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My fist clenched and I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath.
“I mean, I know that what’s happening to them is a scientific breakthrough and something that could change lives, but at what cost? They’re still people. I don’t know—Dr. Thomas is a grade-A asshole, with a huge chip on his shoulder about being a Beta, and I don’t think what he’s suggesting is right. I just wanted you all to know.”
“Thank you, Courtney. I really appreciate the heads-up.”
She shrugged off my thanks and kept moving down the hall. I reached for my phone to call Gia when I remembered I’d left it with Theo. Gia was more than just the head attorney at Drake House, she was my college friend and someone I trusted. She was also the first hire I made when I took over from my dad.
Cursing under my breath, I made my way back to the room, making sure the door shut completely behind me. Theo looked up from where he was sitting, still talking to Ethan on my phone. As I walked to him, I gave him the universal gesture for wrap-it-up. He looked at me in surprise before his brow furrowed.
“I have to go, Biscuit, but I’ll be home soon. Yeah. Love you, too.”
He ended the call, and I reached out for the phone, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the bed. In retaliation, I tossed the candy bars I’d got at him, but he just ignored that. He brushed his thumb along my wrist and caught my eyes.
“Talk to me, gorgeous. What’s up?”
I closed my eyes again and took another deep breath. Compared to the one I’d taken to try to calm myself when I’d been talking to Courtney, this one was infinitely more effective, because it was imbued with Theo’s scent and the lingering notes of Trevor’s as well.
“One of the nurses stopped me and told me that the douchebag doctor from the first night is trying to force your situation into the light so he can profit from it, at least career-wise. I’m going to call Gia to see if we can enforce some kind of after the fact NDA.”
“Is it just me? What about the others? The new Omegas like Cat.”
“All of you.”
“Do it.”
Theo brought my wrist to his mouth, ghosting his lips across the thin skin, then let it go so I could begin making calls. Within an hour, Gia had sent over five separate non-disclosure agreements. Only the ones for Theo and Cat had names on them but the others were labeled as “patient” and contained a letter of explanation for the other victims. Gia had also reached out to the hospital’s representation to grease the wheels and throw that prick of a doctor under the bus. I’d told her to throw the full weight of our pack’s connections around, and even promised that, if any of the people exposed to that serum decided to let their results be studied, this hospital’s research teams would have the first opportunity to work with them. I couldn’t predict what the others would do but I was confident that Theo and Cat would never cash that in.
Before another hour passed, one of the hospital’s directors was in Theo’s room, full of apologies. He promised that he would personally ensure that no action would be taken without the explicit consent of the people showing signs of designation transition. I asked for there to be a meeting with all the staff members who’d treated my mates and the Omegas, where the terms of the retroactive NDAs would be laid out and everyone present would sign. Thankfully the list of personnel wasn’t terribly long, and he assured me that they would be able to get all the people into the hospital for a meeting at the shift change.
While we waited, I called Trevor to come to the hospital and come to the meeting with me. Theo had decided to take another shower while I made the last few calls. When he came out of the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist, I leaned back into the chair, to enjoy watching his delicious body as he got dressed. Even if he was only getting into a clean hospital gown, the view was spectacular.
“Stop eye-fucking me until I can do something about it.”
“Never.”
He just smirked and shot me a panty-melting wink. I stood up and walked to him, running one hand along his broad shoulder, while bringing my other hand around his neck to pull his lips to mine so I could devour him with a kiss. A knock on the door had us breaking apart sooner than either of us wanted, both of us breathing heavily. He held my gaze as he adjusted himself to hide the evidence of what I’d done to him. I bit my lip and held back a groan, cursing our surroundings, because there was just something so fucking hot about knowing that your partner was hard or wet because of you.
“Game face, gorgeous.”
I released my lip and nodded, letting the emotions slide from my face but allowing just a hint of the killer to peek through. I didn’t know if it would be necessary, but I wasn’t about to take any chances.
“I’m not going to sign. This is bullshit. We could be leading the way in the medical breakthrough of the century, and you’re going to let them push us around? They’re only one pack!”
The meeting with the hospital staff and the few lawyers Gia had sent to handle the paperwork had gone well until, shocking no one at all, Dr. Thomas refused to sign. I had expected someone to fight the NDA and I was glad he was the one who complained loudly.
“The rest of you are free to go. Please remember the warnings provided by your hospital’s administration and counsel regarding the patients protected by these agreements. Have a great day.”
I watched the staff file out, all leaving a wide berth around the lone doctor still seated at the table. I lifted my head toward the Drake House attorney, moving my eyes to the door in an exaggerated gesture. He took the hint and let out a long, pointed sigh, mouthing that I owed him before corralling the hospital’s lawyer and getting him out of the room. That left just myself and Trevor, who’d arrived just before the meeting and had slipped into his enforcer-like persona standing at my side, alone with the good doctor.
“You Alphas are all the same, thinking whatever you say goes: some growling and a bark and you get your way. But this is bullshit. This could help people; people that society thinks less of just because they don’t have a knot or can’t take one.”
“Careful. You’re showing your hand, Doc.”
The threat in Trevor’s tone caused the doctor’s rant to end with an audible click of teeth as he snapped his mouth shut. The scowl was still on his face, but his expression became wary as I slowly circled the conference table and came to sit on the edge of the table, right next to his chair.
“Let me make something very clear to you, Dr. Thomas. There is absolutely nothing I wouldn’t do for the people I love. You’re right, to some extent. As an Alpha, I am used to getting my way. But it’s not because I will growl, or bark, or whatever else your pathetic victim complex wants to conjure up as the reason why you aren’t getting what you want. It’s because I work for it. I fight for it. And when it comes to my mates and their safety, I will kill for it. Do you understand me?”
He pushed himself up out of the chair and tried to tower over me, a tactic so many men seemed to use when they wanted to intimidate someone physically smaller than them. Idiot.
