Page 11 of Accept Me (Fate’s Choice #4)

However, what surprised me was how unsurprised he seemed. He acted like this contract was exactly what he’d expected. Like it was just another check on his list. One thing was clear: he was in an unbelievably good mood.

The rest of our time in the office went by ridiculously fast, which I was grateful for. Storm Nolan was way too intense for me, a talking ball of hyperactive joy, and sharing the same space with him was becoming unbearable.

Eventually, he beamed and told us I was his last client of the weekend. All four of his contractees had walked away with new husbands.

"Getting a bonus for that?" Hunter muttered.

"Oh yeah, absolutely," Storm replied without hesitation. The man had no filter whatsoever.

"So that criminal, Salt, he got himself a contract husband too?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. I could hardly believe it.

"Yeah, and a seriously good-looking one! But Salt was kind of a special case. He was part of two programs: Second Chance and the Beta Activation Program. His new husband agreed to take part in the experiment with him."

"Beta Activation? You mean the program to awaken fertility in betas?"

"Exactly. Government-funded. They pair up betas with alphas willing to be part of the trial.

It's an interesting setup, and definitely profitable, no matter the outcome.

Salt had a choice—spend the rest of his life in prison, or try something that gave him a shot at some kind of freedom and maybe having a family. So he went for it."

I didn’t say anything else, but I was honestly surprised. So even a convicted criminal managed to find someone willing to take a chance on him?

Maybe that was a good thing. Everyone deserved a chance. If Salt wanted a partner and a family someday, who was I to roll my eyes or look down on him?

Hunter said nothing. He stayed completely silent.

In the meantime, Storm handed me a tablet showing a wire transfer to my account, approved by Hunter. Then he opened the contract.

As I signed it, I realized something. They shared the same last name. Was it a coincidence?

Hunter’s behavior didn’t suggest any closeness between them, or maybe that was just how he always acted. But I didn’t ask if they were related; it felt like too personal a question.

Like Hunter, I replied in monosyllables to the rest of Storm’s commentary about the contract details. I barely listened. At that point, none of it really mattered anymore.

The contract had been signed. The priority now was sorting out the chaos in my own head. Everything else could wait.

Storm’s omega partner, this small, chubby guy, was watching me with some kind of polite curiosity, but I avoided looking back at him. He seemed way too cheerful, too sunny for the tight, anxious state I was in.

Throughout the whole process, Hunter stayed focused and guarded. He also didn't ask any questions, didn't really react to anything, so we were basically mimicking each other.

Just before we left, once all the paperwork was done, Storm asked me, "Do you have all your belongings with you?"

"No, but I packed everything like you told me to. My courier will bring it tomorrow."

"Excellent! Congratulations to both of you. I’m happy for you and I wish you all the best!" he added, in an official tone that somehow still sounded genuine. He gave Hunter a light pat on the back, which Hunter accepted without the slightest reaction, his face impassive.

Storm’s cheerful farewell followed us to the door. Then, out of nowhere, the matchmaker looked me in the eye and said just one thing.

"Don’t worry, Star. Everything’s going to be fine."

I chose silence. I wasn't the kind of person to believe in optimism too easily. Even though I wanted to.

◆◆◆

As soon as we stepped outside, I scanned the area for Dino, feeling a familiar wave of anxiety. I could feel Hunter glance at me like he wanted to ask if I was okay, but he didn’t say a word.

It was getting cold.

We walked across the parking lot, and I only had on a thin mesh shirt. The chill hit me to the bone. I was carrying my laptop and a small overnight bag, but I had no jacket. I hunched my shoulders, the wind tugged at my long, loose hair, whipping it across my face.

Hunter glanced at me, then slipped off his suit jacket and handed it to me without saying anything.

"I’m fine," I started to say, but he ignored me, took my bags, and kept walking toward the other side of the lot.

So, I put on the jacket. It felt weird, but the wind was sharp. I followed him in silence, surrounded by the scent of his cologne still clinging to the fabric.

Of course, no Allure. But beneath the fragrance of his cosmetics, there was something else my omega senses picked up on. A faint trace of whiskey. Had Hunter been at some kind of party earlier? I had no idea, and I wasn’t about to ask.

We stopped at his car, a sleek Porsche, and Hunter opened the door for me.

So, he had a touch of a gentleman in him, even if I wasn’t exactly the kind of person who fit the part.

We both got in, and he started the engine. He didn’t say a single word.

The silence between us was deep. One might be scared or unsettled by it, but somehow… I wasn’t.

How uncharacteristic of me! Usually super alert and suspicious, now I simply used this time to calm my nervous system.

After a few minutes of driving, somehow, my entire energy seemed to sync with his.

Once again, I could almost sense what was going on in him, under this composed, impassive mask.

It was like I saw two overlapping versions of him: one flat, emotionally muffled…

and the other restless, alive, and buzzing with something I couldn’t quite name.

The sorrow was still there, but now it had moved to the background.

His heartbeat wasn’t entirely steady either. Some reactions can’t be faked. I mean, it was probably to be expected. It’s not every day you sign a marriage contract.

Four years ago, when I was forced into escorting, I trained myself to 'read' the auras of the alphas, but never to the same degree as I ‘read’ Hunter.

Or maybe this was just adrenaline messing with me?

I watched him discreetly, careful not to get caught staring.

He had a strong, clean profile, classically handsome, like a Roman statue sculpted by the hand of a master.

If not for the pale skin and the dark circles under his eyes, he would’ve been stunning.

Masculine, too. His dark auburn hair was thick, no sign of a receding hairline.

My eyes went down to his chest, pressing against the white dress shirt.

Then my gaze dropped even lower, toward his crotch.

Of course, the pants hid almost everything, but the bulge was there, and quite impressive, for sure.

I swallowed hard, and from that moment on, one thought wouldn't leave me alone: Was it going to happen tonight ?

Was he expecting me to fulfill the obligations of the marriage contract?

Sure, Eternals left that choice entirely up to the contractee. But let’s be honest, if he told me to come to his room tonight, it’d feel weird to refuse, even if I absolutely had the right to.

I was also a realist. I knew how men looked at me, especially knowing about my past. I once read an article about alphas who bought contracts from former escorts. Most of them had a high sex drive and just wanted a live-in whore who’d always be ready to spread his legs.

Was Hunter one of those guys? Was that what he expected from this, constant sex?

The questions swirled in my head, but I didn’t have the courage to ask them. Even though I wanted to. Because that idea alone… terrified me.

I never liked sex. In truth… I hated it.

After my stepfather raped me, even the thought of being touched that way was repulsive. When I met Dino, at first I thought maybe he could break the spell, but it only got worse. I just endured it, waiting for it to be over, completely detached, unable to feel any kind of arousal.

It’s not like I was asexual.

Sometimes I felt like my libido wasn’t really low at all, but trauma kept it locked deep inside me. Still, there were days when I woke up with a burning hunger in me that found no relief, crushed under the overwhelming fear of ghosts from my past.

Despite all that, I’d still jerk off regularly, while imagining being with someone I actually loved, someone who cared about me and loved me back.

Unfortunately, that kind of fantasy sex was nothing like what I’d actually lived through. And the idea that I might be returning to that version of reality again, enduring it, gritting my teeth, waiting for it to end, made something inside me lock up.

But what if the fear disappeared? I didn’t have an answer to that.

In a way, I felt sorry for my new husband. Hunter didn’t know he bought a contract for a broken guy. And I was painfully aware it would soon hit him.

We drove in silence for a good twenty minutes.

Eventually, I knew I had to find a way to ease the tension hovering in the air.

I gave it a shot. "So… do you live far from here?" Yes, that was all I could come up with. So creative.

"An hour."

That was it. Shit. I was never good at small talk. I tried to think of something more engaging to say, but I was scared of saying too much, and so much was just waiting to burst out of me.

Fifteen minutes had passed.

How was I supposed to start breaking the ice between us? I felt clueless.

Hunter seemed so closed off, whatever walls he had, they apparently stood even higher than mine.

His hands rested on the wheel. I looked at them out of the corner of my eye. Was there a faint paleness on his ring finger? Had he worn a wedding band before?

Should I ask?

Probably not…

Miles flew by under the wheels.

My feelings stayed a tangled mess, as the reality was slowly sinking in.

This man, sitting silently beside me, had bought my contract. Fucking Eternal!