Chapter 2
TWO
Atlas
My first instinct was to laugh.
Me? An escort?
Didn’t Jasper realize that omegas didn’t want nerdy Alphas like me? They wouldn’t pay a matchmaking service buckets of cash for a sub-par substitution.
“I’ll find you someone—” I said, but Jasper only shook me harder.
“There’s no time!” he insisted. “We need to get you to HR for training tonight. There’s no time to lose.”
My lips thinned into a frown, hoping it would inspire him to dial down his theatrics.
“Jasper, I appreciate the offer, but I think the omega I’m paired with will be disappointed, especially when they’ve paid a ton of money to be serviced by a professional. We should do everything in our power to avoid a bad review on opening weekend.”
“Disappointed? Why?” he stepped back to stare at me. “You’re a strapping young thing.”
Sometimes Jasper descended into boomer talk when I knew for a fact that he was only in his 40s.
“Debatable,” I muttered. “But the fact is, I’m not a professional.”
“You don’t have to be,” he said, not unkindly. “These omegas are in heat, or about to go into heat. They won’t care if you’re a professional or not, as long as you’re there to service them.”
I tried to stifle a grimace and failed miserably. Jasper’s language was borderline offensive, but I knew he meant no harm. As a beta himself, he couldn’t possibly understand the nuances of a heat, or how such extreme vulnerability could wreck an omega.
I took a breath, trying to find the words to correct him, but he spoke over me.
“Please,” Jasper whined again. “It’ll be simple—I promise. And there’s a nice paycheck that goes with it.”
Damn it. That was true. The Alpha escorts were paid extremely well on a nightly rate. The money would go a long way to bolstering my non-existent savings.
“I can’t promise—” I began, feeling my stutter threatening to return under pressure.
“Just go see Irene and she’ll give you the introductory talk. It’s an easy job—much easier than coding anyway.”
Unlikely.
I swallowed hard as he hurried away to find his next victim. The half-drunk protein shake sat on my desk, but the idea of choking down the thick chocolate drink was now unappealing. In fact, the gulp I’d taken earlier sat in my stomach like liquid lead.
I stood, glancing across the open-plan office for Irene. She caught my eye immediately and ushered me over.
Great, I thought. Just fucking great.
An hour later, I fell back into my office chair, clutching a company-issued phone in my hands.
The generic lockscreen stared back at me, waiting for professional escort ‘Arya’ to unlock the device and start texting with the omega on the other end.
I hadn’t been given a chance to pick my own alter ego—Irene, Head of HR, had already assigned it and set up my account before I could stutter out a ‘huh?’
The HR crash course had been… eye-opening.
I knew a few things about the recruitment process through the intake forms that I’d had to code for the app.
It was extremely thorough—Winter Blackwell, the founder and CEO of the startup had worked with several expensive consultants to develop a form that would cover everything of concern to an omega hiring someone off an app.
Winter promised safety above all else, and we were insured for things I couldn’t even think of.
I gripped the phone tightly as the home screen loaded up. There, I’d be able to see the details of my match as well as the form the client had filled out… A form that specified exactly how they’d like to be serviced.
Damn it, how had I gotten into this predicament again?
Right. Jasper.
The money, on the other hand, was a huge plus.
Clients were billed per 24-hour period, and this particular client had booked Alpha Net’s services for three days.
The fee that Irene had quoted me was almost mind-boggling.
Apparently this client had already paid the deposit and confirmed the time of arrival, but Irene hadn’t been able to screen a match for her due to ‘limited resources’…
That was HR speak for ‘not enough Alphas’.
I gulped, peeking over my cubicle at the glass doors that led to the CEO’s office.
Winter sat behind her desk, speaking to one of our investors with a furrow between her brows.
I’d only met her twice before, but I understood her motives for starting AlphaNet straight away.
She was one of those Alphas—the kind that could command a room the moment she entered it.
She had a certain… presence that omegas tended to love.
It was no wonder that she’d made a living by catering to their needs.
At one point in my life, I’d wished to be like Winter, but the X factor she possessed couldn’t be taught.
I’d tried listening to self-help audiobooks and subscribing to questionable podcasts, but I simply wasn’t that kind of Alpha.
The beast inside my chest was an introvert and a softie…
two things omegas generally didn’t appreciate.
I sighed, glancing down at my new company-issued phone. The algorithm had matched me with an omega located five miles away from the office.
I held my breath as I waited for the profile picture to load. The loading icon spun, taunting me with each swirl…
Fuck me.
For a second, I thought the app had glitched. But no, I had put my best work into the codes and it wouldn’t make mistakes like this.
She—god, she was gorgeous. She had warm eyes, a soft mouth, and curls like she’d just taken down a messy bun. Her figure was lush and full under a light jacket that bled into tight jeans.
Jazmine.
I zoomed in without thinking, studying the curve of her cheek and the faint smile that crooked up one corner of her mouth. She looked like someone who laughed hard and often, and I wondered what that would sound like.
My curls tangled under my fingers as I attempted to run my hands through them. Damn it, how was I supposed to walk into this omega’s house and fulfil our terms of service? The idea of being intimate with a stranger was so… weird.
I studied the picture again. Okay, maybe getting close to an omega who looked like that wasn’t truly a hardship, but it would be awkward. And even if the scenario itself wasn’t awkward, I knew I’d find a way to make it so.
I tapped on the chat function and released a relieved breath when it loaded quickly. The fix I’d installed before had obviously worked just fine.
I copy/pasted the opening message from HR.
Hi Jazmine, I’m Arya from AlphaNet. The algorithm gods have decided that we’re a good match I wanted to check in and make sure the time and location still work for you? If there’s anything you want me to know before we meet, you can tell me here.
That sounded professional, despite the suggestive emoji. I tapped on the screen as I waited for her response.
A few seconds passed before the typing indicator appeared.
Hi Arya, it’s nice to hear from you! I thought the app might have missed my application since I didn’t hear back for a while. Am I supposed to introduce myself or just… wait until you get here?
I bit my lip, scrolling through the HR manual for guidance.
The omega sent another message.
I’m glad you reached out. It makes things less awkward.
The tight fist around my heart loosened a little.
Arya: I thought it might help to get in touch beforehand. For the record, I’m a little awkward in real life. I figured I should be honest about that before you meet me.
Jaz: I’m relieved! Your profile picture makes you look perfect. It’s good to know that you’re actually human like the rest of us.
Perfect? She thought I was perfect? I huffed a laugh.
Arya: Oh, I’m human all right.
I borrowed a line from the HR manual:
Arya: I want to be intentional with this.
Jaz: Intentional how?
Arya: I know we’re a good match in theory—the algorithm thinks so—but I want to see what we have in common.
Jaz: You want a real connection
Arya: Exactly
The typing bubble appeared, vanished, then reappeared.
Jaz: I get that. I don’t want an empty encounter either.
Her response made me smile.
Arya: Then we’re off to a good start.
For the first time since the conversation began, I relaxed against the back of my chair, letting the trapped tension drain away from my body.
Jaz: You’re good at making people feel comfortable.
I was? That was news to me.
Arya: Thank you. I want this to be a fun experience for you, even though Heats can be... intense. Do you usually get rough symptoms? Or is it more manageable? I like to know what to expect so I can help.
Jazmine typed for a long while.
Jaz: It depends. This is an induced Heat, so I can’t predict what would happen. I’m usually quite irritable if I don’t get my way. I’ll probably say many embarrassing things.
Arya: Don’t worry about that—saying embarrassing things is my way of life. I’m used to it. What about fever? Aches?
Jaz: No fever. The aches are horrible, though. I usually get overheated too quickly but asking for help is… hard.
I glanced at the HR manual again.
Arya: I’m not going to judge you for biology doing its thing, but I’m glad I’m going to be there to help you through this. Never be shy to ask me anything. That’s what I’m there for.
A small pause, then—
Jaz: Can’t wait.
The conversation came to a natural end after that.
Jazmine seemed like a normal enough person.
I rubbed my chest as I pulled up the internal file Irene had sent me. In it was the thorough form that Jazmine had filled out when she had signed up for the app.
My gaze dropped to one section in particular: Kinks.
? Scent fixation/scent marking
? Biting
? Service kink
? Nest-sharing
? Touch fixation
? Power play
My gaze narrowed on the last checked box. Power play.
Oh. Oh no.
My stomach did a slow, sinking roll. I wasn’t a commanding Alpha. Never had been, never will be. I’d seen others of my sex bark orders or throw someone over their shoulders, but that could never be me. The whiny beast inside me insisted I should be respectful of the fairer sex.
I mean… I could hold someone down if they needed it, like in the scenario of a Heimlich manoeuvre. I supposed I could take control in the physical sense, but power play was so much more than that.
My palms grew damp as I considered my options. I couldn’t fake it, right? Imagining myself growling out orders or performing a fake feral-dominance routine was almost painful. I would much rather be the Alpha that constantly checked in to make sure I wasn’t hurting my partner.
Damn it.
Is that what Jazmine wanted? Commands? Control? Did she want to kneel, to obey, to beg me?
What if I froze up and couldn’t pull it off convincingly? Fuck, I could ruin her Heat and waste her precious time.
Or worse… I could make her feel unwanted.
I chewed my lip.
Jazmine had chosen power play on purpose… She was definitely expecting me to show up and take control.
That went against everything I believed in. I’d always thought of myself as the safe option, the reliable option, the Alpha people turned to when they wanted comfort.
Oh hell, I was definitely in trouble here.