Page 53 of The Drama King

"Entirely," Dorian replied. "You've earned your place at Northwood, Vespera. We're acknowledging that. But that place comes with... parameters."

"This is insane," I said, pressing back against the door. "I'm not wearing a tracking device like some kind of pet."

"You misunderstand," Corvus said smoothly. "This isn't a request. It's the condition of your continued success at Northwood. Wear it, and you'll find doors opening that were previously closed to you. Refuse..."

The threat hung in the air, unmistakable despite being unspoken.

"I won't do it," I said, anger finally overtaking fear. "You can't force me to wear that thing."

"Can't we?" Dorian's expression darkened, his Alpha presence flooding the confined space of the car, heavy with dominance pheromones designed to trigger submission in Omegas.

I fought against the biological response, my body trembling with the effort to resist. "No. You can't. Not without crossing lines that even you won't risk."

A strange expression flickered across Dorian's face. Something almost like respect beneath the fury. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by cold determination.

"Oakley," he said, not taking his eyes off me. "Convince her."

Oakley tensed beside me, his cedar scent sharpening with what seemed like genuine conflict. "Dorian, I don't think—"

"That wasn't a suggestion," Dorian cut him off, his voice laced with Alpha command. "Hold her."

Time seemed to slow as Oakley moved, his hands capturing my wrists with surprising gentleness despite the strength behind his grip. I struggled against him, but the confined space of the backseat gave me no leverage.

"Stop fighting," he murmured, his voice so low I barely caught the words. "You'll only make it worse."

Dorian exited the driver's seat and opened the rear door, sliding in beside me so that I was trapped between the two Alphas. His sandalwood scent overwhelmed the small space, making it difficult to breathe through the panic rising in my throat.

"This can be easy or difficult," he said, dangling the silver bracelet before me. "Your choice."

"Get away from me," I spat, twisting against Oakley's grip.

Dorian's smile was all predator. "Difficult, then. I was hoping you'd say that."

His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my throat in a grip just tight enough to demonstrate control without cutting off my air. The shock of it froze me in place, my body's instinctive response to Alpha aggression overriding conscious resistance.

"Now," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous purr. "Let's try this again."

The silver bracelet gleamed in his free hand as he brought it toward my wrist. I renewed my struggles, kicking out with bothfeet, connecting with the back of the driver's seat hard enough to rock the car.

"Hold her properly," Corvus snapped from the front seat, turning to watch with clinical interest. "She's stronger than she looks."

Oakley's grip tightened, but there was hesitation in his movements, his cedar scent now unmistakably laced with discomfort. "Dorian, this is crossing a line. We agreed to talk to her, not—"

"Circumstances change," Dorian growled, his fingers tightening around my throat as he tried to maneuver the bracelet with his other hand. "She needs to understand what's at stake."

The pressure on my throat increased, black spots dancing at the edges of my vision. Primal terror overtook rational thought, my body going into full fight-or-flight mode. With strength born of desperation, I wrenched one hand free from Oakley's grip and clawed at Dorian's face, my nails catching his cheek and drawing blood.

He jerked back with a curse, releasing my throat. I gasped for air, coughing as my lungs burned with the sudden rush of oxygen.

"You little bitch," he snarled, touching his cheek and staring at the blood on his fingers with shocked fury.

I used his momentary distraction to jam my elbow into Oakley's ribs, hard enough to make him loosen his grip. In the same motion, I lunged for the door handle, yanking it upward with desperate strength.

The door flew open, and I tumbled backward onto the wet pavement, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs. Rain poured down as I scrambled to my feet, adrenaline dulling the pain of my scraped palms and bruised shoulder.

"Vespera!" Dorian's voice carried over the sound of the rain as he emerged from the car. "Stop this nonsense right now!"

I was already running, my wet shoes slipping on the cracked pavement as I headed for the street. Behind me, I heard car doors slamming and the sound of pursuit. Multiple sets of footsteps splashing through puddles.