Page 44 of For the First Time
“Sorry about that,” I told Bartholomew.“I’m usually much better about regulating my emotions.”
Atlas mumbled, his face in my neck, “But now I can scent you again.”
I chuckled on a small laugh, a blush rising in my cheeks.
“Are you all right if we continue?”Bartholomew asked.“We can always take a break if you need a moment.”
I shook my head.Or as much as I could with Atlas’s face still pressed into the nook between my shoulder and neck.“I’m good.”
Bartholomew nodded.“Okay then.I want to ask about your relationship with Representative Adam.”
“I don’t have one.”
“You do, actually.It might be an antagonistic relationship, but it’s there.Have you ever met in person?”
“No.”
“So he wouldn’t recognize you if he saw you?”
“I don’t think so?I wasn’t around when he went to Hannah’s home, and he wasn’t at the studio when she did the interview.”
“Would you assume he knows your relationship with Hannah?”
“No.I mean, I make sure not to draw attention to myself when I go over to her place—”
“Wait, you’re still visiting Hannah?”
“Of course, she’s my friend.”
He flips back to an earlier page in his notebook.“What’s her number?I’ll need to reach out to her.”
My back straightens.“Is that really necessary?I’d like to keep Hannah out of this, if we can.She already went through the whole public ordeal.It was really stressful for her and her pack.”
Oaks, who was still by my legs, leaned back to meet my gaze.“Darlin.Have you told your friend what’s been going on?”
Slowly, barely, I shook my head.
“Oh, pet.”That was all Atlas said, his purr growing in intensity.
“I just didn’t want to burden her,” I explained.“Hannah’s been through a lot, and she’s still very much a public persona.And Adam is definitely a sore spot for her.”
“I understand that you want to protect Hannah, but you are the one currently being investigated for abuse and company violations,” Bartholomew said.“My intention isn’t to drag her back into any sort of spotlight.Having Hannah claim that she wasn’t negatively affected by your actions, and even more, that she supports them?That could make a true difference in the outcome of this case.”
My exhale was loud and pathetic.“Could you wait a bit?I should probably tell her first, let her know to expect your call and make sure it’s okay to even give out her information.”
“Sure.”He made some sort of note on his pad.“Let’s talk about your family then.”
My brows furrowed.“My family?Why?”
“Well, I’m interested to know about their designations, how they raised you.”Seeing the confusion still on my face, he continued, “In this situation, designations are going to matter.Representative Adam’s term is coming up for reelection and his newest platform is all about betas being dangerous to packs.Even though the movement ban wasn’t enacted, a majority of his constituents still support his ‘omega protective measures.’That means more than restricting omegas—it means refusing betas as part of a pack.No doubt, he’s using you because he sees this as an easy win.”
“How do we stop him?”Everett asked.
“We take him to court.We make this public.We show off Eve as a beta who defies alphas to protect omegas.We show the corruption in the OC, in Representative Adam.We need to win in the court of public opinion.So ...your family.”
“They...”I don’t even know how to explain it.“They love me.”
“I’m sure they do,” Bartholomew agreed.
