All Chapters of The Hybrid’s Forced Bond: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Margot POVSaturday our lab went to the astronomy and geology exhibition together.Most people would have walked past the mineral displays without a second glance.For us, the dull gray rocks were the entire point. Elena’s interest in me had become obvious.Everyone had noticed. No one teased us because of my position, but Nora had apparently decided she was going to play matchmaker anyway.She kept finding excuses to send everyone else somewhere else. Eventually, I looked up and realized I was alone with Elena.She unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to me. “Here. Drink some water. Are you tired? Do you want to sit down?”I knew Nora would not save me. I looked at the young woman standing beside me and felt a headache coming on. “I’m fine. Where did everyone go? ““No idea.” She looked almost too happy.“Maybe they’re in the restroom.” She pointed towards the display.“Look at this description. Doesn’t sound awful? It feels like somebody ran it through a translation program.”I

Margot POVI went home the next day and had lunch with Ellen. That afternoon I took her to see the apartment I’d bought.A local contractor was already handling the basic renovations; the place should be finished in about two weeks.Ellen and I walked through all three bedrooms more than once.We talked about where the furniture should go, which room would be hers, what kind of curtains she wanted, and where the dining table might fit. I’d already ordered a pile of things online, scheduled for delivery once the work was done. By the time Ellen came home from surgery, I wanted everything ready: a real home, somewhere warm, where she could recover without worrying about anything else.Ellen looked happier than she had in a long time. There was color in her face again.Nothing gave a person more reason to keep fighting than having something to look forward to.

Margot POVI buttoned the last button on my blouse, then shrugged into a fresh lab coat and tugged the sleeves until they sat right against my wrists.My hair had grown past the length I liked, so I wet my fingers under the sink and pushed the bangs back, smoothing them once, then again, until they stayed. I paused at the mirror, adjusted the collar of the coat one more time, and turned away.We held off until nearly the end of the day before Rhett arrived with several executives.I heard the footsteps in the hallway first, then the inaudible murmur of voices.I straightened the front of my coat, ran my thumb once along the edge of my nails, and stepped forward as the door opened.“Good afternoon, Alpha Vanderbilt. Everyone.”The smile I used for grant meetings and board reviews settled into place without effort. “Welcome. We’re glad to have you.”The man pointed at me, still smiling.“You’re Ms. Sinclair, aren’t you? The presentation of the other day. I remember. Impressive work.”“

MargotPOVI hated my body for the way it folded the second my knees gave out. Rhett’s arm locked around my waist before I could hit the floor, the solid heat of him slamming into me like a wall I hadn’t seen coming. “I’m fine,” I whispered, the words thin and useless. He simply lifted me off the ground as if I weighed nothing, one arm under my thighs and the other banded tight across my back, and carried me straight to the far wall of my office.The impact drove the air from my lungs. My shoulder blades hit the plaster hard enough that every framed certificate behind me seemed to tremble. I shoved his chest.He pressed closer, burying his face in the curve of my neck and drawing a long, deliberate breath. The scrape of his stubble against my skin sent a sharp, electric itch racing down my spine. I almost made a sound.My fingers twisted in the front of his shirt instead, caught between pushing and holding on. Then his head snapped up, and his mouth claimed mine. There was no

Margot POVRhett glanced at his watch. “Come with me. Be in the garage at seven fifteen.”“I have plans tonight...”“We’re going out to dinner.” His eyes settled on mine. “A date. What do you say?”My heart gave one hard, humiliating kick. I was still angry with him. I hadn’t forgotten everything that had happened between us.And yet, one slight gesture from him was enough to make something inside me soften. I hated myself for it.Before leaving the lab, I sprayed alcohol over my clothes, letting the sharp smell cover the trace of Rhett’s scent clinging to me.Only when I was sure it was strong enough did I finally walk out and head toward Rhett’s reserved parking space.The car was already there. So was Louise.I got in, and he gave me a polite nod before pulling up a restaurant on his phone and making the reservation. Less than ten minutes later, Rhett appeared.The moment he got into the car, his nose wrinkled. “Why does it smell like alcohol?”“I sprayed some on my clothes,”