Page 90 of In Control

“Then we’ll sort the motherfucker out. Ensure they never bother you again.”

I’m holding on here, holding on to every last piece of restraint. The thought of some piece of scum writing her poison, threatening her. I can’t let it happen. She’s mine. Mine to protect and …

I close the space between us. I lean into her, my hands coming to rest on the counter either side of her body. She’s caged. Trapped. She’s not going anywhere until she tells me. Until I sort this for her.

“Sophia,” I say, pain in my voice. “Tell me who it is.”

Her eyes turn molten under my stare and there’s that pull between us, like orbs in space, unable to resist each other’s gravity.

Her chest rises and falls. She opens her mouth to speak. Then pauses.

“It’s complicated.”

“I’ll put it all right.” I try to read what’s behind her hesitation.

Her hands lift into the air between us, for a moment I think she’s going to reach up and touch me, but then her hands fall away.

“Esra,” she says, “I can’t tell you because I don’t trust you.”

I stumble away. I feel like she just slapped me hard across the cheek. Fuck, I deserved it. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Doesn’t mean it stops the anger from boiling in my gut.

I’m trying to help her. I’m trying to protect my omega and my pack.

“And you don’t trust Roman enough to tell him either, yet you’re sleeping with him.”

She scowls at me, her chin lifted in defiance.

“Why are you sleeping with my pack?” I spit. “Why are you pursuing them? What the fuck do you hope to achieve? If you think it’s a way to worm into my life …”

“Don’t flatter yourself, professor.”

“You know what, Sophia? I don’t trust you either. I won’t let you fuck with us. Stay away from my pack. Stay away from my omega. Keep whoever your psycho stalker is away from them too because if you hurt them …” I swallow. “If you lead trouble to our door …”

“You’ll what?”

“Don’t test me.”

“Fuck you, Esra! I’m not who you think I am!”

She storms out of the kitchen, her trainers squeaking on the lino, pushing straight past me and out the door.

Good.

Good fucking riddance.

That girl is trouble. That girl will rip apart our already fragile pack. This is for the best. The others will be pissed but when I explain …

Yeah, when I explain …

Except, unease brews in my veins and I can’t stop thinking about the way her fingers had strayed towards my heart.

Fuck.

20

Sophia

Somehow I makeit through the rest of the day. Scott eyes me with suspicion from the other side of our shared office. Obviously deciding I look too volatile to actually risk spoken words, he sends me an instant messenger instead.

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