Page 64 of Lonely Alpha

The man looked at me. That one was an alpha, his eyes holding something that bordered on warmth, but was still oddly cold. “The seers will be the ones to prove that, Miss.”

My arm was grabbed again. This time the beta hustled me out without pause, barely giving me time for my head to stop spinning. I couldn’t tell if that was the alcohol or the situation. I did know that Leighton was doing her very best to send me soothing emotions through the bond, trying to tell me everything was going to be OK.

It didn’t feel like it was going to be, and with every step away from her I grew twitchier with the desire to stab someone.

My alpha needed to be with me. I didn’t like it when she wasn’t.

“Where are you taking Leighton?” I asked the beta man.

He looked over his shoulder at me. We were wandering down the hallway away from the chaos, headed for the elevator. “She’s going to be questioned. Did she coerce you into the bond?”

I shook my head vigorously. The slight sloshing of my brain was absolutely a result of the alcohol. Considering my first time getting drunk was ending like this, I wasn’t keen on repeating the experience anytime soon.

“She didn’t. At all. I gave her permission—she didn’t even want to bond me at first, but I asked for it.”

“They’re going to ask you that question again and plenty more at the Institute. This is for your safety. It’s taken very seriously if a normal omega is coerced into a dark bond.”

“There was no coercion.”

“If that’s the case, I’m sure the Institute will determine it.”

He didn’t say anything else. I didn’t trust the Institute. Not with who my father was. His ties to alphas and omegas weren’t that strong, but he did have some. Was it enough to steal me out from under the Institute’s thumb?

Why was I alone with this guy, anyway? Shouldn’t I have an entourage of more than one person?

Heart pounding, I stopped abruptly. The beta man almost pulled me over when he kept going for a couple extra seconds. “Is something wrong?” he asked, his eyebrows drawing together.

I couldn’t trust him. I couldn’t trust anyone.

“Let me go.”

He did, which was points in his favour. I backed up. “Can I go to the Institute myself?”

“I need to escort you…”

“An escort isn’t necessary,” I said.

“Miss, it’s my job.”

I bit my lip, glancing back over my shoulder. They hadn’t taken anyone else out of the unit yet. Were they waiting for me to get downstairs? Did they expect Leighton to influence my answers to questions? It was a good protocol to have in most situations, but it was causing panic to creep up my spine.

My hand was resting on Nyla again. They hadn’t checked me for weapons. I guessed it was because I wasn’t considered a threat… but I was.

I’d stabbed Ambrose.

Killed Jonathan.

“I want Dash to come with me.” I wasn’t sure who I was going to ask for until the words came out.

The beta man lifted an eyebrow. “That’s against the rules.”

“I don’t care. I’m not going unless I have him.”

He pressed a button on the radio clipped to his vest. “She wants Dash Loranger. Won’t leave without him. Please advise.”

Dash strolled out of the condo a minute later, a grin on his face. He was still acting that goofy amount of tipsy, but I was sure he’d sobered up from the panic the same way I had.

Or maybe not. He didn’t seem to feel things like panic.

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