Chapter 15 Turn Down For What
Turn Down For What
Mads
Idecide it’s less scary to ask a pretty girl out on a date than to accept this job offer from these three alphas, so I do that first.
Then I stare at the job offer I printed out at the library. It’s good. It’s too good.
I can’t put my finger on it, but it feels like there’s a catch.
I read through every word so many times I have it memorized: $98,000 a year. End of year bonus.
Why would he say $90,000 in the meeting but offer me even more? Especially when I asked for $60k.
A little voice in my head says, ‘He doesn’t want you to say no.’
I don’t want to view him as an alpha, but this feels like dirty alpha behavior. Like he’s treating me like an omega. Oh my god.
Oh my god.
Is he courting me?
No, that’s stupid. Alphas court omegas. And other alphas.
Not betas. Fuck, this is why I can’t deal with these people.
They are so extreme. If he wants me as his employee, and wants me desperately enough, he’d court me.
He’s already asked me if I prefer Macs or Windows. He’s going to buy me a whole setup.
What if I offend him? Look at his omega wrong? Deny him? Will he break my jaw?
I have to end this now.
I log back into the computer at the library where I’ve been all morning and email Kol Soto.
I tell him that I appreciate his generous offer, and I’d love to work with him, but I am respectfully declining. I wish him luck in filling the role.
I hover over the send button. I should call him and tell him over the phone like a man. Give him the opportunity to hear this from me and not read it in his inbox.
I log out of the computer and gather my things. I exit to the gardens on the terrace of the library. It overlooks the river and it is rather peaceful out here.
I call Kol and he answers on the first ring.
“Mads! It’s great to hear from you. I almost called you myself.”
I huff out a laugh. Alphas. One step away from mania.
“Of course. Alpha Soto, I,” he cuts me off.
“Kol is fine. None of this alpha stuff. Just Kol.”
I sigh heavily. “Kol. I apologize that this isn’t the news you want to hear. But I cannot accept your offer. I wish you all the best in filling this role. You deserve someone really great, and I’m sure you’ll be very successful in Cash City.”
Silence. I look at the phone to make sure the call didn’t drop.
“Kol?” I eventually ask.
“Yeah, sorry, I’m having trouble understanding. Can I get some feedback? Is it the offer? I can go higher…”
“No, that’s not it. It was more than generous. More than…”
Oh, this is not going great.
I adjust my leg out straight. I’m sitting on this uncomfortable bench with wood beams instead of slats. The edges of the beams are digging into my butt.
Kol’s voice levels out to a penitent tone. “Was it because I brought Oscar and Locke to our lunch? I’m so sorry I did that. They can be kind of nosey.”
“Yeah, you said that. To be honest, yeah, that was alarming.”
I don’t know what else to say, and Kol seems distressed.
We sit in silence, and it spurs me on—
“And since I’m being honest, your behavior is worrisome.
You seem really set on me joining you. I have a lot going on.
I just need income and health insurance.
And I’d prefer to keep my distance from alphas.
I know that’s shitty to say. Hopefully, with insurance, I can go to trauma therapy and work out some of my problems.”
“Ok, yeah. It’s not great to hear. Alphas can get possessive and single-minded when they want something.”
He’s being vulnerable, and I’m being honest, and it’s snowballing.
“And you want me?” I ask slowly.
He clicks his tongue. “We all do.”
I suck in a breath and stand up, like I need to run. We all do. Meaning his whole pack. They want me. This isn’t a job. I knew it. I knew they were being weird. We are no longer talking about me being employed by him, but bitten and bound for life.
“I’m sorry, Soto. That’s not going to happen. Find another man to bite. And stay the fuck away from me.”
I hang up the phone and consider tossing it off the roof into the river.
Oh my god. I did not think he’d confirm my irrational thoughts. Kol wants me. His pack wants me. They might not let that shit go. Is this worse than being targeted by a pack? Fuck me, it feels like the same thing.
I turn off my phone completely, afraid he’ll call back, and then take the elevator to the ground floor. I need to go home and take my meds so I can go on my date later. That’s where my head needs to be at.
And I need to keep looking for a job. A normal one. Not a front for a lifelong commitment to psychopaths.