all the guys’ attention, and everyone rushed toward me as I reached the bottom stair, pausing there and letting it elevate me so I was closer to their heights.

  “How’d it go?” I felt Damien prodding gently at my mind, but I held my barriers in place with everything I had. I wasn’t about to let my guard down while I was still this close to the Council.

  “They’re letting me stay with you for now. There are just some things they want me to do. Starting with this medical appointment.” I twisted my fingers, a little unsure. I knew having all of them with me for it was illogical, and would probably lead to someone getting punched in the face. Would it be crossing a line if I asked one or two of them to come with me though?

  Strong, soft fingers gripped my chin, and I looked up into ebony eyes. “Of course one of us will go with you. We’d be more comfortable that way as well. You don’t need to keep worrying that you’re crossing a line or being a burden. You’re our friend. It’s what friends do.”

  My smile was shaky, and I had to resist throwing myself into his arms for a hug. I hadn’t realized how much I would come to not only enjoy their hugs, but actively need them as part of my happiness, comfort, and sense of security. I was sure we were being monitored, however, and I wasn’t ready for the Council to know quite how close we were. “Okay then. Um, so, deciding who goes with me.” I glanced around the circle. “Hiro? Maybe you could come?” This was such a hard choice. Killian would probably punch the nurse when she drew blood, though, and I didn’t like the idea of Damien in my head if a test was invasive. He shot me a slightly weary smile and I winced. I hadn’t meant that in a negative way. Theo and Ryder would probably be extremely interested in what the doctors were doing, and I just wanted to move it along quickly. Hiro seemed the wisest choice, plus, he was good at keeping me calm.

  “No problem, Nix. We’ll all wait for you.” Ryder wiggled his fingers at me in a silly wave, and I gave him a smile. Goofy boy.

  “If it’s okay with you, Nix, I’ll walk with you.” Damien stretched his arms over his head as he joined me. “I’d like to try and see my father for a few minutes before we leave.”

  “Medical wing is this way. Just follow me.” Hiro strode off down the hallway, twisting and turning down narrow side corridors. Damien’s going to try and keep the mental link open and shielded. He will turn it off during your exam, so if you’re uncomfortable, you’ll need to actually tell me.

  “Do you know what kind of testing they’ll do?” I couldn’t keep the nerves from my voice, and my Phoenix cheeped in my head, trying to reassure me. I knew she would help to protect me, but it didn’t make the thought of needles or some stranger prodding at me easier to bear.

  “My guess is they’re going to run a full diagnostic on you. They’ll draw blood, test your vitals, probably do an ultrasound, maybe even a CAT or an MRI.”

  I gaped, nearly tripping over my own feet. “They’ve got all of that stuff here?”

  I thought I saw a pained look cross Damien’s face for a moment, but it was gone as fast as it had come. “There is a shifter hospital not far from here, but the Council prefers to have their own medical facility on site. The island is rather large, so there are a few smaller clinics located around the commune.”

  It seemed as though they just had money to burn here. I couldn’t begin to imagine the cost of all of this, especially when the hospital was nearby. I was grateful, however, that I wouldn’t need to worry about insurance payments for something like a CAT scan. Located a few yards behind the massive lodge was another wooden building. Hiro held the door for me as I entered, and I shivered at the sterile feel of the interior: white tiled floors with obscure artwork on stark white walls. I absolutely hated hospitals, and this definitely had a similar feel.

  The lights brightened as we entered a small sitting area. Surprisingly, I saw Councilman Lacroix waiting for us. “Dad!” Damien called out, grinning as he rushed forward. I watched in surprise, both eyebrows raised, as the two enthusiastically hugged each other. Councilman Lacroix wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulder as he turned to look at me.

  Councilman Lacroix smiled brightly at me. “Nix, I’m sorry for all of the stress of that meeting. Thank you for behaving so maturely. These tests shouldn’t take very long. Hiro, it’s good to see you again. You haven’t been up here much lately.” Hiro stepped forward to shake his hand.

  “No, sir. We’ve been a bit busy with the start of classes, and meeting Nix, of course.”

  “Well, Nix, if you’re ready, the nurse will take you back to begin the tests.”

  I shifted on the balls of my feet, unsure of how to proceed. “Thank you, sir. I had planned on Hiro joining me if that’s alright.” I didn’t want to make it a request, but I also didn’t want to overstep my bounds. Even though he was Damien’s dad, I found that I was nervous around him.

  “Of course, of course. We’ll try not to make things too rough on you here. There will be a few needles, I’m afraid, but we’ll try to make it as painless as we can.” He tugged on Damien’s shoulder and, after a quick knock on the door nearest him, he led Damien away.

  “Nix?” I didn’t recognize the woman who stepped from inside the small doorway. ‘My name is Rebecca. I’m a nurse here. If you’re ready to come with me, we can get started.” Her smile was warm as she waited, holding the door open for me. I nodded at Hiro who shot me a reassuring smile.

  “Okay. Um, what all can I expect?” I stepped through the door with no small amount of trepidation. The setup was warmer than I had expected, the stark white of the hallways softening to cream. The medical equipment here was simple and familiar, a basic triage station.

  “Don’t worry. We’re going to keep this as simple as possible. I’m going to do y
our basic information and medical history here. Then I’ll place an IV.” She smiled softly at my grimace. “I know. It’s not pleasant. But I’ll need it for the CAT scan. Contrast scans are easier to read. Are you afraid of needles? I could see if we can give you a mild sedative.”

  I recoiled at the thought. “No. Thank you, but no. I’d rather deal with any discomfort than be sedated.”

  “No problem. Is Hiro coming in with you?” I turned to Hiro surprised that the nurse knew him.

  “Yes, Rebecca, I’ll join her unless she becomes uncomfortable with it. It’s good to see you; it’s been awhile. Nix, Becca grew up in the same sleuth as Theo.” Hm. I wasn’t quite sure if that made me more or less comfortable. I liked that she knew Theo, the other guys, and probably Rini as well. At the same time, it still felt odd to me that someone who knew my friends was going to be examining me so intimately. Especially since I didn’t want the exam in the first place, and I was being forced into it.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Rebecca.” I decided to stick with her actual name since I didn’t know her, but it hadn’t crossed my notice that they were friendly enough for nicknames. I tried not to be jealous; I’m sure they had tons of friends before me. Girlfriends too. I tried not to cringe. “I’m ready to get started if you are.” I just wanted this to be over with as quickly as possible and go home with my guys. Maybe I could convince Damien to make something special for dinner or dessert tonight, and we could continue our Marvel marathon. That had ended so well last time. My Phoenix swirled inside of me at the idea of staking more of a claim on them. I couldn’t keep the small smile from my lips as I remembered tasting Kill for the first time. I let my mind stay focused on my guys as she took my blood pressure, my pulse, my weight, and my basic information.

  “Doing great so far.” Rebecca turned to a cabinet and began pulling packages from inside. “Ready for the IV now?”

  I wasn’t sure if it as the smartest move, but I couldn’t resist. “Hiro, can you hold my hand?” He didn’t even pause to question, immediately reaching out to twine his fingers through mine.

  “Alright, let me clean your arm.” Hiro’s fingers played with mine as the nurse prepped the area, humming to herself. “Good job. Now, there’s going to be a big pinch.” I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, gripping hard on Hiro’s hand. Remembering my training, I reached out to my Phoenix. Hold tight, girl. This’ll hurt, but it’s not a bad thing. I tightened my hold on her as I felt the pressure start on my arm. I hissed through my teeth at the pain, focusing on the way Hiro’s fingers were stroking across mine. “Good job. The worst is done.” I breathed out, thankful she had been quick.

  “Great job, Nix.” Hiro’s voice was warm, his eyes soft as they met mine. I smiled shakily, releasing the hold on my Phoenix. She chirped at me, irritated at the strong hold I had used and upset that we were in pain. “Just a few more tests. There’s a benefit of not going to a human hospital—the wait time is much shorter. We’ll be in and out quickly.”

  “Hiro, for this part I need you to step out.” Rebecca’s expression was series as she stood at the foot of the bed. “You can wait right outside of the door. I’ll come get you when she’s ready for you.” I swallowed hard, but, having been in the hospital many times I had an idea what was coming. She turned to me as the door closed, her smile sweet. “Alright, Nix. Just a few questions. Whatever you say to me here is confidential, alright?” I nodded, though I didn’t trust a word of it.

  “Are you sexually active?”

  “No, not at the moment.”

  “Are you on any form of birth control and do you have or want access to birth control should you become sexually active?”

  I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, and I dug my fingers into my thighs. “I’m not on birth control. I do have access to contraception should I choose to become sexually active.” This was always so embarrassing.

  “Nix, are you safe where you are?” Rebecca looked up from her notes. “I’ve known the guys for years, but it can be overwhelming and emotional to find yourself in an entirely new situation. Are you being pressured at all?”

  “No.” I bit the word out. I wasn’t going to give them more than this. I was sure that everything I said and did today was being reported right back to the Council. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of knowing my thoughts as well. I would tell my guys how I felt about them, no one else.

  “Good. You can always come to the Council if you have concerns. They protect their people well.” Brain dead lemming. I couldn’t help the thought that popped into my head. My Phoenix hissed her agreement. “Alright, I’m going to do an ultrasound on you. Now, you can have Hiro here for this, but as it’s internal, I thought you might be more comfortable alone.” I considered that for a moment. I kind of wanted Hiro in here to hold my hand. I knew this wouldn’t be pleasant for me. It would be uncomfortable bordering on painful, not to mention the psychological effect. At the same time, for Hiro to be next to me while I was naked from the waist down and a stranger did an internal ultrasound. That was a little nerve-wracking as well.

  “Why do you need the ultrasound, anyway?” I was trying to buy myself a few minutes to sort through my feelings. My Phoenix hissed her displeasure. She didn’t understand my embarrassment. She wanted Hiro here to comfort and protect us.

  “It may be a long time in the future, but you’re extremely rare Nix. The best thing for our species is if you have children. We are checking to see if any issues that will arise with that. Some things can be treated if they’re caught early.” They really did just want to use me as a broodmare. These people were insane. Okay, a part of me did want children one day, but I was only eighteen. That would be years in the future.

  “I do think I’d like Hiro here. Will you tell him to come in?”

  “Of course.” She stepped over to the door, pulling it open to find Hiro waiting patiently. “She’d like you here for the ultrasound if you’re comfortable with that.” Her tone was cool. I wasn’t sure if she disagreed with Hiro being there, or she was trying to be professional.

  Hiro’s voice was equally cool. “Of course. She knew all she had to do was ask for me. I assured her you’d respect her choices.” Apparently, Hiro had picked up on the tone of the nurse’s voice as well as I had. He strode to me, his face softening in concern. “Nix, I know they want to do an ultrasound. Did you want me next to you, or do you want me to hold your hand?”

  I bit my lip. I honestly wasn’t sure which would be better. I had no idea how I was going to react to a full ultrasound. “Can we start with you holding my hand? I’ll tell you if it gets to be too much.” Ugh, I hated being so nervous. I wondered if seeing me like this would change the way he thought about me. Hiro angled himself so he could see my face slightly but was mainly facing the wall, and reached for my hand.

  “If you get uncomfortable with her actions or with me holding your hand, you tell me.” His voice was warm but firm. “We can pause, re-evaluate, or stop and try a different day.”

  The nurse’s voice had warmed a little and was now tinged with laughter. “You’re getting a little ahead of yourself. She’ll need to at least remove her clothing, and we need to take her to a room with a bed. I can do several things, but a fully clothed, standing ultrasound isn’t one.” I chuckled despite myself. Obviously, Hiro was as nervous as I was to have missed that. She waved a hand, indicating for us to follow her from triage and down the hallway into a warm room with a small examining table. “It’s your call how much you want to remove for this part. I’m going to need you completely undressed for the CAT, so you will need a robe at some point. However, if you feel more comfortable just removing your bottoms for this test and using a sheet, that’s fine too.”

  “Let’s just get this over with.” I sighed, shaking my head. Rebecca pulled a robe from a cabinet, bringing it over for me. I was surprised—though at this point I probably shouldn’t have been—at the quality of the fabric. No thin cotton or scratchy paper for shifters he
re. The gown was soft and warm. As Rebecca turned her back to prep the equipment, I twirled my finger at Hiro. “Now you can turn your back.” The grin he shot me was wicked and, with his quick glance at Becca’s back, I could tell he wanted to tease me but was watching himself due to the listening ears. He turned his back so that I could change quickly, shielding myself with my clothing and the gown in the process. My skin prickled and my Phoenix was on edge—I felt like we were being monitored and I didn’t like it at all.

  “Ready?” Rebecca called. I murmured my affirmation, and she turned, indicating for me to sit on the table. “Alright, Hiro, if you want to take her hand now, we can get started. Nix, I’ll have you scoot to the very end of the table. If you extend your arms over your head, Hiro can maintain a good grip on your hand and easily face the other direction.” I shivered, biting my lip hard. It was helpful, in a way, to have my Phoenix to focus on controlling. I couldn’t give as much of my mind over to what was happening as I had to hold tightly to my control of her. She didn’t like this room, the examination, or my nurse. She felt threatened and on edge—as did I. “Okay, you’ll feel a little pressure.” I hissed as the cool gel made contact with my skin and the ultrasound began. I’d had one once before, so I wasn’t unfamiliar with the process or the discomfort involved. Hiro stroked my fingers, and I kept my eyes glued to his back, tracing the way his shirt fit across his shoulders. I hissed as she pressed on a tender spot and Hiro’s grip tightened on me. I was surprised that I was doing as well as I was. Although edgy, nervous, and wanting the whole process over I had been worried about flashbacks or extreme panic. Between Hiro and my Phoenix, I was able to hold at least partially steady.