Page 65 of The Sterling Acquisition
Leo stepped forward reluctantly, tugging at his cuffs and avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.
“Your contractual acquisition window expires in seven days,” Morrison continued as he prepared the injection. “After that period, any Alpha in SVI territory can enter the competitive acquisition process for this asset. Given the subject’s... unique pheromonal profile... I anticipate extremely aggressive bidding parameters.”
“I’m aware of the timeline,” Leo muttered, a muscle jumping in his jaw.
“Are you equally cognizant that your quarterly performance evaluation coincides with this deadline?” Morrison’s tone remained pleasant, but there was steel underneath. “If you desire to maintain both your current employment status and your domestic asset, you’ll authorize completion of this enhancement procedure.” He gestured at the syringe. “Otherwise, you’ll be pursuing alternative career opportunities while a more capable Alpha enjoys the benefits of a perfectly synchronized Omega.”
Leo’s face went ashen, but he nodded, fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides.
Morrison turned back to Orion with the syringe. “This accelerant will optimize your biological systems for full reproductive receptivity.”
“Don’t touch me with that thing,” Orion snarled, struggling against the guards’ grip.
Morrison ignored him and jabbed the needle into his arm before he could pull away. The injection burned going in, and within seconds Orion could feel something changing in his body—heat spreading through his bloodstream, his skin becoming even more sensitive, slick production increasing.
No. No, not like this.
“Fuck you!” he screamed, sudden energy flooding his system as the artificial heat triggered every fighting instinct he had. “Fuck all of you!”
He threw himself sideways, breaking free from one guard’s grip and using his momentum to slam his head backward into the nauseous guard’s face. The man staggered back with a shocked cry, and Orion grabbed a handful of his tactical vest, twisting to drive his knee into the guard’s groin.
The guard collapsed with a high-pitched whimper, curling into a fetal position as his face drained of color.
“Jesus Christ,” someone said from the doorway.
Orion looked up to see two more guards entering the apartment, probably called by neighbors who had heard the commotion. They stopped short when they saw the scene—one guard bleeding from his face, another writhing on the floor, and Orion standing over them with murder in his eyes.
“We always thought Leo was just weak,” one of the new guards said. “Didn’t realize...”
“Realize what?” Orion demanded, breathing hard. “That maybe Leo’s the problem, not me?”
Morrison was pulling another syringe from his bag, this one larger and filled with something that looked like liquid silver. “We need to establish an intravenous delivery system for the bonding catalyst.”
IV line. Which means they need me still for several minutes.
“Your enhanced biological state will create unprecedented satisfaction,” Morrison said, his voice taking on an almost parental tone. “The bonding catalyst establishes genuine neurochemical attachment pathways—not merely physical compliance, but comprehensiveemotional synchronization. You’ll experience fulfillment beyond anything in your previous existence.”
“Fulfillment,” Orion repeated flatly. “Fulfillment through chemical lobotomy.”
“Fulfillment through biological purpose optimization,” Morrison corrected. “Satisfaction derived from proper hierarchical integration. Contentment through—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Orion interrupted. He was running out of time and options, but there was one card he hadn’t played yet. One guaranteed way to make Leo lose his goddamn mind.
Hit him where it hurts.
“This whole thing is pointless anyway,” Orion said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. “Your bullshit bonding chemical isn’t going to work. Not on me.”
“The catalyst demonstrates ninety-seven percent efficacy across all test subjects—” Morrison began.
“Not when someone else got there first.” Orion looked at Leo, whose face was already starting to change. “Your corporate spy friend? The one you’ve been letting into my room for ‘consultations’? He already made me cum. Made me beg for it. And I loved every fucking second of it.”
Leo went white, then red, his hands clenching into fists.
“Even when you were just a few rooms away,” Orion continued viciously. “Even when I could hear you stumbling around drunk, pissing yourself because you can’t handle basic Omega management. He had his hands all over me, and I was wet for him in a way I never could be for you.”
“You’re lying,” Leo whispered.
“Am I? Ask him,” Orion taunted, seeing the last threads of Leo’s control unraveling. “Ask your helpful consultant how tight I am, how I taste—”
