“How many have you had to replace?”
“Three. Two because of illness we couldn’t have anticipated and one because of infertility.”
“What did you do with the ones you took back?”
“The ill ones we disposed of.”
Galen sat up, surprise on his features.Could he actually have a heart?“You could have made good money selling them off cheap.”
Nope, no heart.
Kyle chimed in, giving Trent a moment to swallow down the bile that threatened to crawl up his throat. “If we sold sub-par product, it could endanger our reputation. Sometimes there are costs of doing business, and we expect that. It was less risky to just euthanize the ill omegas.”
“And the infertile one?”
“That one we did resell. While many of our clients want offspring, not all do. She was perfectly trained, soshe went to a gentleman who saw the defect as a benefit.”
Galen tapped his finger on the armrest of the chair. “All right. I can see the upside. There’s only one more thing.”
The way he said it made Trent close his hand into a fist. “And what’s that?”
“Omega check.”
“You have her medical records.”
Galen waved off the response. “Those are easy to fake. We’ve had people try to pass off betas as omegas before. We don’t consider the first check official until I’m sure she’s an omega. Normally, that’s part of test driving. I know it’s an omega when I knot them.”He lifted an eyebrow as though waiting.
Not a fucking chance.
Daniel spoke up. “We’ve already made that clear. If we allowed you to do that, it would erode all the work we’ve done.”
“Fine,” Galen said with an exaggerated sigh. “Then there’s one other option.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a vial of a clear liquid.
“What’s that? I am not about to have our product risked by ingesting something that we have no idea what it is,” Daniel said.
“This is a special drug. If an omega smells it, their scent changes slightly. She won’t need to drink it, just smell it.”
Fuck.Trent had heard of it—most people had. The drug was used to identify omegas, and had been used by a killer a while back who targeted omegas.
Worse? Enough of it could force an omega into a heat…
Still, Trent had no idea how to get out of it. If they didn’t prove she was an omega, the entire job was over.
“I understand it also forces them into a heat. That wouldn’t be ideal,” Kyle said.
“Too much can force a heat, but a quick whiff shouldn’t be a problem. This is non-negotiable, gentlemen. Either you prove she is what you say she is, or I walk away and you find your own way to sell her.”
Trent pressed his lips together, no other option coming to mind.
Thankfully, he didn’t need to answer. He wasn’t sure hecouldsay yes. Daniel did that, rising to his feet. “Fine.”
Alison shifted, and Trent cursed the entire situation.
“She’ll need to really breathe it in. It’s an odd scent, so they tend to turn their heads away. Usually I’d hold them, but I know how touchy you are.” Galen said the words like a joke, as if they were finicky about a prized piece of décor in their house.
Trent was closest, so he helped Alison to her feet. She’d likely feel better that way, rather than on her knees. He took her headphones off but left the blindfold on. “You’re going to need to smell something. Do you understand me?”
She gulped, the sound loud. “What is it?”
