Page 137 of Sawyer

“Now, may I have your arm?” His voice changes again, and he’s back to being the pervert. He doesn’t give me a choice, grabbing my arm and stretching it out. Reaching behind him, he grabs a needle.

Blood. He’s planning on taking my blood.

I turn to Rumor, panicked. He doesn’t show me an ounce of anything. Not a single emotion breaks through his stony expression. The other ward, however, smirks with glee.

“A pinch,” Doc warns.

I look down just in time to see my blood squirting into a tube. The entire moment lasts only a few seconds before he pulls the needle from my arm and presses gauze to it. He lifts the blood to the light and flicks it a few times before grunting.

“I still can’t believe that we all bleed red,” he mutters more to himself than anyone else. “Dinner is served.” He completely dismisses me with that.

This is evaluation? So he has an issue with the fact that my room can’t draw my blood?

Hopping off the exam table, I sway a little before righting myself. I need to eat. I need food. Ignoring Rumor, I make my way out and down the hall.

How is he going to get us all out of here? It feels impossible. There is only one way in and one way out. There are guards and cameras, and I think there’s a war between those who own this place and that doctor.

One would destroy this building to preserve all the secrets hidden here, and the other would do anything to keep his research alive. This means he probably has backups of everything.

As I make my way down the hall, a plan slowly forms.

“Miss,” Rumor calls out, and I take a few seconds to realize he’s talking to me. “You forgot this.” He catches up to me only to hand me a Band-Aid.

“Oh.” That’s all I have to say, nothing more, before I turn away.

“I choose you, Sawyer. I’ll always choose you,” Rumor says so softly, I almost miss it.

My feet pause in the hall, and my eyes close. It’s an empty promise, one he won’t be able to keep because of biology.

I think that is why I subconsciously kept them at arm’s length this entire time. Keeping them at a distance was safer than getting to know them.

Without looking back, I push forward into the cafeteria, where chatter and excitement swell around me. What they have to be excited about is beyond me.

I shuffle toward Violet, who grabs us both trays.

“You look like death,” she mutters. “I sure hope you aren’t just about to bend over and let them slap your ass.”

“The doctor asked to lick my pussy.” I grab another orange juice and set it on my tray.

“Oh yeah, he is a pervert. He won’t do it without permission, though, and only one of us said yes.” She carries on as though this is old gossip. It’s still horrifying, and I don’t have the heart to tell Violet she’s desensitized from it. “He’s harmless.” Her eyes dart to me, and I know she doesn’t believe her words, especially when she looks up at the corner of the room, and then at the woman handing over plates of steaming food.

Noted.

I grab a plate of what looks like meatloaf, which is mildly disgusting, and follow Violet to an empty table.

It looks like we are all in here except Thea. I don’t know why my heart thumps a little more at that, but it does.

“Eat. It looks like a gentle breeze will knock your ass over, and, bitch, I won’t pick you up. I’ll laugh at you.” Vee grunts while poking at her food. “It’s like dog food. I swear this shit comes from a can.”

Pushing my reservations aside, I scoop up the mashed potatoes and slowly eat while Vee gives me a running commentary about her observation and evaluation.

“I have yet to pair with an alpha or any other. At least I didn’t pair up with one of the heirs. Can you imagine?” She shudders and opens her packet of crackers too hard, and they scatter across the table. “Fuck it. I’m eating them.” She reaches out and grabs her runaway crackers.

“Would an heir be so bad?” I ask and shovel food into my mouth because my hunger kicked in, and damn, it’s hitting me hard. I’m also thinking of Sin. He’s going to be so thrilled to find Thea alive and well.

Thea, who still isn’t in here.

“Oh, hell yeah.” Vee points her fork at me. “I want nothing to do with the glitz and glam of being a trophy wife. Leave me to my streets, my high-rise, and all the dick I can hop on. No packs. No knots. No alphas.”

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