Page 15 of The Sterling Acquisition
“I needed to—what?” Confusion replaced some of the wariness in Orion’s expression.
“Test me. To see what I’d do when you fought back. Whether I’d revert to Leo’s methods the moment you showed resistance.” Dante’s smile was sharp but not unkind. “Very strategic. I approve.”
Orion stared at him, his eyes wide. His hands slowly unclenched, and he ran one through his hair in a gesture that seemed unconscious—almost vulnerable. His posture shifted subtly, not in submission exactly, but a recalibration of the power dynamic between them.
When he spoke, his voice was rough with barely contained fury, “Well, at least you’re honest about it.”
The smile that followed was all sharp edges and lethal beauty, and Dante realized with crystalline clarity that he was in far more danger than he’d ever imagined. Not from Orion’s teeth or fists or the possibility of physical violence.
But from the way those amber eyes were looking at him like Dante might be the first person in a year to see him as something other than a problem to be solved.
And from the way that look made him want to throw his entire mission plan out the window, risk Gensyn’s wrath, and potentially compromise months of intelligence work—just to see what happened next.
Chapter five
The Oven
Orion
Orionwoketothefamiliar burn of pre-heat crawling under his skin like a repo man’s warning, and his first coherent thought wasfuck, not now.
His cycles had become a weapon over the past year—unpredictable, irregular, sometimes lasting only a day, sometimes stretching for two miserable weeks. Stress and poor nutrition made them impossible to track, which meant Leo could never plan his “claiming attempts” for the optimal window. The Alpha learned to watch for the signs, but Orion had gotten good at hiding them until it was too late.
But this time felt different. Stronger. And he had a sinking suspicion he knew why.
That corporate Alpha. Dante. His scent has been triggering me since he arrived.
His second thought was cut off by the sound of the locks disengaging. All five of them. At 7:30 in the morning.
That waswrong. Leo never came back this early. He left for his morning routine two hours ago, muttering about “innovative approaches” and “promising developments.” The only reason he’d be back now was—
The door burst open, and Leo stood there swaying slightly, still in yesterday’s clothes, reeking of alcohol and desperation. His eyes were wild, unfocused, and when he saw Orion sitting up in bed, his nostrils flared.
“I can smell it,” Leo said, his voice slurred but gaining intensity. “Pre-heat. Finally. After eleven months of missing every fucking window.”
Cold fear shot through him. The condition must have been stronger than he realized if Leo could detect it through his alcohol-soaked senses. “Leo, don’t—”
“Don’t what? Don’t take what’s mine?” Leo stumbled into the room, and Orion could see the desperate edge in his expression. “You think I don’t know what’s happening? You think I can’t smell your heat starting? This is it, Orion. This is my chance.”
“You’re drunk.” Orion scrambled backward on the bed, but there was nowhere to go with his back already against the wall. “You need to leave. Now.”
“Leave?” Leo laughed, high and desperate. “I’ve missed every window for eleven months. Eleven! Every time I catch your heat, you’re already too far gone to claim properly, too violent, too dangerous.” He gestured with his maimed hand. “You remember how I lost these fingers? Trying to claim you during a full heat. And the scars on my chest? Another failed attempt.”
Leo lurched forward, and Orion could see the wild calculation in his bloodshot eyes. “But pre-heat... that’s when you’re still rationalenough to choose. When your biology is starting to want what I’m offering. I’ve been waiting for this moment for almost a year.”
Leo lunged forward, and Orion rolled away, but his condition made him slower than usual. The Alpha’s hand caught his ankle, yanking him back across the bed with brutal force.
“Let go!” Orion twisted, kicking out with his free leg, connecting with Leo’s ribs hard enough to make him grunt.
“You’re going to submit,” Leo panted, hauling himself up Orion’s body with grim determination. “Today. Right now. Before you go into full heat and try to bite my face off again. Before the others start making formal inquiries about claiming rights.”
The mention of other Alphas sent a spike of fear through Orion. He’d heard the whispers, seen the way some of Leo’s colleagues looked at him during the rare times he was paraded around the facility. Martinez from Security with his dead eyes and collection of antique restraints. Richardson from R&D, who talked about Omegas like they were lab specimens. The thought of being transferred to either of them made Leo seem almost tolerable by comparison.
“What others—”
“You think I don’t know about them asking questions? That Richardson’s been sniffing around, making jokes about ‘wasted opportunities’ and ‘assets requiring proper management’?” Leo’s hold tightened on Orion’s wrists, pinning them above his head. “Well, they can all fuck off. You’re mine. This is my window, Orion. The only time your body will want what I’m giving you.”
Orion brought his knee up hard, aiming for Leo’s groin, but Leo twisted at the last second, and the blow caught his hip instead. The Alpha’s response was immediate and vicious—a backhand across Orion’s face that made his ears ring and split his lip.
