Page 118 of In Doubt

“Exactly. It’s right, and he is wrong,” I snap. “So who gives a rat’s arse.”

“You will, Mr Grantham, when he destroys your career.”

I scoff.

“I’m serious. The man controls funds and institutions. He’s on the editing board of many of the academic journals. If you make an enemy of him, he will make your lives incredibly difficult.”

“But his theory is wrong. If we show him the evidence and–”

The professor shakes her head. “I’m very sorry, Miss Martinelli, that’s not how it works.”

“But it should work that way. It’s what you taught us. New evidence comes along and we have to re-evaluate, amend our theories. You’ve done it yourself. Breaking new ground. Changing the way people think.”

“I have. But I had to tread my path through this career carefully. Decide which theories were worth pursuing and which I would be better off dropping quietly.”

I stare at the professor. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. She’s always been so bullish, so radical. She’s encouraged us to be the same.

“You said we are working for the pursuit of truth,” Giorgie says, the enthusiasm draining from her voice, and my anger rising tenfold hearing her disappointment.

“The world is a more complicated place. I’m sorry to disappoint you both. There will be other opportunities. Other discoveries. It’s clear one of you will earn top spot on this course and when you work for me–”

Giorgie snaps up her notes. “I don’t want to work for you.”

She strides away.

The professor watches her go.

“I’m sorry, Giorgie feels that way,” she sighs. “But it means that spot is wide open for you–”

“I don’t want to work for you either. Not if it means sacrificing my integrity, not if it means throwing away Giorgie’s discovery.”

And before she can answer, I follow my omega straight out of that tent, blood pounding in my ears.

31

Giorgie

“Giorgie, wait up!”

I spin on my toes and find Jake jogging my way, swerving around trenches in the ground and men wheeling wheelbarrows of dirt.

“Are you alright?” he asks as he halts in front of me.

“No!” I spit, my blood bubbling with rage. “No, I’m not. Everything I worked for, everything I believed, it was all for nothing.” Hot tears sting at the back of my eyes, threatening to fall down my cheeks.

“It wasn’t for nothing, Giorgie–”

“It was, Jake, you can’t sugar coat this into something it’s not.” I swipe at my cheeks. “My theory is right, we both know it, so does the professor. Fuck, probably even that dick Lichenstein does.” He nods, his brow crinkled in concentration, his gaze locked on mine. “But this is what life is like for omegas like me, Jake. We get fucked, fucked over all the time. No matter how hard we try, no matter how closely we follow their rules. We always get fucked.”

A sob breaks free of my throat and with it the whole unfairness of the situation comes crashing down on my head. I bury my face in my hands and let the next sob rattle through my body.

I’m suddenly so tired, tired and bitterly crushed. I thought we’d discovered something. I thought realising my dream was on the cusp of the horizon.

How can things have fallen apart so quickly? Only minutes ago I was walking on cloud nine, high as a kite, on top of the world. Now I’ve crashed back down to earth and every bone in my body aches.

“I know, Omega,” his warm voice whispers as he pulls me against his chest, wrapping his strong, warm arms around me. And he doesn’t have to say anything else. It’s as if in this action he’s telling me that he’ll shield me, he’ll protect me from this shitty world. And right now it’s exactly what I need. For him to hold me tight. “I told her I don’t want to work for her either.”

“What?” I say, peering up at him through my wet lashes, his face blurry through my tears. “You can’t do that, Jake? You can’t throw away–”