Page 45 of Pistols & Peonies

The receptionist’s eyes finally flick to me. “Oh, yes. Of course,” she breathes, bobbing her head. “I’ll let him know you’ve arrived, Miss Slayter.”

Kane grunts in acknowledgement and she flinches, scrambling to pick up the desk phone like her life depends on it. I roll my eyes and turn away from the pathetic powerplay, stalking toward the windows lining the waiting area.

I take a seat on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, Kane promptly claiming the seat beside mine like he belongs there. He fixes his attention on the hallway beyond the receptionist’s desk, posture rigid and jaw locked tight.

For someone who’s spent his whole life policing others, he’s really, really bad at pretending to be chill. The tension bleeds off him as we wait, thickening the air between us until it’s hard to breathe.

“Think you can act normal for once?” I mutter under my breath, knocking my knee into his. “Or is this your way of trying to intimidate the entire medical staff into submission?”

His eyes flick to me, dark and heavy-lidded. “As if I’d have to try,” he scoffs.

I roll my eyes again and turn away, forcing my shoulders to loosen as I lean back in my chair, crossing one leg over the other. “They should be more scared of me,” I muse lightly. “I bite.”

He grunts, though it almost sounds like a snort of amusement.

Before I can decide whether I imagined it, Dr. Aspen enters the lobby, tablet tucked against his chest. The second he sees Kane, his posture stiffens, steps faltering. A beat passes before he pastes on a professional smile, gesturing politely.

“Come on back, Miss Slayter,” he directs. “Commander, you can wait out here, we shouldn’t be long–”

“I’ll join my mate,” Kane cuts in, already standing.

I shoot him a glare, heat flaring in my chest. Then I belatedly remember that I need to keep a cool head around him, clamping down on my reaction and exhaling slowly through my nose.

Aspen hesitates, then jerks a nod, lips thin. “Of course. Right this way.”

We follow him down the corridor, our shoes squeaking softly against the pristine floor. Kane’s presence alone seems to warp the space around us, the rest of the medical staff scattering and ducking into doorways as we pass. Dr. Aspen ushers us into a private exam room, closing the door behind us with a decisive click.

For a moment, it’s quiet. Three people, soundproofed walls, and a mountain of unspoken tension.

The doctor gestures toward the exam table in the center of the room before retreating to the counter at the back, fidgeting with his tablet without looking at either of us. “Thank you for coming in,” he mumbles.

“Cut the shit, doc,” Kane growls, advancing a step forward. “What the fuck is this?”

Dr. Aspen blanches as he meets his gaze. “Just a routine follow-up.”

“Bullshit,” Kane snaps, the harsh edge in his tone startling even me. “Medical doesn’t do Pairing follow-ups, you just want to run tests on her. After I specifically told you no.”

The doctor cards a nervous hand through his hair, eyes flicking to me, then back to Kane. “As I explained to you, Commander, I believe your bond may be unique. If I could conduct some research…”

“We’re not participating in your research,” Kane interrupts, voice low and lethal.

“Okay,” I interject, holding up a hand and looking between them. “Someone wanna tell me what the hell is going on here?”

Dr. Aspen turns to me, lips curving into a practiced, placating smile. “I believe your bond with the Commander may be an outlier, Miss Slayter,” he replies smoothly. “That you may be fated. I was hoping to collect some samples to test my theory.”

My jaw drops, brain tripping over the word ‘fated’.

Before I can even begin to process it, Kane moves.

One second, he’s at my side, and the next he’s crossed the room, crowding Dr. Aspen back against the counter with his massive bulk. “She’s not your fucking lab rat,” he spits, stabbing a finger into the center of the doctor’s chest.

Aspen’s mouth drops open, chin wobbling as he stares up at Kane wide-eyed. I should probably be alarmed, but instead I’m riveted, watching the whole thing unfold like a spectator at a demolition derby thirsting for carnage. Even worse, part of me is undeniably, shamefully turned on by it.

I’ve never seen Kane lose his cool like this. Never gotten a real glimpse at the monster he’s rumored to be. And in this context, seeing that savagery aimed toward the creepy pack doctor in my defense…

Shit.

A hot, dangerous throb starts up in my core, pulse ticking in my throat.