The only thing she knew was that it was going to be a goddamned bloodbath if she didn't do something to stop it.
Sampson cupped his hand over Cassidy's shoulder as he rose from his barstool and faced the door. "Stay here," he said.
Shit.
Cassidy ignored his warning and pushed herself up. He shot her a look of disapproval as she moved to his side, but she'd deal with that later. Right not, she had an asshole to save.
Probably a whole bunch of assholes.
Moments later, there was proof that she had been right to be worried.
Even she could hear the dozens of feet climbing the wooden porch stairs outside, and the creak as the door was slowly opened. Ian was the first one through. Behind him followed a line of betas—a few students she recognized from Dr. Cheung's class, a couple administrators from the university, and a handful of professors.
Cassidy propped her hands on her hips as she glanced over the grim and sorry-looking party. She was acquainted with every single one of these faces. At one time or another, they'd all taken the time to tell her just how much they disapproved of her presence in the program.
"Oh my God, Ian," Cassidy said, letting her gaze settle squarely on him. "What the hell are you doing here? You have to know it was a terrible idea for you to come here."
"It's nice to see you too, Cassidy," he shot back mockingly.
One of the administrators, a thin man with the gray beard and a wool vest, stepped out from the others. Cassidy recognized him as Paul Jensen, the dean of science.
"Hello, Dr. Jensen," she said.
"Miss Carr," he replied uncomfortably.
"She's no Miss," Samson growled. "She's mated now. To me."
Dr. Jensen blinked in shock, right along with the rest of the group. This obviously wasn't the news they were expecting to hear. How could it be? No one had ever heard of an alpha/beta mating before. Especially not these closed-minded fools.
"We--We came here because we are very concerned with your welfare," Dr. Jensen pressed on. "We've come to see if you need any…assistance."
"Assistance?" Cassidy laughed. "You waited an entire week after this shithead abandoned me to come see if I needed help?"
Dr. Jensen shifted nervously in his loafers. "It took some time for the proper administrative authorization for this venture to be approved."
"And just out of curiosity," Cassidy said, cocking her head. "What were you planning to do if I did need your assistance?"
The line of beta men blanched as they took in the towering bodies of the alphas in front of them. The color draining from their faces made it clear that the part of the venture Dr. Jensen had referenced had never made it past committee.
"That's what I thought," she said, shaking her head. "But fortunately for you, as you can see, I am fine. Unharmed, healthy, and thriving."
Ian, standing safely in the middle of the group, snorted.
"And dressed like a whore," he muttered.
Samson took a step forward with a rumble of warning, his jaw tensed with fury. Cassidy threw her arm across his chest, praying it was enough to keep him from ripping the little prick apart.
God knew, she hated Ian too. But that didn't mean she wanted him dead, or her husband in trouble with beta authorities for murdering him on neutral territory.
"Oh, you mean like the one you ran off with that Friday night?" Cassidy said. "Yeah, her name is Ramona, and she's really nice. And you're right, she has great taste in clothes."
"She's lying!" Ian cried, anger burning in his eyes. "She's the one that couldn't keep her hands off that alpha subject, Dr. Jensen. She's still whoring herself out to him. According to university regulations—"
"No one talks about my friends that way." Ty had come around from behind the bar and planted himself a few paces from Ian with his hands folded across his chest. "So, unless you all want to wake up in the hospital, you better get the fuck out of my bar now."
"Our only concern is for her safety," a stocky professor with round glasses said hastily.
Cassidy wondered what lies Ian had told to get them all to come here. Had Ian actually thought that bringing a bunch of beta pencil pushers to an alpha bar would scare anyone? If so, he was even more of an idiot than she thought.
"It seems to me that Miss Carr is in no danger," Dr. Jensen said, already backing away. "Any further discussion can wait for the ethics committee’s final decision."
"That's right," Ian said, unable to hold the vicious glee from his voice. "You're getting kicked out of the program on moral grounds. Your academic career is over."
Cassidy let out a breath. It wasn't a surprise. She knew this was coming. With men like these on the ethics committee—ones who had been against her from the start—how could the result be anything else?
They didn't care about the amazing discoveries she was making in the Boundarylands. They didn't care about the alphas or the omegas here. They didn't care about anything other than their own reputations.
And Cassidy didn't care about them.
Which meant she was free to get something off her chest, something she'd been dreaming about for a long time.
"Ian, I'm sorry things ended this way," Cassidy said, looking at her one-time research partner. "But there's something I've always wanted to tell you."
"What's that?" He asked with a sneer.
Cassidy kept her head down and her eyes on the floor as she stepped forward. She let out a long, slow sigh as she raised her arms and gently rested her hands on Ian's shoulders.
Then she brought her knee up as hard as she could into his crotch.
"If you ever come back here again, my mate will fucking kill you.”
Chapter Fifteen
"How can someone so little be so loud?" Cassidy asked, adjusting Mia's squirming bundle of joy in her arms.
She rocked back
