A Fox Among Wolves

Chapter Twenty-Two

The past week has been stressful, having to take my exam in order to be eligible for the initiation ceremony. Dr. Greene had been helping me to study, giving me helpful ways of memorizing the material, so when I went to take the test it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.

It was hard, believe me. I spent every minute overanalyzing my answers, but I was able to pass.

Braeden and I had celebrated with a night out and a couple rounds of sex before I passed out from exhaustion.

Now, though, comes the best part of this entire summer, because I am finally getting my title of Doctor. I still have many years of training before I can see patients on my own, but now I will be more like Dr. Greene's assistant rather than a mentee.

Looking in the mirror one last time, I make sure everything is in place. My hand smoothes out the nonexistent creases in my shirt before I finally force myself to walk out of my room and down the stairs. This entire day has had me wound tight with nerves, even though it is just a formality of becoming a doctor. I passed the exam, now all I have to get through is this ceremony.

It is tradition to wear all black to the ceremony, dating back to thousands of years ago when we wore mere pieces of cloths, although they were often heavily decorated with stitched or beaded designs.

So, as required, I have a fitted pair of black pants, the stretchy kind that accommodates my growing midsection and emphasizes my ass in a way that has Braeden practically panting. My top is just a button up, one that I had found at the local consignment shop.

Walking downstairs, I see that Braeden and Link are the only other ones ready, sitting on the couch and watching television. Braeden wraps his arm around me when I sit down next to him, his hand moves to rest on the side of my bump while his thumb rubs gentle circles over my belly.

"Nervous?" he asks me, kissing my neck when I shrug my shoulders.

"A little," I tell him, relaxing into his side.

Braeden lets out a soft laugh before turning back to the television. "Just don't work yourself up into too much of a panic. You already passed the exam, so there is nothing to worry about."

And he is right, there really is nothing to worry about. All I have to do is sit there and listen to the old ritualistic speeches given by our town leaders, and at the end, be handed my certificate and my new mark.

That will be the only painful process of this whole ordeal. The mark is a brand that we are given, stating our position in life. Mine will be a triangle with a rising sun inside, symbolizing the body and the healing that a doctor performs. According to most people, the brand doesn't hurt, not like it used to in the olden days, where they either used a red hot brand or cut the skin deeply enough so that it would scar. Now, it is more like a tattoo, except all the ink is pressed into your skin at once, meaning just a few seconds of pain before just being left with a residual soreness for a few days.

"Are you nervous?" I ask Braeden, turning my head slightly so that I can look up at him.

He shakes his head. "Not really, we have been preparing for this moment ever since kindergarten."

"What about the mark?" I question, my hand coming up to rest on my stomach where baby girl is kicking me. "Do you think it will hurt?"

"Shouldn't be too bad," Link says, answering for Braeden. "I heard it's just a burn for a second and then you don't feel anything."

"Hm," I hum, not having anything else to say about the subject. I have to accept the brand, and I am about to give birth in a few months, so now is not the time to start being a wuss when it comes to pain.