I glanced around the gaudy atrium, furnished with golden-painted armchairs and red carpets. The outrageously overdressed guests made their way up the stairs in careful formations, depending on how much assistancetheir outfits required. One omega wore a fifteen-foot-long train over his gown, and two people had to follow him, carrying the heavy fabric. Ironically, the neckline of his gown plunged down to his stomach, exposing his pierced nipples. Another omega balanced on chopstick-like heels, flanked by two alphas who all but carried him. Stunned, I recognized an award-winning pop singer dressed in nothing but strategically placed jewelry.
“This isn’t my preferred way of enjoying free time,” I told Lothair.
Lothair rubbed his chin and grinned. “Let’s make it a team-building activity.”
I suppressed an eye roll. I had a suspicion of what Lothair’s idea of team building might be.
He wore nothing under his tailored jacket. No tie, no shirt, no undershirt. When he unbuttoned the jacket, something flashed above the waistband of his pants. Golden underwear? Gold seemed to be the theme of the evening.
I adjusted my bow tie as we walked up the grand staircase to the second floor of the mansion.
“Don’t fidget, Terrance. You’ll fit right in.”
On the contrary. In my classic black tuxedo, I must have stuck out like a sore thumb among the colorful crowd.
Our host was notorious for his grand parties, but in my career, I’d never worked for anyone who would attend them. Caspian only invited the crème de la crème—no wannabes and definitely no journalists ever made it inside his circle. Hence, these events were shrouded in mystery, while the most insane rumors circulated about them. If I were to believe the gossip, what we’d find upstairs would be a pile of copulating bodies, doused in caviar and cocaine, with some satanist symbols hanging on the walls.
“How long have you known Caspian?” I asked when we were nearing the top of the stairs.
Lothair shrugged, gazing ahead. “Since the beginning. I’m far from being his biggest star, but he seems to like me.”
We entered a large ballroom, and my eyes watered.
Everything was over the top.
The lights shimmered, glitter rained from the ceiling, and the music throbbed through the floors. I inhaled and coughed.
The room smelled of heat.
Omega slick and sweat. Cologne. Roses. Wine. Heat.
My cock tingled.
They must have used some artificial perfume to emulate the scent of omegas in heat. How else would they achieve it?
Lothair took a deep breath, groaned happily, and slapped my shoulder. “That’s the good stuff. Come, we’ll have a drink.”
“Team building means I’m working.”
He only laughed. “Sure you are. They took your gun at the door, remember?”
I followed him to one of the bars, trying not to stare at the crowd, but fuck… I’d never seen anything like it.
The outfits were doing my head in. The alphas wore suits but often in wild colors, like red or shimmering silver. Some had foregone jackets and only wore pants, their bare chests toned and oiled. A few had masks on their faces. The omegas looked like a flock of peacocks and parrots. There were feather boas, red leather pants, sheer tops, nipple tassels, outrageous wigs, and fake pink fur. And gold. So much gold.
I knew a few of the faces from movies and media, butnot all of them. One omega sported a golden thong and a collar and nothing else. An alpha in a white tuxedo and big black shades held the golden chain attached to the collar. The omega knelt at his feet, hugging his leg, while people chatted to the alpha casually. As I passed the couple, the boy looked at me and licked his lips. The alpha fisted his hair and tugged, and the omega’s eyes closed, lips parted…
“Manhattan. Twice.”
I glanced up. We were at the bar, and Lothair leaned against the counter, smirking at me.
The bartender was a gorgeous omega in his twenties who smiled at me sweetly.
“Coming right up, gentlemen.”
He turned around to take a bottle of vermouth from a shelf behind him, and I swallowed a gasp. His simple black pants had a huge, round hole in the back, revealing his naked ass and a delicate chain disappearing between his ass cheeks.
I angled my body to face the bar so I could hide my erection.
