Rheia saw a figure moving outside the door. She was about to call out to them and tell them that they could come in, when the smell hit her. It was faint, not nearly as strong as what she had experienced with the corpse, but it was the exact same smell from her dream, from the attack on her house and from the corpse.
Shaking uncontrollably, she quietly lifted the window and jumped out as Keelan had. She ran as fast as she could and turned the corner of the brick building. She burst through the front doors and stood in the middle of the waiting room, shaking.
Colton and Sascha looked up from their conversation and froze. Her teeth were chattering so hard she couldn't speak, she just pointed down the hall.
"Keelan, protect her," Colton whispered harshly before he and Sascha took off with the rest of the Gamma Unit down the hall. When she blinked, Keelan was at her side, murmuring low. Slowly she was enveloped in a warm bubble.
In the distance, Rheia heard the sounds of men's shouts and gunfire.
Colton!
She turned to run towards the fight when Keelan's hand grabbed her.
He shook his head. "Stay here. When they give the all clear, then you can go check if anyone needs help."
Adam came running towards them from the direction of his office. "What the hell is going on?"
"Ferals are in the clinic," Keelan answered.
Adam dropped his head back and roared. His chest expanded and his canines appeared over his lower lip. He reached behind him, under his lab coat and pulled out a nine millimeter running towards the sound of gunfire.
Keelan turned to her, smiling. "He's pretty cool, huh? Everyone always forgets he was a unit warrior before he gave it up to learn about healing."
Rheia just nodded. Adam's bear-like war cry made her bones shake. "They would have to be completely unhinged to stand against him," she said trying to shake off her fear.
After a few minutes, a group of men poured in from behind them, including the Alpha Unit.
Keelan breathed a sigh of relief. "Someone called in back up. Thank the Gods!"
Gavriel took up a position right outside their small bubble and kept guard.
Once the sound of gunfire stopped Rheia kept watching the hallway waiting for Colton to appear. Each minute that passed where he didn't, made the acid ride up the back of her throat.
One by one the men filed by nodding at her and Keelan, heading to other parts of the clinic or outside to set up a perimeter. Thirty minutes later she heard the men shout 'All clear!'. It was only then that Colton emerged from the hallway. When he walked over to them, Keelan dropped the bubble.
Rheia knew she was angry because she was worried, she even knew that it wasn't his fault, but seeing him walk up smiling made her snap.
"Where in the fuck have you been?" she screeched.
Colton stopped in his tracks looking stunned. With a confused expression he pointed down the hallway. "Fighting ferals." He looked at her as if she'd lost her mind.
Rheia placed a hand on her stomach. "Is anyone hurt?" she asked trying to stop her insides from trembling.
Colton shook his head. "Just the enemy."
Rheia nodded absently. "Good. Good."
"Okay baby, we're just going to head out to the car now." Colton said slowly and carefully.
"Quit talking to me like that. I'm a doctor; I know I'm in shock. I just can't stop shaking." She stared at him. "I can't stop shaking." It didn't make any sense to her. She knew what was wrong; she should be able to stop it.
Colton's eyes were full of sympathy. "Oh sweetheart, it's okay."
"I know," she nodded absently.
Colton walked over and placed both hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, Rheia."
"I know, you said no one was hurt."
Colton pulled her close and tucked her head under his chin. "You're not listening baby, it's okay. You can let go now."
It was as if her body had been waiting for his words. Without warning her knees gave out and Colton easily lifted her in his arms.
He turned to Keelan. "Tell Aiden and Adam I'm taking her home, she's had too much thrown at her in the past couple days."
"I'm fine," she protested.
"Sure you are, honey, but I'm going to carry you anyway." He kissed the top of head and walked out the door.
Rheia rested her head on his chest. "I'm not normally like this. I'm an ER doctor for crying out loud," she murmured.
"I know. But honey, you have to realize, there's a difference between dealing with the aftermath of violence and having that violence directed at you. You're actually holding up extremely well."
Colton set her on her feet and opened the car door.
She looked up into his eyes. "What do they want?"
Colton's face hardened and his jaw clenched. "I don't know, but whatever they're after, I won't let them have it."
Rheia nodded and got into the car.
*****
When they arrived back at the Alpha estate, Colton came around the car to carry her, but Rheia held up her hand shaking her head.
"If you carry me in, it'll scare Penny. Just being near you calmed me down."
Colton's face brightened and seemed to radiate joy. "Now I want to carry you, just to keep you in my arms." He held out his hand to help her out.
She let him help her stand and then took a step forward to wrap her arms around his body. She felt him tense up in surprise. This was the first time she had reached out to him.