A huff escapes his lips behind me. “Catch on quick, don’t you? Shame it wasn’t quick enough to save you.”
Is that enough evidence to charge them with murder? I’m running out of time. “What’s in it for you?”
“Just keeping things in order,” he says.
“By murdering innocent omegas?” The injustice of it sucks tears from my eyes. “What would you do if your daughter chose more than one alpha? Would you kill her too?”
The professor’s eyes flick back and forth between me and Officer Brennan. “Stop talking, Elowen.”
But I think I’m onto something. “Did your daughter choose an unconventional pack?”
She blinks. “Shut up and drink the tea.”
“She did, didn’t she? What did you do? Did you kill her too?” I pray Calder is still recording this conversation.
“She saw the error of her ways. Eventually.” Her eyes are like black stones.
I gasp. “You made her choose.”
“I made her see sense.” Her voice is growing shrill.
“Enough talking.” Officer Brennan’s arm tightens around my chest, and he spins me around to face the desk. “Drink.” He forces my head down towards the cooling cup, the knife still pressing into my neck.
I clamp my lips shut as the professor comes into view and raises the cup towards my mouth.
Then the locked door slams open, and my alphas pile into the room.
I don’t waste a beat. I let my knees buckle and sink all my weight down to the floor. Officer Brennan’s grip tightens around my chest, but I grab the cup from the professor and splash the tea into his face.
His hold loosens enough for me to wriggle out from under him as Calder spins him around and drives his fist into the officer’s face. Tyler pulls me into his arms, murmuring, “It’s okay, Elowen. We’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
The room is filled with police officers. I watch from Tyler’s embrace as three cops drag Officer Brennan away from Calder, restraining him with handcuffs. Another officer cuffs Professor Robbins and leads her towards the door.
"You’re making a grave mistake," she says. "I was only trying to help."
"You murdered four innocent people," Julian says. "There's nothing kind about that."
Robbins looks at me with something like pity. "Your pack will destroy you eventually. The strain will be too much. I could have saved you from that. I still can."
My alphas surround me. Calder’s chest is heaving with the effort of getting Brennan off me. “You’re bleeding.” He touches the bloody skin under my jaw, his expression darkening. “We need to get you to the medical center.”
“I’m okay.” But I’m shaking, and Tyler guides me to the seat and sits me down.
They all crouch around me.
“Whatdo you need?”
“It’s over now, Elowen.”
“She can't hurt anyone else."
Tears stream down my face. “I was so scared…”I whisper.
One by one, they kiss me. “You’re safe now, Elowen.”
Evening finds us back in the greenhouse. There’s a small dressing on my neck, and Juniper won’t leave my side, even squeezing her body between me and the alphas protectively.
Professor Robbins and Officer Brennan are in custody. Police officers are still in the building, searching the professor’s office which has been taped off as a crime scene.
