Chapter 15 West
fifteen
West
Jo's gone mental.
Obviously, she wouldn't be here if she was completely sane, but seeing her murderous tendencies first-hand?
Fuck, why is it hot?
"Jo, get off her!" I snap, irritated at myself for finding her attractive when she's just gone completely feral on another patient.
None of Tilly's friends come to her aid, Kole Vasiliev just stares across the room like she's a damn masterpiece, and Adela Olivier looks like she might be sick.
Though…that might just be pregnancy nausea.
I had come into the room right as she was snapping Tilly's fingers, and I'm seething. Why can't she keep herself out of trouble for one day?
It's like she doesn't even hear me. "I'll make you wish you were dead if you ever lay another hand on him again!" she snarls as she lands another hit, blood splattering as she breaks the beta's nose.
My gaze goes to the "him" in question, and Hayden gives me a sheepish smile as he not-so-subtly adjusts himself in his pants.
"Fireball here is defending my honor." Since it's not life threatening, the orderlies are on strict instruction to not interfere.
But if I know Jo, I'm pretty sure we're getting there.
"Jo, come on. Tilly's had enough." I might catch hell from Brooks for depriving them of their study material, but this has gone on too long already. These are people, not test subjects.
Sighing, I reach for her, and her head whips towards me.
Her eyes are wild, and she snaps her teeth at the intrusion.
The weirdest thing happens though, and as soon as her eyes land on me, she goes limp.
She lets me pull her off the screeching beta, then crosses her arms as Sam helps Tilly up.
Jo's eyes snap to where Tilly's good hand is in Sam's, and there's this look in her eyes telling me that if he doesn't let her go in the next second, we're going to have another problem on our hands.
It should be impossible for her to have any omega instincts right now. But with the way Jo's pupils are blown, and the low growl that is so quiet only I can hear it, I know her omega has laid some kind of claim on Sam, even if it's just an immediate reaction to the closest alpha in the vicinity.
And Brooks cannot know about it.
"Rosewood, can you please escort Ms. Green to the nurse?" I call out to the orderly closest to me, who is standing against the wall with a bored look on his face. Shit, are any of these guys even trained, or are they just hired to stand and look the part of security?
Tilly wails all the way out the door of the cafeteria, and it's not until she disappears from view that Jo stops breathing through her nose like a bull.
When the doors swing shut, everybody goes back to their meals like it's just another Thursday, and I get a first row seat to Hayden grabbing Jo by the waist and plunging his tongue in her mouth.
She returns his kiss with feral enthusiasm, climbing the alpha like a tree and wrapping her legs around his waist. Their lips move together like they need each other to breathe, and damn, it's a sight I wouldn't mind seeing again.
…If I were less professional.
Speaking of professional, I should probably do my damn job and pull Jo into an emergency therapy meeting before Brooks gets to her and grills her on the reasoning behind her outburst.
"Fuck, that was hot, Fireball," Hayden groans after he properly fucks her mouth with his tongue. "You gonna kick anyone's ass who comes onto me from now on?"
She doesn't get a chance to answer before Sam clears his throat, probably like I should have done ten seconds ago. Damn it.
Josephine Harding is about to be the reason I get my license revoked.
"Talk about deja vu." She winks at Sam before lowering herself down from Hayden's hold.
I give him a questioning look, but he doesn't meet my gaze. "Jo," I turn my attention to the little murder machine, "I think it would be best if we had a session. Immediately."
She gives me a hard look, but nods, and follows me out of the cafeteria.
***
"You can't say she tripped, Jo." I sigh, rubbing my temples. "We have a cafeteria full of people who saw you, plus I physically pulled you off her."
"I don't know what you want from me, West." She shrugs, looking infuriatingly nonchalant despite the fact that there's still blood on her knuckles and there are bright red scratch marks on her cheeks where Tilly got a swipe or two in. "She needs to keep her hands off what doesn't belong to her."
"Who," I correct gently. "And that would be…Hayden?"
This sure as fuck sounds like omega instincts going into overdrive, and if it gets out of hand, I won't be able to help her. I don't know where they've taken the omegas that have been "transferred" out for still retaining their omega traits while under the instinct tamping medication.
On paper, they got transferred to different "omega only" facilities. When I called to check on them, however, I was told that they were never transferred.
Not that they never made it, but that the transfer order was never put in. And that…that's what had me calling Sam.
At her hesitant nod, I prod further. "So…does he belong to you then?" I need to see just how far this instinct thing goes. It's possible she's not even aware that it's her omega claiming him, but I have a feeling she's too smart to let us know either way.
"Well, duh." She shrugs again. "I licked him, he's mine."
"That's it?" I arch a brow, leaning forward. "It has nothing to do with your…omega instincts?"
The siren barks a laugh. "Omega instincts? West, have you met me? I'm about as far from what an omega is supposed to be as you can get."
Okay, good. She at least knows to keep quiet about it. I nod once. "And that's what you're going to tell Brooks if he asks, because it had absolutely nothing to do with your omega instincts, right?"
She gives me a confused look, but nods. "It's the truth."
I only nod again. "Good. And Jo…I would ease up on the fighting if I were you. While technically they don't intervene unless it's life threatening…well, if they notice you getting violent too often, Brooks will refer you to CT, and I can't help you there. Just keep your head down, okay?"
She looks at me, a confused look on her face. "CT?"
Well, shit. I guess nobody has explained anything to her.
"It's…archaic. It's officially called 'Conflict Therapy', or CT for short.
Brooks is doing a study to see if violence among patients goes down when there is a structured time and place to…
let out their aggression. It's a huge spectacle, really.
Every Saturday night. Mostly it's volunteers, but every once in a while someone gets a little too brazen in the hallways…
or cafeteria," I give her a pointed look, "and Brooks might insist on a more… structured outlet for their violence."
She swallows roughly, nodding. "Got it. Thanks for the heads up. Can I go?"
I sigh, rubbing my temples again. "Yeah. I'll let Brooks know we spoke already, and if he tries to get you in for a session, find a way to let me know. Sam or Hayden can find me."
She nods again, standing and walking to the door. "Hey West?" I look up to see her gaze firmly on me, her plush bottom lip tugged under her front teeth. "Thank you."
Something like warmth fills my chest, and I watch her leave my office.
It's dangerous, how much I want her.
I don't know why she relaxed when I pulled her off Tilly, or why her omega reacted to Sam like that. I don't know why it didn't bother me to watch her devour Hayden how she did.
Well, I might have an idea of why, but if I'm right? Life is about to get a fuck ton more complicated.