She sleeps peacefully, with no ghosts haunting her dreams.
She dresses quickly in the morning, throwing on a pair of fitted black slacks and buttoning up a cream-colored blouse. The smallest amount of eyeliner compliments her hazel eyes, and her chestnut hair is pulled into a high bun. For the final touch, she wraps a black scarf daintily around her neck, careful to cover up her mating gland.
That’s the chip on her shoulder, if she’s being honest with herself.
Most people don’t look at the raised bump of skin, but when they do, she hates the judgmental eyes. She’s grown tired of answering the same questions.
Yes, she’s an Omega. No, she’s not mated.
Not that it’s anyone’s business.
Tying her soul to someone else is not in her best interest at the moment.
As she heads out the front door, she wonders if it will ever be.
The drive is so quick she could have walked and enjoyed the lush scenery, inhaling the crisp air instead of the air freshener in her car. Her temporary identification card allows her through the parking gate with an electronic beep.
She parks and stays in the car, worry gnawing at her stomach.
“What am I doing here?” She whispers to herself.
She had a plan, but now as she stares at the building, broad and overwhelming, she’s starting to second-guess herself.
What is she trying to prove by coming here? That she can empathize, or somehow help unsavable monsters?
What notes would she even give back to Lita?
“Aw, fuck it,” she hisses, opening the car door.
She already came this far, she might as well follow through.
Her kitten heels clack against the sidewalk as she makes her way to the entrance. She slowly makes her way to the front double doors when…
Damn.
There’s a scent that entices her. It’s not too intense, as she has the best suppressants insurance can buy, but it’s quite delicious. It’s potent enough that it makes her stop in her tracks and deeply inhale the aroma.
Alpha.
Without the bustle of the city, Alpha scents don’t blend into a pungent mess. This particular scent sends a thrill throughout her body, causing goosebumps to pebble on her pale flesh.
It’s peppery and rich, with the slightest hint of citrus.
It’s also entirely off-limits.
Get it together. You haven’t even walked inside.
Well, at least she won’t have to work with him. She’s here for Betas only, which gives her enough reassurance to step inside.
The interior of the building is much more sophisticated than she expected. With well-lit walls and cream marble floors, it resembles more of an elite corporate office than of a prison.
It’s also eerily quiet except for the throat-clearing of the guard who sits at the front desk.
Then, it clicks.
This is a private facility.
Only the ones with money go here. Instead of landing in a public prison, their lawyers negotiated a stay here.
Interesting.
The Beta guard behind is anything but impressed as he scowls at her with beady eyes. “Yes?” he barks, his voice raspy and irritated.
Be confident, she reminds herself, standing up straighter. You can do this. “I’m Ellie Winters. I’m here for—”
His grey eyebrows shoot to his forehead. “They sent you?” he asks rudely, dumbfounded. He glances down at a paper in front of him, frowning. “No, no. We have an Elliot Winters.”
She frowns. “No, I accepted the position here. I’m a temporary behavioral—”
“No,” the guard interrupts. “Absolutely not. You can’t be here.”
She scowls and bites back her irritation at his dismissal. “I don’t understand why—”
“Because you’re—” he shakes his head and awkwardly gestures with his hands. “You’re you.”
It’s Lita’s words all over again, this time with the true inflection behind it. They cut into her deeply, her heart pounding inside her chest.
Because you’re an Omega.
She stands up straighter, and the same familiar anger she tampered down before returns.
“So, what’s worse?” she asks him slowly. “You giving me the paperwork for Elliot, or me letting your manager know that you just insinuated I can’t work here because of my status?”
She truly hates playing the Omega card.
The guard wavers for a moment, his chest heaving. Finally, his shoulders droop in defeat. “Suit yourself,” he sighs. “I’ll let Doctor Porter know you’re here. You can take a seat, Miss Winters.”
He picks up the phone and murmurs something into it, scowling.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she sits, trying her best to keep her face neutral.
She wonders if Doctor Porter will be as awful as the guard.
But a distant howl of rage and terror interrupts her thoughts. The sound ricochets off the wall, the unmistakable roar of an Alpha ringing in her ears.
She freezes.
She should have expected it—of course, there’s going to be Alphas here. She already smelled one.
But the sound still chills her to her core, and she bites her lip to keep from shifting uncomfortably.
It’s fine. It’s fine.
The doors to a hallway swing open, and a tall, older Beta man in a white lab coat walks through them. He gives Ellie a gentle smile, and her nerves dissipate. She stands up to shake his hand, and his smile grows wider, his light green eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Ellie,” he says. “I’m Doctor Porter. I hear you’re working with us for the next month? I’m so sorry about the paperwork issue, by the way.”
“It’s fine,” she says, giving him a genuine smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m looking forward to working with your Betas.”
His eyes flick to her scarf, and his smile fades, recognition dawning on his face. “Oh. Maybe it wasn’t clear in our communications. We offered the program for Alpha behavioral studies.”
He thought she was a Beta. Or that Elliot Winters was a Beta.
The silence is uncomfortably long. Ellie tries to find the right words as she stands awkwardly, fighting to keep the horror from her voice.
And unmated Omega working with Alphas is unheard of, not to mention reckless.
“That’s fine,” she insists quickly. “I’ll do it.”
Her voice is two tones higher than it should be, giving away her trepidation.
But Doctor Porter isn’t convinced.
“I’m sorry. I should have been clearer,” he insists. “And you came all this way, too. I’m so sorry about the miscommunication.”
No. No.
She will not turn around and go back home just because she doesn’t want to work with Alphas.
It’s fine. Just as she told Lita, she’s more than capable. There’s no law that saws she can’t, just the unspoken rules and social norms. But she’s too stubborn to change her mind.
She forces a smile and ignores her heart rapidly beating in her chest. “I was actually hoping to work with the Alphas, so this is a pleasant surprise.”
Even the guard looks up from his desk, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
No Omega in their right mind would do what she’s offering. It’s too dangerous.
It’s taboo.
The silence is too long between them. It becomes a staring match, but Ellie refuses to back down.
“If it becomes too much, I will leave,” she insists. “But I would greatly appreciate this opportunity to do research on behalf of my university.”
She knows that the doctor wants to argue with her. But he won’t, unless he wants to be accused of Omega discrimination.
Instead, he clears his throat and reaches over the desk for the paperwork.
“Right,” he says slowly, his brow furrowing. “Okay. Well, I have you meeting with…” His voice trails off as sighs. “Gerard, take her to cell B.”
The security guard clears his throat awkwardly, looking at the doctor in disbelief.
Ellie grows more uneasy by the minute, as both men have a silent conversation in front of her.
Something is off, she thinks.
But Gerard eventually stands up with a pair of keys, motioning for Ellie to follow.
“Before you go, Miss Winters,” Doctor Porter says. “I would join you, but I have other urgent appointments. I will hold you to your word. If at any moment you’re uncomfortable…”
But she flashes him a smile, proud of her victory. “Absolutely. I just appreciate the opportunity, sir.”
Gerard opens the double doors and they step inside the hall.
