Page 27 of The Beta's Bargain

“Nyx, may I call you Nyx?”

I give Falcon a tight nod.

“You have to understand that should this plan of yours succeed, you will lose him.”

I stare because he’s crushed me, with words, he’s just crushed me. And he knows it, and he doesn’t care.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because we are the most prominent pack in Silver Falls. Our lives and the expectations are lined out for us. You don’t belong here.”

I laugh. “So, I can’t be friends, then?”

“Of course not. That would be unseemly.” Falcon states coldly. “So, now you know our terms.”

It’s not a hard decision. Staying with me means alleyways and clothes with holes. It means hunger. Being with them would give him the world. Not just wealth but love. “I’ll help you fix things with him.”

“Thank you,” Grayson says, and I think he means it wholeheartedly. Silas flicks the screen off, and it retracts into the roof.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to go-“

“How are you doing this?” Silas asks, mirroring me and standing.

The lift door opens, and Dylan springs into the penthouse. He spots me and stalks to my side immediately.

“Sit down, Dylan. We’re not harming her.” Falcon says in exasperation.

“Or firing her.” Grayson adds with a wink.

His scowl is so fierce. Am I wrong? Are these alphas bad people? They don’t feel bad, just spoiled. Their workers adore them. The wages are incredibly generous. I’ve never heard any rumours of any wrongdoing on their behalf.

“We’ve offered Nyx a position on our research team. It’s permanent. She will travel to all our hotels and see how customer satisfaction can be improved, but she’ll start with this event.” Silas explains.

It’s an incredible offer for someone like me. Why don’t I want anything to do with it?

“She gladly accepted and signed the papers.” Grayson says. He still hasn’t unfurled from his lazily reclined position.

Dylan looks at me, searches my eyes for the truth, and I think he sees my secret, but then he just ignores it.

“What did you do to her? What did you offer her?” Dylan’s deep voice trembles with fury.

Falcon stands up and throws his hands in the air. “You’re going to believe the worst of us no matter what, aren’t you? So, go ahead, believe it. We made her cry. We threatened her job. Her sister. Her home. We made her sob and hate herself. She’s so traumatised she wants to run back to the hovel she calls home, with its flickering street light and broken windows, and hide under her lilac woolen blanket, with its rat-gnawed holes, until she thinks we’ve gone away.”

My attention snags and hooks on the alpha. My heart is pounding now. There’s a creepy feeling of violation turning my blood to ice.

His gaze tears from Dylan and lands on me, and for the first time since I’ve known him, Falcon Treyfield looks like he can’t believe what he just said. He appears lost for words and shocked at himself.

I cross to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. “Did you go into my house?” I hiss.

He shuts his jaw with a snap. My ire raises as I stare at the guilty tic in his jaw.

“Do you do that with all your employees?” I ask, only a fraction louder.

A shiver runs up my spine, and I stiffly walk away from him. I stare out the window, looking at the rolling forests and the blue, blue sky. So perfect from this pane of glass.

“It would be easier for them to report their findings and help us with the event if they stayed in the guest suite. It would also help with contest winners getting the platinum rooms as a reward.” Grayson drawls out.

I want to stab him with a pencil. In the eye.

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