Page 1 of An Omega in Trouble

Chapter One

Azlan

I didn’t earn the money for the vacation I planned by being a police detective. My salary would take me down the street for a weekend at a cheap motel with no pool. But I didn’t choose my career for the money. Coming from generational money, I grew up watching my siblings and cousins live the jet-set life, running through their trust funds and the investments made for them without the slightest concern. I also saw the people who worked for our family companies and at the homes who saved up for a pizza on Saturday night.

And it never sat right with me. So, I made a couple of promises to myself. One, if anyone ever did work for me, I’d pay them fairly, and two, I would have a real job where I could help people. A criminal justice major did not please my fathers, but when I actually finished the degree, rather than dropping out like my brother, they forgave me. Eddie’s

Wide-eyed and confident, I applied for the police academy in a large city, prepared to save the world. Of course, nothing worth doing was easy, but over the years I grew to appreciate what I could do to help people and chafe at the limitations of what I couldn’t. Working in the human world offered les of a challenge than I’d anticipated. Despite what my snobby pack claimed, people were people. They were good, bad, and, in most cases, a combination of both.

If everyone understood that, I could have been open about my status as a shifter, but many still either didn’t know or didn’t want to believe we existed. So, I didn’t mention it—and might have had to handle physicals with some creativity to avoid irregularities causing issues.

Living simply, I also avoided anyone realizing how much money I had stashed away and continuing to pile up. I loved the idea of having my coworkers over for a barbecue in the backyard or a holiday gathering, and the type of home my family favored would raise eyebrows at the least and trigger an investigation at the least.

But after not taking any vacation for three years, my stress level had climbed through the roof. One case piggybacked on another, canceling plans I’d made until finally I had to put my foot down and inform my superiors that I was going to either take some time off or quit.

The detective sergeant laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. You can reschedule after finishing this case.”

Who would give up a job after working so hard to get to that point? Me.

But I didn’t want to if I didn’t have to, so I went over his head and got permission to take my time off. While I was away, I had a decision to make because the detective sergeant was not going to forgive my doing that. Would I go back? Or was it time to make a change?

As my vacation approached, I had no plans made, having been putting in long hours to wrap up the not-one-but-three cases prominent on my desk. And I’d achieved that, not because someone told me to but because there were people waiting for them to be resolved. Families of victims, friends, community members. All I’d achieved was what I should have been able to anyway, not having something new assigned to me just as I was trying to leave.

The only question was, would I return?

My “vacation” started when I walked out the door of the station with zero plans. So, I did what I always did when I had time and enough energy left at the end of the day. I beat feet for my club. Cuffed.

With a quick stop at home to change into club attire. Black jeans and button down with low black boots, in this case.

The small sign by the door offered the only indication that this was the name of the place. It had begun as one old mansion and eventually absorbed the homes on either side, creating gardens, bridges between buildings, and a lot more square footage. Having been a member since just after the club opened, I preferred the original building, at least n most nights, and tonight was one of them.

Inside the front door, I handed my phone to the attendant before strolling into the main area. Since incorporating the other building into the footprint, moving most of the specialty areas like littles and pets to one or the other, this part had been expanded. In fact, since my last visit, the conversation area had been completely remodeled.

“Wow.” I stopped and took in the new furnishings and lighting.

“Nice, right?” Talon, one of the original owners, paused beside me. “We were wearing out the couches with all the sitting around and jawing.”

“Funny. But you did a really nice job. Things must be going well.”

“They are. In fact, we’ve recently invested in a resort out in the desert. It’s luxury with a little kink.” He sat, and a server came over right away. “”What will you have?”

We ordered drinks and, after she left to get them, I asked, “Tell me about this resort. I am on vacation with no plans. Do you think I can get in?

Chapter Two

Trace

“I’ll give you all my tips for the night,” I clasped my hands together and shook them, begging my fellow employee to take the deal. “Plus, there’s big tips to earn in the casino. It’s the private poker room. And you’re better looking than me. You always get the good tips.”

“First of all, I’m not better looking than you. You have that cute young man next door look that the older men like.”

I shuddered at the thought. “But you are the model type. Tall and lean and mysterious. You know how I feel about the casino and cards and poker and…”

Eddie, Edward on his name tag, knew some of my background. We were both waiters, but lately I’d been doing more room service and villa services. Most of us moved around wherever we were needed. “I know. I know. Yeah, okay. But you have the villas tonight. There are some important people coming in.”

“It’s fine. I can handle it.”

He had only begun to get dressed and now had to change into a nicer black suit. The casino and especially the more private rooms required the higher end suit and as he emerged, fully dressed, I had to admit, he looked good. He was an omega like me, but if I was an alpha, I’d go for him.