Chapter 141

Mira

I stood in the small bathroom in my room, staring at myself in the mirror.

The dress was beautiful, I had to admit, and somehow fit me exactly right. I supposed it wasn’t hard to figure out my sizing, but it still seemed miraculous to see how the silky fabric hugged every line and curve of my body.

I couldn’t help but run my fingers up and down the dress, enjoying the soft touch of silk on my skin. It felt nice to be touched, and I tried to imagine they were Dominic’s hands sliding over my body.

Closing my eyes, I drew up the image of him that I was trying so hard to keep fresh. A goofy, giddy smile on his lips, pure love in his eyes.

Would I ever see that expression on his face again?

I didn’t realize that I was crying until I felt the tears drip into my mouth. I splashed cold water on my face and patted it dry, trying to alleviate the puffiness in my face. Tempting as it was to just stay in my room and skip this dinner, I took a few deep and mindful breaths then steeled myself to walk downstairs.

It felt slightly ridiculous to be walking through a hospital dressed in a formal gown. The click of my heels on the floor was sharp and annoying, and the air in the hallway was cold on my bare shoulders.

But as I went through the doors that separated the ward I lived in, the atmosphere changed.

Every few feet there was a candlestick on the floor against the wall, lighting a pathway towards the dining room. It wasn’t overly done, but still showed that dinner with Malachi tonight was different.

I swallowed my nerves, knowing that I was still in control of myself. As creepy as Malachi could be, he was never menacing or aggressive. I doubted he would try to force me into anything, but I would keep my guard up.

And if he tries anything…

My wolf stirred, deep down, heightening my senses. I could practically smell the candle flames as they flickered when I walked by. My eyes were wide and my fingers were tense at my sides.

Malachi was wearing a tuxedo. It made my stomach drop.

There were more candles, covering the center of the dining table and placed on surfaces and on the floor around the room.

A record player had been brought in, and soft jazz classical piano filled the room with sophistication and class. Roses were arranged in bouquets around the room, their color deep and luxurious.

It was all so romantic, and Malachi was not the person I wanted to share it with.

My heart rate sped up and did not slow down for the duration of my time in the dining room. It took everything not to let my claws out, but I managed to keep my composure. The strength of my wolf also meant I could control the urges and impulses.

“Ah,” Malachi clapped his hands together and brought them to his chest. “My dear, you are an absolute vision. To have such brilliance paired with stunning beauty is to be truly touched by the gods.”

“I think it has more to do with genetics, but thank you.”

I put on a shy smile, knowing that I would have to put on a performance in order to get through this. Not encouraging him, but responding pleasantly enough as to not raise any suspicions.

And even though I didn’t fear him, I still don’t want him to be angry with me if I outwardly reject him. I was just playing dress up, this was a different Mira.

“Please, sit,” he said, pulling out a chair at one end of the table. “They’ll serve us any moment.”

Sure enough, his crony Betas began filing in with their different tasks and trajectories around the room. Someone poured me wine which I knew I would avoid, and I noticed the music got softer.

My plate was filled methodically, a delicious piece of lamb with chutney and greens sat atop a steaming pile of rice. I didn’t realize how hungry I was, and wondered if I had skipped a meal today. I couldn't remember.

“A toast,” Malachi said, raising his glass, “to a wonderful partnership. I am so fortunate to have you at my side, Mira.”

I responded with a tight-lipped smile as I raised my glass towards him. His words implied more than being colleagues, and it was hard to stay calm about it.

“Yes,” I said to appease him.

I put my lips to the glass, doing my best to make it seem like I was taking a sip while I let the liquid splash against my lips. Malachi took a healthy sip, his eyes focused on my face.

“I really am so impressed with how you’ve settled in and made progress with the subjects,” he said, gushing. “They seem calmer from your herbal offerings, and it's remarkable that any of them would speak with you.”

“I am a good listener,” I said, with a shrug. “Sometimes that’s all it takes to be a good healer.”

“Wise words,” Malachi said, pride in his voice.

“And they are still so young,” I added, feeling daring in speaking of them sentimentally. “Most children just want to be seen and heard.”

“And I think it is what will make you great at the next task the gods have assigned to you.”

I froze with a forkful of food in the air. I worried about whatever this ‘task’ was, fearing he might want me more involved in the actual experiments. I would not be able to live with myself if I had a hand in harming those children.

“And that task is another reason we are celebrating tonight,” Malachi added.

He stood and walked to a side table, picking up a dark folder that I hadn’t noticed before. He brought it over to me at the table and placed it next to my plate, then put a hand on top of it.

“I would put the fork down,” he said, looking down on me. “I think you’ll want to give this your full attention.”

My face scrunched in confusion reflexively, and I put my fork down. I wiped my hands on my napkin, not because they were dirty but because the contents of the folder felt somehow sacred and terrifying.

Malachi stood with his hands clasped in front of him as he watched me open the folder and read the content on the page inside.

“Whose bloodwork is this?” I said, the shock clear in my voice. “I thought the children were kept mostly separate– how could this happen?”

“It’s not the children–”

I exhaled. “Oh, good good,” I said, “I did not want to deal with a teen pregnancy.”

A small laugh escaped my lungs, then I switched back to reality.

“Wait,” I said, looking back at the page, “if it’s not one of the… subjects, then who is it? Who is pregnant?”

Malachi’s smile was as wide as his face would allow.

“You are.”