of sleep.
The next time she opened her eyes, Harold was there, sitting on his rolling stool, marking something in her chart. He glanced up when she rolled on her side. “How was the nap?”
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” she said, embarrassed.
Harold came over and removed the mask, reaching over her head to turn off the oxygen on the wall. “So, everyone has gone home except for Taze.”
“He’s here?” she asked, confused. Calla was sure he would’ve been sent home or he would’ve left on his own accord once the truth bomb she’d dropped finally registered.
“He doesn’t want to be anywhere else,” Harold replied with a smile, but it was quickly replaced with a sadness she could feel deep in her bones. “He can come in to see you later, but first, we need to talk about you.”
“There’s a lot, healer,” she replied. “I’ve spent so many years trying to heal myself, and I guess it’s all come to light now that Taze and I have realized we are mates. I had to tell him things that I have kept a secret. My brother knows everything, and that’s why I’ve protected him by keeping to myself so he could have a life with the Guardians. He deserves so much more than he allows himself.”
“I understand the love you have for Malaki, but your panic attacks are based on your experiences, not his, and you need to help yourself before you can help him. Malaki is a grown male. He can seek his own treatments, and you need to start thinking about yourself for once.”
“I have tried to take care of myself for so long,” she replied. “At first, I used my anger over my situation to learn to fight at the urging of the other females. While it lasted, I was in a good place. Granted, I still had my days, but they were few and far between. My need to attend law school stopped that, and even though I love school and what I will eventually be able to do for my pride, it’s dragging me back into that dark place.”
“Are you ready to talk about your time with the wolves?” he asked. “Because, from what I overheard between your brother and Taze, you haven’t been completely honest with me or the alpha.”
“I haven’t,” she answered, folding her hands in her lap. “You might as well get comfortable, because what I have to say is going to take some time.”
She trusted Harold, and she knew he would find her the right person to talk to if he couldn’t provide her with what she needed. PTSD was different for everyone, and if left untreated, it could build and tear a person apart. She didn’t want to be like that, and after a lot of thinking while she was going through her heat, Calla realized it was time she seek help or she’d slowly go feral.
The moment the door to Calla’s room opened, Taze jumped to his feet. The healer softly closed the door and approached Taze with caution. “We need to have a talk in my office before you see her.”
“Sure,” Taze replied, following the male to his office in the back of the house. They passed the kitchen where Luna was standing in front of the stove. She gave him a sad nod, but otherwise didn’t say anything to him.
“Calla needs to see a therapist,” Harold began the moment they took their seats around his desk.
“I agree.” Taze knew she was going to need to talk to someone. Hell, both her and Malaki needed to go into some sort of therapy, but right now, things were neutral between them. Talon had put a stop to Malaki’s attitude when he’d shown up earlier, demanding information.
Talon took Malaki to his office while Taze was allowed to stay at the healer’s home. He still hadn’t seen her, but Harold had kept him updated. She’d fallen asleep shortly after arriving and being hooked up to the monitors. He vowed to stay until it was time for her to leave, getting permission from the alpha to take the night off. He had to be there for her, and thankfully, the alpha respected him as a mate to the female, allowing his request.
“I have someone I’d like Calla to see,” he informed him, reaching into his shirt pocket for a pen. He wrote down a number and handed it over. “Dr. Lyons is human, but I’ve known her for a very long time. She is