"Apparently not. They have their own internal services that intervene in serious situations. A beta security team!" He chuckles obnoxiously. "As if they could do much."
I snort at his cocky tone, but my unruly eyes jump over to his muscular, veiny forearm. Why, for some reason, do I find his alpha arrogance dickhardening? Yup, is that even a word?
"But if something like murder happens, then it becomes a normal police matter," Eliano continues "Did you finish reading? What about the medical section?"
He raises his brows, and our eyes meet. Since we are sitting so close, the eye contact feels much more intense. Why does the air seem charged with our chemistry?
I am the first to retreat, dropping my gaze back to the paper.
"There is a point saying that people who refuse to have sex can be subjected to fertility stimulation, whatever that means," I mumble, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks.
Eliano sets the papers aside and turns fully toward me. His expression is serious.
"Listen, Salt. I would rather talk about this openly. I do not want us playing weird games. I understand our situation, but I want you to know that I am not expecting us to jump into bed on the first night. I think we should give ourselves some time and get to know each other a little better."
I cling to that like a drowning person clings to a plank and nod eagerly.
"It is good that you understand that," I say. "Because I am not planning to rush into anything," I add firmly, deliberately making it sound almost cold.
"Okay," Eliano says, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. "We just need to keep in mind what this program requires and that sooner or later it might not be avoidable. Is that something you can accept?"
"And do I have any other choice?" I slump back against the couch, crossing my arms over my chest and puffing out my cheeks. However, bizarrely, for some silly reason, that prospect doesn’t seem as repulsive to me as it should.
"For now, we are in the initial phase. I do not think anyone is going to pressure us too much yet. I believe we can take some time to adapt to being here first," Eliano says with a casual expression.
He falls silent for a moment, then adds, "It is a huge shift from our previous lives. Although I have to admit that since I was basically living in confinement before, I do not feel much of a ‘culture shock’."
I am tempted to ask more about his life, but I bite my tongue. Why get into friendly convos and learn about him when all I plan to do here is figure out how to escape and adjust my actions toward that goal? Getting distracted will not help me.
But how do I fill the sound void?
I’m just about to grab the TV remote when I notice Eliano staring at my forearm, like he’s only now spotting the small tattoo there, ‘Justice for Senu’.
His eyes stay fixed on it, almost glued to the spot, but I keep my expression blank, pretending not to notice it as I turn on the TV.
A studio appears on the screen, with three politicians running for Senate seats, talking and debating while the journalist hosting them asks only moderately probing questions.
I am about to change the channel when Eliano stops me mid-motion. His fingers are warm and dry as he wraps them around my wrist. I swallow, then quickly pull my hand free.
"Wait. I want to hear what they have to say."
"You are into politics? We will not find common ground there," I mutter sourly. "I hate all those idiots and their power games. Politics is filth and corruption."
"True. But I know two of them personally. One is Tim Kellan, and the other is Mark Ferguson. That one is a real snake. I hope they tear him apart here."
We watch the interview for a while, but Ferguson is doing surprisingly well, giving slick, evasive answers whenever things turn sensitive.
"He’s fairly handsome. A lot of omegas might vote for him," I add dryly.
"Is he?" Eliano raises his eyebrows.
I snort. "Not that I care about alphas, just being objective."
"He rapes omegas on the side and beats the crap out of his own husband. Total scumbag. But at least he’s handsome! If people care about looks, his win’s almost guaranteed."
I gape. "What the hell? How do you know?"
Eliano rolls his eyes. "He was Uncle Anzo’s lapdog for a while. We know him. Sadly, he’s leading in the polls. His opponent, Tim, is related by marriage to the Lowens, and that alone hurts his popularity. You know how distrusted the Lowens are, especially Blue."
