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This wasn’t about us as alphas, but about Sienna as our omega. She was the one who got to call the shots. Sienna was fiercely independent, and that wouldn’t be changing just because she’d found a pack.
As I rounded the curve, heading for the coffee shop, I wondered about the significance of this particular place. It was on the edge of a row of small businesses that looked out on the lake. Customers could make their purchases then stroll along the small bench-lined boardwalk that overlooked Lake Sloane. There were no trees or anything since we were in Nevada, but the scenery was a nice change of pace from the city life.
The parking lot was fairly empty this time of day, so I snagged a spot right in front. When I pulled my helmet off and started up the sidewalk, I clocked the new alpha, the guy I didn’t know, sitting on a bench by the waterfront.King.I wasn’t in the mood for coffee yet, so I headed his way instead. It couldn’t hurt to get a measure of what he was like one on one. The previous evening’s activities hadn’t really been conducive to learning more about the newcomer.
King glanced up as I approached and nodded his head in greeting. “Did you get the same cryptic text I did?”
“To meet here to discuss Sienna?” I questioned as I sat down beside him. “She’s not going to like it when she finds out we met up to talk about her.”
He chuckled at that. “I had the same thought, but I don’t know her as well as you guys do.”
“She’s a pretty private person. You’d be surprised how little we know,” I admitted. “But if she gives us a chance, I hope to change that. She deserves everything we could give her. I’ve never met an omega who looked more like she carried the world on her shoulders the way Sienna does.”
“So… all alphas?” King questioned with a raised eyebrow. “That should work well.”
“I’ve never seen four in one pack without betas involved,” I agreed, glad I wasn’t the only one with that concern. “But if anyone can handle it, it’s Sienna. Does it bother you?”
He thought it over for a second. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I’ve got my own shit with ‘normal’ dynamics. It’s almost easier to consider this because of the alphas involved.”
“You know Yuri, right?” When we met at Neon Nights, it was obvious that the two men were familiar but not close.
“Yes. We’ve crossed paths a few times. Sex work, in all its forms, is a small industry,” he mused, and that took me by surprise.
“Are you a stripper?” I asked. Objectively, he had the build for it, but I hadn’t expected that from a man who seemed as quiet as King. Really, I should be the last to judge, every stripper at the club worked insanely hard. Pole dancing wasn’t for the weak, that was for fucking sure.
“Not exactly,” he hedged, then he sighed. “In any case, I might as well get it out there now. I’m an omega escort. I get omegas through their heats with no strings attached.”
“That’s interesting. I didn’t even realize that was a thing. Good on you,” I said. “I wonder if that would be an issue for Sienna...” I wasn’t really expecting an answer since I was just thinking out loud, but he responded anyway.
“She knows what I do, but we’ll see. It’s not a job I assumed I’d have forever, but I wouldn’t even know what else to do if she had an issue,” he admitted.
“There you guys are. No coffee?” River called out. A few steps later, they came to a stop in front of us and loudly sipped their drink. It was cool today, so they were actually clothed, wearing a sweater, skinny jeans, and a huge scarf around their neck to finish the look off. It was probably the most clothing I’d seen on the alpha in all the time I’d known them.
Yuri, of course, was in his usual business attire. He stood in front of us and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“We need to discuss Sienna. What are everyone’s intentions with her?” he demanded more than asked.
“Let me stop you right there,” I said, holding up a hand. “If we want to have a conversation at all, thistop alphabullshit has to stop. You are my boss, and I respect you, but I won’t go into a packunderyou. There are no leaders in this. If she even decides we’re pack material, that is.”
Yuri’s eyes flared in annoyance, and I could practically see him biting his tongue. I’d never known him as anything but calm and collected, so my words must have struck a nerve. He was used to being the boss, the leader, but this wasn’t the club he owned or his family. If Sienna accepted us, we would come together in a shared pack.
“Oh, it’s getting spicy today.” River laughed and took a pointed sip of their drink. “I’ve had a whole lot of coffee and no sleep, so let’s just get it all out in the open. I like Sienna, she’s obviously my mate, and I want to present the idea of courting to her. But she’s afraid her job would be at risk, and that’s a hard line for her.”
“Then it sounds as if Yuri needs to address that policy,” King stated easily. “That’s the only way to make it not an issue.”
“I’m assessing our policies when I get to the office,” Yuri said. “I made it a point to protect the omegas working for me, and the no-dating policy was in place long before the laws came into effect. No one needs workplace drama messing with business.”
“I’m on River’s wavelength. I’d like to tell her we’re interested and let her decide from there. But only after a policy change. If that’s a boundary for her, we respect it.”
Yuri jumped back in, but his tone was calmer this time, like he was speaking to equals. “Sienna has to be our focus. We respect each other and talk about issues as they arise so they don’t become a bigger problem. As her potential alphas, we owe her that much, at the very least.”
We would have to adjust and allow other alphas to take point from time to time, but as long as there was mutual respect to keep Sienna safe and happy, we could make it work.
“Splendid. I’ll start a group chat, and Yuri can inform us when policies are updated,” River sang out before handing their phone over to King. “I have theirs, so I just need your number. And when Sienna is on board, because I know we’ll win her over, we can add her, too. No secrets, no grudges. We’re all adults, so let’s act like it.”
On that, I could definitely agree. Now, we just needed Sienna to give us a chance and put down her walls. I had a feeling that would be easier said than done.
ChapterEight
