Page 27 of Chosen Beta

We walk past a gleaming white Lexus, and the guard opens one of the huge wooden double doors at the front of the building.

Pete spits on the ground and mutters under his breath before he follows the guard inside.

A spark of anger is lit inside me as I follow my mate into the grand building.

This is exactly the kind of place I narrowly avoided being sent to when I ran away from home at eighteen. I might joke around a bit, but the fact that these academies still exist boils my blood.

I knew what they were way back when my parents started to talk about them, to prepare me for what was to come.

I’d already heard them discussing what to do with me, on several separate occasions.

I’d never be offered a role in one of my father’s companies, like my elder brothers.

The single Omega in a line of Alphas, I was only worth something to them as a commodity.

One of my Alpha-hole brothers was good enough to let me know when he found out it was about to happen, and I made my hasty escape before it could.

Sometimes I wonder if Shayne might have been trying to be a good brother, but the look of disgust he wore at the thought of coming across me at one of the academy events seemed to indicate he’d prefer not to have his embarrassment of a brother show up when he was out chasing pussy.

“This way,” the guard says as he opens a second set of doors.

It’s a small, enclosed entranceway, and I can see it’s been renovated recently.

“This must be where the fire was started.”

When I look up, I see the guard watching me with suspicious eyes.

“Like I’m the only one to ever mention it,” I mutter, following Pete with him into the building.

I thought it looked huge from the outside, but the tiled hallway is cavernous.

Some people have way too much money, and it shows.

The hardwood reception desk seems small in comparison to its surroundings, but it’s more like something out of a hotel than an office.

The woman behind the desk stands up and gives us a warm smile.

“I can take it from here, Harry.”

The guard nods slowly and exits the same way we came in.

That’s when I realize the red head is dressed like she’s headed to the kind of party we’d have to wear a tuxedo to get into.

“You must be Ms. Cole’s visitors,” she greets us. “Follow me.”

I’m not sure who she’s talking about, but I’m guessing there’s a whole procedure we’re supposed to follow in order to be allowed to visit our mate.

It’s typical rich people bullshit.

Our lead Alpha is out here helping these people out of a jam, and they’re going to scrutinize us for having the gall to come out here asking for the chance to see him in the flesh.

The overdressed Omega moves a little faster than I would have expected, high heels clicking with every step on the tiled flooring. She leads us to the left.

Pete rolls his eyes and only follows her after I do.

She doesn’t take us too far.

The door she stops at is just off the main hallway in a corridor that’s a little darker and less impressive than the main reception area. The bench across from the door looks like something that belongs outdoors, and there’s nothing fancy about the white-painted walls.