Chapter 24 #2
“Curious what he wants them for?” Baal questioned. “Perhaps you want to see if your transformation can be reversed?”
Oberon held his breath. That hadn’t even occurred to him. What if—
“No.” Fenrir laughed. “I’m happy as I am.”
“But you want something,” the underboss insisted.
“Yeah,” he lifted a single shoulder. “I’m not about to give something this valuable away for free.”
The vibe in the room noticeably dropped, but Fenrir kept his cool and stared the underboss down without flinching.
O felt a swell of pride.
“What do you want?” Koah was the one to ask first.
“It’s actually something only King can give me.” Fenrir swiveled around on the leather cushion until he was facing Oberon. “I want you to buy me the Wardrobe.”
He blinked, momentarily caught completely off guard. “I’m…sorry?”
“You have enough money to buy out most of the shares of the board,” he continued. “That would leave Michelle’s. I want hers too.”
“You want to run the Wardrobe?” Koah sounded every bit as surprised by this turn of events as Oberon was.
“If you think dismantling the sex industry is as simple as buying out the largest supplier—” Baal began, only for Fenrir to cut him off.
“I don’t plan on dismantling it,” he said.
“I’m going to restructure it. Right now, the Imperial Prince only poses a threat because of his and Kian’s crusade to correct our planet's low birth rate. They don’t have a problem with the sex industry, just forced sex trade.
Neither of them wants to stop the barter or sale of alphas and omegas.
They just want to dress it up all pretty and call it consensual. ”
For their kind, sex was the catalyst for all. The driving force bringing people together and breaking them apart. National events like the White Hunt, Heated Hearts Day, and others, all meant to encourage them to fuck and breed, came with minimal legal restrictions.
Fenrir wasn’t wrong. What Altair and Kian were trying to do, and what Levi had suddenly taken an interest in, wasn’t actually to clean up and provide a safer, more equality-driven society.
If they did, they would stand firmly behind that sentiment, instead of waffling in a poor attempt to please both sides.
Younger generations saw how things were run on their neighboring planet Glyph and called for change, while the older generations, people like Fenrir’s grandfather, were severely opposed.
“There are plenty of clubs and companies that offer clear and fair contracts to their product,” Fenrir elaborated.
“Contracts that do away with the term product altogether and instead refer to participants as employees. Once I take over, anyone who wants to stay will be provided a salary, benefits, and a safe working environment.”
“You’ll lose more than half of the product that way,” Koah pointed out.
“That’s where you come in.”
Oberon rested his arm on the couch and then stroked his chin in thought, catching on. They would have to discuss how his omega had kept mum about this the entire time they were together, but for now, he’d keep his ire to himself so as not to ruin this for him.
“You want to cut a deal with Frost Loans,” he surmised. “Clever.”
“Think of it like an extension of the White Hunt,” Fenrir said. “If someone can’t pay off their debts, they’re given the option to work it off at the Wardrobe.”
“You think that many people want to sell their body?” Koah asked.
“I think this is Synastry,” Fenrir reminded. “Hell, on the drive here, I spotted a couple screwing on a park bench, and three in front of their open apartment windows.”
“You what now?” Oberon frowned at him.
“Plus,” he continued as though O hadn’t spoken, “we’ll offer further incentive.”
“Such as?” Baal tipped his head, his interest apparent. He was already seriously considering this plan.
Oberon would have to buy him a bottle of that expensive vodka he was into, maybe even three, as thanks for helping to prop his man up.
“Anyone who signs heat or rut contracts will be given full medical evaluations before and after. If they’re interested in fertility, we’ll provide aid in that department,” Fenrir had obviously been thinking about this for a long time.
“It’s impossible to guarantee a successful breeding,” Baal pointed out.
“We’ll make that clear in the contracts,” he agreed. “What we’re selling here is hope.”
“The only thing that sells better than sex.” Koah whistled.
“Exactly.” Fenrir absently reached back, hand dropping over Oberon’s left thigh and remaining there. “We’ll do breeding contracts as well, of course, but the fact that they’ll get to keep any resulting offspring from a mere hookup will be tempting.”
At the moment, if one of the product got pregnant, the Wardrobe confiscated the baby upon birth. Most companies did this, so it wasn’t unheard of or out of the norm.
Product weren’t free. To many owners, they weren’t even considered people. Fenrir was suggesting they strip that unfairness away. Koah had a point; many would leave the second they got the chance.
But many would also stick around.
Like Fenrir, much of the product had been entangled with the Wardrobe for years, if not decades. It would be the only sort of life they knew. Change took courage, and most of them would have had that beaten out of them already.
“I’ve seen the books. I know what Michelle makes. The White Frost won’t lose out here.” Fenrir leaned back. “If you need a longer pitch, I’m prepared—”
“This is good,” Baal said. “If you can take control of the company.”
“As I mentioned, the rest of the board isn’t a problem. Michelle is the tricky part.”
Koah glanced between them. “You going to let him speak for your money, Purse?”
Oberon ran his fingers through the fine hairs at the base of Fenrir’s skull, loving how silky and expensive they felt. “Uh huh.”
“I’ll agree to this,” Baal announced. “Which means we just need a plan for finding Rebirth. If we wait until you’ve bought everyone else out, the Mistress of the Wardrobe will be tipped off. Then neither of us get what we want.”
“I could find a way back into the building,” Fenrir suggested, not noticing when Oberon’s hand stilled. “King’s multi-slate is bugged. Claudio is retrieving it after he drops off the doctor. We can use that to our advantage. Stage a fight between us, give her a reason to take me back. Then I—”
The anger came suddenly. A potent, all-consuming rage Oberon had never experienced before, and might have questioned if he’d been even partially in his right mind.
Oberon had Fenrir sprawled out on the couch in a flash, one hand on his throat, the other slipping between them, forcing its way down the front of the omega’s pants.
“Good Light!” Koah cursed and spun on his heels to look away.
Baal sighed and dropped his head into his hand, shielding his gaze as well.
“What the hell?!” Fenrir let out a strangled sound when O grabbed onto his dick and gave it a squeeze.
“This is mine,” O snarled, losing control of himself to the point he was partially unaware of what he was doing or saying. “You are mine. You aren’t going back there. You’re never going back there. If this has all been some mind fuck with the goal to return to your mistress—”
Fenrir tugged him down, slamming their mouths together.
At the same time, he let out a wave of targeted omega pheromones, soothing and reassuring Oberon, all while his tongue darted between his lips dominatingly and flicked across the roof of his mouth.
The omega kissed him like he was the one in charge, like all of Oberon’s insecurities could be quelled if he simply gave in and allowed him to lead for them.
Perhaps he was right in this as well.
In the past, Oberon hadn’t bothered himself with trifles or doubts. He had no basis of comparison for the way he was feeling now, nothing to compare this twist of possessiveness in his gut to.
This fear of losing something more important to him than air.
If it could be bought, it hadn’t mattered what he’d lost or misplaced. But Fenrir was different. There was only one of him in the whole of the universe.
Oberon couldn’t lose him.
“Energy,” Fenrir broke away and said breathlessly.
He frowned down at him, mind reeling. “What?”
The omega pressed a palm over O’s rapidly beating heart.
“These past few days together, your body has helped regulate mine. Even though you don’t produce a large sum of energy like I do, as my alpha, you can channel it through you.
A few odd explosive episodes in the coming weeks are to be expected.
Breathe, King. I’m not going anywhere. I never was. ”
“But you said—”
“Anyone with ears could tell he was suggesting a ruse,” Baal stated, giving another disgusted sigh. “Can we please get on with it? You aren’t the only one with an omega to satisfy, Purse.”
Oberon stared at Fenrir for a moment longer, then he pushed off him and helped his omega up.
“I have a better plan.” One that wouldn’t require sending the most vital part of O’s being into the lion’s den.
At least, not on his own.