My stomach lurched, though. I had no desire to be a part of this conversation. They were highlighting all my darkest thoughts and fears, all the reasons I was inadequate to be in the pack, discussing me like I was nothing more than their latest acquisition and they needed to weigh the pros and cons of having me around before bringing me up at the next fucking board meeting.
Ty rubbed his jaw. “Castro only revealed what Liza is as a power play. He’s trying to show us that he’s powerful enough to have someone hack our system, and powerful enough to decide whether or not to release information to the pack to turn them against us.” Ty’s voice was low, deep, and sharp with anger. “He’s trying to make you doubt my loyalty, and it seems it’s fucking working.”
Dominic’s face paled alarmingly as Ty’s words sunk in—as if he couldn’t deny the undeniable truth.
My heart started, and sweat slicked my palms—the first signs of a panic attack coming at me. Before I could fend it off, a full-on attack hit me like a freight train. I gasped for air until my lungs were raw and aching, and my vision became blurry. I leaned against the wall as I clutched my chest, trying not to collapse to the floor. My wolf growled her distress at a low, keening pitch.
“Liza!” Ty shouted, rushing to my side and pulling me into his arms. He whispered soothing words in my ear as he rubbed circles on my back, trying his best to calm me down. His embrace was warm and strong, but it didn’t do much to help me gain control of myself.
“Everything is going to be okay,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin as he wrapped his body around mine.
It sure as hell didn’t feel like everything would be okay. My world was crashing around me, and the people I loved most stood like sheep waiting for Castro to slaughter them.
I squinted, trying to focus on Dominic. “My medical records are supposed to be extremely secure. Only my parents and my doctor had access to them. Those files weren’t even kept on the same server as the other medical records.” I paused, trying to make sense of it all. My privacy had been invaded, and I’d never felt more exposed in all my life. “What are you going to do with the information about me being an omega?”
Dominic wouldn’t release the information, would he? Fear churned in my stomach, threatening to expel its contents.
His eyes widened, and his brows pinched together as if he was genuinely shocked by my question. “I’m not going to do anything, Liza.” He shook his head, first at me, then at Ty, before he looked at me again. “It’s not like I’m going to sell you off to the highest bidder, for God’s sake.” When I cocked a brow, he sighed. “I can admit I’ve done some shady things in the past, but that is not the man I am today.”
He slowly rose from his chair, leaning his weight on the desk. “I have no interest in exploiting you, Liza. You’re Ty’s fated mate, and I can see he cares for you deeply.”
I didn’t trust that. He was an alpha first and a father second—at least, that was my impression of him.
“My intentions aren’t to out you but to keep you protected. We’ll find a way to keep the information buried. You have my word.”
I studied his face, trying to find any signs of deception. There was no sweat on his upper lip, and he held my gaze. He was telling the truth. He was being sincere.
“You can’t blame me for questioning your intentions. My pack’s blood is still on your hands, Dominic.” I swallowed back my scorn for the way he was speaking, as if he was offended I might not believe in him.
His head jerked upright, and genuine regret flashed in his eyes. I’d struck a nerve, even though that wasn’t my intention. Iwas simply stating the truth so he could better understand my concern. My points were valid, though, and Dominic knew it.
He sighed. “I don’t suppose I can blame you for being suspicious. Your secret is safe with me, whether you want to believe that or not.” He collected the medical records that had been strewn across his desk after Ty tossed the folder. “How are you feeling, by the way?” He switched to a more concerned tone, and it took me a moment to catch up.
I chewed on my lip. “I’m a little panicked at the moment. Is that what you mean?”
He shook his head. “No. These are your current records, and they aren’t showing that you’re taking any new medications. Don’t you need them to control your… omega urges?”
My mouth dropped open. This certainly wasn’t the kind of conversation I intended to have with my alpha or with anyone else who wasn’t a trained physician or my mate. Dominic was neither of those things.
Ty spoke up. “She hasn’t needed them since we...” He trailed off, glancing at me before looking away. Ty cleared his throat. “Since we started fulfilling her desires.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. I covered my face with my hands, enough heat radiating from my cheeks to bake a cake on my skin. If I could have willed the floor to swallow me whole, I would have. Over the course of my life, I’d had some humiliating moments, but this ranked in the top three. Actually, it was probablythemost embarrassing moment of my entire life. I was in the alpha’s office, discussing my sex life with the father of the man who shared my bed. Embarrassing wasn’t a strong enough word.
When I finally peeked at Dominic from between my fingers, he seemed completely unfazed by the conversation. He even went as far as to give us some advice. “I encourage you to have sex as much as possible.”
This moment went from uncomfortable toholy shit. I couldn’t see any possible way that this could get any worse. Where was the hidden camera? There had to be one because this was obviously some kind of prank show.
Staring at the floor, I tried to regain control of my racing heart. I couldn’t even look at Ty.
Assuming Dominic was done discussing our sex life, I lowered my hands from my face and reached for a glass of water on the desk. Surely there was enough in it to drown me.
To make matters worse and to increase the cringe factor exponentially, Dominic continued. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Liza. It’s normal for you to have those urges. If rumors of omegas’ past existence are correct, then it’s natural for you to have a higher-than-normal sex drive.”
If my face grew any hotter, it would probably melt right off my skull. This was fucking unbelievable. If he went on, there was a chance I was going to implode. Or explode. Or whatever came next. Surely, there was nothing else to say.
Dominic cleared his throat. “Ty, make sure you’re doing a good job as her mate and satisfying her needs.”
Shit. Of course, I was wrong. He had more to say.
