The doctor smiled while Scarlet chuckled, all happy.
«Do you want to hear it?» he asked.
«My love for my mommy?»
«Oh, you need to be a doctor to hear that. But you can hear your heart.»
«Oh, yes!»
The doctor helped her wear the earplugs. He then pressed the bell, and Scarlet chuckled when her heart resounded like a drum in her ears. It was so loud to her sensitive ears.
She beamed, turning to Nate by instinct.
The man smiled back, happy for her.
«I want to hear daddy's heart too!» she then added. Did Nate love her mommy as much too? She could try asking the doctor.
«Maybe later, Scarlet,» the doctor replied. «We first need to finish the visit. Can you show me your ears?»
Without a second thought, she released them.
«Here.»
«Oh, complete control,» the doctor said, surprised. «And the tail?»
He hadn't even finished talking when her brown tail peeked out from under her skirt. She wagged, still thinking about the talks of love.
«Claws?»
«Oh,» Scarlet sighed, looking at her hands. She knew how to summon claws. The problem was that she didn't know how to retract them. And the fangs, as well. They often appeared when she didn't want to.
Oh, not that often, lately.
«Here,» she said. Her teeth gums tickled while the fangs grew in front of the doctor. He observed attentively. He couldn't do the same with Jaden, but the second pup had enough self-control to allow him to take the time of the transformation.
«At this rate, you might turn before the age of ten. You're precocious, Scarlet.»
«Is also Jaden?»
«Jaden, what?»
«Is Jaden preco-shoes?»
«Yes, he is. But you two are different, even if you're twins. You have some degree of control, but I've heard you often lose your calm.»
«Yes... I do,» she hummed, bowing her head in shame. She had hurt her mommy because of that.
«It's nothing strange.»
«No? But Jaden doesn't do that.»
«Jaden has more control, but that's not something you should worry about. Everyone is different, Scarlet,» the doctor explained. «How's it in kindergarten? Do you have friends?»
«Not yet.»
«She started playing with the other pups two days ago,» Nate said. «It's late, isn't it? They've been in there for almost a month.»
«Alpha Nate, would you mind helping me one moment?» the doctor said, rolling his eyes at a father's worries. «By the way, the pups will need time to fit in the pack. Way more than a month or two. It might take years for stray pups to integrate inside a pack as complex as ours.»
«Yes, sure...»
«Can you use pressure?» the doctor asked, patting Scarlet's hair to make her relax. «Just for a moment, though. I don't want to hide behind the desk in fear if that is possible.»
Nate nodded, doing as he was told. The Alpha inside him always fought for supremacy over... well, over everything. When he lowered his guard or was too stressed to reason, his aura would become darker, colder, and overbearing.
In such moments, the other wolves were more eager to listen.
As soon as she felt her father's power, Scarlet shivered. Her eyes turned to him, and she locked her gaze with his while murmuring: «daddy».
«As expected,» the doctor muttered. «Even though she feels it, and she fears the pressure, it's not enough to block her. It's odd, especially for a pup. Oh, but it's also something not so weird in the Alpha's close family.»
«And Jaden?»
«Oh, I don't think you'll have problems with him. Not with his powers, at least. His instincts will develop at their own pace, and he'll become one of the pack soon enough. With this miss, things might not be easy.»
«She has an orientation...» Nate murmured.
Just like Samantha, Scarlet could have her fate written early on.
«More or less. Her predisposition will push her to the limits. She might become an Omega if things aren't under control... But that doesn't mean you should worry, Alpha Nate. She could become an Omega, or she would become an Alpha. You won't know until adulthood.»
«But... What if she can't stay here anymore?» he asked, sweating in panic.
He didn't want to part from his daughter, to send her away. He didn't want to tell Lara there was a chance they needed to do that.
They had just met, and that doctor was already telling them to split! Even if he had years in front of him to spend with his daughter, those would pass fast.
«It won't happen,» the doctor said. «Do you want to take Jaden's place, Scarlet?»
«Uh? No. I have mine.»
«Do you want to kill your father and command the pack in his stead?»
«Hmm? No, I don't want to kill Nate. But since he doesn't do anything for the whole day, I want to become a CEO when I grow up. Oh, if I grow up.»
«If, you say?» the doctor muttered, surprised. Could a kid be so pessimistic?
«I'm still considering,» Scarlet explained. «Growing up doesn't look like a smart thing to do. If I'm small and cute, it's better.»
«You can become a cute adult.»
«Like my mommy?»
«Sure,» the doctor chuckled. «Show me your fangs, again, and your claws.»
«Yes,» she sighed, opening her mouth and offering her hands. Her dark ears moved up, and she waited for the response. Could she be cute like her mommy?
«You have your father's power. Difficult to handle, unstable, strong.»
«Ough,» she moaned. «I don't want to be like him!»
«It's too late now,» the doctor sighed back. «You'll have to live with this. But there are some perks.»
«Perks?»
«You will be able to become a leader as you grow up. Like your daddy, or you can become like your aunt.»
«I can be like aunty Sam?»
«Yes, like her.»
Scarlet thought about it. Good clothes, a personal office, and everyone following her orders.
«It's good!» She nodded. «I can accept that. But only if I decide to grow up!»