Page 35 of Ruined Beta

Maybe that popcorn was bad.

Or the side effects of my pain pills are kicking in.

Something’s not right here.

I’m standing in front of two Alphas in an enclosed space, and instead of feeling nervous about what they might do, I’m thinking there are all kinds of things I’d like them to do.

It’s nerves making you feel weird, that’s all.

Pull yourself together!

Neither of these guys want to fuck you or kill you.

I’m a dull, boring Beta, and all I’m here for is a job opportunity.

The self-talk helps, but neither of them seem to want to start the interview.

E.A. stares at me for a long moment before he stands up and gestures to the chair opposite him.

“Please. Sit.”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Spencer adds.

The tension in the room isn’t all on me, then.

For some reason, the action movie hero isn’t pleased.

I sit down, and E.A. does the same before he glances over at Spencer.

“Sit down or leave.”

He doesn’t sound like he particularly cares which option Spencer picks.

Right now, I’d prefer it if he decided to leave.

He frowns harder before he tugs the chair next to E.A.’s off to the side of the desk and sits down.

“Don’t mind my partner,” E.A. tells me. “He thinks I’m being a prick, but he doesn’t know I had no intention of being dishonest with you about this job.”

Oh my God. Does everyone in this city think I’m an asset because I was Frank Palmer’s last victim?

I sink back in the seat. “Don’t tell me. You only want to hire me because of what happened to me?”

“I told you this was messed up,” Spencer growls at his partner.

E.A. gives me a cold smile. “I’m going to make you an offer, and I think you’ll want to take it.”

“What’s the offer?” I ask, ready to get up and leave.

“Help us bring down the biggest human trafficker in the country,” he starts. “I know your sister and her friends are working to make the Omega academies safer, but until we can stop the traffickers, every Omega is at risk no matter where they are or how safe they seem.”

The blood drains from my face. He knows about Secret, and he’s using her status as an Omega to threaten me. It doesn’t matter if he’s asking me to help with something that sounds worthwhile. He’s also making it clear he knows what will hurt me if I don’t say yes.

“You’ll stay the fuck away from my sister,” I snap back at him, pushing the chair back as I get to my feet. “Or I’ll make sure you go out the same way Frank Palmer did.”

I march out of there, so angry I could hit something.

Or someone. I step out onto the street, and I see the blue haired guy from yesterday morning coming toward me, with a baseball cap in his hand. He looks up and I smack him in the stomach with my purse.