He probably still has no idea why I am here. There are plenty of company employees in the hall, after all. His face remains uninterested.
After a moment, he reaches for a stack of papers on a small table beside him and picks up a pen. He leans over and starts drawing something, or maybe writing, ignoring everything else around him.
When he lowers his head, I take a moment to study the line of his neck and jaw. I have to admit, it looks good. Harmonious. His collarbones are clearly defined and elegantly shaped. As an alpha, my gaze instinctively seeks the neck, looking for bite marks on the neck glands, but there are none visible there. The skin is pale and smooth.
I turn slightly sideways so I can easily glance in his direction while also keeping an eye on Storm and the older omega. From a distance, I can see their conversation is intense. The omega lifts his hands to his temples, then turns toward me and makes a dismissive gesture. Storm stands with his arms crossed over his chest, as if guarding a post, his chin thrust forward in defiance.
The conversation goes on for a while, at least it feels that way. I shift my weight from my left foot to my right. The beta inside remains focused on his papers.
Occasionally, I glance over and see his slender hands moving across the page. A blue strand of hair falls low against his cheek, and I catch myself staring.
At one point, he lifts his gaze for a brief moment, and our eyes meet again. I feel blood rush to my cheeks. Damn it. He is attractive! I cannot deny that. Something stirs deep inside me, a spark of interest, maybe even something sexual.
A moment later, I decide to read his placard.
Each booth has an information board with basic details about the person offering a contract, and this one carries a large Second Chance label.
It lists the following:
? Name: Salt ********
? Age: 22 years
? Height: 5’11.5’’
? Weight: 162 pounds
? Number of previous contracts: 0
? Education: Middle school diploma; some high school coursework
? Occupation: Tattoo artist
? Declared fertility status: Infertile (beta)
? Health status: No STDs, no other health issues beyond a permanently dilated pupil in one eye due to childhood injury, vision unaffected
? Legal status: Convicted of quadruple homicide
The fuck? I stare at that last line. Well, great.
Quadruple homicide!?
So he’s a sociopath, and I’ve had more than enough experience with people like that. I assumed it was some dumb bar fight, drunk idiots swinging bottles, someone getting cracked in the head, or maybe a knife in the back of a cheatingboyfriend caughtin flagranti. But a quadruple murder? That’s heavy. Way heavier than anything I had imagined.
No matter what subtle hint of sexual interest I might have felt, this is the moment to turn around and leave.
Just then, I notice that Storm and the omega have finished their conversation and are walking back toward the booth.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Storm says, his voice tight.
All these side conversations must look slightly ridiculous, but the quadruple murderer in the booth ignores everything completely, bent over his papers.
With an impatient grimace, I follow Storm and immediately go on the offensive.
"You forgot to mention the tiny detail that he has four murders on his record. Not exactly a dream candidate for a contract husband!"
Storm exhales sharply.
