Chapter 9: : Chapter 8

He honestly thought she’d hang up on him.

It was easy enough to get her number, of course. It only took a moment of glancing at Doctor Porter’s notes to commit it to memory.

And when he called…

Well, he wasn’t sure exactly how she’d react.

But he had to hear her voice, even if it contained the same venom she met him with the other day.

And what a fucking surprise when she stayed on the phone with him.

He wasn’t lying about anything that he said. He had been painfully hard when she left, and he shot load after load in the cramped shower, imagining his cum dripping down her face.

But it was another experience entirely to bring her to the edge as well. When she gasped her release, it was all he could do to not growl into the phone.

She needs to show up and see him again.

If she doesn’t, he won’t be able to bear it.

* * *

To his surprise, it’s Doctor Porter that enters the room, not Ellie.

“Good morning, Erik,” he says. “We’re going to my office today.”

He frowns. “Why not here?”

Not that he’s upset, of course. Any reason to get out of this underground hellhole and see some fucking natural light is a bonus.

“Ms. Winters requested you meet in my office.”

He raises an eyebrow, surprised.

“Gerard will be right outside the door. He won’t hesitate to sedate you or worse if you try anything.”

He fights the urge to snort. Gerard is too terrified of him to do anything. It took one snarl and the Beta idiot had jumped backward, eyes wide with fear.

But whatever makes the doctor feel better about the decision is fine with him.

As soon as Gerard and Doctor Porter lead him up the stairs, he smells her. Her essence wafts down the hallways, and he forces himself to walk at a steady pace and not run to her.

His inner Alpha roars, excited at the idea that he’ll be alone in a room with her.

Oh, the things he could do.

She’s so tiny that she wouldn’t be able to put up a fight. And if she’s not wearing that stupid scarf, he’d be able to sink his teeth deep down into her.

He could claim her forever.

But he shakes those thoughts away, even as her scent grows stronger.

He doesn’t want her to hate him. He just wants her to be consumed by him, as he is her.

That’s a fair trade, he thinks.

But as the door to the office opens and Gerard leaves him inside, he realizes he’s obsessed.

With the natural sunlight shining from the window, he can see the gold in her hair, the flush of her creamy skin, and the brightness of her eyes. She sits perched in the desk chair, dressed in a cream blouse and grey pencil skirt.

She’s a fucking angel, and he’s the devil.

Of course, she wears another silk scarf with her hair down, concealing that gorgeous neck.

“Ellie, Gerard will be outside if you need anything,” Doctor Porter says, and he fights back a scowl. It was a warning made for him.

As if he’d ever hurt her. He only wants to give his Omega pleasure, never pain.

Well, maybe a little pain.

He motions towards Gerard. “What, no cuffs this time?”

“Ms. Winters requested you not be cuffed,” the doctor replies evenly. “But if there’s any problem, necessary measures will be taken.”

Ellie’s face remains impassive, but Erik raises an eyebrow at her.

Either she trusts him, or she’s more insane than he is.

“Miss. Winters, are you alright?” The doctor asks.

She gives him a smile, and he feels a stab of jealousy. He wants that smile directed at him and no one else.

“Of course. Thank you again, Doctor Porter. And Gerard.” She says the guard’s name with just a hint of disdain, and he openly smirks.

She doesn’t like him either.

Then, they shut the door, and they’re alone.

Her poker face is incredible as she looks up at him. “Take a seat,” she motions to the couch as she watches him from the desk.

He stares entirely too long at her, looming over the desk, but she meets his look with a blank one of her own.

Damn, she’s good at hiding her emotions.

The only thing that gives her away is a subtle spike of her scent.

Satisfied that he at least has some type of reaction from her, he takes a seat on the couch and almost groans from the comfort.

“I suppose I should thank you,” he starts, and her eyebrows raise. “For requesting to meet here. This is the first time I’ve sat somewhere relatively comfortable in a long time.”

He doesn’t miss the frown as she jots down a few words in a notebook. “Well, I’m glad I could help with your comfort.”

She doesn’t sound glad at all. In fact, there’s no mistaking the fire in her eyes as she looks back up at him.

“I’m glad I could help you with your comfort, as well,” he purrs, and her scent melds with her anger.

It’s delicious. It’s darker, like bittersweet chocolate.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says evenly, and he scoffs.

“Oh, sweetheart, are we both going to lie to each other? I thought we got along pretty well last night.”

He doesn’t miss how she squirms in her seat. “Erik, I’m here to talk about—”

“Don’t lie to me, Miss Winters,” he purrs. “And I won’t lie to you.”

She puts her pen down and sighs, looking up from her notes. “Alright,” she says quietly. “But I will say, last night was a mistake and something I will never do again. I could lose my job. I deserve to lose my job.”

He remains silent, and she continues.

“But two days ago, you asked me why I was here. I came here originally to work with Betas. I study the class differences between Alphas, Betas, Omegas, and their life experiences. Usually, I work with youth. This was my first assignment to a place like Green Woods.”

Interesting.

“So why me?” he asks incredulously. “If you were working with children, why assign yourself to an Alpha inmate?”

She looks away and sighs. “It was an accident,” she says quietly. “There was a miscommunication, and I ended up assigned to you.

There’s a moment of silence as she stares at her notes, refusing to meet his eyes.

“You could leave,” he goads. “You could quit now.”

But he knows she can’t leave.

He made sure of it.

She clucks her tongue and shakes her head. “I don’t like to make a habit of quitting things. We’ve already made it this far. Why not go all the way?”

She realizes her wording, and she blushes. It makes him laugh, and she clears her throat.

“But I do have questions for you, which I should have asked you the first day I was here,” she continues. “And I do owe you an apology for my reaction. It was uncalled for.”

“There are better ways to apologize, sweetheart,” he purrs, and the blush grows on her face. “But I suppose for now, this is fine.”

She rolls her eyes, and he finds himself enraptured as she continues. “I have questions, if you’re willing to answer them. If not, I can just leave for the day, and we’ll try again tomorrow.”

Fuck that.

He’ll sing like a canary and tell her every depraved thought he’s ever had if he could inhale her scent for another minute.

“Fine.” He agrees. “Fire away.”

“Do you think you’re treated differently here as an Alpha?”

She can’t be serious. The question is ridiculous. He almost scoffs at her, but he sees the earnestness in her eyes and the eagerness to learn what she can.

And as impossible as she is, she’s also endearing.

“Of course. There isn’t even a question,” he deadpans. She nods while scribbling down a few notes.

“Can you give some examples?”

His temper flares to life, and he wants to scream.

Well, for one, I’m completely obsessed with the Omega across the room from me.

“I’m pumped full of suppressants against my will.”

She stops writing, and a confused expression crosses her face. “How do you mean?”

“Well, sweetheart,” he says, relaxing back onto the couch, spreading his arms across the back of it. “Every morning, your doctor buddy jabs me full of a military grade suppressant. Which I never asked for.”

He can practically see the wheels turning in her head. There’s a horror on her face as she realizes how unethical the act is. Suppressants are always voluntary, even if most Alphas and Omegas choose to take them. But forcing them upon someone is inhumane.

But clever girl she is, she doesn’t take the bait and question him. Instead, she smooths her emotions back, putting on the same professional mask as before.

“Any other differences?”

Her scent dances around him, speaking to his inner Alpha, and he smiles at her. “I don’t want to take them. They make me a little…off. Make me see things. Maybe do things I don’t want to do.”

He’s toying with her, and it works. That beautiful whiff of her fear speaks directly to his cock. And God, does he like playing this game with her.

It’s too much fun to torture her with words.

She clears her throat. “Does the Doctor know about this?”

But he rolls up his sleeve, ignoring her question. “See this?” He points at a round raised patch of red skin at the top of his forearm. “Gerard gave me that. He’s not the biggest fan of me. But I’m assuming he doesn’t like you, either, since he willingly locked you in a room with me.”

She stops. “We’re not locked in,” she breathes, glancing at the door.

He follows her gaze and smiles when he sees Gerard is missing from his post.