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William adjusts his glasses and approaches the bed with more caution this time. “So, you’re the famous Lee.” He holds the IV needle up to the light to check for air bubbles before giving me a wink. “Or should I call you Lev?”

I freeze at the sound of my name. “How⁠—”

“Let’s just say Rowan has excellent information sources,” William cuts in. “And a very thorough background check policy.”

He finds a vein on the first try, sliding the needle in with practiced ease. “There we go. This should help with the dehydration and replenish your electrolytes.”

Cool fluid slithers into my vein, chilling me from the inside out.

Orien’s hand strokes my hair, his touch soothing. “How long until he’s functional?”

William secures the IV with tape. “Depends. His body’s been through a lot.” His eyes sweep over me with professional assessment. “Three consecutive Heats are rough, not to mention any aftereffects of the Inductis. There’s a reason it’s still in the trial phase across seas.”

I raise my free hand to my nape, investigating the tender skin where Orien’s teeth broke through. “Did it work? The Mark?”

William raises an eyebrow. “You can’t tell?”

My fingers trace over the telltale raised edge of a permanent Mark and find three distinct rings of teeth, each one slightly overlapping the last.

“I don’t understand,” I say, heart sinking. “Why didn’t the first two settle? It was supposed to be permanent after the third dose. Did it not work? Is the bond not⁠—”

“No, no.” He leans in to examine the Mark, careful to keep his hands in view where Orien can see them. “It worked. It worked too well, if anything. Here.” He shifts my fingers to the side. “Feel how the edges of this bite are sealed more than the one above? The bond is setting in. But it’s not going to be pretty.”

I trace the outline of each one, noting the varying stages of healing as they sink beneath my skin, leaving only a slight roughness behind in some spots.

“Usually, the first Mark is almost gone by the time the next Heat cycle starts, so it’s re-established, then repeated a third time to complete the bonding process.”

William reaches up to squeeze the drip bag, and a flood of cool fluid rushes into my veins. “While your body recognized each one as a separate mating, since there was no time in between to heal... Well, you look a bit gnawed on.”

I run my fingers over the three rings again, noting the slight differences in each one. “What does that mean? Is it dangerous?”

William’s mouth quirks into a half-smile as he gives the bag another squeeze, getting the fluid into my body faster. “Dangerous? No. While it’s not a standard Marking, the three rings are distinct, so there’s no doubt you’re bonded.”

He reaches for his bag and pulls out a small tube of ointment. “The slower standard bonding eases you into it, though. This method is going to intensify your response to your Alpha.”

He sets the ointment on the nightstand. “This will help with the healing. Apply it twice daily, and try not to scratch. It’s going to itch like hell when the scabs start to loosen.”

I swallow hard, my throat clicking. “And there’s no way to...undo it?”

William cocks his head to the side. “Course there is.”

Behind me, Orien goes very still, his hand freezing on my thigh.

“There’s always one way out of a permanent Mark.” He slashes a line across his throat. “Only tried and true method.”

With a shudder, I curl closer to Orien. “No, thank you.”

“Good call.” William checks the IV bag, gives it one more squeeze, then pulls the needle from my arm, replacing it with a bandage.

He packs everything away and zips his case closed before he turns to Orien. “He needs water, electrolytes, and protein. Don’t let him move around too much for at least twelve hours. His muscles are going to be shot, and he’ll be prone to fainting if he moves too quickly.”

Orien nods once. “And the Marks?”

“Keep them clean, use the ointment, and if you catch him scratching, put socks on his hands,” William says as he shoulders the strap attached to the case. “Oh, and Orien?”

He waits for my Alpha to look up.

“Rowan will expect a report soon.”