Page 9 of Omega’s Fever (Prime Match #2)

“Milo.” Anne’s voice cuts through my rambling. “This is a pro bono case. We’re not running a detective agency.”

“But if he’s innocent...”

“He’s not. You’ve seen the man. If he’s not guilty of those specific charges, then he’s guilty of something else.

You don’t work in that world without getting your hands dirty.

” She leans back in her chair. “Your job is to provide representation. Offer him a plea deal. Get this wrapped up quickly and quietly.”

“I’m just doing my job.”

“No, you’re not. Your loyalty is to our clients. We do pro bono because it looks good on the website. That’s all.” She sighs, rubbing her temples. “Milo, I like you. You’re smart, dedicated, and you have a bright future here. But not if you torch your career over some criminal.”

My chest tightens. “So I should just... what? Phone it in?”

“You should remember why you’re here.” She gestures to the office around us. “This isn’t a legal aid clinic. Your billable hours are what matter. You’re more valuable to us doing actual work.”

“I understand.”

“Good and don’t worry about the match,” She pulls up something on her computer. “When Hayes is convicted, the match will be voided. The Bureau won’t enforce matches with convicted felons. There’d be too much of a public outcry.”

“How convenient.”

If she hears the bitterness in my voice, she ignores it. “Keep taking the suppressants. Get through jury selection, offer a plea, and move on. I need you back and working with Kao on the merger asap.” She takes a deep breath and looks at me. “Any questions?”

Yeah. How do I stop thinking about him? How do I forget the feeling of his hands on me? How do I pretend I don’t care if he’s innocent?

“No questions.”

“Excellent. Oh, and Milo?” She stops me at the door. “Remember, we hired you because you’re smart enough to see the bigger picture. Don’t disappoint me.”

The walk back to my office feels endless.

“That bad?” Kao looks up as I stumble to my desk.

“She wants me to offer a plea and move on.” I pull up the witness list on my computer. My fingers hover over the keyboard.

“Will you?”

I think about Kellen’s face when he said he didn’t do it. The resignation in his voice. Like he’d already accepted that no one would believe him.

“Maybe.” I start typing. “But there are a couple of witnesses I’d like to add anyway.”

“Milo...”

“If he’s guilty, the prosecution will prove it. But I’m not going to railroad him just because it’s easier.”

My phone buzzes. Another Bureau notification. They’re nothing if not thorough.

Prime Match Person Notifications complete.

I shudder. Now everyone knows. Kellen will have had one, although I don’t know how he’ll have got it when the prison won’t allow a phone. All prime matches are published on the Bureau’s website. Anyone googling my name is going to find my name attached to Kellen Hayes.

My uncle will have received a notification too. I might be twenty-seven but I’m an omega and that means he’s still my legal guardian.

I delete the message, pushing the screen a bit harder than I should.

“I need a minute.” I push back from my desk, standing too fast. The room tilts slightly.

The break room is mercifully empty. I fill a paper cup from the water cooler. My hands shake as I pull out the pill bottle.

Two every six hours. That’s what the label says. That’s what Dr. Garrett said.

I tip two into my palm. Then a third. Maybe I’m not going to let Kellen go to prison if he is innocent but I am also not fucking up my career for him.

They go down hard, catching in my throat.

I get back to my desk and get back to work, my head is swimming as I type up the motion. My phone buzzes yet again. The Bureau, of course.

Prime Match Designation Details: Genetic Compatibility: 97.3% Pheromone Response: Optimal Fertility Probability: 94%

This time I make the mistake of opening the notification and clicking the link.

This notification gives me the full blood test results.

Each of our biochemical markers is listed.

Red for low match. Yellow for medium match.

Blue for high match. Green for prime match.

The results are a sea of green. There’s no red. No yellow.

I delete that too, then head over to the printer to get my new motion filing.

“You sure about this?” Kao watches me attach the amended witness list to it. I’ve added every person in the case file who might be relevant. “Anne’s going to be pissed.”

“Probably. But at least I’ll be able to sleep at night.”

That’s a lie. There’s no way I’m sleeping well. Not with everything that’s happening.

“For what it’s worth,” Kao says quietly, “I think you’re doing the right thing.”

“Yeah?” I manage a weak smile. “Tell that to Anne when she fires me.”

“She won’t fire you. You bill too many hours.” He pauses. “Besides, she was young once too. Probably. Maybe. In the Cretaceous period.”

Despite everything, I laugh.

The rest of the day blurs together. By five o’clock, I’m running on pure stubbornness.

“Go home,” Kao says, not for the first time. “You look like death.”

“I’m almost done.”

“Milo.” His voice gentles. “Go home. Take a shower. Eat something. Work will still be here tomorrow.”

He’s right. I know he’s right. I save my work and shut down my computer.

My phone buzzes one last time.

Omega Match Bureau: Reminder - Suppressant use during active prime match may cause adverse effects. Please consult your physician if you experience: severe nausea, disorientation, fever, or hallucinations.

Great. Add hallucinations to the growing list of things I have to look forward to.

I drive home on autopilot and by the time I stumble through my apartment door, I’m shaking.

I make it to the bathroom just in time. The suppressants come up in a rush, along with what little I managed to eat today. My knees hit the cold tile. When it’s over, I slump against the wall. From this angle, I can see dust bunnies under the cabinet.

I grit my teeth, get up and then wash the taste of vomit out of my mouth. Then I take another three pills to replace the ones that just got flushed down the toilet.