Chapter 7
Mags
I spend the first few days of our new assignment dodging David Donnelly and sidestepping his lame advances.
Unlike Nik, Dave seems to think that he has the right to mate with whomever he wants. Nik at least approached me quietly, away from the others, when he realized my designation. Dave doesn’t even know I’m an omega, and he’s in full horn-dog mode.
Maybe he doesn’t think he can get me pregnant. If he’s seeking betas, he might just be holding all the good juice for his omega match.
She can have it, whoever she may be.
I can’t even tell what his alpha scent is.
He’s constantly smoking nasty cigarettes and cigars, so all I smell from him is that disgusting thick smoke scent that makes me want to gag.
How can someone whose future relationship is based on scent matching smoke those things?
It’s gross. I’ll take Nik’s scent over Dave’s any day.
Hell, I’ll even take Kip or Kaden’s scent.
Beta scents are more subtle than alphas, but I’ve always been able to sniff out which twin is which. Kip smells like fresh, upturned earth, and Kaden, interestingly enough, smells like … a margarita. Seriously, he smells like sea salt and lime. It’s the coolest scent.
Those scents are my comforts in the harder times between cons. If I weren’t pretending to be a beta, I’d gather all three of them up in my nest and just have a cuddle pile of delicious aromas.
Sadly, I can’t do that. Revealing my true designation has all kinds of responsibilities tied to it, not the least of which are breeding and birthing.
Most omegas dig that kind of thing, I guess, but not me.
What kind of mother would I be? I’ve built a comfortable life on scamming and stealing.
No kid should be raised in those conditions.
Besides, if Nik even wanted to raise his kids, he wouldn’t sell himself to the highest bidder as breeding stock.
As far as I can tell, he enjoys the freedom of loving and leaving.
One thing I’m grateful for is the fact that I can control my perfuming—provided the heat suppressants are doing their job. Unless I miss a dose or it wears off early, even Nik can’t smell my bubblegum and cotton candy scent.
Threnody smells like a fucking lavender and rosemary field twenty-four seven. It’s like she had a literal chemical perfume custom-made so she reeks of her omega scent all the time.
Gross.
Speaking of scents, a whiff of tobacco clues me in to Dave’s proximity, and I duck into Threnody’s nesting room to hide. She’s on a walk with Nik right now, so it’s the perfect time to pretend I’m working.
We’ve improved her nest significantly in the few days we’ve been here. Now there are plush mattresses, fluffy down pillows, snacks, drinks, curtains, and soft mood lighting. Threnody seems thrilled with the changes, and she even sweet-talked her dad into giving us a bonus to our already hefty fee.
I’m not complaining.
When I get inside, I find Kaden setting up the massage table for the second time today. “What gives? I thought Nik had her for the rest of the day.”
Kaden rolls his eyes. “She wants to be ‘loose’ for tonight.”
Double eww. “I really hope for Nik’s sake she means flexible.”
He snort-laughs and opens the bottle of massage oil, which smells like—you guessed it—lavender and rosemary. I cover my nose with my hand and start changing the sheets on the nest one-handed.
“What, you don’t like the smell of an herb garden on steroids?”
“I’d rather smell the steroids,” I retort, jamming the corners of the fitted sheet under the top mattress. “I don’t know what steroids smell like, but I feel it would be more natural than this.”
“Well, at least you don’t have it all over your hands when you’re done. It takes twenty minutes to wash it all off.” Kaden points at the nest. “Then again, I think she sprays something on the sheets to, erm, enhance her scent.”
I freeze mid-stuff. “What?”
He throws his head back and guffaws. “Hell, Mags, you can’t smell it on yourself? It follows us everywhere.”
“I guess my nose is so full of cigar smoke that I can’t tell.” I try to brush off any skin that came into contact with the perfumed sheets, but it’s no use. Now that Kaden has pointed it out, I can’t smell anything else, not even my own perfume.
Before we can say anything else, the outer door connecting to Threnody’s bedroom slams open, and she and Nik walk in, arm-in-arm.
Nik’s outward expression is one of measured affection, but I know him too well; I can see the misery in his eyes. He hugs Threnody and glares at me over her head, mouthing the words “you owe me.”
Whatever. He’ll get paid enough from this grift that he’ll forget he was ever mad.
Threnody glances over at the massage table and pouts. “Oh, darn! It’s time for my massage.” She tilts her head up to look at Nik. “You really shouldn’t be watching this, you know. It’s kind of private.”
Judging by the ginormous hickey on her neck, I doubt Nik would see anything new if he watched.
Nik takes Threnody’s hand and kisses the back of it. “I understand. I’ll see you later?”
She flutters her lashes and swoons—swoons!—as Nik exits.
Then the door closes behind him, and the Brat comes out of hiding.
“What are you doing with those sheets? They were perfect this morning! You’re supposed to keep my nest clean and neat, not trash it!”
I bow my head to hide my eyeroll. “Apologies, lady omega. I was in the middle of straightening the sheets when you walked in. It was not my intention to present you with an unkempt nest.”
“Hmph!” She turns on her heel and redirects her attention to Kaden. “My neck is sore. I need you to focus on my neck and shoulders today. I want to be limber for tonight.”
Oh, gag me.
While Kaden gives Threnody her massage, I keep myself busy by fixing the nest and looking anywhere but on that massage table. I don’t need to see my childhood friend rubbing up on this bitch. It’s bad enough knowing that Nik’s part in this con involves sleeping with her.
Nik isn’t mine; I remind myself. He’s just a friend who helps me out when my suppressants wear off.
We are not a thing.
Kaden and I aren’t a thing, either. I don’t know why I even care that he’s giving her a sensual massage. It’s no skin off my nose if he’s rubbing her—
Wait! Why is he massaging her thighs, and why so close to—
Shaking my head to clear it, I excuse myself and exit into our small suite of rooms. My door slams behind me as I escape into my private bedroom.
I don’t know what my problem is. I don’t get jealous, especially not of airheaded, spoiled brat omegas. I definitely don’t get jealous where Kaden is concerned. He’s just my best friend’s twin brother. That’s it. Nik is Nik, and Kip is, well … Kip’s almost a brother to me.
At least Kip isn’t setting me off. He’s been a total gentleman, which irks Threnody to no end, I’m sure. Not that she hasn’t tried to charm him, but Kip seems completely oblivious.
After a quick shower to calm myself down, I head back to the small common room that Kip, Kaden, and I share here.
Technically, Nik has a room in this suite as well, but he’s been spending all of his time with Threnody, so his bed hasn’t been touched.
Kip’s waiting when I get done, sprawled crosswise on an armchair and thumbing through a magazine.
“Our mark got your panties in a bunch, Mags?” he asks as he turns a page.
I scoff and plop down on the couch, taking all three cushions for myself. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just wanted her stupid scent off me.”
Kip looks up from his magazine. “You always take a shower when you’re pissed.”
“I also take a shower on all the days that end in ‘y.’ What’s your point?”
He flips another page. “You don’t scrub your face raw unless something’s got you upset. What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing.” I cross my arms over my chest and look away. “And my face isn’t raw.”
“Mags, you’re as pink as your hair.”
I stick my tongue out at him and roll over, facing the back of the couch. “I need a nap. I’m exhausted from dealing with that stupid bitch.”
The magazine rustles, then hits the coffee table with a flat smack.
“Did she say something to you?”
Rather than answering Kip’s question, I pull the woven throw blanket from the back of the couch and cover myself. “Nap. Need.”
More rustling, but this time, it’s fabric.
The middle cushion sinks under the weight of Kip’s hip as he perches next to me.
“Mags … If she mouthed off, we should tell her parents. They’re the ones footing the bill, and I’m sure they’ll be pissed if she runs off yet another hired pack.
We’re the fifth pack she’s been through, you know.
I heard some of the housekeepers talking about it.
I guess she’s always sweet and light for the alphas, but she butts heads with any betas that are around.
” He strokes my wet hair. “Whatever she said, it wasn’t your fault. Talk to me, Mags.”
I toss off the blanket with a groan. “Fine. She’s bitching about the damn nest again. It’s fucking perfect. Like, flawless. And she still bitches. And she’s got Nik wrapped around her chubby little finger, and Kaden’s got his hands all up in—”
“Whoa!” Kip clamps his hand over my mouth. “Please, no details where my brother is concerned. I don’t need that visual.”
“You think I needed it?”
Kip flashes a lopsided grin. “You’re jealous.”
“I am not.”
“It’s okay to be jealous, Mags.” He goes back to stroking my hair, gently working the tangles out of it. “Threnody’s hogging your friends’ time and attention. It’s perfectly natural to be jealous of something like that.”
“If she had any real friends, I’d fight fire with fire,” I grumble. “Her buddies are all more stuck-up omegas, though. Not a beta or alpha in the lot, or even a male omega. Hey, maybe I should hook up with her nicotine-addicted brother …”
Kip’s hand freezes in my hair. “Dave?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. The other one … Tommy? No, Tim. He’s just a poor, mistreated beta schmuck. I doubt he’d even notice if I was hitting on him.”
“Do you … like Dave?”
I sit up so fast that my forehead collides with Kip’s. “Ow! No! I’m just saying for strategic purposes. Give her a dose of her own medicine.”
There’s a long pause, long enough that I wonder what crawled up Kip’s butt.
“I think I’m due to stand guard for dinner.”
With that, he storms out of the suite, leaving me alone.