You are correct that this is not a bed bug; this is unfortunately a tick, and while the image is a bit dark and hard to identify with certainty, it resembles an American Dog Tick (also called a Wood Tick). Several species of tick occur in Maryland, and males and females sometimes look dissimilar, and juveniles can also look different from adults in some cases.

We recommend you work with a medical professional if you suspect you were bitten by any of the ticks found, and keep the ticks in case the doctor needs to identify or test them. (There are also main-in testing services that sample the ticks themselves for tick-borne pathogens, but if they have not been feeding on a person for long enough, transmission likelihood is low.) You can learn more on our Ticks in Maryland web page.

Miri