Chapter 23

Nine o'clock in the morning was nothing compared to the early shifts I had when I was an intern at the hospital, and I've always been an early bird, so I'm feeling bright and cheerful when I pull up in front of the Alpha's mansion the next morning.

It's a truly beautiful building, I can't deny that. A little ridiculous for one family, but then again, I guess a lot of the staff do live and work here, too. It's a three-story brick home with a circular drive, a marble statue of a wolf standing in the middle of a fountain out front.

White trim stands out in glowing relief against the handsome red brick, and smoke curls from two of the several chimneys on the roof, despite the warm weather. Tall oak and maple trees surround the property.

I can't imagine how much a place like this must cost, especially in New York City, but I have to admit that it's gorgeous. I'll enjoy working here, I think to myself. If everyone is as lovely and serene as the house looks, which of course isn't a given.

Still, Claire was very nice yesterday, after I got past her defensive wall. I think I'm going to like her a lot. I can't blame her for being cautious around me at first – I'd feel the exact same way in her position, especially as a doctor myself.

Truthfully, I'm feeling a little guilty over all this "witch doctor" stuff. I don't believe in witchcraft, not really, despite how much I trust in whatever Andrea has up her sleeve. It feels wrong to mislead a patient by offering treatments I can't personally endorse.

I'll never give a patient anything I think is harmful, of course, but I still feel weird about giving him something I don't believe in, either. Even if it's harmless.

I glance at the bag that lies on the passenger seat next to me. It's full of what Andrea called "the basics" when she handed it to me last night. Everything is very well organized, with color coded tape that corresponds to entries in the notebook Andrea included.

Most of it seems to be herbal concoctions – teas, tinctures, incense. Much of it is meant to be administered for pain relief, stress relief, that kind of thing. None of it claims to do anything miraculous, which I'm grateful for, or I'd never be able to bring myself to hawk it to the Alpha.

Above all else, I'm still a doctor. That part of me is never going to change.

I drive around to the side entrance of the mansion, as Claire instructed me to do yesterday. Only the family and formal guests enter through the front door, apparently; it's that kind of a place. Everyone else has to go through the other two official entrances.

There's a sort of service side door to the left, with a little parking lot for people like aides and lawyers to park in. There's a third entrance around the very back for the delivery people. I fall into the former camp.

Standing in front of the side door, adjusting my satin skirt (emerald green today, to match my eyes) and holding onto my designer leather bag stuffed full of herbal witchery, I hesitate for the first time that morning. Do I ring the bell, or just walk in?

Plus: what if Marcus is here? I'm going to run into him at some point; that's pretty much inevitable. I don't know which thought scares me more: that he will recognize me, or that he won't. My heart gives a painful lurch whenever I think about him at all.

I can't bring myself to just walk in, I decide, so I ring the bell. After several long, awkward moments, during which I shift from foot to foot and try to calm my racing heartbeat, the door opens. A young man blinks at me in confusion.

"Can I help you?" he asks. "This door is for elite Alpha personnel only. You should be on a pre-approved list."

"Oh, I am!" I say, feeling flustered. "I'm Dr. Evelyn Prism, the new personal physician to the Alpha. I just–I felt weird about just walking in. I have an ID badge; Claire gave it to me yesterday?" I fumble in my purse and pull out the badge, holding it out.

The man's expression clears immediately. "Of course!" he says, sounding warm and kind. "Please, Dr. Prism, do come in. In the future, please feel free to come right in. The door is unlocked at 6 a.m. and is open until 11 p.m. every day. You'll only need to knock if you're called in during off hours."

"Thank you," I say, following him into the building. "I'm sorry for the confusion."

"Oh, please don't be," the man says. "I was the exact same on my first day. It's a little intimidating, just swanning into someone else's mansion like you own the place. I'm Roger, by the way." He extends a hand, and I shake it.

"It's nice to meet you," I say.

"Likewise!" Roger responds. "I'm sort of the catch-all day butler, by the way. I answer doors, show visitors where to go, run messages for the Alpha, that kind of thing. If you come with me, I'll show you to your office."

I follow Roger up a few flights of back stairs, up to the third floor where I met with Claire yesterday, subtly glancing all around me to see if Marcus is anywhere nearby. He leads me to a door at the very far end of the hallway and opens it, gesturing me inside.

I stifle a gasp when I enter the room. It's the most beautiful office I've ever seen: antique wooden floors, expertly polished and gleaming. A large cedarwood desk, a gleaming iMac perched on top.

Rows of filing cabinets and a floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcase already lined with what looks like some of the best and newest medical texts on the market.

"I do hope this will suit," Roger says with a smile.

"Are you kidding? This is the coolest office I've ever seen!" I say. "I can't believe I get to work in a place like this."

Roger's smile widens. "I'm so glad you feel that way," he says. "This is a pretty special place to work. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few things to attend to. I usually take my hour lunch break at one, if you'd like to take yours at the same time and join me. The cook here makes an excellent chicken pot pie."

"That sounds wonderful," I say gratefully. "I'll find you at one. Thanks, Roger."

"Anytime," he says. "Welcome to the team!"

When I leave the mansion at five, I'm tired but pleased. It's been a good first day. I ran through a basic but thorough physical with the Alpha and took several pages of notes.

He had a full day of meetings afterward – something I will want to talk to him about in the future, because I'm not sure how sustainable that kind of schedule is – so I spent the rest of my time meeting the staff and completing more start-up paperwork.

Back home at the villa, I enter through the kitchen door and kick off my shoes.

"I'm home!" I call.

"In the living room!" Kent shouts back. I drop my bags on the kitchen table and head through to the living room, wondering if Chinese food would be a good idea for dinner tonight. Kent provided me with about a billion take out menus when I first moved in here, and I have yet to take advantage of them.

Before I can think about it much further, I'm startled to find the living room full of people. I recognize Kent, Andrea, and Kent's little brother Ty, but everyone else is a stranger.

"Nicole!" Kent waves a hand holding a beer at me. "Grab a beer from the fridge and come meet the gang. This is the second part of your job, and I want you to get acquainted."

I do as asked and come back into the living room, taking a seat in the big armchair closest to the fireplace. I'm introduced to Brady, Jim, Torsten, and Dave, the four upper circle members of Kent's gang. They welcome me sincerely, with open greetings and wide smiles.

When I go to bed that night, I reflect on how strange my life has become. A few months ago, I was full of despair and had nowhere to go.

Now, I've been welcomed by two very different but equally kind groups of people. I'm practicing medicine again. I'm needed, and wanted, and safe.

It feels like I'm maybe, at last, finding a way to belong.