“I need to call Lisbeth.” He left me standing in the prep lab. I couldn’t catch even a hint of his scent.
As expected, Lisbeth was furious at the mistake. When Nathan suggested we look at the lab logs to see who could have been responsible, she exploded. We were all in her office. Anvi was actually cowering behind me.
“I don’t fucking care who did it,” she growled. The pepper notes of her scent were stronger than ever. “You need to produce the documentation that allows me to get a new batch with fast-tracked approval for additional funding. Do it. Now.”
“Absolutely,” Nathan said, his back straight. He never flinched at her temper. “We’ll get it done.”
We turned to leave.
“Bridget. Stay for a moment,” she called out.
Nathan stopped too and met my eye with a concerned expression. I shook my head slightly. I didn’t need him to be my rescuer again.
“And close the door please, Nathan,” Lisbeth said. He kept eye contact with me until the door clicked shut.
I turned reluctantly back to face Lisbeth, my stomach lurching with anxiety.
“So. You had a nice time at the gala.” It wasn’t a question. She was sitting back in her chair, appraising me.
I lifted my chin slightly. “I did.”
“Bridget… My dear… How do I put this…” She gave me a sympathetic smile. “Did you know that Dr. Davis is the one who asked for you to be part of the research team?”
“What? No. I thought you had—”
“Oh, I was all for it. But he was the one who first brought up your name. He was quite insistent about it, actually.”
None of this madeanysense. “How did he even… know who I am?”
“The paper, silly. The one in which I kindly named you as an author.” There was an edge to Lisbeth’s indulgent smile now. “So how do you imaginehefeels about watching you gallivant around with one of the study’s participants?”
“I didn’t—”
“Bridget. I understand. Your biological urges can be hard to control. But I thought you valued your role here more than chasing an Alpha.”
I was a child all over again, being punished for something I hadn’t even done. Indignation boiled up in me. But I didn’t have the luxury of correcting her.
“I’m sorry if my behavior reflected poorly on the team,” I said instead, and I was surprised I didn’t choke on the words as they came out.
Lisbeth’s smile cleared and my friendly mentor was back. “Good girl.”
At the end of the long, exhausting day, my brain felt wrung out. We’d prepared the next round of stem cell solutions for injection into each of the subjects, and our stock was worryingly low. If Lisbeth wasn’t able to secure a new batch of Omega MSCs, it would completely derail the study. And it’s not like those samples were growing on trees.
The small seed of excitement that had been growing inside me at the thought of seeing Andrew, and possibly Gabriel,again had almost been strangled by Lisbeth’s comments. If I was already being scrutinized, I needed to keep my distance as much as possible.
But the seed was still there, growing away.
You’re a masochist, I thought. Which was probably true, but I didn’t seem able to stop myself.
Chapter 11 - Andrew
The day of my second injection appointment could not have come sooner. My knee was grinding again, like a sack full of broken concrete. I was keeping most of the pain to myself, or at least trying to, because I didn’t want to disappoint Gabriel. Training had become impossible again, though.
The other reason for my anticipation was, of course, Bridget. I hadn’t spoken to her very much at the gala, but watching her and Gabriel dance had felt like a kick to the head.
When we’d gotten back to the apartment, he’d kissed me savagely, like he was trying to claim me as much as I’d claimed him. There was the faintest hint of Bridget’s sweet floral scent on him, and it stirred up a beast in me as well. Where usually we were loving and playful, Gabriel was rough and demanding. A fierceness flowed through the bond that we’d never shared before.
“You can court her,” he said as he slid into me. “But she will never fuck you like this.”
