“Until you hand me back at the National Assembly,” I whispered, somehow losing my voice. Cole was just another alpha, more confident, but she wasn’t that different from Ashford.
She laughed and leaned away, giving me space enough to breathe.
“Maybe,” she agreed.
“Now what?” I asked. What did she want with me? What was she going to do if I was so unexpected?
“Now, I’ll show you to the guest room.”
She leaned forward and audibly scented me.
“You stink of him,” she told me. “You need to clean up.”
“All I have are the clothes on my back,” I reminded her.
“I’ll take care of what you need, puppy,” she said and straightened to walk past me.
“Don’t call me that,” I protested.
She laughed.
“Follow me,” she commanded as she headed towards the stairs.
“I mean it,” I said as I followed her up the stairs.
Cole stopped and turned to face me at the top of the stairs, towering over me even more as I stayed a step lower.
“It’s almost cute that you think you can make demands of me,” she said, and a chill ran down my spine.
“I wasn’t… I didn’t mean—” I started.
She smiled and trailed off.
“Why are you smiling?” I asked.
“I like watching you squirm,” she answered, and I froze.
“When I was investigating yourpreviousalpha, no one had much to say about you, other than that you were always with him, and you hardly said a word on the journey here. I thought there was nothing much of interest about you, other than the obvious, of course. But now I’m thinking I might have some fun with you,” she explained and turned, continuing down a teal-green hallway with bronze accents and framed family photographs.
It took me a moment for my brain to start up and my legs to follow her.
“The obvious?” I asked, instead of questioning what fun she thought she could have with me.
I didn’t want to entertain whatever she had in mind. I had five weeks before I was back with Ashford. I knew that I had no control over the situation, over Cole, but I did have control overmyself. I wouldn’t be some game for her to use and spit out and send back to Ashford like a chewed-up bone, just another way to use me to humiliate him. It was I who would have to suffer the consequences.
“You’re an omega,” she answered.
I nodded. Of course. The only thing that anyone cared about since my first shift three years ago was my omega status. I was no longer Harriet, no longer my father’s daughter; I was an omega. A weak link for the pack. An embarrassment to my family. A status symbol for Ashford.
“Here is your new room,” Cole interrupted my thoughts as she turned the brass knob handle of a dark-walnut door to reveal a bedroom with softer sage walls. The double bed took up most of the floor space, with light stone-grey bedding and flush pillows.
Cole stepped aside and waved me in.
“I’ll have Chloe fill the wardrobe and closet for you. For now, I’ll find you something of mine to wear. What do you think? Is it comfortable enough?” she said as I touched the bedding. Warm sunlight flooded the space from the tall window.
“It’s perfect,” I told her.
“The bathroom closest to you is the last door on the left. There’s no key for this bedroom, but you can lock it from the inside here,” she said, stepping into the room and closing the door over to show me the turn-key lock. “Fresh towels are in the bathroom. I’ll leave something for you to wear on the bed,” she instructed, pushing the bedroom door back open, silently instructing me to make my way to the bathroom.
