Page 42 of Omega Alliance

No, I need to be patient. Calm.

Ready for whatever happens next.

Of course, it's no help when my assistant Ted arrives with a fresh bottle of water and news.

"Have you heard the latest?" he asks, pushing the unopened water bottle into my hand. He delivers my hydration at set times throughout the day to keep my body running at its optimal performance without me having to worry about caring for it. That lets me focus on my work, but today I’m failing to complete even the simplest tasks.

Normally, I enjoy a small break while I drink and chat with him, but today my mind is elsewhere. On Sin and my pack, on what they must accomplish today.

Ted swipes around on his phone and then holds it out to me with an eager expression. He's always so desperate for my approval, the way many betas are. They crave alpha approval, and normally I'm all too happy to give it to him. I bask in their attention and admiration, drinking it all in.

But today is a different story. I wave him off and take a long swig from my bottle.

"Are you seriously not following the news?"

I shake my head and try not to show any outward signs of aggravation.

"Really? I mean, you at least know Sin was kidnapped, right?"

I lower the water now that it's become apparent I won't be able to avoid this conversation.

"I know. I just have a lot on my mind with our upcoming QA audit." It's a lie, but a good one. My mind rarely fails me, and thank goodness for that. "Did they bring her home yet?"

I hate using the oppressor's jargon, knowing how cruel a home they provided, but I need to act as though I'm unaware, as though I don't care much beyond a casual and passing interest. Then again, Ted knows that Pack Thorin is a member of the Omega Alliance, that we watch her. As far as I can tell, he doesn't know more than that—not yet and, if I play my role in this correctly, not ever.

"Still no sign of her," Ted reveals with wide eyes as he slides his phone into his back pocket. "They're saying that someone on the inside may have helped her escape. That maybe she wasn't taken, but that she chose to run. Why would she do that though when there are so many who love her?"

I bite my tongue to keep from speaking. Ted has no idea. He's a beta mated to another beta. If he has any access to Sin at all, it’s infrequent. She’s meant for alphas like me.

"Is this an official statement from the Alliance or gossip from people with too much time and too little knowledge?" I bite out.

Ted grabs his phone again, eager to share what he's learned. He's always trying so hard to impress me. "It's official. They did a press release and everything."

I squint at his phone to verify the source. It does seem real.

"Do you think she was taken or that she left?" he asks, dropping his voice to a low whisper.

"Frankly, I have no idea what's going on. I mean, it all seems so sudden. She always looked happy to me," I lie smoothly, hoping he'll buy it. Inside my heart is beating a furious tempo. Is the OA changing tactics? Why would they release a statement admitting that Sin may have voluntarily left? And what do they actually know?

"That's what I thought too," Ted says, seeming satisfied with himself as he pockets his phone once more. "Oh, by the way, your ten o'clock is early. I have them waiting in your office. So whenever you're ready, I guess."

Damn, that's right. A meeting with investors. I'd totally forgotten about that. Usually they meet with the CEO or someone from public relations, but this time they wanted to come straight to the source—straight to the man responsible for crafting the next big thing in technology before they agree to be a part of it.

It's a smart move, even though I am resentful of them for demanding time I simply don't have these days. Time I won't have until everyone is together again and safe.

I spend a few more minutes sipping my water, steeling myself for the schmoozing ahead. I hate this part of my job and am thankful it's not something I have to put up with frequently.

They'll either invest, or they won't. Honestly, it won't be too hard to find a replacement if they pass. And by then I may be long gone, hiding out with the others after leaving this all behind.

I struggle with that. Knowing that this won't last much longer. That everything I've worked so hard for will simply disappear, that I'm choosing to leave it for the benefit of the pack.

But we are five strong, should Sin agree to join us. I’ll need to find another way to provide, one that doesn't put me directly in the public eye… and the eye of the coming storm.

Knowing I can't avoid this meeting any longer, I plaster on a fake smile and stride into my office. There, I find one man standing by the window admiring the view and another rummaging through the contents of my desk.

"Can I help you find something?" I ask as politely as I can manage, even though I'm seething at the casual invasion of privacy.

"No. We just found exactly what we were looking for," the one behind my desk says.

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