Page 13 of Omega's Formula

“Can we get on with this?” West turns to Sun, dismissing me entirely. The disrespect of it sends a hot flare of something through my chest. “What are the minimum requirements? What do I have to do to satisfy the Bureau?”

Sun clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the tension crackling between us. “Well, the Bureau’s position is that prime matches deserve a genuine attempt at compatibility. Given the exceptional percentage of your match—ninety-eight percent is quite rare, gentlemen—we typically recommend a two-week cohabitation period to—”

“Forced cohabitation is no longer legal.” West’s voice is sharp enough to cut glass. “I read the news.”

“No one is going to force you,” Sun says carefully, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “You are encouraged. As you know, failure to make a good-faith effort can result in—”

“Of course it’s force.” West throws up his hands, pacing across the small room like a caged animal. “I don’t want to marry him. Hell, he clearly doesn’t want to marry me either.” He gestures at me with barely concealed contempt. “I guess we have that in common at least.”

I should be annoyed by his outburst. An omega speaking this way, in front of his matched alpha, is completely inappropriate.

But I can’t stop staring at him: the flush spreading across his cheekbones. The fire in his eyes. The way his whole body almost vibrates.

It’s ridiculous that I find it attractive.

“This is the first meeting,” Sun continues, his voice taking on that soothing tone that bureaucrats use when they’re trying to manage difficult people. “We recommend a family dinner as a next step. An opportunity for both families to meet, to establish common ground, to begin building the foundation for—”

“I don’t have time for family dinners.” I pull out a business card and a pen from my inside pocket. “Give me your number. I’ll have my people call your people and I’m sure we can come to an arrangement that will suit all parties.”

West stares at me like I’ve grown an extra head. “Your people call my people? Are you serious right now?”

“Deadly serious, Mr. West. Despite what you may think, I’m a reasonable man. I’m also a practical one. Everyone has a price. Everyone has something they want. We can work out an arrangement that satisfies the Bureau’s requirements without either of us having to spend more time together than absolutely necessary.”

For a moment, hurt flickers across Nolan’s face before it’s buried under a fresh wave of irritation. Why would he be disappointed? This is exactly what he wants. A payout. A settlement. The same thing he was angling for with his lawsuit.

Unless...

No. That wounded look is not real.

West snatches the card from my hand. When his fingers brush mine, electricity shoots up my arm. We both freeze. The touch point feels like it’s burning, like his skin has left a brand on mine.

Nolan pulls away first, his breath catching audibly. He won’t meet my eyes as he scribbles something on the back of the card with jerky movements. His handwriting is messier than I expected.

He shoves the card back at me, and I’m careful not to let our fingers touch this time.

“There. My number. Call whenever. I don’t have ‘people’ to talk for me,” he rolls his eyes, “but I’ll speak to yours”

“Mr. Nilsson.” Sun’s voice is firmer now, a warning under the professional veneer. “I need to be clear. The Bureau will need to be satisfied that a genuine effort is being made. A few phone calls and a negotiated settlement won’t be sufficient.”

“The Bureau will be satisfied,” I say. “If there’s one thing I know, it’s negotiation. Everything has a price. Everyone can be brought to the table. I’ve built a career on finding solutions to impossible problems. This is no different.”

West makes a disgusted sound. “God, you really are exactly what I thought you’d be.”

“And what’s that?”

He takes two long steps across the room, finger pointed as if he’s going to stab me with it. Then he’s close enough that I can almost feel his body warmth. His pupils flare suddenly and he takes a sudden intake of breath, as if he’s been shocked. I feel his body relax as he stares up at me, eyes blown wide.

Then he blinks twice and takes a step back and his walls slam back up, and he’s all sharp edges again.

“Whatever ‘arrangement’ you come up with, it needs to ensure that I am no longer an ‘unmarried, unregistered omega’. That’s the only thing I need to make sure that I can get Ellie’s treatment approved. That’s it. That’s my price. And if you can’t meet it, then I’ll see you in court when the Bureau comes after us both for non-compliance.”

He’s out the door before I can respond. The slam echoes through the room, followed by his footsteps fading down the hallway. His scent lingers, slowly dissipating.

I stand there, breathing hard, my heart pounding against my ribs like it’s trying to escape my chest. My whole body feels like it’s been rewired, every nerve ending tuned to a frequency that only broadcasts Nolan West.

“Well,” Sun says after a long moment of silence. “That was certainly... something.”

“He’s trying to manipulate me.”