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My heart skips a beat at the mention of Professor Baldwin’s unusual behavior. If Jake thinks something seems off, then I trust him to be right.
“When?” I ask. Although curiosity tingles within me, it mingles with a sense of concern. I want an investor desperately, but at what cost?
My stomach drops when Jake says, “Tomorrow.”
Chapter 5
Ella
I know Jake is still shaken by the Professor’s demand. So am I.
He only told me it was a demand after eating his food. I could tell something was very wrong because I’ve never seen him be so intense.
His normally jovial demeanor now replaced by a cold, distant gaze that seems to pierce through me. As if a veil has been lifted, revealing a quite different side to Jake that I never knew existed.
“I’m going to call him and demand I’ll be there.”
The Professor’s demand seems to have awoken a dormant darkness and I fear it threatens to consume him. I chew my lip as I watch him.
“Will he pull out of any deal if you do?” I ask.
Jake’s dark gaze lands on mine, and it makes me wonder if he’s told me everything he should, but I know I have to trust him.
From what I’ve learned about the Professor he isn’t one for taking no for an answer and despite Jake being an alpha like he is. Jake doesn’t have that raw, guttural impulse I suspect the Professor has.
“Tell him I’ll only meet him in a public place. A restaurant or a hotel.” I don’t want to lose a deal. But I know I need to try my hardest to let Jake know I can handle myself.
Jake sighs.
“We’ll be fine.” Tonight, I’m going to do my best to prove to him that he’s my alpha and that he doesn’t have to worry about the professor, or any other alpha.
I just hope that he believes me.
Or is Jake keeping secrets from me?
I reach out and touch his hand, hoping to bring him back from wherever his mind has wandered to. He flinches at my touch, as if the weight of his thoughts is unbearable. “Jake,” I whisper softly, “what did the Professor demand? Why has it affected you so deeply?”
His gaze finally meets mine, his eyes filled with fear that he can no longer hide. “He wants me to betray everything I believe in,” he says. “To make a choice that will tear me apart.”
“What do you believe in?” I ask as my heart races.
“You,” he whispers. “He wants you to prove how much of an entrepreneur you are.”
I shrug my shoulders. “That’s easy. I can do that.”
“But he isn’t talking about your business, Ella.” Jake’s voice sounds like his throat has been roughened with sandpaper. “I think he wants to prove you’re no better than any other omega. That you can be bought.”
“Bastard. What does that mean?” Blood boils in my veins. “Why would he even suggest something like that?” I manage to choke out, my voice cracking with emotion an my heart sinks as I realize the gravity of his words.
Jake’s eyes soften as he reaches out to cup my face in his hands. “He’s trying to test our loyalty to each other,” he says quietly. “And he believes you’ll choose self-preservation over everything else.”
Jake takes a deep breath. “He wants your heat … him and his pack mate,” he says, his words laced with bitterness. “In exchange for his financial support for your business.”
My heart pounds in my chest, the situation sinking in. Jake told me everything about the professor. He’s new to the area but he’s a powerful alpha in the business world, and so is his alpha partner.
I clench my fists, feeling a surge of defiance coursing through me. “No,” I say firmly, my voice trembling only slightly. “I won’t do it.”
Jake’s gaze softens as he places a hand on my cheek. “I knew you’d say that,” he murmurs. “But Ella, we need his support. Without it, our dream could crumble.”
