Chapter 22: Irritated

SERAPHINA

A loud noise and the sound of scuffling outside my door jolted me awake, hours after I’d returned from Aleksandr’s house. The noise echoed in my head, intensifying the headache that was just beginning to make itself known.

My skull throbbed with pain, like a drill was boring into it, as muffled voices started to fill my room. I reached up to cradle my head, trying to gather my senses, and checked my phone to see that I’d been asleep for over twelve hours.

~Blood-sucking leech,~ I thought with annoyance, even as another part of me smirked at the memory of how wonderful that leech’s bite had been.

I cursed him again, feeling every muscle in my body ache from the exertion.

“I’m not at liberty to allow you further. Ms. Blair is resting, Dr. Blackwell.”

“Don’t ‘Dr. Blackwell’ me, Damien. We both know she’s fragile and avoiding me due to grief. Now let me through the damn door to wake her up.”

I felt the world tilt as I grabbed my robe, standing too quickly. I was so tired that I was barely registering my actions as I moved to open the door. The floor swayed beneath me a few times until I reached the door jamb and held on, waiting and praying for my blood to start circulating properly.

“I will use excessive force if you make it any more necessary,” Damien threatened, clearly annoyed and panting from the scuffle that had woken me. I heard a thump that I assumed was Marcus’s back hitting the wall.

Finally, I reached the door and opened it just as Damien was reaching for his weapon. I cleared my throat, causing them both to pause as they made eye contact with me.

“It’s fine, Damien, I’m up now and feeling better.”

“Better? What happened?” Marcus asked, already pushing past Damien with his bag in hand to get to me.

Knowing he’d want to inspect my body, I didn’t bother to excuse myself and compose myself. I let the door swing open as I walked back into my room to find clothing to change into once my exam was done.

Marcus followed me closely, while Damien stayed outside the room. He took his time setting up his supplies in my seating area, glancing up just as my robe slipped from my shoulders.

Marcus gasped and choked out, “Oh my God, Seraphina.”

Damien flinched but didn’t turn around.

I ignored Marcus’s stares, letting the robe fall further so he could see the extent of the bruising Aleksandr had left on my upper torso while covering my nipples and navel.

“We need to contact the coven, or—or the wolves. Or maybe Aleksandr’s clan can track down whoever did this.” His face was a picture of horror as he slowly approached me.

Pulling up my robe, I set the clothes down on a small coffee table. My hips and joints ached as I moved, a painful reminder of the previous night. I adjusted the belt on my robe before sitting down.

“I’m fine, it was somewhat consensual,” I trailed off, images of Aleksandr and me flooding my mind.

“Somewhat?” Marcus said, horrified. He took the chair opposite me and pulled out his stethoscope and other equipment. “Seraphina, this isn’t healthy.”

“Can we do this part quickly? I’d like to go downstairs and make some food. I’m really dizzy,” I admitted, hoping he wouldn’t examine me too closely.

I was worried about having a magical surge around him, while also dodging his questioning, angry that he might be involved with Elis’s scheming. The longer he was here, the more likely he might notice something was off about me as well.

With his loud mouth, I wasn’t about to let my enemies in on any new details.

“Fasting is good, I can take a quick blood sample. I recommend something high in protein too…has anyone told you how dangerous vampires can be for someone that has preexisting conditions? Fainting spells coupled with frequently low iron? Is there any nausea you’re experiencing?”

“Marcus,” I interrupted, giving him a sharp look. I was already annoyed with the lecture he was starting to give me.

“What you do to grieve and do in your own time and in your own way is one thing, but when you’re putting yourself in danger with your extracurricular activities, I have to tell the council about this. You do realize that?”

I glared at him, trying to really figure him out. “Have you been in touch with your sister?”

He didn’t meet my eyes as he pulled out a band and some rubbing alcohol to draw blood. We went through the motions in silence, with very little protest from me.

It wasn’t until the band was tight around my arm and blood was filling the first vial that he finally started speaking to me.

“She won’t answer my calls,” he admitted after a few moments. The needle finally retracted from my skin, and he covered the wound with a cotton ball with quick precision, followed by medical tape.

Marcus sighed, seeming to admit defeat. “Everyone seems to be avoiding me these days, not just you. There are also rumors you’ve been involved with a werewolf we both know. I’m not trying to keep track of your romantic interests, but—”

My face formed a small “O” that he didn’t see. Something about his body language or the inflection in his voice told me that he was indeed keeping track of my romantic interests.

It was a signal for me to gather my clothes and head toward my bed where my phone was.

Marcus looked up from his cooler, a puzzled expression on his face. “We’re not finished yet.”

“I’m hungry,” I said, pulling on my long-sleeved gray shirt to hide the majority of the bite marks on my body. Marks that Aleksandr had intentionally left.

He could have healed them, made them disappear like the first time he tasted me. But he didn’t. This was a form of punishment. A humiliation for accusing him again, telling me he had left right after our encounter. Wondering what the truth really was if Aleksandr wasn’t lying.

“Seraphina, I’m just trying to help you. You’re making it very difficult right now,” he said.

I pulled on my pants as he spoke, tossing my phone into my back pocket before turning to face him. I tried to decide whether to reveal my secret or continue pretending with him.

“I’ve started feeling surges. After Jack died,” I said.

His face froze, his eyes fixated on the bite marks. It was as if he was just now understanding.

“Have your…activities made this better or worse? Have you considered a…safer partner?” he asked.

I clenched my jaw, realizing Evelyn had been right. His questions weren’t logical. They were focused on my sexual activities. Something that had nothing to do with Aleksandr in my life. Being my doctor had become too personal for him.

“Seraphina? Seraphina! Where are you going! Can you be reasonable!?” he called after me.

He hurried after me, Damien moving out of the way for both of us as I headed down the hallway.

“These are logical questions. I need to know these things to properly diagnose. Not to mention the council’s involvement once they hear—”

“You’re not telling the council,” I said firmly, pushing open the doors to a nearby mini kitchen.

I went straight to the fridge to see what the staff had left.

“What do you mean I’m not telling the council!?”

“You’re not telling the council,” I repeated casually, turning to face him with Tupperware in hand.

I was surprised to see Damien had followed us into the room, his arms crossed and his eyes on a furious Marcus.

While I didn’t think Marcus was dangerous, it was comforting to know that Damien could escort him out if necessary.

“Of course I’m telling the council. Your ability to touch magic again means you can participate in the group to some degree. Any progress you’ve made is—is my responsibility to, to—What are you doing?”

He stuttered, his anger evident, as I moved closer to him, leaving only about a foot of space between us.

I looked up at him, my eyes wide, as I took a slow bite of my chicken.

I let my gaze travel over his features, from his lips to his throat and chest.

I let him feel the warmth radiating from me due to our proximity.

I watched him swallow hard, seemingly unsure of how to react.

I let the moment linger.

A tension was building between us, one that was entirely one-sided on my part.

Finally, I licked my lips, watching his part in response.

That gave me the confirmation I needed.

For his sake, I tried to soften my expression.

“Elis and the Umbra Aurorae are no more.”

“No. That can’t be right.”

“Elis and his wife were embezzling from me. I just found out. Your sister might have been involved if you can’t get in contact with her and maybe fled. I don’t know.”

“Oh God.” His face contorted into several layers before a sudden realization seemed to wash over him.

It was as if he now understood how dangerous I could be to him.

“I’m always in your corner, Seraphina, you know that. I’ve been there since the moment I became your physician,” he said.

“I’m aware of that, Marcus, even if you do have a big mouth sometimes,” I stated pointedly.

“You also have big ears though. Right?”

“Are the rumors true about you leaving this life?”

“I have ties here. Taking over has nothing to do with grief. I want to do it. There’s something soothing about having the power to beat a man to death if I want to. It’s good for my anxiety.”

Marcus gave me a long, hard look.

“Oh my God, I haven’t done it. I’m just saying,” I teased, waving my fork around with a smirk, letting him wonder how serious I was.

A little bit of fear might be good for the doctor. Especially since he had been pining after me like a poor lost lamb since we first met.

As if Jack were corrupting me.

“If I didn’t keep running things, I wouldn’t be able to funnel the amount of money I want to into fundraisers like the Masquerade that help people. It’s how the area gets a lot of its additional heat resources during winter months, as well as our neighbors. Generous donors, and that’s for a good cause. How can I destroy something that helps people that greedy corporations won’t?”

“You run greedy corporations.”

“Exactly, and I can’t just turn around and be all giving when it doesn’t benefit me for taxes. I’ll go under and be completely ruined as a Blair. If the money destroys the world, I can heal the world by doing underhanded things in the process. I’ve thought it over a lot, and my mind can’t be changed.”

“You have very warped logic, Seraphina,” Marcus said.

“Try living in my shoes and say that,” I replied, stabbing more of my food.

“Look, you were a great doctor, but I really don’t want to get into things and have to kill you. Keep your mouth shut about me. Alright?”

“I can do that,” Marcus assured me.

Damien met my eyes with the same thoughts I had.

Marcus was a great doctor, but a terrible liar.