Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
I’m going to have to get another tattoo artist.
I can never see Gage again.
What was that? Why did I somehow lose control of my fingers and type every bullshit thing that came into my head?
I think I’m still high on Emmanuel’s pheromones or something. Kissing him several times yesterday must’ve turned me into a pile of Omega mush, making me a complete moron around a man.
But something about seeing those messages from Gage, knowing how hard it must’ve been for him to dig up my number and convince himself to text me, knowing that he doesn’t date Omegas, made me feel all fuzzy.
I’m in such a good mood that I’m still smiling as I pull on the outfit Kieran picked for me tonight.
Unfortunately, my good mood caused me to overlook the clothing until I turn towards the mirror to touch up my makeup.
The black bodycon dress dips low down to my back, nearly to my ass crack, and is so short that it barely stops barely below my pussy. It secures around my neck with an honest-to-God collar. A little silver D-ring hangs from the front of it. I find the leather harness at the bottom of my locker and strap it over my chest before putting on the thigh-high stockings and garter belts. I’m just sliding into red-bottomed heels when Puck appears in the doorway.
His face, as always, is impassive and frustratingly handsome, making my stomach flip a little. When he looks like this, it’s hard to see the man who told me about his love of sculpting and that he shaves his head to look like his father. He’s always been magnetic, but now that I know there is more to him than just the one-dimensional brush I painted him with, I feel drawn to him more than ever.
He is a bad guy, right? Like he has to be. I don’t care if he gave a beautiful speech about finding beauty in trash that felt like he was reminding me that no matter what happens to me, I’m still worth something.
He’s Kieran’s number two.
The enforcer.
He’s wearing a tight black shirt tucked into black jeans and boots. A gun hangs in a harness under his arm, and I’m so distracted by how his fit body fills out his clothes that I almost miss the crown balancing in his hands.
Kieran has a selection that he has me wear on “special occasions”, and today’s is my least favorite. Puck steps forward and secures it on my head with the interior clips, ensuring it stays put no matter how I move. The silver is polished until it shines, and the floral etchings on its surface look delicate and beautiful.
But Kieran wouldn’t have picked out the one that doesn’t move if he hadn’t planned something awful for me tonight, not with this outfit.
“Puck,” I whisper. “Please.”
“It’ll be fine, Queenie,” he whispers, making all of the tension leave my body.
I realize I trust him. I trust that with him, I’ll be safe.
He isn’t all bad, I decide. He can’t be. He has kept my secret about Maverick so far.
Puck reaches out and pushes some of my hair behind my ear. “He’s entertaining some business partners. It’s like any other VIP room.”
“Then why am I collared, Puck?” He winces but smoothes his face quickly enough that I can almost tell myself I didn’t see it. “And you know as much as I do what this crown means.”
“He won’t hurt you, Crystal.” Am I imagining the ‘I won’t let him’ subtext?
My name on his lips is decadent. No one here uses it much, not even him. I place my hand on his firm chest, digging my fingers into his shirt. “You know that there are ways to hurt someone that leave no marks.”
“I’ll be there the whole time.”
“Are you going to stop him from having me crawl behind him?”
Puck flinches visibly this time. “He’s not in the habit of making you look so low.”
“That’s bullshit. He’s told me so many times. ‘Queenie, don’t you see? The King has to show he’s stronger than everyone – even the Queen.” Puck doesn’t say anything.
He can’t.
We both know what I’m in for tonight.
“He’s expecting us.”
* * *
My knees ache.
Kneeling beside Kieran, my leash loosely in his hand as he talks to some assholes from other crime syndicates about fizz, makes me want to scream.
But I’m a pretty ornament at his feet.
A statue to show his wealth and status.
An Alpha with a bulbous, red nose and greasy blonde hair leans forward and points a finger at Kieran. “This drug of yours isn’t any different than MDMA, and it’s three times the cost.”
Kieran clicks his tongue. “You haven’t tried it yourself, then, because it is nothing like that common street drug. Fizz can help Betas experience ruts and heats. It can enhance those feelings in Alphas and Omegas. It’s more than just a party drug. It allows you the ability to lose yourself in another person.” He reaches down and strokes my hair gently before wrapping his hand around the base of my neck over his bite. “Queenie can tell you herself. For an Omega, it may as well be the beginnings of heat.”
I squirm uncomfortably at the attention falling on me. The three Alphas sitting across from Kieran all learn forward in curiosity.
“Now, if I could see that, it may convince me,” the one with olive skin and dark hair says slowly. He’s got an accent that I can’t place, but he’s clearly from East Asia. His grin is lecherous as he turns to me. “I have several Omegas in my … employ… and I know having them in heat will be a big draw to my clients.”
“I agree,” the blonde man says. His sharp Russian accent jars me now that I’m paying closer attention. “That is a better use than selling it to club kids. Show us.”
My eyes find Puck’s. He’s standing slightly behind and to the left of Kieran, guarding his back. It seems like he’s here as muscle, as backup, not as a representative of Prism. He mouths, “He won’t,” at me right before Kieran speaks.
“Fine.” My stomach drops out of my ass as his hand tightens on my neck to the point of pain. “Puck, go get some fizz from Ricky for Queenie.”
“Half dose?” Puck asks carefully. He can’t look like he’s challenging Kieran in any way, but he’s trying to help me the best he can.
“No, full dose,” the Alpha, who’d remained silent until now, says. He has a complexion similar to Emmanuel’s and a Spanish accent that sounds beautiful and smooth.
Kieran flew in the big players from around the world for this.
Of course, he’s going to give me the full dose.
He nods at Puck. “Cortez is right. Full dose.”
I can’t help the whine that escapes me at his words.
Kieran’s hand migrates to my chin, forcing me to look up at him as he pulls tightly on my leash. “I won’t let them touch you, Queenie,” he says quietly. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
I don’t believe him.
Sure, he hasn’t forced himself on me yet, but I know that is only a matter of time. I’m not sure what he’s waiting for, honestly. He has me over a barrel, and he knows it.
Puck slides back into the room and hands the pill to Kieran. The Alpha holds it over his glass of cognac. When he drops it in, and the glass immediately carbonates, the other kingpins lean forward curiously.
“This is why we call it fizz. It takes any drink and makes it carbonated, allowing it to be easily disguised from the authorities.” He pushes the glass against my lips. “Open, Queenie.”
Chin wobbling, I open my mouth and allow him to pour the liquor down my throat. It burns, and my eyes begin to water. I can’t take my eyes off Puck. He stands in the corner, his fists tight, holding my stare.
He is my life raft at this moment. Maybe if I keep my eyes on him, I won’t be carried away with the current.
Fizz doesn’t take long to kick in. The carbonation helps it run through your bloodstream faster, I think.
In minutes, my thighs grow slick, and my jaw drops open slightly as my breathing becomes labored. I squirm uncomfortably, gently tugging the leash. “Hot,” I whisper to Kieran. “Can I take the collar off?”
He shakes his head before petting my hair. “No, Queenie. It’ll be okay. You’ll get used to it.”
I squirm, a soft cramping that is an echo of heat starting in my abdomen. My pussy throbs, leaking slick with every beat of my pulse. My whine fills the air.
“Alpha.” I can’t stop the word from tumbling out of my mouth. “Alpha, please.”
I don’t want to beg Kieran, of all people. He doesn’t even smell good to me, especially not right now. But he has a knot.
And I need a fucking knot before my body falls apart.
“Alpha!” I cry, crawling closer to him. “Knot. Please. Please, please, please, I’ll be good. Please.”
He pats my head, silently watching me. The other three look on with curiosity, hands gripping the table and knuckles white.
“I’ll be a good girl, Alpha,” I whine. In the back of my mind, I cringe at my words, but nothing stops them from falling from my lips. He mentioned that we’ve gotten stronger fizz, and this feels more intense than the dose those shitty Alphas slipped me a few weeks ago. “I’ll listen to you. I’ll stop fighting you. Please, I ache. I hurt.”
Kieran cups my chin and turns my face up to his. It’s softer than I remember seeing it. “I knew you’d come around to me eventually.”
I recognize that I’m saying things I can’t take back, things that give Kieran everything and more than he hoped for.
But I can’t stop myself.
I’m on fire.
My clothes are too tight.
They’re scratchy.
I have to get them off.
I pull at the dress, but it doesn’t move, collared around my neck. I take off the harness, garters, and stockings. Kieran doesn’t stop me. In fact, he drops the leash and lets me stand up.
No longer on the floor, I can see the hunger in the foreign Alpha’s eyes. I can see how tightly they’re holding themselves back. I can smell the pheromones leaking off of them.
One smells marginally better than the others, and I try to parse out which one.
Maybe he’ll help me.
Reaching under my dress and pulling off my slick-soaked panties, I move to approach the Spanish Alpha.
Maybe I can pretend he’s Emmanuel. That sounds like an acceptable plan.
Instead, Puck wraps his arms around my waist. “I don’t think so, Queenie,” he mutters in my ear.
“This demonstration is certainly enlightening. Kieran, I think we can come to a regular trade agreement,” the Asian Alpha says calmly. “Let me take care of your Omega for you. She is in pain.”
I strain to get out of Puck’s arms. “Alpha,” I whine, reaching forward. “I hurt.”
I know my body is betraying me.
I know I’m putting myself in a dangerous situation.
But I can’t help it.
I may as well be in heat, and I’m in a room full of hungry Alphas.
“No, that won’t be necessary,” Kieran snaps. “She is not on the menu. You’ve seen its effect now.”
“She could be faking,” the Russian says, blatantly adjusting himself. “We won’t know unless we try her out.”
Puck picks up my panties from where I discarded them and tosses them towards the Alphas. They land on the table with an embarrassingly wet “plop.”
“Proof,” he spits at them. If he were an Alpha, he would’ve growled, without a doubt. “Shall I take her away now, boss?” He asks Kieran, tightening his arms around my waist.
Kieran waves us away, and Puck throws me over his shoulder. I wiggle, trying to get down. “Alpha, please, Alpha, please help!”
Puck smacks me on the ass. “Stay still, Queenie. Let me get you out of here, okay?”
“Smell so good,” I murmur, wrapping my arms around his waist the best I can. I bury my face in his back between his shoulder blades. “How do you smell so good as a Beta?”
“Good cologne,” he grumbles.
I have no idea where he’s taking me, but my pain is getting worse. “I need to come,” I pant, rubbing my thighs together. His fingers tighten on my flesh. “Please, please, please, Puck, I’m hurting.”
“I’m not going to do that, Queenie,” he says softly. “This isn’t you. It isn’t what you want.”
“It is,” I whine. “You’re so hot for the bad guy. It’s not fair. The villains aren’t supposed to be sexy.”
He stiffens. “Is that how you see me? Am I the villain in your story?” If I had more of my wits about me, I would maybe recognize the hurt in his voice as he continues. “I’m not just a bad guy. I’ve always taken care of you.”
“You do Kieran’s bidding.” I squirm in his arms, practically humping his shoulder. “But you are good to me,” I admit reluctantly. “I trust you. Please, please. I need help.”
“I can’t fuck you, Crystal,” he says again.
I groan. “Why does my name sound so erotic on your tongue?” I push myself up on his back, trying to get a look at him. My eyes fixate on his mouth. “Your tongue would feel really good right now.”
He chuckles as he descends the stairs to the pleasure dens. I start to thrash. “Please, no, don’t leave me there alone again. Please, I want my nest.”
“You need relief. They’ve got toys.”
“I need more than toys!” I snap. “Puck, please. You can’t leave me to suffer.”
Slowly, he sets me down, my chest dragging down his front before my feet hit the ground. He grabs me by the shoulders. “Crystal. Push through the haze for a fucking second, will you?”
I pinch my skin and twist, holding it as I stare him down. The pain lessens the effect the fizz is having on me, and I feel more lucid.
And so grateful to Puck for getting me out of that room.
“Alright, feeling a little better?” he asks softly. I nod, holding the flesh between my fingers as I stare into the bottomless depths of his black eyes. “I can’t and won’t, fuck you, Crystal. But I don’t like seeing you desperate and in pain, and I worry if I leave you alone in the pleasure den, you’ll go snag a customer again.”
“I will,” I tell him honestly. “I totally will.”
He pinches between his eyes and groans. “You’re so fucking stubborn, Christ,” he mutters. “Why do you have to be so stubborn?” He scrubs his hands down his face with a loud exhale.
“Fine. I can’t fuck you. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make you come.”