“Senator Salisbury says—” again, Chester stopped. He shook his head and brushed his hand through the air. “It’s a feature people agree to when they download the app,” he said quickly. “But it doesn’t matter. It only has good uses. And once Senator Salisbury is elected governor?—”
“Which you’re helping him with by, what, donating millions to his campaign?”
“It’s all legal,” Chester said, starting toward me again.
I wavered, caught between wanting to flee and wanting to know more about the connection between Chester and Salisbury. Every instinct within me said that something nefarious was going on and that Chester had spilled more than he was supposed to.
“The future is bright,” Chester said, smiling his mostly fake smile as he inched closer to me. “I’m going to be on top of the world soon, just like I’ve always wanted to be. And who knows? Maybe the omega I was once bonded to can have a place at the top with me.”
I didn’t move fast enough. I was still trying to figure things out as my proximity to Chester shorted out my brain. I didn’t see that he was reaching for me until he touched my arm.
The effect was instant and powerful for both of us. The severed end of my bond flared with white-hot pain, but at the same time, something deep and instinctual inside of me tried to reach for him, tried to push past the void to cling to the alpha who had once been mine.
I screamed, and if I wasn’t mistaken, Chester did, too. My head felt like it was about to split open. I grabbed both sides ofmy head and sank to my knees as my inner omega started to throw himself at the invisible barrier within me over and over.
“My god, are you okay? What’s going on in here?”
I snapped back to reality as Steve slid an arm around my shoulders and tried to help me to stand. The conference room was filled with half my team, including Amelia. Chester was still there, too, kneeling on the floor with his hands gripping his head, the same as me.
“Mr. Monk?” Amelia asked. “Are you alright?”
“I…I need to go,” Chester said, pushing himself to stand and rushing out of the room.
As soon as he was gone, I felt better. The farther away he got, the more my head cleared up. Gingerly, I felt to see if our old bond had somehow reformed, but the sever was as sharp and bleak as ever.
I’d never been so relieved in my life.
“Should we call one of the medical staff?” Steve asked as I stood.
“Should we call security?” another team member asked.
“No,” I said, shaking my head, although that made me feel queasy. “No, it’s fine.”
“What happened?” Amelia asked, coming over to take my other arm as the meeting room cleared out. She and Steve helped me sit in one of the chairs instead of taking me back to my office. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I…I know what happened, but I don’t feel up to explaining it right now,” I said.
I noticed Amelia and Steve exchange a look over my head.
“Please, I’m fine,” I said, feeling like I’d run a marathon. “I think I just need some quiet.”
“Take the rest of the day off,” Amelia said.
“No, I just need a few minutes,” I insisted.
“Take the rest of the day,” Amelia said, firmer.
I glanced miserably up at her. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
“Okay,” I caved. “Just…just let me sit here for a bit.”
“Do you need a glass of water?” Steve asked.
I smiled. “That would be great.”
I didn’t care about water, but I knew saying that would get Steve to leave the room.
Once he was gone, Amelia crouched in front of me. “Honey, if you’re in danger in any way,” she started.
