Jessica’s lips were parted as she listened to the shortened version of my story that maybe didn’t even make sense as it flowed from my lips in a waterfall of anger.

“I was happy–happy enough,” I muttered through clenched teeth and tears. I thought I was mad before after all this time, but this, this for some reason took the cake. “And then alphas ruined it. You ruined it. But luckily, soon whether I want to be or not, I’ll be off your caseload and out of your hands, but you won’t forget me. I’m certain of it. I hope I haunt your dreams, Omega Handler Jessica. You’ll haunt mine.”

Chapter

Twenty-Two

ELLA

“Hey, are you okay?” Lucas asked, catching me as I fell into him. Somehow he made it back into my room, just where he told me that he would be when I made it back to the academy. I wondered now how he got inside so easily, especially now when I knew that it wasn’t that no one was catching him.

More than a few people were watching us. But at least here, in this room hopefully, we were safe. Alone.

For now.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Sh. It’s okay. What can I do?” Lucas said. “It was bad, wasn’t it?”

I felt… so defeated. “Nothing, we can do nothing.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“He’s going to take everything,” I said.

“No,” Lucas repeated, rubbing his hands over me as we held onto one another.

I wouldn’t–no, I couldn’t go to Benjamin and give him everything I was.

I would live a life of solitary confinement and pain and sadness under Ben.

But I would not let him have me.

Not ever.

Because Lucas was right. Omegas deserve to have their choice in their life. All of them.

And I was at least going to get one. “Lucas.”

“Yes?”

“I… I need you,” I said.

“I’m right here.” He squeezed me tighter as if to prove it, but that wasn’t what I was talking about. No, I needed him in a way I never had needed anyone before. Wanted sure, but this was different.

Maybe I was hormonal and alone and afraid, but after twenty-some years of my life, I never felt more calm standing in front of an alpha and saying the words that were about to come out of my mouth. Because at last, I could say them.

I was an omega.

I was standing in front of my scent match of all people. Of all alphas.

And I wanted him to have all of me. I wanted all of him. Because I refused whether it was in heat or not for Benjamin Davinson to have one more piece of me.

“No,” I said, trying to form the right words. “I really need you.”

“Are you okay? Are you having a heat flash?” Yep he knew everything now, didn’t he? Nothing like a little omega-in-trouble scenario to really bring out the alpha and me to completely dive into the omega I was.

I shook my head. Oddly enough, I wasn’t having a heat flash. At least, no more than I normally was around him and his scent that seeped into my pores like the best drug ever. It sure beat out suppressants, that was for sure.