Chapter 53

Dr. Madison goes over the treatment plan with the Luna, with Marcus and Liam listening attentively. After she finishes, all of us but the Luna retire to the conference room to talk further about our options for discussing the situation with the police and the press.

"Jack is on his way here now," Liam says, checking the time on his phone. "We really can't let him be seen by the press; how are we going to get him in here?"

"He can come in through a staff entrance," Dr. Madison says, twirling a pen in her long fingers and tapping it absentmindedly against the notepad in front of her. I smile to myself – I wonder if this is a common fidget habit for restless doctors, since I do it myself.

"He's coming in plainclothes, as I instructed him," Liam says. "So, that should work. Will the nurses at your station know the best place for him to come in?"

"Yes, absolutely," Dr. Madison says. "My nurses are the best at discretion, you'll find. They live to protect their patients."

"I'll go talk to them now," Liam says, standing up quickly. "God, this whole thing has me on edge. Have the press been kept out of the waiting room?"

"They have," Dr. Madison says. "We caught a couple trying to sneak in and act like waiting patients, but we found them out pretty quickly and tossed them out. I've got security at all entrances now."

"I'm so sorry we've put you out in this way," Marcus says as Liam slips out the door. "Please accept the sincerest apologies on my family's behalf."

Dr. Madison waves her hand dismissively.

"Your father isn't the first high-profile guest we've had, and he won't be the last," she says. "Please don't worry about it."

A nurse knocks on the conference room door and pokes her head inside.

"Dr. Madison? Dr. Prism?" she says. "He's awake."

The Alpha is propped up in his hospital bed, still looking gray-faced and drawn, but the spark is back in his eyes. He's holding the Luna's hand and talking to her in a low voice when Dr. Madison, Marcus, and I file in the door.

"Evelyn!" Emmett says, looking relieved to see me. "I knew you couldn't be far away. I'm very relieved to see you. Jeanette says you saved my life."

The Luna gives me a small, grateful smile, and I return it thankfully. Life is going to be a lot easier with the Luna finally on my side, instead of fighting me so hard at every turn. I walk over to sit in the other chair opposite the Alpha's bedside and reach for his free hand.

"I just had Claire call the ambulance," I said. "But of course I did everything I could in the moment, Emmett. I'm just thankful that I was correct to recognize the signs of poisoning."

"She's being too modest," Dr. Madison cuts in. She approaches the bedside and reaches to gently shake the Alpha's hand, the one Jeanette is holding. "I'm Dr. Madison, your ER doctor. Dr. Prism absolutely saved your life.

"Had we not known to look for poisoning right away, we would likely have focused on looking for a potential heart attack, given your history. By the time I'd have worked round to poison, it would have likely been too late to save you.

"But your Dr. Prism here blew in like a bat out of hell and stormed back to assist me. Wouldn't take no for an answer. Once we had a comprehensive tox screen in our hands, we saw what was wrong, and we acted quickly.

"But we couldn't have done that without Dr. Prism's insight."

Marcus is looking at me with an expression I can't quite define. His eyes glimmer a little in the fluorescent lighting, and he coughs lightly and turns away to wipe his eyes. The Luna is openly dripping tears down her face again.

"Who would do something like this?" she asks in a whisper. "In all my days, I've never truly feared an attack from inside my own household. We screen everyone so well; we are so careful. What on earth went wrong?"

I bite my lip, glancing at Emmett. He notices my look and nods once at me.

"Could everyone but Dr. Prism leave me for a moment?" he asks. "I'd like to have a private word with her. Only a few minutes, carina," he adds soothingly to the Luna. "I'll have you back in here in a moment."

The Luna hesitates, then nods.

"Marcus, could you show me to the canteen? I would like a cup of coffee." She stands and walks to the door, glancing back at her husband uncertainly. "Emmett, be awake and well when I return, please."

"I will, my love," Emmett promises. "I'll see you in quarter of an hour."

Everyone shuffles out of the room, including Dr. Madison, who only nods at me once and then slips out behind Marcus, shutting the door behind her.

I turn and face the Alpha again, who is watching me with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Evelyn," he says. "Why did you not use magic to save my life, when you first found me in my office?"

Whatever I was expecting him to say, it wasn't this. I stare blankly at him, opening and closing my mouth a few times, but no words come out. I can't think how to respond.

He smiles gently at me.

"You did not use magic because witchdoctoring does not work, isn't that correct?" he says. "Or if it does, it is only simple herbal remedies such as have been used for centuries. It's not magic; it's just medicine."

Mutely, I nod.

"You have never used any kind of witchdoctoring on me, despite being hired for that exact purpose," the Alpha continues. "Aside from the herbal teas you give me to help me sleep, which do help, by the way.

"You did make it clear that you'd always use modern, scientific medicine first, but I'd think that if there was ever a time to intervene with magic, it would be when your patient is dying on the floor.

"Since you did not do this, I can only conclude that witchdoctoring is not what I had hoped it would be." He sighs, and I frown.

"No, don't mistake me. I'm a little disappointed, and I feel a little foolish, but I'm not upset with you. You're an excellent doctor who has done nothing but work hard to protect me in every way possible.

"Magic might not be real, but you are," he pats my hand comfortingly. "Although I have a strong suspicion that Evelyn Prism is not your real name."

I squeak in confusion, and he laughs, but not unkindly.

"Dr. Evelyn Prism is a woman who worked with remote werewolf populations in Australia," the Alpha says. "Yet you have never shown the slightest hint of having any kind of medicinal knowledge of the type you'd pick up after a decade of working in such a setting.

"No, you are someone else. I don't think there is a Dr. Evelyn Prism. I think you're in my household for some other reason, one of your own, that doesn't allow you to reveal your true identity to me. Is that correct?"

I hesitate, then nod slowly.

"I thought as much. But you are not here to harm me or my family, or to interfere in werewolf politics in any negative way. You're here to help yourself, I think, and at the same time have become very fond of both myself and in particular my son Marcus."

"I – I –" I stammer. "I would never harm you, sir, and I indeed have become very fond of you and of…of Marcus."

"I thought so," he says. "I suspect that our goals in fact align, do they not? The same person who tried to kill me has also grievously harmed you, hasn't he?"

I bite my lip, unwilling to say more. The Alpha pats my hand again.

"Don't worry, Nicole," he says. "I will not give up your secret. If you truly are who I think you are, I understand why you came to me, and why you could not reveal yourself. You can trust me to keep your secret, and I'll help you in any way you can."

I gasp, a few tears of shock and gratitude working their way out of the corners of my eyes against my will.

"Thank you," I whisper. "Thank you, Emmett. I promise I'm only here to help."

"I trust you," the Alpha says. "And, Evelyn – you should know that my son was in love with Dr. Nicole Hardy, though he never said so aloud. I'm his father; I could tell. And now he is in love with Dr. Evelyn Prism.

"I suspect he may already suspect who you really are," the Alpha continues. "And even if he doesn't, rest assured, when this is all over and he discovers the truth, my son will only be overjoyed. He won't hold this against you, not when the full truth comes to light."

"Thank you," I whisper again. "Emmett – thank you."

"Dear girl, it's the least I can do after you've saved my life probably a dozen times over," Emmett says. "You were absolutely right about the threats against me; this latest incident has proven that. I will protect you as you have protected me."

On an impulse, I lean over and give the Alpha a gentle but heartfelt hug. He startles slightly, but reaches up to give me a firm squeeze.

"Now, call everyone else back in, dear girl," he says. "Now that we have that squared away, we need to meet with Jack and Liam to discuss how we're going to move forward from this."