Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Lobby, Omega Hotel
New Year’s Eve
Laughter rings through the grand lobby, which is still dressed like it is Christmas, despite it being New Year’s Eve.
There are no guests in this winter wonderland, however, because I closed the hotel as soon as I took over to take time to restructure it.
This is the flagship hotel. I must get the reforms right in order to replicate them in every other Omega Hotel throughout America.
Today, the staff and HOs are celebrating the belated Christmas that they have missed for too many years.
Betas and Omegas, dressed in the relaxed and warm clothes that they gleefully bought in the shops in Haven with their increased salaries, are wandering around the marble lobby chatting and playing Christmas games.
Lashonda is drinking hot chocolate with fluffy marshmallows, while casually talking to Ms. Fields.
It blows my mind to see the relaxed way that Ms. Fields laughs, slouching against the wall.
For the first time, I can fully see the true people who had been smothered under the hundreds of rules.
Possibly, they are discovering themselves as well after years of suppression.
It’s so fucking liberating.
Ms. Fields may still have her severe bob but she has chosen to wear a casual, soft pair of peach trousers and a hoodie.
Every member of the staff can leave the hotel in their free time now, not only to shop. They are allowed to travel wherever they want. It’s just the start of the reforms that collectively I, Dad, Hatton, and Icarus are eager to bring in.
But first, we want to hold genuine consultations with staff across every hotel.
I meant it about running this business cooperatively.
Yet it will take time.
Luckily, I have an entire pack who are dedicated to this vision.
The long, golden counter is covered with cakes, pastries, and chocolates that were bought in for the guests but are now being fed to my Sinner pack.
Michah proudly has his arm around Chris, while Chris is showing off the pastries that she has baked: sweet potato biscuits, blackberry cobbler, and bourbon pecan pie.
She lifts a honey-drenched cake to Michah’s lips, as if Michah is a treasured Omega. The two Betas are so focused on each other — their love — that they don’t notice anyone else around them.
I smile.
Staff being able to be in relationships, match, and bond was the very first change that I made.
I’m not a hypocrite.
For two Betas to break taboos like this and not show shame makes my soul dance.
I want this hotel to be a leading light to shake up the conventions and prejudices of our world.
I shiver, remembering being forced to hide in the shadows with my brother and only peer out at this luxury in secret.
Now, I am not only openly in the light, every staff member is, including the Hotel Omegas.
The HOs aren’t called that, however, any more because I have abolished the entire cruel practice.
I have offered that the Omegas can either return to their packs or be the first ever Omegas to be trained up in staff roles, on equal rights and pay.
Every single one told Icarus that he was their Alpha and the Sinners was their pack.
So, they were staying.
Plus, we held a ritualistic burning of every Rules for Staff Handbook, along with the HO catalogs for guests, yesterday in the gardens, while the staff cheered and danced around the bonfire.
Talk about cathartic.
This is a new beginning.
Happily, I nuzzle in Piper’s arms amongst a nest of golden pillows that Icarus built for me beside the fireplace, which roars and crackles with an open log fire.
Piper has his arm casually resting around my waist, while I lie against his chest.
I purr, twisting to rest our foreheads together.
Then my brow furrows. “You’re hot, Wolfie. Are we too close to the fire?”
“Hmm.” Piper shrugs. “I love being warm in your arms. Nowhere I’d rather be. Well, apart from on the back of a motorcycle or maybe riding a roller coaster. Can we try those together next week?”
I chuckle. “Why the hell not? Maybe we don’t give our Alphas a coronary by telling them all our reckless plans at once?”
Piper and I are dressed in black leather trousers and matching chunky knitted elf Christmas sweaters.
Papa blushed as he presented the sweaters to us as his gift this morning.
“I made one of these for the whole pack every Christmas because I didn’t have any money but I still wanted to show that I loved you all.
I knitted one for you and Bird after…but Maya wouldn’t let them be sent down to you. I still hoped…”
My heart swelled.
I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I love you, Papa.”
Sometimes, it had felt like I had been forgotten by my family up in the penthouse.
But I never had been.
“I love you too.” Papa breathed in my scent deeply like he couldn’t believe that he was able to finally both hold me and smell my scent again.
I forgot just how terrible it must have been for those left behind in my family.
“I stayed up for the last week knitting the ones for your bonded pack as well. I want them to know how much I appreciate what they have done for us and how much they are part of the family.”
I love Piper for the way that he threw away his punk swagger without hesitation for the sake of my papa.
“This is awesome, sir.” Piper’s curls sprung out of the hole in the sweater like the branches of a silver tree reaching for the sun. “I love it. No one has knitted me anything before. My brother may have killed someone with a needle but not knitted anything with it.”
Papa blinked. “Well, then I look forward to meeting him.”
I laughed.
So, did I.
Piper’s brother is part of the Ferals pack, who sound both terrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time. His sister is an inspiration of an Omega. She is bonded to the real Idols pack, and like Piper, risks her life to save people.
Piper smoothed his hand down his green elf sweater.
“Take a photo of me in this to send to him, yeah? He’ll probably put it up behind the counter of my coffee shop, Coffee Knot Tea.
Do you want to come with us to visit the shop next week as well, sir?
I can’t wait to show Gracie and make her a decent cup of coffee, no offense.
I am the best barista in Virginia. My top contribution to this hotel will be turning it into the destination for coffee in America. ”
I smirked. “Big words.”
“Big talent.”
Papa pulled back from me, looking suddenly unsure.
“Are you certain that you want me there, Piper? I’m only a Third Omega in a pack that is being shamed online in a viral scandal.
Maya has been officially arrested, and the best lawyer in the world couldn’t get her off.
The court of public opinion has already found her guilty, and the Frosts are being crucified, Ellington especially.
We four Omegas don’t even have an Alpha of any kind, and there are calls for us to be taken in as wards of the state.
Cooper is frightened but he didn’t want to bother any of you when you’re already working so hard to help the staff. Then there’s the search for my son…”
Terror shot through me.
I grabbed Papa by the elbows. “Firstly, I have abolished the First, Second, and Third shit. Everybody is equal. Secondly, I will find my brother and bring him home from the Institute. Thirdly, what the hell, Papa? There is talk of you being taken away? All of you?”
Papa nodded.
“It won’t happen.” Piper looked determined. “Icarus can take them officially into the Sinners pack. Then he will be their Head Alpha and have the say over them. No one will be able to match or bond them against their will, and no fucking government authorities can take them away.”
Papa’s eyes lit with hope. “Grace?”
Tears of happiness trembled on my eyelashes. “You’ll be safe in the Sinners pack. I know that being safe will be hard to believe. But you will be free.” Then I added, quietly, “Plus, if Dad and you never want to bond an Alpha again and openly love each other, then that’s your choice.”
Papa looked startled, before his expression crumpled.
He took my hand, taking deep breaths to steady himself. “Thank you.”
Now, I open my mouth for Zero to hand feed me a gingerbread reindeer cookie that Chris has baked. I munch on it merrily, as Zero kisses the crumbs off the corner of my lips.
His knitted sweater has a star on the front.
I peer over Zero’s shoulder at the ivory couches, which are flanked by tall vases of fresh flowers.
Papa and Dad are sitting next to each other on the couch, so close that their thighs are touching.
I love to see that they are both laughing.
They are playing with Zoe and the knitted Santa that I had seen in the penthouse during the heist and had rightly guessed was meant as a gift for her.
Papa made it, even though he didn’t know if he’d be allowed to give it to her.
My parents never stopped thinking about Zoe and me.
Papa laughs, leaning closer to Dad.
Papa used to be so serious. I can still see the strain of anxiety in the set of his shoulders that he is in the lobby and out of his room. It is a huge achievement, however, because this is the furthest that he has ventured this week.
It warms me inside that we are all together.
This has been my dream from the moment that Zoe was born.
I never thought that it would come true.
This truly feels like my Christmas miracle. Except, it didn’t come true by wishing on a star and waiting for someone else to make it happen.
It took an entire team of people facing their fears, risking their lives, and an Omega cracking a safe and pulling off a heist.
Now that’s a Christmas movie that I would watch.
Especially if it starred Jex.
Ollie is sitting next to my parents, dancing the reindeer around to amuse Zoe like the amazing uncle that he has always been.
Yet he’s still only a high school aged kid.