Hired to Protect

by Leann Ryans

  Hands circling around to grip her hips, he moved closer until his cock rested against her pussy. Moving his hips, he rubbed his shaft through the slick coating her, bumping her clit with each motion.

  When his cock finally caught in her entrance, Penny held her breath, waiting for the burning stretch she knew would come. Pressing into her slowly, Ethan took his time, the pain less than before as he spread her pussy on his shaft.

  Arching her back, she let out a moan once he was finally seated inside her. Channel pulsing, she lost herself in his motion, another crest breaking over her and swamping her body in blissful sensation.

  31. Ethan

  He was drained and sore by the time Penelope’s heat broke. He had lost track of time but was sure they had been locked in the room for the better part of a week, if not more.

  Pushing himself up from the bed, he tried not to disturb Penelope, but she rolled over and blinked up at him, the caramel brown of her eyes visible again.

  “Running off on me already?” she asked, the corner of her mouth tipped up in a smile. Her voice was husky with sleep and he could see her trying to work some moisture into her mouth.

  Moving over to the table beside the bed, he used the fountain in it to pour her a glass of water. Sitting up, she reached out eagerly for it, chugging the glass as soon as he handed it to her.

  Eyes wandering over her body, he could see where she had lost weight over the past few days. He had done his best to tend to her needs, but the heat had been long and hard on both of them. That didn’t stop his eyes from lingering on her breasts when she raised her arms above her head and stretched.

  She was smirking when his eyes met hers again.

  “No, I was going to go get cleaned up and then see what’s happened while we’ve been locked in here. Maybe grab some food.”

  Penelope’s face sobered and her hand snaked up to his bite on her neck. Ethan felt a brief flash of guilt, and sat on the bed beside her, taking her hands in his.

  “I’m sorry this happened. That employee never should have closed me in here with you.”

  Looking up at him, she shook her head.

  “Don’t be sorry for this.”

  Her hand raised to cover the bite again.

  “This is something special that I never expected to have, and I’m not upset it happened. I’m glad you were here with me.”

  Cupping his cheek, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Taking her head in one large hand, he tipped it back and deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue out to stroke hers.

  Ethan was moving over her when someone began pounding on the door of the room. Head snapping up, a growl rolled from his chest before he could contain it.

  “Go to the bathroom. Shut the door,” he ordered Penelope.

  “But...”

  “Go! This isn’t normal.”

  Nodding her head, she slipped off the side of the bed, wrapping the sheet around her as she made her way to the bathroom. Ethan stood and found his pants, pulling them up before yanking open the door.

  “What?” he growled before he realized who was standing on the other side.

  “Ethan Cirlee, step out into the hall and place your hands behind your head.”

  Facing him were three Alpha Controllers, one with his hand on his weapon. Ms. Haranne stood to the side of the door and Ethan focused on her.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I held them off as long as I could, but charges have been pressed against you and I had to bring them as soon as the sensors showed Penelope’s heat was over. Until everything gets taken care of you have to be taken in.”

  Glancing from her to the Controllers, Ethan’s shoulders sagged. He knew killing the beta was going to cause issues, but he could easily have claimed self-defense. He didn’t expect Adrian to go running to Alpha Control to report him though.

  He caught Penelope’s scent just before she pulled the door open wider and stepped up next to him.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Ethan has to go with Alpha Control while we handle the charges pressed against him having to do with the man he was protecting you from,” Ms. Haranne answered, her eyes swinging to Penelope.

  Ethan watched her eyes focus on Penelope’s neck before glancing back to him. Her expression didn’t give anything away.

  “Ethan will cooperate and be returned to you shortly. Once you have a chance to clean up, we can go over what steps need to be taken to correct this.”

  Penelope seemed to shrink into herself as she looked over at the Controllers, and Ethan had to bite back the urge to snarl and pull her behind him. The Controller that had spoken when he opened the door tried to move closer to her, but Ethan let out a warning growl that made him stop.

  “Ma’am, was this Alpha supposed to claim you? Did you agree to being bitten?”

  Penelope gasped, raising her hand to cover the bite as her wide eyes darted up to Ethan before going back to the Controller.

  “I… Well…”

  Ms. Haranne cut her off.

  “Of course she did, we wouldn’t have allowed him in the room otherwise. I’ll include that paperwork with the rest when I send it over to your office.”

  The smooth lie rolled from her mouth without a ruffle. Calm and collected, she was the picture of an affronted businesswoman. Penelope’s eyes darted to her before letting her shoulders relax and pulling the sheet tighter around her. The Controller still seemed to stare at her, waiting for a response, though it was hard to tell with the helmets covering their faces.

  “Yes, I agreed to it. I wanted him to claim me.”

  Her voice came out strong and steady though Ethan could scent the fear rolling off of her. Placing a soothing hand on her back, he let out a soft purr as she turned to him.

  “I’ll fix this. Don’t worry,” she whispered up to him.

  Staring down into her beautiful brown eyes, he gave her a smile.

  “I know. Don’t go home until Adrian is taken care of. Stay safe.”

  Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head before releasing her. Turning to face the wall beside the door, he placed his hands behind his head and waited as the Controller stepped forward to cuff him.

  “Ethan Cirlee, you’re being taken to Alpha Control under charges of aggression, assault, physical damage to both a person and their property, and claiming an omega without proper documentation and consent.”

  “No, I said I consented!” Penelope said, stepping forward to grab the Controller’s arm.

  “That charge can be dropped when we receive the proper paperwork from Ms. Haranne, but that was included in the charges from your fiancé.”

  Ethan watched Penelope’s jaw drop and her eyes grow wide as she sputtered before narrowing in fury.

  “That asshole is not my fiancé, he’s my stalker! Someone who attacked me. Kidnapped and drugged me. If you talk with the Force, you’ll see these charges are bullshit!”

  Ms. Haranne placed a hand on Penelope’s arm.

  “We will fix this. Go get cleaned up, I’ll have a dress left on the bed for you,” she said quietly as the Controller pulled Ethan from the wall and began to lead him to the exit.

  32. Penelope

  Watching Ethan being taken away by the three Controllers opened a gaping hole in Penny’s chest. Their black suits and helmets made it seem like they were marching him off to be put to death, and she couldn’t swallow the lump rising in her throat.

  Trying to blink back the tears that filled her eyes, she forced herself to breath slowly as he disappeared through the doorway. She hadn’t meant for this to happen.

  Trembling, she gasped when Ms. Haranne removed her hand, having forgotten that the woman was there. Clearing her throat, she lowered her eyes to the floor and backed into the room.

  “I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” Penny managed to say before closing the door between them.

  Dropping the sheet, she raced to the bathroom as fast as her boot would allow. Not willing to take
the time to work it off her foot and then have to put it back on later, she hopped into the shower, leaving her foot hanging out the side of it.

  Scrubbing her skin and hair as fast as she could, she was back out of the tub and drying off in a matter of minutes. She knew she didn’t do a very good job, but she didn’t really care. Using the comb she found in a drawer of the vanity, she brushed her hair back into a low ponytail.

  When she hobbled out to the main room, there was a simple blue dress laying on the bed. Searching the floor for her bra, she finally found it and put it on, followed by the dress. Looking around to be sure she didn’t forget anything, she spotted her purse on the floor by the door. She thought it had been lost but was happy Ethan had apparently found it after all.

  Ethan’s suit jacket lay on the floor close to it, and his scent rose enticingly from the fabric when she leaned down to pick up the purse. Grabbing the jacket as well, Penny swung the door open, surprised to see the same woman that had taken her to Ms. Haranne’s office the first time she came to The Haven.

  “I’m here to show you the way to the director’s office. Did you need the wheelchair again?” Margot asked.

  Looking down, Penny noticed she had brought one with her. About to decline, she figured they would be able to move faster if she used it, so Penny nodded her head. Sitting her purse in her lap, she folded Ethan’s jacket over her arm as she was wheeled down the hall.

  Closing her eyes, she held the fabric to her nose, struggling to maintain her calm with the events of the past few days. She was beginning to feel overwhelmed, but his scent helped her to calm down even though the tightness in her chest didn’t ease.

  It wasn’t long before they stopped outside of Ms. Haranne’s office, Margot tapping on the door and waiting to be called inside. Penny was startled when Ms. Haranne opened it herself, ushering them into the dim room. Pushing her to the desk, Margot turned and left, closing the door behind her as Ms. Haranne took her seat.

  “I need to know exactly what happened to be able to help you and Ethan. Your heat lasted six days so we have a very limited time before he will be sentenced.”

  Heart beginning to race, Penny took a deep breath. Telling Ms. Haranne everything she could, she worried that she would just make things worse. The Controllers hadn’t seemed to know about the body of the beta at the house, and she was scared once they found out about that, she would never see Ethan again.

  “And the bonding? He didn’t force you?”

  Ms. Haranne leveled a serious look at her, but Penelope shook her head.

  “We didn’t plan it or talk about it since I never expected to go into heat, and by then it was too late, but I don’t regret it. I asked him to take care of me and I know the risks.”

  “What we will have to do is forge documents. Or at least the dates on them. You are aware of that?”

  Nodding Penelope assured her, “I know. Thank you for helping us, I know it’s a risk.”

  “Ethan is a good man, I don’t want to see him in trouble for something that wasn’t his fault or that he did with a good reason,” Ms. Haranne said. “And he wanted you from the moment he walked into my office. I half expected the two of you to end up bonded before this was over,” she finished with a laugh.

  Cheeks burning, Penny chuckled with her.

  “I need you to sign these forms and date them the same as the contract from when you hired him. If anyone asks, you were planning to stop your suppressants and bond once the month contract was up and your ex was dealt with. I’ll take care of making sure the electronic dates match.”

  Taking the tablet Ms. Haranne passed to her, Penny did as she was asked.

  “I will send these to Alpha Control, but you need to go to the Force and file your own charges against Adrian. The sooner that is in the system, the sooner we can get this all worked out. Inform the Force that Ethan is at Alpha Control and make them coordinate. They will have to call a judge in for this, and hopefully they will rush it.”

  “I understand. I’ll head over there now if that’s all you need from me.”

  Passing Penny a business card, Ms. Haranne said, “There’s already an AutoCab waiting for you. This is my number if you need anything. And I mean anything, you’d be surprised what favors you earn in a place like this,” she said with a serious expression.

  Standing, she walked to the door and opened it, calling Margot into her office to take Penny outside. Now that Penny had a course of action, she felt calmer, determined to see this through and Ethan freed.

  Climbing into the back of the AutoCab, she put in her destination and sat back. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she frowned down at it. It had died while she was in heat, and she was scared to see how many missed calls and messages she would have after going missing for a week. Luckily, she kept a charger with her and could plug it into the car.

  Dealing with the messages from her sister and clients helped keep her distracted on her way across town to the Force headquarters. She didn’t really have time to deal with her sister, so she simply told her she was busy and would catch up with her soon.

  Her clients were a little easier since she didn’t have a set schedule with most of them. Jenni and Libby, another elderly client she shopped for, both had regular appointments that she had missed though, and she needed to call and apologize.

  Getting Libby’s voicemail, she left a message for her and then took a deep breath. She knew Jenni was going to have a lot of questions and Penny wasn’t sure she would be able to keep her composure. The AutoCab pulling up outside of the Force headquarters saved her, and she put her phone away with relief though she knew she couldn’t put it off long.

  Climbing from the cab, Penny looked up at the grey stone building and squared her shoulders. She had to save Ethan from Adrian’s charges and have him held accountable for what he had done to her.

  33. Ethan

  Ethan was silent on the ride to Alpha Control. He knew Penelope would do everything she could to get him out, and he was sure Ms. Haranne would help, but with the system stacked against Alphas, he wasn’t sure it would matter.

  Looking up at the building as he was walked in, it seemed strange that such a plain, unremarkable building could hold so much fear and despair for Alphas. For some of them, it was their last stop.

  Heaving a sigh, his shoulders slumped as he passed through the doors, half convinced he would never be leaving. Two of the Controllers herded Ethan through an area crowded with desks and other Controllers before entering a quiet hallway. Plain white walls and white tiles, the only defining feature was the stench of Alpha fear and aggression. It was layered so thick it made it difficult to breath without reacting to the pheromones lingering in the air, and Ethan had to hold his breath.

  Passing through a locked door, he was taken into the cellblock. The room was like a warehouse, rows and rows of cells extending as far as he could see under the dim lights. The room seemed loud with the rumble of distant voices echoing through it, though none of them were distinct enough to understand.

  Turning a corner, the Controllers stopped, opening the door of an empty cell. Stepping inside without a word, Ethan stood and waited as they shut the door before backing against the bars so they could remove the cuffs.

  Freeing his wrists, one of the Controllers walked away as the other lingered to speak to him.

  “This case is complicated and may have to go to a judge instead of being sentenced by one of the Sergeants here. With how long we have had to wait already, we are being pushed to move quickly on it, so you shouldn’t be waiting long before you know what’s going to happen to you.”

  With that, the Controller left, following the other back the way they had come. Looking around his tiny cell, Ethan rubbed at the aching spot in his chest as he took a seat on the cot. He was still wearing nothing but his slacks, but the room was fairly warm, so he wasn’t too bothered by it.

  Laying back, he tried to figure out what Penelope and Ms. Haranne would try to do. He hoped Penelope
didn’t feel pressured by Ms. Haranne speaking up and saying she had agreed to being bonded. To get that cleared they would have to backdate the documents which was technically illegal, and he didn’t want anyone getting in trouble on his behalf.

  Letting out a sigh, Ethan turned on his side, his body aching from what it had been through the last few days. He needed a shower and a meal, but he had no idea how long it was going to be before he would be allowed to have either. He knew he reeked of omega slick and wondered how long it would take for it to become an issue. Alphas at The Haven were required to wash immediately after leaving a client because the scent of the omega on them would cause the other Alphas to react if they didn’t. There had been plenty of fights in the hallways over the years to prove it was a necessary rule.

  Trying to hear past the din of noise filling the room, Ethan couldn’t tell if there was anyone in the cells around him to be affected or not. The side walls were solid, so he couldn’t see through them. Giving up and closing his eyes, he explored the feeling in his chest that ached with the distance between him and his mate.

  Everyone learned of the bond in school. It was something that was both praised and cautioned against. Only able to form between an Alpha and an omega, it was something that was rare and special. Something that linked them together for life. But it was also something that could be used to control an omega. To take her choices from her if an Alpha bit her without permission.

  Ethan had never expected to bond an omega, he wasn’t even a stud. He was still in shock that he had done it and was now bonded with Penelope, and he hoped she had meant what she said about not being upset. He had felt drawn to her before, and it was twice as strong now.

  Moving again to try and find a comfortable position on the cot, he was surprised when a controller stopped outside his cell, banging on the bars. Unable to see through the helmet they wore, he couldn’t tell if it was one of the ones that had brought him here.