Sitting on Jack’s Office Floor
Stefan
T he last few days have been amazing. Like something out of a dream.
Lucy is no longer in charge of meals or schedules—Jessica does all of that. Even though Lucy doesn't have a mating bite yet, the beta is a member of our pack. She’s been sitting with us at meals and wearing normal clothes. But I think my favorite thing is that Bear and I are allowed to kiss and touch whenever we want. He pulled me into a corridor yesterday and kissed me until I forgot how to breathe. It was heavenly.
Hell, even Yuki has been sweet to me.
Well, maybe not sweet, but she’s been friendly.
“That color looks good on you.” Lucy leans over the coffee table, complimenting my deep purple sweater. It’s one of the many things Jack ordered for me. I don’t know what it’s made out of, but it might be the softest thing I've ever touched. “It brings out your eyes.” Lucy smiles sweetly.
“Thanks,” I duck my head as I smooth my hands over the sweater and down to my soft black pants. They really are nice.
Awareness prickles my skin, and I look at Jack. He watches us from his big desk on the other side of the room. When he first said he wanted me and Lucy to come to work with him, I was worried it was going to be boring, but we’ve managed to keep ourselves entertained.
It’s obvious Jack is worried my heat might start soon. He really wasn’t happy with Yuki giving me those heat accelerators. Thankfully, they haven’t seemed to have affected me much. No cramps or slicking. I am a little achy, and I’ve been flashing a little hot all day, but it’s hard not to get flustered when your sexy alpha keeps staring at you from across the room.
“Who’s winning?” Bear asks as he breezes through the door.
“No one,” Lucy snorts as she reshuffles the deck of cards. She’s trying to teach me how to play poker, but it turns out, she’s just as bad at the game as I am.
Bear lets out a soft chuckle as he makes his way to Jack’s desk. The sound is deep and rumbly, making my stomach tense. I shift, pulling my legs under me.
The two alphas speak quietly, murmuring about inventory and supplies.
“Do you know what we should do?” Lucy shifts, adjusting the pillow under her butt, then smooths out her shirt. The thin white fabric billows down her slim body, giving me a slight view of her black bra and the waistband of her leggings. “We should go to a café for lunch one of these days.”
“A café?” I sit a little taller, liking that idea.
“Have you ever been to a café?” Lucy deals the cards.
“Not that I can remember.” I pick up each card, waiting for her to finish dealing before I look at them.
“We should definitely go at least once.” Lucy picks up her own cards, and I look at mine. “The restaurants in the city are amazing.”
“That sounds like fun,” I say, hoping Jack will let us do that.
“Hey,” Bear says as Yuki marches into Jack’s office. So many alphas have been coming and going all day. I’m amazed anyone gets any work done around here. “Have you seen Darius?”
“Yeah.” Yuki places a single piece of paper on Jack’s desk. “Last I saw, he was on the back porch, chatting up a few of the guys.”
Bear gives me a sweet smile before heading into the hallway. I stare as he leaves, admiring his firm ass.
“You two having fun?” Yuki walks straight to Lucy, her eyes glued on the beta. I love how much she adores Lucy. It’s so sweet. “It’s almost lunchtime.” The she-alpha touches Lucy’s hair, feeling the long red strands.
“We’re good.” Lucy leans into Yuki’s touch, giggling when the she-alpha tickles the underside of her chin.
“Stefan?” Yuki turns her attention to me. “How are you?” She touches my hair the exact same way she did Lucy, even slipping her hand down to touch my chin. It’s so lovely, I almost forget to answer her.
“I’m great,” I say right as my stomach growls loudly.
“Why don't you take them both down to eat?” Jack asks, and I can’t help but be impressed by his alpha hearing.
Lucy immediately jumps up, but Jack doesn’t move a muscle.
“Are you not coming?” I ask.
Jack stares at his phone, typing something out. “I’ll eat later.” He glances up at me. “But you need to eat,” he says a little forcefully.
I shift, not wanting to leave him. In fact, I’m so put off by the idea that I push my displeasure through our bond. Jack’s expression shifts as he feels my unease, and he gives me a pointed look.
“Yuki?” he says with a very heavy sigh. “Will you bring Stefan some lunch after you’ve eaten?”
Yuki rolls her eyes as she wraps an arm around Lucy. “No problem.”
I sit in silent victory as the pair leave Jack’s office. I can’t believe he let me stay.
“Come here, omega.” Jack pats his lap, and I suddenly understand why he gave in so quickly.
Too excited to hide my smile, I get up and rush across the room to my alpha. Jack pushes his chair away from his desk, patting his firm thighs once more. But before I can sit, he wraps a strong arm around me, then pulls me to him. I can’t help but laugh as he kisses my cheek and neck. But when he grazes my mating bite with his teeth, my laughter stops, replaced by something much more intense.
“Alpha,” I gasp when his hand slips up my shirt. He plucks at my nipples, making me writhe. The heat in my belly grows, and my stomach cramps slightly. “What if someone comes in?” I whimper, staring at the wide-open door.
“Then they can watch.” Jack nips at my skin, and my privates go hard.
“Jack,” I whisper, unable to concentrate with the door open. “Please, alpha.” I look at him over my shoulder.
Jack stops what he’s doing. His lust-filled gaze holds mine, and for a second, I think he might strip me down and fuck me stupid right here and now. But then he lets out an annoyed huff and releases me.
“Fine.” He slips out from under me, moving to his office door.
Victory twice in one day? That’s got to be a record.
I sit in Jack’s big chair, loving how warm it is. “Sex in your office isn’t very professional, Mr. Stanley,” I tease my alpha as he shuts the door. “Are you going to take me right here?” I pat the top of his desk, and a bright green flier catches my eye. I squint at it, recognizing the word Morder .
Unable to help myself, I pull the flier out from under the pile of paperwork. It’s an advertisement for the omega black market. It lists the date of the next auction along with the bold words, Purveyor of fine omegas .
A flood of memories slams into me, and suddenly all I can think about is that horrible day—the two alphas who chased me and Mari. I see her body flying through the air, followed by foggy memories of the auction. The drugs and the lights, followed by the mob of terrifying alphas who yelled insults at me.
I know it all worked out for me in the end—I have the most amazing pack—but there are probably a lot of omegas who were forced into that auction who weren’t as lucky.
“Where were we?” Jack grabs my hips, forcing me up then back into his lap. His hands roam my body, but I can’t think about anything other than the flier in my hand. “Stefan?” Jack grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him over my shoulder. “What's wrong?” Our bond tingles as he feels me out. “Why are you upset?”
I open my mouth, ready to tell him I’m fine, but there’s no point. He’ll know if I lie.
“Why do you do this?” I hold up the flier.
His dark eyes narrow at the paper, then his face scrunches up as if confused. “Do what?”
“Sell omegas?”
“Because it’s lucrative,” he says simply, and shock slams into me.
“Lucrative?” I repeat his horrible explanation, struggling to believe he’d actually say that to me. “Is that all you care about? Making money?”
Jack’s expression quickly changes, and a hardness fills his eyes. “Calm down,” he says firmly. But it’s not a command. He’s not using his alpha voice, letting me react and say whatever I want.
“How?” My voice starts to rise. “The omegas in the black market are mistreated and abused, and all you care about is profit?” My emotions are quickly getting out of control, pure rage gripping me. “How do you know those alphas aren’t hurting their omegas the second they get them home?”
“They could be,” he says, and my mouth falls open. “Just like we don’t know about the alphas who pursue omegas through an academy. For all we know, they beat the shit out of them the second they get home.” His voice drops, deadly serious. “The Morder is my business, Stefan.”
“A business where omegas are abused just so you can make a quick buck,” I yell, but I can’t help it.
“No one is abused,” Jack’s voice rises, and he’s suddenly twice as loud as me. “Not a single member of my staff hurts those omegas,” he says with way too much confidence.
Flashes of Mari’s last moments fill my mind. “Is that what you think?” I suck in a harsh breath, praying I won’t cry. “The men who kidnapped me threatened to rape me and my sister. And then they killed her,” I snarl, trying like crazy not to cry. “They just threw her over the edge of a cliff like she was trash.”
The rage in Jack’s eyes builds, and his grip on my waist tightens, but I know he’s not upset with me . I can feel it in our bond. My alpha is furious for me .
“Who the fuck hurt you?” he barks, making me flinch.
“I don’t know.” Honestly, it doesn't really matter. Not anymore. “They captured me for the sole purpose of selling me to the Morder.” I speak slowly, making sure Jack understands that his people hurt me. He might not have given them permission to hurt omegas, but they did. “They abused me before taking me to your business.”
Jack pulls in a sharp, scary breath. He looks like he wants to murder someone, but it only makes me angrier.
“Everything about that auction was horrible,” my voice cracks. “Horrible.”
Jack’s nose twitches, and he shakes his head. “It’s not that bad.” He glares at me as if I’m being ridiculous. “Dr. Plume is a complete professional. I am providing a service to lost omegas and lonely alphas,” he says firmly. “It benefits everyone.”
Rage bubbles in my gut, and I turn in his lap, facing the alpha the best I can. “It is that bad!” I growl, shocking even myself. “You have no idea what it’s like to be drugged, stripped down, and examined like that. How awful it is.”
Jack lets out a bitter laugh. “ You have no clue how bad it is out there, little omega.” His tone is so ugly. It feels like he’s mocking me.
“Get off me!” I snarl then move to stand up, but Jack won’t let me. He grabs my upper arms, keeping me firmly in his lap.
“The omegas in my care receive food and medicine,” he snaps, and I tremble from the force of his words. “I make sure every omega who comes through my market is safe and cared for before placing them with vetted alphas. And,” his fingers dig into me, “I even go the extra mile of providing sedatives to keep them from falling into distress. To comfort you.”
“ Comfort me ?” My mouth falls open at his ridiculous reasoning. “Those drugs were the worst part!” I scream, trying to break free. I smack his chest, shoving hard, but his fingers dig into my arms, not letting me go.
“You have no fucking clue!” Jack jerks me to him, bringing his face inches from mine. “Do you know what’s worse? Being kicked out of your house when you’re only ten years old and forced to live on the streets. What’s worse is being snatched by a bunch of evil alphas who get off on pain. What’s worse is being forced to degrade yourself in the hopes your captors will give you a piece of fucking bread.” Each horrible word cuts from his mouth like a dagger.
It’s all so horrible, I freeze up, unable to move.
“Did that happen to you?” I whisper, praying it isn’t true.
“They made me do awful fucking things,” Jack’s voice drops to a vicious growl, unable to reel in his spiraling emotions. “They hurt me like you couldn’t fucking imagine. They debased me, mocked me, then they’d throw me in a freezing cold shower and force me to make a show out of washing the blood and cum off my skin.”
Tears gather in his dark eyes, but they don’t spill over. His control, even in this horrible moment, is so impressive. “So, yes.” Jack takes a deep breath, finally calming down a little. “I know how much worse it can be,” he swallows thickly, and his voice drops to a whisper, “and my omegas don’t endure any of that.”
I blink rapidly, trying to process everything my alpha just said. “Jack.” I move my arms, testing his hold on me. His rage seems to be completely gone, and his hands fall away, immediately releasing me. “I’m so sorry.” I wrap my arms around his shoulders, holding him tight. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
My mighty alpha stays frozen in place for a second, his body rigid with so much emotion. I nuzzle him, trailing soft kisses along the side of his face and in his hair. Slowly, the tension in his shoulders leaves, until he finally slips his arms around my waist. He holds me tight, burying his face in my neck while I love on him.
We stay like that for what feels like forever, just holding each other.
My mind drifts, thinking about how Jack and Mari’s pain was so similar. My sweet sister let so many vicious alphas abuse her just to protect me. The bruises and cuts those awful men left on her body will haunt me for the rest of my life. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what they were doing to her, but now I know. And I’ll never be able to tell her how deeply I appreciate what she did for me.
Just like Jack, she saved my life in so many ways.
When Jack finally speaks, his voice is surprisingly soft, “What are you thinking?”
“I don’t want to say.” I cradle his head against my shoulder.
“Please.”
I don’t know why, but that single word grips me.
“What if…” I lick my lips, praying I don’t offend him. “What if all the pain and suffering you endured wasn’t for nothing?”
Jack lifts his head, looking up at me with his brows drawn together. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” I clear my throat as I smooth my fingers over his collar. “If you hadn’t lived through all those horrible years, you wouldn’t be the powerful alpha you are today. There wouldn’t have been a Morder for those alphas to take me to, and I probably would have died on the cliff right alongside my sister.”
I stare at Jack, waiting for him to call me stupid, but he just stares at me, deep love and affection clear in his dark brown eyes. “For us,” I continue, “maybe our painful memories are a path that led both of us to this moment. Because,” I touch the perfect knot in his tie, “I can’t imagine a better pack existing.”
The corner of Jack’s mouth twitches then lifts. “I like that.” He hugs me close, pushing his face into my neck. “I like this path.”
Relief flies out of me, and I squeeze my alpha.
In reality, I’d love nothing more than for us to have found each other without any pain. No suffering. Just two star-crossed lovers who found each other one spring morning. Maybe we could have been walking through a park. But our lives didn’t work out that way. Neither one of us were lucky as kids. So maybe we can be lucky now that we have each other.
Jack’s phone buzzes, rattling across his desk. The name “Rossi” flashes up at the ceiling. I know Jack has to take it, but I wish he wouldn’t.
Just as predicted, my pack alpha grabs his phone and brings it to his ear. “Give me a minute,” he says to Rossi before pressing it to his chest. He opens his mouth to speak right as someone walks by his office door. “Jessica!” he calls out, and the beta backs up into view.
She steps into his office, looking almost terrified to be here. “Sir?”
“Take Stefan down to the dining room.”
I clench my jaw, ready to protest, but Jack gives me a pointed look, telling me to keep quiet. He’s right. I shouldn’t challenge him in front of the staff. It wouldn’t be right.
“I have to take this call,” Jack says, patting my hip and forcing me to stand. “Enjoy your lunch, and I’ll be there shortly.”
All I can do is obey.
Jack’s big voice is booming before I even reach the hallway.
Jessica is all business, marching through the house like she’s on a mission. “Come on, Mr. Kane,” she encourages me to keep up. But I’m a little drained after the intense conversation with Jack. I want to stroll and think.
“Go on,” I say, hoping she doesn’t insist on sticking to me like glue. Jack has been weirdly overprotective lately, but I’m sure all newly mated alphas go through that. “I know you’re busy. I’ll get there eventually.”
Jessica slows down, looking at me as if torn. “Mr. Stanley said?—”
“He said he wants me to go to the dining room, and that’s what I’m doing,” I assure her. “You don’t have to wait on me.”
Her mouth pulls into a tight line. For a moment, I think she’s going to refuse, but then she finally asks, “Are you sure?”
“Go on,” I urge her. “I know this house is big, but I promise I won’t get lost.”
The beta’s eyes drift over my face before picking up speed. “Go straight there,” she says with a stern voice. It reminds me of the way a mother would talk to a wayward child.
“I promise.” I’m pleased when she finally walks off. Her short legs move quickly, carrying her down the hall and around the corner at lightning speed.
Relief flies out of me, and I quickly rub my stomach. I don’t know if I’m too hungry, but my stomach keeps cramping. It doesn’t feel like the cramps I feel when I’m with Jack—it’s deeper. I hope I’m not getting sick.
Walking slowly, I make my way toward the other side of the house. By the time I reach the entryway, Jessica’s footsteps have all but disappeared. The entryway is quiet, filled with only the soft ticking of the grandfather clock, but then something catches my eye.
The front door is cracked open.
“That's weird.” I move to it. The heavy wooden door creaks as I pull it open, but no one is there. All I see is the lush front lawn and the paved driveway. Honestly, there are so many alphas who come and go, anyone could have left it open.
“And what’s your name, little omega?” an unknown voice startles me, and I spin around.
I don’t recognize the bald alpha standing by the staircase, but Jack has so many people working for him, it’s almost impossible to keep track.
“Cat got your tongue?” The alpha lets out a jovial laugh, patting his big belly. I’ve never seen an overweight alpha before. I didn’t know it was possible.
“Jack is in his office,” I say as I shut the front door. I don’t want to be rude, but it feels wrong to be talking to this stranger without one of my packmates here.
The alpha leans down to my height, talking to me like I’m a child. “Why don’t you take me to him?” And his beady eyes narrow.
Suddenly feeling incredibly uneasy, I edge around the alpha, inching my way toward the grandfather clock. “He’s that way.” I point past the alpha to the hallway behind him as I move a little faster. I need to get to the dining room.
“Hey, now,” The alpha holds up his hands as if in surrender. “There’s no need to run away from me.” He walks toward me, his boots jingling with each step. “I won’t hurt you.” He smiles again, but this one feels menacing, creeping ever so slowly across his face. Then the alpha’s lips part, and pointed fangs flash at me. “How about it? Stefan ?”
Wild fear grips me, and I run down the nearest hallway.
“Come here!” the alpha roars as his hand curls around my upper arm.
I fling out my hand, popping him hard right in the mouth. The alpha stumbles backward, covering his face. I don’t waste a second, running as fast as I can. But I’m going the wrong way! I’m moving away from the dining room, but it’s too late to turn around. I can already hear the alpha’s heavy footsteps right behind me. Catching up. Pumping my arms and legs, I race straight for the back of the house, praying Bear is still on the back porch.
The alpha behind me grunts, his heavy footsteps keeping up with me as I fly through the house. Eventually, the back glass door comes into view, and while I can’t see anyone through it, that doesn’t mean my alpha isn’t out there.
Please be out there.
Please!
My body hits the door. I fumble for a second, trying to open it, but before I can get it open, a massive body barrels into me. The door whips open, sending both of us onto the porch face-first.
“Fuck!” the alpha snarls, and his hot breath fans across the side of my face. His thick aroma burns the inside of my nose. It’s a sharp scent, laced with a faint hint of blood.
“Get off,” I wheeze. He’s so heavy, I can’t pull in a full breath of air.
“Stanley owes me an apology.” Fingers tangle in my hair, then jerk. My head is forced back, allowing me to see the completely empty porch and backyard.
No one is here.
There’s no one to help or save me.
I’m all alone.