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Finally, the record hisses and crackles, and the platter stops spinning.

In the silence, Paige rests her head on my chest. Her cheek against my heart makes it thud harder.

I sit as still as a statue.

My feelings are confused.

Rhett told me that this was to be professional and without emotions involved. I was to turn up a day earlier because Chief knows that I need longer to become familiar with new surroundings and adapt to change.

I love Angel, but he can be loud and excitable. Quiet, quality time with my Omega is essential to me.

Except, I reckoned that it would be Angel who would struggle with both being professional and not becoming emotionally involved.

Why would any Omega want more than my knot?

How am I thinking about crossing the clinic’s lines already?

Why did Paige have to offer me more firsts than any other Omega has?

It will be hard to let Paige go after these two weeks.

I know the rules though, and unlike Angel, I don’t break them.

“Beau spent his life protecting me,” Paige whispers against my heart. “There is this Alpha…Devlin…he reeks of rotting peaches. He bullied Evan and me throughout school, and he would have made our lives hell if Beau hadn’t walked us to our classes and stood up for us. He insisted that I was his to claim. It didn’t stop after school, but Beau still did everything he could. Hell, it killed me to pretend I didn’t know why he came home some nights covered in bruises.”

“Devlin McCrae? The asshole who owns ten thousand nine hundred thirty acres and four thousand two hundred eleven head of cattle at last count. He acts like that means he can own anybody he wants. He can’t.”

“Oh, sounds like you’ve met him.” Paige’s eyes dance with amusement.

“Unfortunately.”

Devlin is a weak Alpha, who Angel says has small knot energy.

Devlin uses the size of his ranch to try to control everyone in town.

He is also the Board President in Rhett’s volunteer fire association. He tries to control that too.

Rhett is in fact the wealthiest man in town, but instead of bullying and oppressing people, my Alpha uses that wealth to support the community and keep the fire department open, as well as the hospital.

If Devlin is still bullying this Omega, then I will rip him apart if my Chief doesn’t get to him first.

Paige lifts her head and looks at me through her thick lashes. “Beau was like my shadow. But now I’m alone.”

Offended, my pheromones strengthen, rolling through the attic, before I can stop them. “And what am I? Invisible?”

“You’re only here for two weeks.”

Does she sound sad about that?

“For the contract.” I hesitate, trying to work out how to explain these feelings that are new to me. I haven’t spoken this much to anyone apart from Rhett and Angel. “I don’t have friends. I don’t understand that shit. But once I’m in your life, then I’ll look out for you. You can’t get rid of me that easily, Omega.”

Is that too much?

Have I scared her off?

Hell, I’m a fool.

Paige looks up at me with wide eyes.