Amber’s POV


    “I’ve increased your security,” Rafael said as I prepared to head to the clinic. Alice was in the living room watching cartoons. She’d remain there until the tutor came to teach her here at Rafael’s estate. Mary was with her. To my relief, whatever grudge the woman had against me didn’t extend to my child. Mary was actually good with Alice, asking her questions and making herugh.


    “I appreciate that,” I told Rafael.


    “But that doesn’t mean you will be safe at the clinic,” Rafael said. “People are curious about you, Amber. Enough to put you in danger. And then there are other dangers…”


    “I will be fine,” I told him. “This won’t be the first time I’ve had attention.<i>” </i>As Healer Amber, I was used to standing in the spotlight. Being the main focus in a room wasn’t anything new simply because of my


    reputation.


    “Not like this,” Rafael said.


    In the end, he had no choice but to let me go. I understood the dangers, but I couldn’t just sit by while my


    work went unfinished, and with the way Mary had called me out about Alice, I knew I had to get back


    into the clinic as soon as possible. To help Alice and all the others who needed it.


    Rafael had his enforcers drive me, ordering two of them to stay by my side at all times. Those times


    couldn’t includeing into the patient rooms with me, however, so they were forced to stay out in the


    hallway while I was with the patients.


    The waiting room was a mess. Gail was usually the rock of the clinic, able to weather any storm, but today she seemed frazzled. She came back to me in the office after I arrived and admitted, with regret, “I can’t tell which of your appointments today genuinely need to be treated, and which are just reporters or


    the like, trying to get to you.”


    These were the chances I had to take <i>to </i>help people, and I knew that going in.


    “I have to see everyone I can,” I said. “Whether they mean good or ill.”


    The enforcers clearly didn’t like that, frowning, as it made their jobs more difficult. As I stood, ready to start the appointments, one of the enforcers spoke up.


    “You should shout a code word if you need us to intervene,” the enforcer said. “Say it, and we’ll bust the door down ande to your rescue.”


    I didn’t mind the additional security, but, “Surely ‘help‘ would do?”


    “You might not want to give yourself away<i>,</i><i>” </i>the enforcer exined. “A code word wouldn’t make it so obvious that you were calling for us.”


    That was true. “Okay. Uh… How about…” My voice trailed as I looked around, trying to think of something.


    “Butter toast,” said the other enforcer.


    The first enforcer and I both looked at him.


    He shrugged. “I skipped breakfast.”


    “You should eat something,” I said.


    The first enforcer said, “Butter toast will work.”


    “Seriously?” How ridiculous would I feel yelling ‘butter toast‘ at the top of my lungs? Though, if I’m in the


    kind of position where I need to yell such a thing, I supposed it wouldn’t matter to me how ridiculous I


    sounded, so long as the enforcers still came through the door.


    With a sigh, I said, “Fine,” and started my day.


    For most of the morning, my patients were either regrs, or people who genuinely had need of me. A few of them were curious about the news, but only a couple had the bravery to ask me if I was really


    Rafael’s sister.


    I told them honestly, “We’re still trying to figure that out.”


    One regr told me, “I hope you are. I like having you around.”


    Nearing lunchtime, I was starting to feel more confident. Emboldened, I walked into the exam room to


    look over a new patient.


    He was a man in his early twenties. On the thinner side, he seemed like he wasn’t eating enough. Immediately, I started to think about possible diseases that would cut his appetite.


    “Healer Amber?” he asked.


    “That’s right,” I said. “What seems to be the trouble?”


    “It’s not personal, ma’am,” he said, then brandished a knife he must have had hidden tucked in the back waistband of his pants. “But a ransom on you could feed me and my family for a long time.”


    Seeing the knife, fear rose up in my chest, clogging up in my throat. My heart lurched, begging for Julian


    toe and save me.


    My mind knew that was impossible. He was far away in his own pack, but my foolish heart still called out to him through the mating bond.


    The patient came closer, shaking my tongue loose. Julian wasn’t here. He wasn’ting to save me. If I wanted to survive this, I had to save myself.


    Then, I remembered the enforcers and their warnings and shouted out, “Butter toast!”


    At once, the door behind me burst open. One of the enforcers grabbed me by the arm, forcing me back. The other jumped forward, tackling the man. The knife fell free, ttering harmlessly across the floor.


    The first enforcer pulled me back to my office, then locked the door<b>, </b>securing us. Immediately, he pulled out the phone and called for backup.


    My knees getting weak, I walked to my office chair and copsed down onto it.


    I pulled out my own phone and checked the screen.


    My heart had called out for Julian. Surely he would call any minute.


    Except minutes ticked by and my phone didn’t ring. I tried to unlock it to call him myself but my hands trembled too much. I couldn’t focus long enough to click on the right numbers to unlock my screen.


    Julian…


    Julian’s POV


    Taking two pills had been a mistake, as it had rendered me dead to the world for far too many hours. Now, I was still feeling groggy, even after shifting back to one.


    I felt so… off, my head in a fog. Gods, I hated these pills, but it was the only way I could handle this separation, and the way I had to sit here and listen to my mother talk about Olivia.


    After herst episode, I’d been afraid to try to correct her, to tell her that Amber was my wife, Alice my daughter, and Olivia had been the terrible person who had tried to take them away from me.


    Last time I had tried, it nearly killed my mother.


    What was I supposed to do now?


    The pills made it better. They took the edge off. The non–feeling helped me cope.


    Strangely,te morning, I had a sharp pain in the center of my chest. Yet, when I reached my hand up, as if <i>to </i>chase the phantom feeling away, it had entirely disappeared.


    It was odd, but I didn’t think about it again.


    “Julian,” Mom said. “Tell me about Olivia again. About how the two of you met.”


    “I’d rather not talk about that, Mom,” I said. “Why don’t we talk about you and dad instead?”


    She smiled. “Oh, alright. I miss your father every day. It’s nice to talk about him.”


    I lowered my head, ashamed that I could tell her about Amber the way I wanted to.


    My ringing phone drew me away from my thoughts. Checking the screen, I was surprised to find the caller was Rafael?


    Why was he calling and not Amber?