Chapter 10
Ten
FRANCINE
I feel heat creeping into my cheeks as Elias stands in the doorway, as we make eye contact. He doesn’t look away, and my entire body warms under his gaze. His gaze is assessing as it travels over my face and down my chest.
He has a patient, calculated interest that somehow makes my heart beat faster, and I can’t help it.
“Good morning,” I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. “Yes, so far, I’ve managed to avoid being eaten.”
His lips curve into a smile as he shrugs off his expensive coat, revealing a perfectly tailored navy suit underneath. “Well, that needs to change, doesn’t it?”
My face heats, realizing what I’ve just said. Fuck my life. I didn’t mean for it to come off that way.
“No, I didn’t mean…”
“Your coffee, sir,” the chef says, appearing instantly and setting down a cup of black coffee in front of the chair next to mine. It happens so smoothly, so automatically, that I realize this must be Elias’s routine to coming home at this exact time for his morning coffee.
“Thank you Fred,” Elias says to the chef, his voice warm with familiarity.
He slides into the chair beside me, close enough that I can smell his scent—rich peanut butter, comforting and sweet. It wraps around me, making my skin prickle with awareness. Slick seeps down my pussy, and I can’t help it.
“So,” he says, lifting the coffee to his lips, “how did your first morning with our little monster go?”
“Great, actually,” I say, focusing on my half-eaten omelet to avoid staring at his mouth. “She tried the classic ‘I’m sick’ routine, but waffles proved to be excellent medicine.”
Elias laughs, and my heart warms that at least one alpha likes me. “You’ve already discovered her weakness for waffles? That’s impressive. It took us months to figure out what she’d consistently eat.”
“She was a bit stubborn about getting dressed, but I’ve dealt with worse,” I say, taking a sip of my coffee, grateful for the warm mug to occupy my suddenly restless hands. “I’ve learned that giving kids structured choices works better than commands.”
Elias nods, watching me over the rim of his cup. “That’s exactly why we hired you.”
“Who usually sees Nora off to school?”
His expression softens. “We used to have a rotation, but with our schedules... it became challenging. The staff helps, but they change frequently. She needs consistency and nurturing. One-on-one attention from someone who actually cares.”
“Children thrive on routine and dedicated care,” I agree. “It helps them feel secure, especially after trauma.”
The moment the words leave my mouth, I wish I could take them back. The atmosphere shifts immediately, the easy conversation replaced by a heavy silence. Elias’s amber eyes darken behind his glasses, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.
“Yes,” he says finally. “Especially after trauma.”
I want to ask what happened to their parents, why the brothers are raising their much-younger sister, but the pain etched in the lines around his eyes stops me. Instead, I watch as he takes another sip of his coffee, his strong fingers wrapped around the delicate cup.
I clear my throat. “I should probably start on the laundry. Nora mentioned needing her favorite shirt for tomorrow.”
Elias leans closer, his eyes never leaving my face. “You don’t have to do laundry. That’s what the staff is for.”
“Oh.” The proximity makes it hard to think clearly.
We’re alone in this massive dining room, no buffer of family or staff between us.
The memory of Kieran’s warning about never being alone with any of the brothers flashes through my mind, but I can’t make myself move away. “I don’t mind. I like feeling useful.”
“You are useful,” he says, his voice dropping lower. “Or you will be soon.”
The air between us feels charged, crackling with a tension I’m afraid to name. His eyes drop briefly to my lips, and my heart stutters in my chest. Is he about to kiss me?
My phone rings, the shrill sound slicing through the insanely hot moment. I jump, nearly knocking over my coffee cup.
“Sorry,” I fumble for my phone, grateful for the interruption yet strangely disappointed. Carmen’s name flashes on the screen. “I should take this. It’s my sister.”
Elias nods, leaning back in his chair, putting appropriate distance between us again. “Of course. Take your time.”
“Excuse me,” I say, standing on legs that feel like jelly. As I walk towards the hallway, I answer the call. “Hey, Carmen.”
“Franny! How’s the mansion? Have they made you sign an NDA yet? Are they weird? I need to know everything,” she answers, her words a tumble.
I laugh despite my flustered state. “Slow down, Carmen. Everything’s fine. I just got Nora off to school, and I’m having breakfast.”
“Ooh, a fancy breakfast, huh? With four billionaire alphas?”
I roll my eyes as I climb the stairs, heading for my room where I can speak privately. “It’s not like that. I’m here to take care of Nora, that’s all.”
“Uh-huh. Seriously, Franny, four unmated alpha brothers and you, a gorgeous omega? The math isn’t hard.”
“Did you send me out here so I can get hooked up with a pack?”
“No, I swear.”
“The pack leader is super against an omega anyway,” I say, closing my bedroom door behind me. “He practically made me sign in blood that I’d never be alone with any of them. It’s all very professional.”
Carmen snorts. “Professional, my ass. Has any of them looked at you like they want to eat you alive yet?”
The memory of Kieran’s hungry growl flashes through my mind, followed by Drake’s heated gaze in my apartment, and now Elias leaning close at breakfast... Heat floods my face.
“No comment,” I mutter.
“I knew it!” Carmen crows triumphantly. “Which one? Wait, don’t tell me—all of them.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Wait! I actually called for a reason. Your first paycheck is being processed today. Direct deposit, as we discussed. It should hit your account by tomorrow morning. The oldest brother, Kieran, already paid ahead for six months this morning. You must have really impressed him.”
The news momentarily distracts me from thoughts of alpha brothers and their smoldering gazes. “That’s great! I can finally start looking for my own place.”
“Or you could stay in the mansion and become their pack omega,” Carmen teases. “Four alphas, one omega sounds like the perfect pack and a dream, doesn’t it?”
“You’re impossible,” I laugh, but there’s a flutter in my stomach when I think about it. “I’m here to do a job, not find mates.”
“Why not both?”
“Goodbye, Carmen.”
“Love you, little sister! Don’t pass up on this opportunity!”
I hang up, shaking my head at my sister’s enthusiasm. But as I start unpacking my clothes, hanging them in the massive walk-in closet, I can’t help wondering what it would be like. To be valued and cherished by alphas. To be their omega, the heart of their pack.
My wardrobe looks pathetic hanging in this luxurious space. Faded jeans, well-worn sweaters, simple dresses that have seen better days. I make a mental note to upgrade my clothes once I get paid. Nothing extravagant, but a few new pieces would help me feel less out of place in this mansion.
A sudden shout from downstairs makes me freeze, a hanger clutched in my hand.
It’s Elias’s voice, followed by a crash of breaking glass.
My heart leaps into my throat as I drop the hanger and rush from the room, taking the stairs two at a time. I race back to the dining room to find Elias standing by the table, blood streaming from his right hand, shattered porcelain scattered across the table.
“Oh my god,” I gasp, hurrying to his side. “What happened?”
“It’s nothing,” he says through gritted teeth, but his face is pale beneath his tan. He wraps a napkin around his bleeding palm. “I just... lost control for a moment.”
The white napkin quickly blooms with crimson, and I feel a surge of panic. “That’s a lot of blood. We should call a doctor.”
“No need,” he insists, sounding embarrassed, but I’m already grabbing a clean towel from a nearby cart, pressing it firmly against his wound.
“Please let me help then at least,” I say in a gentle voice, guiding him away from the broken cup. He’s tall and solid against me, his muscles obvious even through his suit jacket. “We need to clean this and check for glass fragments.”
He doesn’t argue as I lead him toward the grand staircase, though I have no idea where I’m going. “Where’s your room?”
We walk in silence, my arm still around his waist, though he doesn’t really seem to need the support. I’m hyperaware of every point of contact between us—my hand on his side, our hips occasionally brushing, the warmth of his body seeping into mine.
I can feel his muscles tensing and releasing beneath my fingers.
He opens the door to a room, and I’m surprised as I walk in. It’s immaculate, with a clean white bed and beautiful flowing curtains. The walls are lined with bookshelves, and a sleek desk sits beneath a window overlooking the gardens.
“Sit,” I order, guiding him to the edge of his bed. “I’ll get some water to clean this.”
His nostrils flare as he looks at me, and I assume he must be in significant pain. “There’s a first aid kit in the bathroom,” he says, voice strained. “Cabinet above the sink.”
I hurry to the adjoining bathroom and find the kit exactly where he said it would be.
As I gather supplies, I can’t help but notice how his scent is strongest here, concentrated and undiluted by the presence of others.
It’s intoxicating, making my head spin slightly as I fill a basin with warm water.
When I return, Elias has removed his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a muscular forearm dusted with dark hair. He’s still pressing the towel to his hand, but it’s less saturated now, the bleeding apparently slowing.
“Let me see,” I say, setting down the basin and first aid supplies on his nightstand.
“It’s just a small cut,” he insists, but he allows me to take his hand in mine.
“You should still clean it properly. There could be pieces of glass in the wound.”
He nods and stands. “You’re right. I’ll wash it in the bathroom.”
As he disappears into the bathroom, I hear the water running. I sit on the edge of his bed, unsure if I should leave or wait. It seems rude to just walk out when he’s injured, but being alone in his bedroom feels too intimate, too close to breaking Kieran’s rules.
While I’m debating, my eyes fall on a partially open drawer in his nightstand. A flash of bright packaging catches my attention, and before I can stop myself, I lean closer to look.
My eyes widen, and my breath catches in my throat.
The drawer is filled with colorful sex toys still in their packages.
They’re neatly arranged, and even though I’m a virgin, I know what they’re for.
There are small bullet vibrators with ribbed silicone surfaces and leather restraints with silver buckles, silicone plugs in graduated sizes, and what appears to be a riding crop with a heart-shaped tip.
Nestled among them are bullet vibrators with ribbed surfaces, and my face burns hotter when I see several realistic dildos with flared bases designed to simulate an alpha’s knot.
Oh wow, Elias is into some kinky stuff.
One package in particular draws my eye. There’s a large dildo shaped like a penis with a mechanism that makes the base swell after insertion, mimicking the way an alpha’s knot locks inside an omega during mating.
The image on the box shows a female omega on her hands and knees, her face contorted in ecstasy as the toy fills her.
Beside it lies a bottle of premium slick-mimicking lubricant and a pair of weighted ben wa balls in shimmering steel.
My pussy throbs in response, a rush of slick dampening my panties as I imagine how it would feel stretching me. It would be nice to have something permanently locked inside me, filling my empty pussy.
I’ve never had anything larger than my own fingers inside me, scared to break my virginity as I masturbated most nights.
“Do you like them?”
I jump away from the drawer, whirling to find Elias standing in the bathroom doorway, his hand now wrapped in a clean bandage. My face is on fire now as embarrassment curls in my belly.
“Oh god, I’m so sorry for being nosy,” I stammer, mortified at being caught snooping. “I didn’t mean to look. I just saw the drawer open, and I got curious.”
“It’s alright,” he says, his voice unusually deep. He moves closer, and I realize he’s not angry. If anything, he actually looks... interested. “I was just wondering if you thought they’d be effective. For our future omega.”
“Your future omega?” I ask, my heart pounding so hard it feels like it might burst. This is so fucking embarrassing, but my pussy is throbbing so hard at his words. I want to be that omega so badly, even though it doesn’t make sense logically.
“I’ve been collecting them,” he explains, stopping just a foot away from me. “I like to imagine giving my future omega the ultimate pleasure before she receives my knot.”
There’s a heavy silence between us, charged with desire. His eyes are darker now, the amber almost molten as they travel over my face, down my neck, lingering on my chest where my nipples have hardened beneath my sweater.
He looks at me like he’s starving, and I’m the feast he’s been denied for too long. Like he wants to devour me whole and savor every bite. The intensity of his gaze makes my knees weak, and my core aches with a need I’ve never felt so strongly before.
Slick drips onto my panties, literally soaking through, and I’m scared he can smell it. Shit, I can smell my own arousal.
His eyes close as he breathes in the air. His chest puffed in excitement at my omega scent.
“How’s your hand?” I ask desperately, trying to redirect the conversation to safer ground.
He lifts it, showing me the neat bandage. “Fine. It was just a surface cut. No glass fragments.”
“That’s good,” I say, taking a step back. “I should probably go. I have laundry to sort and... and I promised Nora I’d bake cookies for when she gets home.”
The memory of Kieran’s warning echoes in my mind: no one is to be alone with me. And yet here I am, alone in Elias’s dimly lit bedroom, surrounded by his scent. I need to leave before we both lose control.
I turn to leave, and he suddenly catches my arm, “Francine, wait.”