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“You’d force me?” All my respect for him as a doctor floods out of the room, not to mention all the warm fuzzies he’s been giving me. I’m a split second away from adding him to my hate list. For him to be dead to me. To kick him in the balls, at the very least.
Shock crosses his face, which quickly morphs into disgust and settles on horror. He reaches for me, but I slap his hand away. “Don’t touch me!” I seethe.
“Verity, Little Omega, please, I wouldn’t do that to you. I swear on my life. They could give me the order, and I’d tell them I did it. But I would never put my hands on you against your will.” His eyes plead with me to believe him, but something still nags at me, refusing to let my anger go. And then it comes to me. How did Mark even know to ask that question?
“Did you tell them I’m a virgin?” He was the only one I told. Aside from Ry. But my best friend would never betray me like that.
Shock holds him immobile for a second. He shakes his head. “Absolutely not. I respect my patients’ privacy. Seriously, Verity. I only want what’s best for you. Fuck the rules, fuck everything else.” He says it so vehemently that I can’t help but believe him.
“Why would you feel that way?” I ask, confused at how he could be so passionate about his conviction.
Dr. Emmett DeLuca pauses and studies me for a moment. I can’t tell if he’s searching inward for the answer, or if he’s deciding to confess his reason. After a pause, he comes to a decision and hesitantly moves toward me. When I don’t make an objection, he gains confidence, closing the remaining space between us until I’m smothered in his scent. He’s purring again, and his slow actions have me holding my breath, waiting for him to answer.
He leans in and brushes a lock of hair behind my ear before leaning so close his lips brush against my cheek. “Because even if I can’t have you, I want you to end up with a pack who will worship you as much as I would. Who will love you, and treasure you for the perfect omega you are.” He takes in a sharp breath at the honeyed pears I release, and his hand lands on the other side of my neck, holding me in place as his fingers bite into my skin from holding himself back. The scratch of his stubble rubs against my cheek as he slides his face against mine, effectively scent marking each other.
My chest feels tight with anticipation. With a sharp breath of my own, I let out a whimper, wanting, no, needing something from him. The man can’t make that kind of admission to me—not when I’ve wanted him from the first moment I saw him—and not do something.
When he’s a hair’s breadth away from our lips touching, our gazes lock and I’m staring into the depths of his gray eyes, wanting to fall into all the promises they offer of an impossible future. “Stay safe around the alphas, Little Omega,” he whispers against my lips. The barest touch of them brushing sends an electric shock through me, but Dr. Em rips himself away and strides from the room. Not giving in to what we both desperately want.
Chapter 13
Verity
Leaving Dr. Em’s office, my head is spinning, but it’s not from a headache. It’s from his words, how close he was, and the overpowering effect his scent has on me. It’s enough to make my thighs clench even thinking about it. I’m in such a daze, I don’t remember Karen is waiting for me until she clears her throat. The noise startles me, but thankfully, she doesn’t comment. “Are you ready to go meet the men?” she asks with a conspiratorial grin.
Hell no. I’m not ready, is what my mind screams, but I don’t voice it out loud. Instead, I say, “Sure.”
She nods, inspecting me before straightening a curl that was messed up from leaning on Dr. Em before leading me out of his waiting area. I search for him, hoping for one more glimpse, but he must’ve entered another room to avoid watching me leave. An empty pit forms at the thought of walking away from him, only to meet the group of men I’ll end up spending the rest of my life with. I should be able to be with someone who sparks interest in my body, soul, and spirit from the first instance I meet him…
As I follow Karen through the opulent halls, it makes me wish I didn’t have cameras on me every second or a practical tour guide breathing down my neck. I bet this place conceals a lot of secrets, and if I can find the key…
Mrs. Violet’s assistant thrusts a small white binder at me and I snap out of my thoughts again, opening it to find pictures of every alpha along with their names underneath. Nerves instantly swarm at the thought of parading myself in front of twenty men. The men in this very binder. Twenty alphas.
“You’ll need to memorize each name and face,” Karen tells me, not waiting for me to say anything. “This binder also has a short synopsis of who the alpha is and what they do for a living. Study it before each date. You don’t want to slip up and call someone by the wrong name.”
She motions for me to flip the page and so I do, only to find Jedrik’s face staring back at me. I can’t help but think about him defending me on the plane and the way he stared that cameraman down at my defense. Underneath the larger photo of him are some bullet points.
Jedrik Hart
Alpha
Twin to Andrik Hart
Enforcer - special forces unit
Enjoys rock climbing in his free time - thrill seeker
Desires compassion and loyalty from his future omega
Hot Headed
Well, they certainly nailed Jedrik on that last point… and yet my mind wanders to the smooth, smoky hint of his scent. Beyond the tendrils of maple, I swear there’s a trace of whiskey, reminding me of my favorite drink of choice. It makes him even more enticing.
Speaking of which, one of those would be really nice right about now. Maybe my nerves would settle the fuck down.
Turning to the next page, I land on Andrik’s smiling face. I suck in a breath, remembering our sizzling chemistry and the way his warm spicy scent makes my thighs clench together. I wonder what his bio says.
Andrik Hart
