Chapter 3 STITCH THEM UP

ANITA POV: I was still scared, even though my body felt comfortable in Roberto's embrace. I had no idea who this man was or where he was taking me. My heart skipped a beat as he wrapped his big, muscular arms around me, and I did my best to keep my head down even though I could feel my pulse in my throat. It looked like Roberto saw it, and he gave me a tiny smile that vanished as soon as he turned his attention back to my wrists. I scowled as I looked at the gorgeous, dark gray car he was carrying me towards, muttering to himself fiercely in Italian. He unlocked the passenger door, lowered me inside, closed it quickly, and got into the driver's side of the vehicle, turning on the engine. He watched me fidget with my thumbs in my lap, not knowing what to say or do, while he backed up and cranked the engine before turning onto the road. "What's your name?" Roberto questioned me, bringing me back to reality. "Anita," I murmured in response, furrowing my brows in perplexity as I saw him move in his seat in response to my words. "Your age?" "Um, twenty, I think," I said, trying not to let the burning sensation that was coursing down my arms distract me from the talk. The silver was making me feel dizzy. Roberto nodded to himself, and I felt like I should have asked him the same thing, but I lacked the guts to speak. I was unsure if it was okay for me to speak. "I'm twenty-four," he said with a small laugh, clearly observing my struggle as his brows furrowed once again as he examined every inch of me. "That human laboratory has been on our radar for a while, but we weren't sure what to expect from them or how much information they possessed about our species. We had to be certain that everyone could enter and exit without dying." I stared at Roberto, his harsh features sharpening as he tightened and inhaled deeply. "How long were you there for?" "Um, about five years," I muttered, observing Roberto's palms whiten and his hands gripping the steering wheel so firmly that it creaked beneath him. I freaked out, thinking we would crash because he would lose control of the vehicle. "We're going to get you looked at as soon as we get home, va bene?" The term 'home' made me furrow my brows. My thoughts strayed to my family's location and what they are currently doing. I had erased the memories of them after being held captive at the lab for several years, realizing that hanging on to them was more painful than being alone. But I couldn't help but wonder if they were happy without me and if they had moved on. The car suddenly came to a stop, and I realized that I had been daydreaming for most of the drive. Through the car's windshield, I was able to see a guarded area with tall fencing surrounding it and security at the entry. Roberto nodded to them, and they bent their heads, opening the gates and letting us drive through. Rounding a corner, we saw a big white building with rows and rows of windows and several wolves being taken in on gurneys. "Here we are. Roberto said, stepping out of the car, unlocking my door, and helping me out. "Let's get you taken care of." I started to breathe more heavily than I should have since I could feel his flesh against mine while his hand hovered around the small of my back in case I needed support. He said something incoherently to one of the door guards, who nodded and hurriedly moved inside the hospital, walking with long, rapid steps. My pulse rate increased, and my hands began to tremble as Roberto took me inside. He quickly noticed this and ushered me into a room, softly shutting the door behind us. "Just try to stay calm, darling." Roberto smiled at me. "Doctor Mac is coming." There was a lot of medical equipment packed on trolleys in the tiny space. A big hospital bench was positioned in the center of the space, and a computer was situated in one of the room's corners. "Alpha Roberto, I came as quickly as I could," the doctor sighed, beaming at me as he approached me. He took his glasses from his gray hair and put them on the tip of his nose. "Please, Anita, take a seat," said Doctor Mac, waiting for me to back up onto the hospital bed, perching myself on the edge of it slowly, my entire body shaking. "Look at her wrists," Roberto growled, turning away from me and trying to calm himself by breathing heavily. He had his arms crossed over his broad chest, and I slowly followed my gaze down his pierced forearms. The doctor hissed as he examined my wounds, shaking his head and turning to his alpha. "She's too weak, so her wounds aren't healing. I'm going to need to stitch them up." The word'stitch' made my head shoot up, and I became panicked, fidgeting with my fingers in my lap, looking at Roberto almost pleadingly, my bottom lip trembling. "Alright, Anita, I'm just going to numb the area with-" I jumped off the bed at the sight of the needle, heading for the door, but before I got there, Roberto lifted me off the ground with his enormous arms around my waist. "No, Anita, it's fine!" "No, please, don't!" I cried, wriggling in his arms. I had endured five years of agony, including frequent blood draws and injections of unidentified drugs. I was unable to repeat it. "Anita, it's okay," Roberto said, towering over me and forcing me to gaze into his sparkling hazel eyes as he backed me up against the wall with a deep, frustrated growl in his chest. "Please, we have to do this." "Please, don't," I begged, looking directly into Roberto's eyes, and he sighed. His jaw tightened and his teeth clenched as he swallowed harshly. I thought for a moment that he had given in, but he ignored my cries, lifted me up in his arms, and caused me to breathe under his breath before gently setting me back down on the bed. "Just give me a look, my love. Just focus on me alone." Roberto separated my legs, stepping in between them, caressing my cheek, looking directly into my eyes, and motioning for Doctor Mac to begin working. Roberto gave me a little smile and stroked my hair away from my smudged face. For a moment, the sensation of his touch distracted me. "Good girl," he muttered. While Doctor Mac stitched me up, I studied his face, taking in his smooth, tanned skin and the faint freckles that sprinkled his nose. His brows were big and broad yet well-shaped, and he had straight, white teeth and soft, plump lips. His eyes softened as I looked into them and blinked a few times to get a better view. "You're done," the doctor said with a smile, clapping his hands and putting down his instruments. "Buon lavoro, amore mio," said Roberto, giving me a flashy before taking a step back and examining my freshly stitched wounds. "I'd like to do a full body check on her, if that's okay?" The doctor said this and looked at Roberto rather than at me, making me furrow my brows and frown. He nodded and said, "Do whatever you need to do to make sure she's okay," while observing the doctor examine me. He weighed me, tested my reflexes, and put lights in my eyes. Although I was grateful that it was brief, I didn't feel at ease in the space. "She's obviously malnourished and will need plenty of rest, but she should make a full recovery. It's just more the mental side of her that I'm worried about," said the doctor, causing me to raise my eyebrows at him, feeling irritated that he was talking about me as if I weren't in the room. Roberto muttered, "Well, that's something we can discuss privately," as he glanced across to see my unhappy expression. "Of course, Alpha." Doctor Mac nodded. "I'd like to see you again in a day or so to check up on you, Anita. Hopefully you'll be feeling much better, and we can do some blood tests." I watched as the doctor excused himself, nodding at his alpha before exiting the room, leaving Roberto and me alone, both of us silent as we looked at each other. My heart was racing at the thought of having to deal with more needles, but I ignored the thought. That was a problem for another day. "I apologize, Anita, for putting you through that. Though shame covered his face, Roberto's Italian accent thickened at the end of his statement. "I know you were scared, but I couldn't risk letting your wounds get infected when your immune system is this weak," he murmured, making my heart ache. I didn't enjoy seeing Roberto upset, and it pained me that I was the source of it, confusing me. I barely knew this man, yet I felt like he was the only one who could offer me some form of comfort.

Translations: Va bene?- Okay? Buon lavoro, amore mio- Good job, my love