A one-alpha man, I hadn’t found mine yet, but I was loyal to the thought of him.
Some omegas dreamed of one of the rich alphas claiming them, but my fated mate was mine already. I hoped he was worth the wait.
I kept my eyes fixed on the numbers lighting up, telling me we were closer to getting the guest to their room. Once the elevator doors opened, I stepped out and waved to the left. “This way, sir.” Another thing I said multiple times each day.
Once we arrived at his room, I used my universal keycard to go inside and place his bags on the suitcase holder and give hima tour of the room, including his private pool. All of the beach-facing rooms had a private infinity pool, and I swore to myself that one day I would stay at least one night here.
“That’s it, sir. Have a good stay.” I turned and headed for the door when the heady, musky scent of desire nearly knocked me over.
“What if you stay and help me with that, Ches.”
This part I would never get used to. Some alphas thought every omega in the building was on the menu, and some were. Not me.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m taken.” The lie flowed effortlessly off my tongue.
“I understand, but if you change your mind, well, you know where I am.” He walked over and placed a few twenties in my hand.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll keep that in mind.” I would not.
Another smile and a nod then I was on my way.
My job was more than just lugging bags around. It was also setting up the ballroom. Helping with props and furniture. Moving speakers and replacing electronics. Room service. We did all kinds of things and were expected to be good sports about it.
I was finally able to stop for some dinner thirty minutes before my shift was over. There was a refrigerator and large break area. Alias came in, looking worse for wear and complaining about his feet. Again.
Unlike me, he wasn’t used to physical labor.
He was a trust-fund baby, but those funds were accessible only after he’d worked for five years.
“You need to eat to keep up your strength,” I said as he reached for an energy drink.
“I wish I grew up in a real pack like you did. I would be in better shape.”
I scoffed and grabbed a box of leftovers. The chefs made up meals for us, easy to grab and heat. “You mean the pack that kicked me out because they had too many males. No, you really don’t, Alias.”
Chapter Two
Grant
They said no.
When I approached the ownership team of the premier shifter kink clubs Cuffed and Crowned, I had every reason to believe they would accept my generous offer to purchase their properties and their brand. Everyone else had, so far, from the lemonade stand I took over in fifth grade to the chain of nostalgia theaters I bought only last month. With each purchase, I expanded my reach and had the pleasure of taking a business that was already good and making it extraordinary. But until this point, nobody ever told me no.
I didn’t know where to go with that at first. I’d never approached anyone unless I thought they’d feel like it was a good deal for both of us, and this deal was no different. But from the moment I went into the meeting, I had a bad feeling, which proved to be accurate.
As the half dozen owners who had attended filed out of the Cuffed conference room, Talon asked me to wait a moment. “If you have time, I’d like to speak with you.”
“Of course.” I sat down again, unsure what he might want, since he’d been the one who delivered the very polite but firm turndown of my offer. “What can I do for you?”
He’d been at the head of the table, but moved down to take the seat next to me. “I wanted to be clear that we did not make our decision based on any ill-will toward you or your business practices. We are simply not for sale. When a new investor is approved, they have the option of being a full or silent partner.”
“Interesting. How many silent partners do you have?” As a privately held firm, their records were not available to the public. I had become interested based on what my sources couldfind out in a more round-about way, but this particular bit of information had not come up.
“Zero.”
“Really? That’s surprising.”
“Every one of my partners has chosen to take an active role in the company. They bring skills and assets into play, and that is what makes us unique, I believe.” He chuckled. “Beyond the specific type of clubs we run, we are a team, and nobody wants to give that up.”
