Page 42 of Heat Me

"Will you at least give him a heads-up before the auction?"

"Of course. Rest assured, we’re not forcing him into anything. Salt voluntarily joined the program and signed a contract granting us significant authority in finding a match for him. We’ll make sure he’s informed and shows up for the fair."

I hesitated, unsure if I should push further. "Salt’s also part of another program, isn’t he? To find the right match, I’d need details about that too."

The handler sighed. "Yes, we’ve shared all relevant information with Mr. Ragu. Salt is also enrolled in the Beta Activation Program. You can look it up if you need more specifics."

"Oh, I don’t have to. A guy I used to f—uh, I used to know told me all about it. It’s a pretty controversial program."

Yeah, Finn—my brother Winter’s ex that I hooked up with a few times in the past—had told me all about this government program. It was meant to make betas reproductively viable, but it was a PR nightmare.

The handler let out an awkward chuckle. "Well, yes. Beta Empowerment groups have called it a ‘beta annihilation program’, and it has sparked protests, riots, and even physical attacks on those involved in its creation. But that doesn’t concern us. Salt simply wants to avoid staying in prison, and this program, along with the Second Chance initiative, are his two paths forward—one or the other."

"Got it. We’ll see what we can do. Attending the fair could really help his situation."

"I agree. He’ll be there."

And that’s where the conversation ended, though I still felt a twinge of guilt. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should talk to the guy. I even pulled up his photo. He looked like someone who valued independence, and I couldn’t help worrying this whole situation might feel humiliating for him—but I didn’t have much choice.

Something in my gut told me he needed to be at the auction.

At least the first two calls had gone smoothly.

The next one was even easier. Darien Ferro, the mobster's widower, agreed to meet me tomorrow afternoon without any fuss.

The surrogate, Day Sanderson, was a little less friendly, but like Ferro, he agreed to meet me one hour later. Thankfully, they only lived about fifteen minutes apart by car, so it wouldn’t be a huge hassle.

After a moment of hesitation, I decided to check out the profile of the alpha Mr. Ragu had included in the email. His contract wasn’t up for five weeks, so there was still time. But something about it made me curious enough to click.

When I opened it, my jaw nearly hit the floor.

I knew him.

It was Gabriel Nolan—one of my cousins.

What the fuck?

I blinked, staring at the picture on the screen, stunned.

We weren’t close.

Gabe was younger than me, still in college, and we didn’t really have much of a relationship. But he was family, no question. I knew he’d gotten into serious trouble recently with an eco-activist group. A few weeks ago, he’d been arrested after one of their protests spiraled out of control. Honestly, I hadn’t paid much attention to it—I wasn’t close enough to Gabriel, and I had my own mess to deal with. Plus, when I was in court over my issues, he didn’t bother to call me either.

Gabe had a background in martial arts, mostly kickboxing, so the group had used him as their muscle—a bodyguard or enforcer. As I read further, I was shocked to learn, he and his friends had destroyed one of Malden Pharmaceuticals’ labs. Millions of dollars in damages.

But that wasn’t the worst part. They’d started a fire in one section of the building, not realizing the cleaning staff were still inside. They’d endangered several people’s lives.

When it came to sentencing, Gabriel was given a choice: go to prison or join the Second Chance program. Just like Salt, this meant he could attend the marital contract fair, and if paired with someone, he’d be under house arrest with an ankle monitor for a few years.

I stared at the screen, trying to process it all. For some reason, my instincts told me this upcoming fair wasn’t right for him. The one in two weeks seemed like a better fit.

Still, the situation bothered me enough to call Nathaniel—he was always more in tune with family stuff than I was.

He picked up right away, and after I explained everything, he said, "Yeah, Gabriel’s situation was rough. Six people ended up in the hospital, some with serious burns. The property damage was no joke either. Uncle Van was able to get in touch with Blue Lowen, the CEO of Malden Pharmaceuticals,thanks to Winter's mediation. They practically begged him for mercy. Lowen surprised everyone by agreeing to let Gabe into the Second Chance program instead of sending him to prison. It saved his life, honestly. Now he has a shot at finishing his degree online. He’s only got a year left. If he’d gone to prison, it would’ve wrecked him. You know how sensitive and anxious he is."

Indeed, Gabriel was quite anxious. At family gatherings, he always stayed in the corner, avoiding attention. I rarely spoke to him—my energy seemed a bit much for someone as shy as he was.

After hanging up, I remained puzzled. My relationship with my family was rocky, especially with my brothers, who had intense personalities, some volatile, but Gabriel was different. He wasn’t the type to get into trouble. Quiet, timid boy, always in the corner? It didn’t add up. Why had he let himself spiral like that? Almost ruining his life and education?

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