She’s locked in here with him.
She smells his triumph, possessiveness, and lust as he grins.
“I’m sure he’ll claim it was a mistake later,” he says. “But I think Porter had him do it to test me.”
None of this makes sense. He has to be lying.
“How do you know the door is locked?” she asks, feigning indifference, her eyes still searching for Gerard’s face through the small window.
He’s not there.
And Erik just sits on the couch, sprawled out and smiling like the cat who got the cream.
“He locked it when he closed the door, which I thought was odd. My week’s been full of surprises.”
Her heart beats so hard in her chest she’s sure she’ll die.
He’s only moments away from her if he stood up. It would take two long strides before she would be in his arms and his to take or tear limb from limb.
He wouldn’t do that, her inner Omega voice insists. He wouldn’t hurt you.
Wouldn’t he, though? He dismembered three people and didn’t show remorse.
He tilts his head and gives her a crooked smile as he lounges on the couch without a care in the world.
She’s going to throw up.
The dynamic has changed. He’s in control, and they both know it.
“You could always try the door, if you don’t believe me,” he says casually. “But I believe we have an hour until our session is over, and I wouldn’t want to waste precious time.”
He’s teasing her.
But reminding herself of who she is and why she’s at Green Woods, she nods. “I suppose you’re right. And we do have more things to talk about.”
Instead of finding disappointment on his face for refusing to play his game, he looks impressed, and he gives her a genuine smile that steals her breath. “Ask away, Miss Winters. I’m suddenly in a very talkative mood.”
She glances back at her notes and says what was gnawing at her gut. “I’m sorry about the suppressants,” she says genuinely. “If you like, I could talk to Doctor Porter, or even write up a report based on what you told me.”
His smile fades, and he sits up straight. “Ellie,” he murmurs, and his voice sends a chill down her spine. “They do it for a reason. I’m a criminal. It’s what I deserve.”
He states it factually, without a trace of self-pity in his tone.
It’s not right, she wants to insist, but then she remembers where she is.
This is not a foster home or a high school.
She’s locked in a room with a man deemed too dangerous for society.
Now is not the time to be a bleeding heart.
She needs to run out the clock, hoping that either Gerard or Doctor Porter will show up once their hour is complete.
“Right. So—”
“You have a problem with being called an Omega,” Erik interrupts, and she freezes.
He’s not wrong.
“I disagree,” she says calmly, even though she’s panicking on the inside.
“I said it twice to you, rather rudely,” he admits, “but I never expected you to react the way you did. Something about being an Omega truly upsets you.”
“We’re here to talk about you,” she snaps, and he gives her that brilliant smile again.
He found the chink in her armor again.
“There’s nothing wrong with who you are,” he says slowly, his eyes burning into hers. “You’re brilliant. Beautiful. Everything an Omega should be.”
His voice sounds like honey, the words falling perfectly from his plush lips, but she knows she can’t give in to this.
Even though he’s said the words she’s longed to hear from basically…anyone.
You know he’s a liar, a voice inside whispers. If he knew what you’ve done…
And that’s part of what makes her so angry.
Even if he meant the words, they’re not true. They could never be true.
“I’m asking you, respectfully, to please stop talking about this.”
She expects him to laugh at her and keep going. Instead, he narrows his eyes and sighs.
“Alright,” he says, after a long pause. “Alright.”
“Thank you,” she says, and she almost laughs at the absurdity of her thanking him for not harassing her.
Their dynamic is dangerous.
She needs Gerard to unlock the fucking door.
The longer she spends in the room with this man, the longer she wants…
Him.
Her inner Omega fights with her, demanding she move closer to him. Even in his prison scrubs, a dark blue cotton shirt and pants, he’s still disturbingly attractive.
And his scent is phenomenal.
The longer they’re in the confined space, the stronger his scent caresses her. She wishes she could bottle up that scent, spray it all over herself back at the cabin, and…
No.
“You asked me why I did it, last night,” he says suddenly, and her eyes widen. “I’m sure you’ve seen in my file that it was a random act.”
She nods slowly, hanging on his every word.
“It wasn’t, Ellie.”
She holds her breath, her pen trembling in her hand.
“It was revenge.”
There’s too long of a pause as they sit there in silence, his eyes never leaving hers.
He’s telling the truth. She can practically feel it in her bones, but the pen in her hand stays frozen in place. “You don’t have to tell me any of this,” she whispers. “It would be better if you told Doctor Porter instead.”
“You’re the only one I want to tell,” he whispers, leaning forward on the couch. “I have a feeling that maybe you, of all people, might understand.”
It’s a ridiculous notion. She could never, ever understand what he did. How he could dismember three different men and dispose of their bodies in horrific ways.
It was revenge.
What does she know about revenge? Nothing. She’s never taken revenge on anybody. And even if she could…
If there was one person she could take revenge on…
Oh.
And suddenly, that festering, small little voice in the back of her mind screams in agreement.
Yes, she could know a lot about revenge if she tried.
If I could, I would.
“I understand,” she whispers, shocking both of them.
