“What’s a rogue witch?” Abby asked.
She moved to stand beside him, her hand seeking his. I couldn’t help but smile at how she’d so easily accepted what he was, how she wanted to comfort him despite everything. Maybe they really would be okay.
“It’s a witch who has either willingly left their coven or betrayed their coven.” He hung his head, and my heart splintered. Isach had already betrayed his coven, and soon, he’d be leaving them.
“Wait… that means…” I said.
Isach nodded. “Technically, I’m a rogue witch, too. When a witch betrays their coven, they’re cast out, and their magic slowly begins to eat away at them. They go crazy.”
Both Abby and I gasped.
“Isach, why didn’t you tell me any of this?” I asked.
If he had, I never would’ve asked him to help me. Then again, he’d betrayed his coven the moment he agreed to help Trent rescue me, and I hadn’t had anything to do with that.
Isach took Abby’s hand and gave her a sad smile. “My coven doesn’t know I’ve betrayed them. Yet. So, I haven’t been cast out, and it won’t matter anyway. If I join Ivy’s coven—”
“If?” Abby said, her voice a tad too loud. “Isach, you have to.”
But he didn’t, not if he and Abby chose to become vampires. I kept that to myself, though. Isach could explain that to her later.
“Chloe, my favorite patient.” Dr. Mattias entered the room, smiling.
My heart leapt when I saw her, and I really wanted to give her a hug, but I was not going to try to move again.
“Doctor Mattias,” I said. I didn’t think I’d ever see her again. Excitement and gratitude welled up inside of me. “I’m glad to see you, but I wish I didn’t have to.”
She chuckled. “Yes, a visit from me isn’t exactly a good thing, is it?”
“Wait, how do you two know each other?” Abby asked, her tone full of confusion.
Shoot. I’d never told Abby about how I’d almost died.
“Oh, um, this past summer, my appendix ruptured, and Dr. Mattias removed it for me.” I waved my hand dismissively, not really wanting to get into all the details right now. “I’ll tell you about it later. Promise.”
Seemingly satisfied, Abby shrugged.
Dr. Mattias checked my chart, then glanced up at me. “So, you’ve got a couple broken ribs, but they didn’t puncture your lungs or damage any of your internal organs. You were very lucky.” Her gaze darted to Trent, and that was all I needed to see to know he’d told her the truth of what had happened.
Trent, however, refused to meet her gaze. I imagined he was beating himself up over what he’d done, how he’d hurt me, but if he hadn’t, I could easily be dead right now. I mean, how many people survived being ejected through the windshield of a vehicle?
Not to mention, Trent saving me saved himself, too, because if I died, so did he. The realization of that settled over me like a weighted blanket, and I fought against the tears threatening to erupt.
When we’d taken Ivy’s deal to transfer the bond and link us, we’d known something like this happening was a very real possibility, and Trent had promised not to let anything happen to me. And he hadn’t. Yet, we’d still both managed to get hurt. What happened next time someone tried to kill me?
“You’re going to need to rest,” Doctor Mattias said. “No sports or heavy lifting or strenuous activity for at least six weeks.” She gave me a stern look.
Six weeks? I had a wedding to plan and finals to study for. “Can I still go to school?” I asked.
Doctor Mattias nodded. “Yes, but don’t overdo it. Use cold compresses to help with the swelling and take aspirin for the pain. The only thing that will heal you is time.” She patted my shoulder, then turned her attention to everyone else in the room. “Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I need a moment alone with my patient.” Her tone left no room for argument.
Isach and Abby left first, followed by Whitney, Colt, and Karina. Trent leaned down and kissed my forehead. Then he left, too, closing the door behind him.
“Okay, time to get real.” Doctor Mattias crossed her arms. “Trent filled me in on what’s going on. It’s always helpful for me to know so I can be prepared to help out as needed. In a medical capacity, of course.”
“Right.” I nodded.
After all, she was the woman supernatural beings called when they needed medical attention. That was still so bizarre to me, but I wasn’t going to dwell on it too much. She’d saved my life, and I owed her.
“Trent asked me if I’d be your doctor once you became pregnant. He’s worried a normal doctor wouldn’t understand and that it would cause more problems. I agreed, but I told him I’d only do so if you were okay with it, too.”
“Yes,” I blurted. “Of course. I’d love for you to be my doctor.”
I honestly hadn’t considered what I was going to do about prenatal care, but Trent had been right to ask Doctor Mattias—she was the perfect choice. And if he’d already asked her, that must mean he was leaning in favor of having a baby. That was good, right? After today, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Great.” She smiled broadly. “You both know how to reach me, so whenever you’re ready.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She checked my vitals, then did a quick check on my ribs.
Each time she touched me, it felt like someone was stabbing me with knives. I gritted my teeth, and when she finished, I blew out a heavy breath. Tears of pain had formed in the corners of my eyes.
“With a little bit of time, you’re going to be just fine,” she reassured me. “I’ll let everyone know they can come back in.” She opened the door, then turned back. “And congratulations.” She winked.
As soon as she was gone, Whitney, Colt, Karina, Isach, Abby, and Trent returned.
