Chapter 4
Leo
The doors open at eight p.m. and I’m the first in line.
I haven’t left my spot from across the road, so I’m still in my singlet, same pants, and I smell a bit ripe, but fortunately it’s not the same bouncer on the door.
I haven’t slept, so my eyes are probably red and add to my dishevelled appearance, but it would appear the guards of this place don’t give a shit who they let in.
Money is money and I haven’t been barred.
I breathe a soft sigh of relief—I’d worried about it. Addie could have done it. The alpha with him could have too.
Step one complete, now I just need to find him and drag him out of here.
The corridor is adorned with sconces filled with electrical lights in the shapes of flames, giving the already dim hallway a tacky feel.
The bar is empty of alphas when I enter, just more of those lights on the walls and a chandelier at the centre that looks like a proper antique and clashes with the space.
Omegas are behind the bar, dressed in tight black shorts and crop tops, and others sit at tables around a dance floor.
My heart pounds, nerves ramping up, as I scan the faces for Addie. I can’t scent him. He’s not down here. In his room, then.
I head for the stairs, and my path is promptly blocked by a young, dark-haired omega with an unflinching gaze.
“Not how it works, baby alpha.” He twirls his finger in the air, indicating for me to turn around. His voice is barely contained scorn. Is this what this place does to omegas? Turns them into these hostile creatures? This omega would be lucky to be eighteen.
I take a step back, swallow carefully, and look down to meet his eyes. “I know the omega I want to see.”
“Yeah, I bet you do,” he mutters. “But does he want to see you?”
“Yes,” I reply instantly. Of course Addie wants to see me.
But the omega in front of me just rolls his eyes. “Alphas. One night between an omega’s thighs and you think they’re in love with you. Believe me, whoever he or she is, they’re not. Now go on.” He flicks his wrist, dismissing me.
My eye twitches at the thought of anyone between Addie’s thighs, and I feel my dick pulse at the thought of it being me—it’s a confusing combination of rage and desire. No doubt the omega smells it, because he narrows his eyes.
“Do I need to throw you out?” he asks. And while he might be much smaller than me in height and weight, I get the distinct feeling he’s planning to throw me out himself.
“No,” I manage and try to think.
My plan had been to get inside, walk up the stairs, grab Addie, and leave.
Okay, not the best mission plan, and I certainly hadn’t accounted for surly omegas blocking my path.
I should have. Omegas in a family unit are emotionally connected and notorious for protecting each other.
Even though they can’t do so physically, they will use other means to keep alphas away from kin they see as vulnerable.
Omegas in a brothel must form a similar bond, like an extended family.
I can use this information.
“Addie,” I say, then clarify. “Adrian Cunningham. He’s my … friend. He will want to see me.”
The omega’s face darkens.
“He doesn’t want to see you,” he says, voice low, but there’s no missing the seething quality to it.
I’m so perplexed, all I can do is ask, “He doesn’t?”
“You made him cry,” the omega hisses. “Get. Out.”
Cry? No, I’d never do that. I can’t bear the thought of it—my Addie?
Alone and crying? He never cries. When we were kids and those boys would get it in their heads to taunt him because his omega father had run off, Addie’s jaw would clench, but he’d never cry.
And I’d beat the shit out of those kids.
The other guys who’d later present as alphas in our group would help. No one taunted Addie after that.
But now he’s crying? I made him cry? I need to comfort him. I need to make it right.
“Please,” I beg. I don’t care that I’m begging, don’t even consider using an alpha register on this omega and forcing him to do what I want. “Please, you have to take me to him. He needs me if he’s upset. Please.”
“Everything all right, here?” Another voice comes from behind us.
I glance over my shoulder and see the omega with the shaggy red hair and lightly freckled pale skin from the night before. Sagging with relief, I repeat my request. “I need to see Addie, Adrian.”
“Yeah, no.” The redhead shakes his head. “I decide who sees Adrian, and after last night? Yeah, I think we both know that’s a bad idea. Come on, buddy. Plenty of other omegas here.”
“No,” I say, my voice rising. “I’m not here for that. But I’ve got money. All night, I’ll pay for the whole night. I just need to talk to him.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to you,” the dark-haired one says. “And we don’t get paid to listen to your fucking bullshit.”
I turn back to him. He’s folded his arms over his chest, his expression fierce.
But I don’t believe Addie doesn’t want to talk to me. I can’t believe that.
The scent of cool, open air flows from the top of the stairs, and my gaze darts up. Addie stands at the bannister, hands clasping the wood. I don’t miss the surprise that flits over his face before he buries it with a frown.
The music is loud, the voices of alphas slowly filling the space behind me making the room louder. I project my voice and hope he hears me.
“Addie, please. I’m not here for … that. Please, I just need to talk to you.”
His hands tighten on the railing, and his face doesn’t change, but his scent curls with a wisp of longing.
He studies me and I know he can smell me—agony, exhaustion, relief, but no threat.
I’d never, ever hurt him. I won’t do anything to him he doesn’t want me to.
There’s a reason I didn’t act when I thought he was presenting for me.
I’d needed to be one hundred percent sure.
I wouldn’t risk our friendship for anything less.
“Let him up,” Addie calls down.
The dark-haired omega shoots him a look. “Adrian, you don’t have to see him. Just because you knew him before, you don’t owe him anything. We don’t owe alphas a goddamn fucking thing.”
He sounds pissed. And while I agree with him, he’s not really helping my case here.
“I’m not going to hurt him,” I say to the omega.
He turns back to face me. “There are more ways to hurt someone than just physically, you know. And you stink like a bad idea.”
“I’m not,” I insist.
But the omega steps back, hissing a parting shot as he lets me pass. “Hurt him and I’ll chop your fucking cock off.”
My eyes widen. What kind of place is this? That wasn’t just omega boldness, that was downright suicidal from an omega. I should probably be taking more offense, reprimanding him, reporting him to his alpha, but Addie is turning and returning to his room, and all I care about is following him.
The red-headed omega stops me with a hand on my arm before I can run up the stairs.
“All night needs a down payment. And I’ll be checking on you,” he says. He’s not as aggressive as the other one, who has moved away and taken up an insolent sprawl at the bar, but his tone is threatening, nonetheless.
I pull out my wallet, slip out my credit card, and hand it to him.
“Use all of it, I don’t care,” I tell him and shrug off his hold.
I race up the stairs, jog for Addie’s room, and burst into the space. I’m prepared to tell him to pack his things, but he’s standing before me, in front of the bed, twisting his hands together, and his scent is a horrible mix of defiance and shame. Worse, he smells of fear. It stops me dead.
“Addie—”
“You know you’re actually going to have to fuck me, right?” Addie says, his gaze on the carpet.
A bolt of lust goes through me. I can’t help it—I wish I was made of better stuff, but I’m sorry, my omega inviting me to sleep with him is not going to be met with anything but raging desire on my part.
I take a deep breath and get a hold of myself. I want to court Addie. He invited me to do that once. I hope the offer still stands.
“Addie, no. First, we need to—”
“If you’re not going to fuck me …” he begins, taking a deep breath, and his voice is terrible, quiet. There’s a sadness to it. It breaks something in me. “Then please leave so someone else can. I have rent to pay for this room, for each night.”
“I’ve paid,” I say hysterically. “For the whole night. I’ll pay for the year if that’s what it takes, but it won’t because I’m not leaving you here.”
He finally meets my eyes, and I almost wish he hadn’t.
His eyes are red, like he’s been crying, and there’s an anguish to them that’s also polluting his scent.
The pristine air I associate with him is filled with the exhaust fumes of traffic, the pungent odour of rubbish, and too many people in one space.
“You know I’m contracted to another alpha. I can’t leave with you.”
“You can. We can run. I don’t care where we go, but you’re not staying here.”
He looks away from me. His eyes fill with tears. I can’t stand it, but his scent warns me off, keeps me rooted to the spot.
“We’re not allowed on the internet, but umm, sometimes an alpha will let us look …
” He glances at me, a tremulous smile on his lips.
“And I saw on your profile you got accepted into the Air Force. That’s a good life.
I know your alpha must be so proud. And an alpha like that will want only the best omega for you. ”
His voice breaks on “best,” and I’m not sure what he’s getting at, but I don’t like it one fucking bit. Addie is the best omega any alpha could hope for.
“You should go, live that life. For both of us.” He looks at me, and his smile is sad and fake and horrible. Damn his need to make everyone else feel better—it’s something I love about him, but not at the expense of himself.
Also, what the fuck is he on about? How can I live a life for both of us when he is my life?
Also! If he managed to sneak onto the internet—I’m not thinking about what the alpha made him do to allow the transgression—why didn’t he message me?
Well, we can talk about that later. First …