I can’t wait that long. Won’t make them wait on me.
Handle it yourself. You always handle it yourself.
I pull out my phone with shaking hands and open the app. My vision blurs for a second, and I have to blink hard to focus on the screen. A wave of dizziness threatens to have me on my ass.
Come on, Willa. Just book the fucking car.
Another cramp, stronger this time. I double over, phone nearly slipping from my grip. A sound escapes me—half whimper, half growl—and I hate it. Hate how my body is betraying me, how my Omega is clawing to the surface despite every suppressant I’ve been taking.
Please,I think desperately at my own biology. Please just let me get home. Just give me an hour. Just?—
“Well, well. What do we have here?”
Ice floods my veins. Mark Felton steps around the corner, and the smile on his face makes my stomach turn.
Oh god. Alarm bells start going off in my head. Need to get away, not safe, not safe. Fuck me.
“Willa.” He says my name like he fucking owns me. “You smell… different.”
I straighten as much as I can, trying to school my features into something that isn’t terror. “Stay away from me.”
“Now why would I do that?” He takes a step closer, inhaling deeply. His eyes dilate. “You’re in heat.”
A look of pure lust heats his face, and I can smell his scent rising in response to the heat pheromones I’m giving off. Except where normally an Alpha’s interest might be flattering, appealing even, his smell makes my stomach turn. Sour and overripe and wrong.
I feel like a rabbit caught by a jackal.
The air leaves my lungs as a smile that could curdle milk spreads across his face. Every hair on my body rises.
“Now what would an unbonded Omega be doing all alone, without her pack of Alphas to protect her?”
“They’ll be back any second.” My voice shakes, and I hate that too. “You need to leave. Now.”
“No, I don’t think so.” Another step. “See, that’s not how this is going to play out. I happen to know that Pack McCrea is about as far away from this spot as you can be. And that doesn’t take into account the amount of press just waiting to get playboy McCrea locked into an exclusive interview.”
“I’ll scream,” I say, trying desperately to edge back my panic and get the heat fog to clear enough to get away from him.
I try to discreetly unlock my phone. If I can call Beau—fuck the reporters—he’ll be here, and maybe he’ll kill this asshole.
Felton doesn’t notice me turn the phone so I can glance at the screen.
“No one’s here,” he says, taking another step. I take one back, just as a wave hits me so hard my knees buckle, and I drop the phone.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I look at him, then try to quickly bend to retrieve it, but he’s there in a flash and kicks my phone down the hallway so hard it skitters across the concrete and cracks against the far wall.
“No!” I yell.
“Funny thing about that word.” His smile widens. “No… it doesn’t matter once we’re bonded. If you’re mine, there isn’t a damn thing any of them can do about it.”
“That is not true. It’s illegal.” I back up, but I’m already against the wall. Nowhere to go. Fear courses through my veins.
“Doesn’t matter what the law says once you’re bonded to me. Your body will recognize me as your Alpha. Your Omegawill crave me. And good luck proving it wasn’t consensual when you’re in heat and covered in my scent. Who’s going to believe you didn’t want the Alpha who helped you through it?”
He’s close enough now that I can smell him—that sour, overripe scent that made my skin crawl the first time I met him. It’s thick now, sharpened by arousal and anticipation.
Another cramp hits, and I can’t stop the small sound of pain that escapes.
