Page 46 of The Sterling Acquisition
“No.” The single word was sharp, almost panicked. Orion shifted again, maintaining the maximum possible distance between them in the confined space.
“Look at me, Orion.”
“I said no. Just... just go away.” Orion’s hand shot out in a warding gesture, fingers trembling in the harsh fluorescent light. “We’re done here.”
The words came out strained, almost desperate, and something about that raw edge cut through Dante’s frustration. This wasn’t indifference—it was self-preservation. Orion was trying to get rid of him, not because he didn’t care about the information, but because he couldn’t handle Dante’s presence.
Dante moved to where he could see Orion’s profile and felt his breath catch.
Christ. No wonder he wants me gone.
Orion was a complete disaster—sweating, pupils dilated, skin flushed with heat that had nothing to do with the temperature. He was trembling with the effort of staying still, his breathing controlled in a way that suggested he was fighting his body’s responses with every ounce of willpower he possessed.
Dante felt something shift in his chest, but it was overshadowed by the realization that his rut suppressants were failing. The ones that kept him steady and controlled for years were dissolving under the assault of Orion’s scent.
“Is this your heat?” he asked, his voice rougher than he intended.
“No.” Orion’s laugh was bitter, strained. “Not yet.”
Not yet.Dante stared at him, processing what that meant. What on earth did his full heats look like?
This is the worst pre-heat I’ve ever seen, he thought, watching Orion tremble with the effort of staying still.But then again, I’ve never seen a twenty-six-year-old unclaimed virgin. It must be a pre-heat from hell.
And Christ help him, he kind of wanted to get burned.
Chapter fifteen
Hands-On Management
Orion
OrionheardDantemovetoward the door and felt a mix of relief and desperate panic. Relief because the man’s presence was making everything worse and made his skin feel too tight. Panic because some primal part of his brain was screaming that letting the Alpha leave was the worst possible decision.
Stop. Stop thinking about it.
But he couldn’t. The pre-heat was making every memory into a vivid fantasy, every fantasy into desperate need. His body was betraying him at the worst possible time, when he needed to be thinking about forced bonding technology and escape plans.
Instead, all he could think about was how good it felt to stop fighting for those few minutes. How perfectlyDante’s hands had fit around his wrists, how the weight of him made Orion feel small and protected instead of trapped.
Protected. God, he was losing his mind.
The sound of footsteps stopped, and Orion realized Dante hadn’t left.
“You need to go,” Orion said without looking up. “Before Leo gets back.”
“If you’re still acting like a hostile little brat when Leo returns, it’s going to reflect poorly on both of us,” Dante said, his voice closer than it should have been. “He’ll think my consultation methods aren’t working.”
“Your consultation methods,” Orion repeated bitterly. “Right.”
“More importantly, he’ll think you’re not responding to behavioral modification, which means he’ll be more open to Morrison’s timeline acceleration.”
That got Orion’s attention. He looked up to find Dante leaning against the wall, arms crossed, studying him with an expression that was part concern and part predatory interest.
“You can’t think straight like this,” Dante continued. “How are you supposed to play the compliant pet when you can barely function?”
“I’ll manage.”
“No, you won’t. Look at yourself.” Dante pushed away from the wall, moving closer. “You’re a mess. Leo’s going to take one look at you and know something’s wrong.”
