Well, damn. It’s not that bad, actually, come to think of it. We both have practical reasons to enter this contract. And neither of us wants this for some silly romantic reason, for some fairytale-ish prospect of a family and living together forever, blah blah.
And the mafia thing? I don’t know much about them. Anyway, we’ll be locked up somewhere, probably far from the city anyway.
Fuck that. We’ll see how it unfolds!
All in? All in!
I reach for the tablet and scribble my signature next to Eliano’s.
"Great," I say tersely, pressing my lips together to keep myself from saying more.
Storm studies the signature for a moment, then adds his own, and hands the tablet to the handler, who signs as well, acting as the intermediary and representative of the organization.
"So what now? Are we packing up?" I ask flatly.
Storm focuses his eyes on me with a strange intensity, almost as if trying to read my thoughts, then speaks up unexpectedly.
"In a moment. I have a word of advice."
"Oh. Is that necessary? I already signed up…" I pull a mocking face and twist it spitefully.
Storm ignores me. "I tend to have a pretty good intuition about people. If you’re planning to wrap him around your littlefinger, thinking he’s just a kid, I’d rather warn you to save yourself the disappointment."
I glare at him with narrowed eyes, my face likely flushing with redness. Storm scans me inquisitively.
"Salt, inadvertently, you might be caught in an intense situation. Eliano is not a malleable kid, not a softie you can steer however you like. He may be young, but his upbringing can’t just be dismissed."
I feel a rush of surprise, almost unease.
Damn, am I that transparent? Does Storm suspect that I plan to take the lead in this relationship and run it on my terms?
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I mutter warily.
"He has a rock-hard core inside him. You may find him challenging. Especially since you’re a beta."
"The fuck? Are you trying to insult me?"
"No. These are simply facts. You don’t have the hormonal mechanisms to regulate and soothe his intensity the way omegas do, so—"
"Why are you even telling me this?!"
"The part about regulation? I’m actually required to," he says, handing me a thin brochure. "It’s policy. If the relationship is between a beta and AOs, we’re obligated to provide this informational pamphlet. It’s meant to clarify certain situations that might feel strange to a beta, like scenting, marking, knotting…"
I snatch the pamphlet out of his hand and deliberately toss it onto the floor. Mr. Gessler grimaces in outrage, but I just snort loudly.
It has nothing to do with me or my plans. Whoever this guy is, whatever his background, I have my goal. No regulations will be needed, and I won’t need to know anything about his alpha behaviors. I’m going to disappear before he ever shows me that animalistic side.
"Whatever you say, dude."
Storm watches me for a long moment, the gears clearly turning in his head, which I don’t give a fuck about.
Then he finally nods.
"Okie dokie. So. I already called the Beta Activation liaison and confirmed that you’ll arrive tomorrow. Mr. Gomez took it well and will be waiting for you at the port."
"By the way. What’s his last name?" I ask suddenly. "What mafia family does he belong to?"
"Part of the agreement with Eliano is that his surname will not appear on any public documents. It will only be listed on a physical paper copy."
