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It was a cowardly move. I thought—hoped—Mr. Mosley would let it blow over. Turns out, he didn’t appreciate the slight. I can’t say I blame him... Itwaspretty rude of me to run off without at least thanking them for dinner. But honestly, manners aside, the dude had to be out of his mind if he thought I was going to settle down with his pack.
Madison takes a deep breath, as if steeling herself, and sets her unyielding sights on me. “I got the order this morning. Using company computers to access porn sites at work”—she pulls a face—“very unprofessional.”
I suck in a breath. Porn? That. Fucking. Bastard. He knows damn well I didn’t do that; this is only his excuse for getting rid of me. He’s the one who was unprofessional. I’m his intern. He shouldn’t be courting me. There have to be company rules for situations like this.
Harassment. That’s what this is.
“Madison.” I place my palms on the desk and lean toward her. “I didn’t do that. Mr. Mosley asked me to come to dinner with his pack. They wanted me to be their mate and I?—”
“Stop talking,” she snaps, shoving out of her leather-back chair. “Mr. Mosley is the best boss I’ve ever had, and I won’t let you spew hateful lies because you can’t take accountability for your actions.”
I shake my head. “Please, Madison.” I stand as well and glance around her swanky office. Mosley Adams CPAs is Norfolk, Virginia’s finest public accounting firm. This position will set me up for a successful career, where I won’t have to burden my mom or my stepdads more than I already have. “I need this internship.”
The look she gives me is as hard as steel. She tips her chin, peering down her nose at me. “Gather your things and leave with what dignity you have left.”
My face scrunches and numbness tingles along the tips of my fingers. I can’t get fired. I’m required to spend the last semester of my accounting degree at a CPA firm. If they fire me, I’ll have to redo the semester. Then Wyatt—one of my stepdads—will find out, because he’s an adjunct professor, and I’ll be stuck trying to find a way to tell my parents I wasted their money and the four years I spent trying to find my own way.
I’m a good employee, damn it. I’ve spent hours chasing down pennies in balance sheets. I worked longer than needed, tracing paper trails to reconcile client records. All of that to make sure I’d get a glowing recommendation. And now I’m fired because Mr. Mosley can’t take no for an answer?
“Quinn.” Madison’s tone is sharp, and it cuts through the last of my hope.
Fuck. This is really happening.
“Okay. Thank you, Madison.” Did I really just thank her for firing me? What the fuck is wrong with me? I smile, though there’s nothing to be happy about, and march out of her office. A good girl would go back to her desk and pack up. A good girl would take her things and go home and lick her wounds. A good girl...aren’t you tired of always pretending to be good?
Dylan asked me that more than once in the two years we lived together, but today, the question hits differently.
Maybe I can talk to Mr. Mosley and change his mind. I can apologize. Maybe explain that I’m not ready. Making the immediate left, I walk toward his office. My legs are wobbly and my pulse races. It’ll be okay. It’s a simple conversation. How hard can it be? Besides, what’s the worst that can happen? Technically, I’m already fired.
Taking a steadying breath, I rap my knuckles against the door, hardly hearing the taps over the roar of blood rushing through my ears. My heart thunders against my ribcage as I wait. One, two, three beats before finally I hear Mr. Mosley call, “Come in.”
The door handle is cold against my hot palm but does nothing to settle my nerves as I step into Mr. Mosley’s office. I keep a grip on the handle, letting it anchor me. His scent is masculine, lined with a putrid tinge of ammonia. My nose wrinkles.
Fated scent matches are rare, but even still, an omega’s pack should have aromas that appeal to her. I seriously doubt he’d appreciate me telling him I don’t like how he smells.
Mr. Mosley sits behind his desk, an alpha perched upon his throne. At six-foot-one, he’s imposing. Even with him pushing well past sixty-five, his frame is broad and firm, proof of years spent working out. I imagine he was quite handsome once upon a time, but there’s no getting over the malicious spark of triumph glittering in his auburn gaze.
“Quinn.” He says my name like he has a right to be happy I’m here. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” The alpha isn’t ugly. He’s attractive for an older man, silver hair swept back with the perfect amount of gel. A clean-shaven face, strong jaw and nose. There are a few reasons why he and his pack may not have an omega, but my money is on the lecherous way he slips his eyes over my body, like he’s entitled to every piece.
Omegas, at their very core, want to be cherished, to be loved and cared for. What omegas don’t want is to feel like something to be owned, at least not in the way Mr. Mosley wants to own me. He wants to claim me for the mere sport of it.
“I was fired.” By some miracle, my voice doesn’t shake.
“Is that so?” He arches an eyebrow and leans back in his chair, linking his hands behind his head. “And you think I can do something about it?”
“You can tell the truth.” Leaving the door open, I walk toward his desk and stop between the two oversized chairs covered in champagne leather. “Please, my degree depends on this internship.” I hate that I’m begging. I hate that I’m at his mercy, but I can’t lose this job.
His lips twitch and his eyes bounce between mine. “I know.”
My stomach drops. “What are you saying?”
Dropping his hands into his lap, he pushes out of his chair and slowly comes around the desk. I turn so as not to give him my back, but all that does is place me against the wooden top as he steps between the chairs and into my space. That stomach-turning scent presses in on me from all sides, probably his intention. I swallow a gag, hating the way my pulse jumps and flutters, my instincts screaming that I should run, but doing that is what got me into this situation in the first place.
“I’m saying that this can all go away if you give in.” His gaze drops to my neck and he smirks. “Are you scared, Quinn? I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you or your pack... I’m just not ready to settle down yet.”
“I know what you said.” He reaches for me and I flinch. “Shh,” he soothes, brushing his thumb over my cheek and marking me with his scent. “Come home with me. We’ll take care of you.”
