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The Professor’s smile fades, replaced by a steely expression. “You misunderstand me, Eleanor Darling,” he says calmly. “This offer goes beyond mere personal arrangements. It’s an opportunity for you to join our pack, to become a part of something greater than yourself.”
I raise an eyebrow, skepticism creeping into my voice. “I have an alpha. I don’t need a pack.”
“Jake Dyer is not your alpha. I already warned him he wasn’t yours.”
If I wasn’t sitting, I’d fall down at his sanguine behavior. “Well, he doesn’t agree with you.”
“He will.”
I shift in my seat, struggling to maintain my composure while refusing to let my annoyance show.
Just thinking about his proposal sends a chill down my spine, and I feel a strong urge to run far away from this predatory situation.
But I don’t. Summoning all the courage I can muster, I meet his gaze, my voice steady as I reply, “Then let me tell you I’m declining your offer. My business is up for discussion, but I’m not for sale, and I refuse to be treated as a commodity.”
Without faltering, he grabs my wrist and pulls me closer. “You wouldn’t be treated as a commodity. The money is much more than we need to offer. It’s the sum my pack mate believes is what you need to be successful if we didn’t choose you after the two days. It would be your reward. If we chose you as our omega, your life would change dramatically. You would receive anything and everything you desire. If not, we leave you very rich.”
“I’m not yours to choose.” I pull my hand away from his grip, but he doesn’t release me. He strokes his fingers over the scar on my wrist, as my words hang in the air.
Then his smile fades, replaced by a glint of something distant in his eyes. “You don’t seem to understand,” he says coolly, leaning forward once more. “Refusing my offer would be detrimental to your future endeavors. Contemplate it.”
I push my shoulders back, feeling a surge of defiance rise within me. I refuse to be intimidated or coerced into joining a pack that I have no desire to be a part of. I escaped my stepfather for a reason and it was to make choices for myself.
My mind races as I push out of my chair and stand away from my seat, and despite breaking free from his grip my heart pounds in my chest. Adrenaline courses through my veins. “I won’t be swayed by your threats or promises. My future is mine to decide, not yours!”
The Professor’s expression darkens further. His eyes glance away from me and into the distance. I want to look behind me, but fear of what I may see keeps me staring at him.
“And the more you fight this, the more I’ll want you for more than the two-day agreement,” he says as his eyes narrow, as if assessing me. “You’ll need us soon. The day your anti-heat vaccination wears off.”
“My what?” I murmur.
He lifts his fingers, the ones that had been wrapped around my wrist, to his nose. “I can smell it on you. I can smell the bitter scent on my fingers that anti-heat medication does to an omega. It doesn’t hide your perfume, but it makes it beta-like.”
“Maybe it’s bitter because I am.”
“Oh, I know you are. And you have a right to be.”
I tilt my head to one side as I stare at him. “Who told you? Jake?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Not to you. But it does to me.”
His hand lifts to mine, and he thrusts a business card into my palm. “Call me if your heat comes on unexpectedly. Jake will not have the strength to take you through it alone.”
“He’s an alpha.”
“He is. But he’s also a virgin, and immature, especially in understanding the needs of omegas.”
“We’ll get plenty of practice before I go into heat. Don’t you worry about Jake.”
“Don’t test me Eleanor Darling.”
“Good day.” Ignoring his intimidating words, I turn away, determined to leave this place and never look back. But just as I reach for the door handle, a hand covers mine.
I freeze, startled by the sudden firm hold on my hand. Slowly, I turn to face the Professor, his grip firm yet surprisingly gentle this time. His eyes search mine, an intensity burning within them that sends a jolt of electricity down my spine.
“Listen to me, Eleanor.” His voice no longer laced with menace but now tinged with an odd tenderness. “I may not have shown it before, but I have your best interests at heart. Trust me when I say that Jake is not the only one who can provide for you during your heat. And because your heat has been delayed, it will be brutal.”
