Page 58 of Chosen Beta

“It’s just … I need to make a speech in a few days time to the whole academy to clarify all the changes I’ve been making and what they mean for everyone. I’ve been pushing the changes through quickly so the donors wouldn’t have time to react, and Imade sure I have our legal stance cleared first, but I have a lot to explain to the hundred Omegas we have here, and it’s just hit me that they’re not going to understand what I’m doing.”

She looks vaguely horrified as she turns her gaze back to her computer screen.

“They’ve spent their whole lives thinking they’re supposed to meet an Alpha and get mated, and it’s going to look like I’m taking that away from them. I don’t know how to explain things so they know that’s not true.”

I completely get why she’s worried.

It’s definitely a thing with a certain type of Omega.

“Those girls might as well have been brainwashed. I don’t know how you reverse that shit, but if anyone can …”

Her eyes widen in horror. “Oh my God!”

“What? I was joking. Kind of.”

My stomach starts to churn as her panic swirls through me.

Something about what I just said hit a nerve, apparently.

“They might have actually been brainwashed. Warren Corvina was messing with a lot of Omegas, and I can’t be sure he wasn’t using the academy as a testing ground, or something … I need to make a call.”

She pushes her chair back and takes her cell phone out of her pocket.

Looking up, she glances at me, and then Pete, with a pointed look that can’t be mistaken.

She needs privacy for the call she’s suddenly anxious to make.

“Uh, I can drag Pete into the hallway for a few?”

She nods. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” I stumble around the filing cabinet and head over to the sofa, where Pete’s sitting, cell phone still glued to his ear.

He frowns at me when I tap his shoulder, but I nod at him and reach over to tug on his arm.

He gets up and lets me lead him to the door before he stops, clearly less than keen on leaving the office.

Covering his mouthpiece, he asks, “What?”

“Lana needs to make a call. A private call.”

He looks back at her, prompting me to do the same.

She’s gotten up from her desk, and she’s leaning against the door of the storage closet, phone in hand. She waves it at us, and Pete nods at her after a beat, only allowing me to drag him out into the hallway after he gives her a few seconds of his intense stare.

Once the door is closed, he stays right in front of it, a warning to anyone who might think about coming anywhere near us. I give the receptionist a friendly wave across the hall, and I sit down on the bench opposite, to wait for our future mate to finish with her call.

I kind of hope she finishes hers before Pete finishes his.

I really don’t want him to ask why she suddenly kicked us out of her office.

Who would have known brainwashing was an actual thing at this academy?

Chapter Eighteen

Lana

I’m a horrible friend. I know that because I can’t even make myself call Brooke directly, and it’s not because I think she’ll have a hard time talking about her father.

---