City Dogs

Chapter 15

Silence ensued Naja's departure; the awkward kind that makes everyone uncomfortable.

"We can stop if you do not feel up to it," Malcolm finally said.

"Ah, no, I'm fine. Please continue," I said. Naja and Ramona gave me this opportunity to be evaluated by a professional doctor; it would be rude of me to pass this up. Besides, we're already made it this far. It would be pointless for me not too finish the check up. 

Malcolm nodded. "I'll have to ask you some questions now, if that's all right." He saw me nod, and began asking about my time in the Red Brook pack-- things like how much I ate, how much exercise I got. It was fine until he mentioned the thing I was worried about the most.

"When was the last time you shifted?"

I froze. Truthfully, I didn't even know how long it has been. My sense of time was warped in that tiny room. "It has. . . been a while," I said vaguely.

Malcolm's eyebrows quirked down in concern. "Could you elaborate?"

I though for a moment before saying, "It was the day of my eighteenth birthday." I remembered it clearly now; the first day me and Echo met, the day we formed a bond. A joyous day, no doubt, but that happiness was fast to disappear.

"So, it's been years," the doctor said, jotting something down on his notepad. "Is that by choice?"

"No, of course not! Me and Echo have a very good relationship," I replied, a bit offended that he would think of such things.

"My apologies, but I have come across cases where human and wolf despised one another." My sudden flash of anger dissipated at his tone, which really did sound sorry.

"It's fine. You couldn't have known." 

<Couldn't have known, indeed. You keep giving him those stupidly vague answers,> Echo accused.

<Oh, I'm sorry, would you like for me to tell a complete stranger my life story?>

<No, but at least make it easier on this poor man for putting up with you.>

<Hmph.>

Malcolm looked up when he finished writing. "You will need to take off your shirt for the next exam; I will be checking for broken ribs, and. . ." he trailed off.

"And?" I prompted.

"Any signs of pregnancy."

"P-Pregnancy?" I sputtered. "No, no, I am defiantly not pregnant. I would know."

"Would you mind explaining?" Malcolm asked patiently, his gray-green eyes boring into me.

I swallowed. Must I really tell him the reason?

<Yes,> Echo said pointedly, her voice sounding tired of my antics. <This is important.>

I clenched my hands into tight fists, my fingernails digging into my sweaty palm. Drawing in a deep breath, I regained enough composer to speak. "During my. . . stay with the Red Brook pack, in that singular room. . . my heats have not appeared, not once."

The pen Malcolm was holding dropped to the floor, rolling until it hit the leg of my chair. His mouth was slightly open, his eyes wide. He was shocked, finally displaying a clear emotion for first time since we've met. "That's. . ."

"Is it that bad?" I dared to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"It is serious," he answered. "But you're right; there is no way for you to be expecting if you have not been experiencing heats for the past few years. However, for that to be your reasoning. . ."

<What's he trying to say?>

Echo sighed. <He's saying that you indirectly told him you've been raped, and now he is having strong, mixed emotions.>

<What? Why?>

<Because some people are actually empathetic, dumbass.>

"Heats are like menstrual cycles. If your body is not in the right condition, then you will not have them. Though, I can't help but wonder if you inability to shift could somehow be tied to this," Malcolm explained. "I recall hearing of a drug, about five years ago, that was able to suppress a wolf's shifting. It hasn't been too long since you've escaped Red Brook, so there is a possibility that if you were drugged, then traces of it may be found in your bloodstream."

"I was drugged?"

"A possibility. We could do a blood test, although I do not have any of that equipment with me. You would have to come to my clinic for that."

"Ah, I see. . ." My body felt weird, like my mind and flesh were detached from one another, my head just floating through an empty abyss. Drugged? Me? All so I couldn't shift? I didn't doubt Damon's ability to drug me, that was just the type of person he is. But to think the reason behind out frustration and confusing lied behind something as stupid as a drug. . . It made me angry. Echo was now growling, hackles raised despite no immediate danger, cold fury rolling of her in waves.

"I think it would be best if we stopped for today," Malcolm said, breaking me out of my trance. "I have caused you enough discomfort; I wouldn't want you to hate me." A ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I will evaluate the information and email Naja as soon as possible."

The man stood up, and I was temporarily distracted by his height having forgotten it due to us sitting down for soo long. He took off his glasses and tucked them safely in his shirt pocket, organizing the rest of the things in his brief case. Once finished he turned to me, holding his hand out once more. "A pleasure meeting you," he said as I shook it. "I'll take my leave now."

"Thank you," I managed to get out as he opened the door.

Malcolm gave me one last lingering look. "Any time," he said, and walked out the apartment.

Then I was left alone for the first time since my escape though the forest. Except this time I knew I was safe, this time I had the luxury to be comfortable, to rest. And rest is what I did, flopping on the couch in the living and curling up under a soft blanket. It didn't take me long to act like this was my own home, but now I'm beginning to think this is home. Ramona and Naja treated me as one, the way a pack should act, and Malcolm wasn't too bad, either.

I had many questions about how pack life works here in the city, with no pack house for people to share. Naja is the Alpha which makes Ramona her Luna, buut I couldn't help but want to know more about their way of life.

After all, who wouldn't be curoius about their new pack?