Chapter 11 #2
“Anything interesting?” I fished, thinking any information I could get might turn out to be useful. “I’m sure someone astute like yourself would come up with something worthwhile.”
The blatant ass-licking seemed to go over his head, and he treated the comment like it was genuine. Arrogant fucker. He leaned forward and lowered his voice.
“Well, you could say I’m into commodities,” it was said with a leer, and I felt a sudden chill run down my back.
I hoped he wasn’t suggesting what it sounded like.
I raised my eyebrows, encouraging him to say more, but he just nodded and smiled as if we already shared the secret.
Something told me that if I really was the kind of person I was pretending to be, I would have caught his meaning, so I didn’t probe further.
I forced a smile and suppressed the shiver that ran down my spine.
I felt out of my depth. With a sudden pang, I wished my Alpha was here taking care of this, but he wasn’t, his omega was in trouble, and since I was on the spot, it was up to me to step up.
At any rate, Zarbius seemed to have been sufficiently distracted not to think about the risks of introducing another alpha into his pack, which had been my intention anyway.
“I’ve got business experience,” I told him when he didn’t say anymore.
“Got a diploma from tech school and had my hand in a few different things too. Got IT skills too if you ever need those.” I hadn’t seen a computer anywhere onsite so far, but if they’d only recently moved here, I guess that was reasonable.
Didn’t mean they hadn’t had them before, and I had to bring something to the table, if I wanted them to accept me.
I might have been overstating my credentials and my abilities a little…
I had a brain that seemed to understand that sort of stuff and I could find my way around a computer - well enough that Talius allowed me to help him with his – but my training had all been informal.
“Don’t have any computers right now,” said Zarbius, thoughtfully, “but sure, if the business takes off – which I reckon it will – I guess we’ll want those so we can scale up, reach our clients directly.”
I could almost see the dollar signs in his eyes as he dreamed about the extensive enterprise he was going to be handling.
Personally, I was skeptical, he didn’t seem the sort to be able to handle a proper business – more ego than substance - and if it was the kind of business I thought it was, I wouldn’t be helping him with it anyway.
But I had to go along with it for now. I didn’t plan on being here more than a few days.
Just as long as it took to sort out the situation with Irian and convince my omega to leave with me.
“I can certainly help with that. When we’re ready to move onto computers, I can set it up and maintain it for us.” I slipped into ‘we’ mode as though it had already been agreed I was joining the pack.
Zarbius nodded his head, as if he was contemplating. The nods increased, and his torso rocked back and forth slightly as he appeared to come to a conclusion.
“Good, good,” he muttered, releasing a sigh. “It’d be good to have some decent help around here. Those betas are bloody useless. Lazy fuckers!”
He leaned back in his seat, and without getting up, opened the door to a little bar-fridge in the corner behind him and pulled out a couple of beers. Handing the cool bottle to me, he said,
“What did you say your name was, again?”
“Agelius.”
“Agelius. Right. Welcome to the pack, Agelius. Reckon we’re gonna get along just fine.”
I clinked my bottle against his, “Looking forward to working with you.”
We both took a sip of our beers. The liquid was bitter, the flavor complex and strong.
Twisting the bottle in my hands, I perused the label.
It was a boutique brand. Pricey. Not what I’d have expected from a rough-looking guy like this, but maybe consistent with his big ego.
I ran the back of my forearm across my lips, the coarse hairs mopping up errant drops of the bitter liquid.
“Okay, if we’re going to keep this pack in line, there’s something we need to get on to straight up,” I said, getting down to business.
Zarbius raised a bushy eyebrow. “Oh, and what’s that?”
“Those betas. Before you got back today, I caught one of them mishandling that omega you have locked up in the shed.”
He shrugged. “He’s an omega. They can do what they like with him.”
I jerked in my chair, raising my upper lids and brows in an exaggerated expression of surprise. “You’d let them squander the value of a valuable commodity like that?”
He frowned. “What does it matter what condition he’s in? He’s only good for one thing anyway. Just a hole for someone to fuck.”
“Well, maybe I’ve misunderstood your intentions here. What did you plan to do with him, longer term?”
Zarbius tapped his fingers on the desk before replying slowly as though he was still thinking it over.
“I could sell him along with the others. He’s pretty and young. He’d fetch a good price. But… actually, I was planning on using him as ransom to get my mate back, or just for cash.”
“Your mate?” I asked, as if I didn’t already know.
“Yeah. See, this fucking omega’s no-good Alpha stole my mate.
So I figured, I take his mate. Now I just organize a swap to get my mate back.
Or I could take a payment for him, but nah, that’s not right, you can’t take another guy’s mate.
So I think I’ll ask for money and my mate back.
Either way, doesn’t matter what happens to him in the meantime.
A swap is a swap. Might not even give him his mate back after I’ve got what I want,” he rambled.
I tried to suppress my shudder and the little voice in my heard that said ‘that’s not how that happened’ and frantically thought of a way to head off any violence towards Talius’ gentle mate.
“Well, looks like I arrived just in time,” I told him, with sudden inspiration, hoping I didn’t arouse his suspicions.
“See, I recognized that omega straight away and I assumed you had a… transactional reason for having him here. That’s why I was surprised your beta was mistreating him.
I mean, you know his alpha’s an asshole, right?
If you want anything for that omega, you’ll have to send him back in perfect condition or he won’t be interested in getting him back at all. ”
“What makes you so sure of that? And how do you know him anyway?” Zarbius growled.
“Your prisoner is the Alpha Mate from my old pack. His alpha’s a dickhead. Got no honor. Well, I told you about that - the way he lets the omegas do whatever they want. He’d rather let his mate go, than have one that’s no longer perfect. Thinks it reflects on him.”
Zarbius’ eyes glinted. His jaw firmed. He looked dangerously close to not believing me. Alphas were notoriously possessive about their mates.
I thought quickly. “He’ll just get one of the virgin omegas from his pack to be his new mate.
Your mate – and I apologize for saying this, because I’m sure you’ve got a very fine mate – but well, he’s already been used, so the alpha doesn’t touch him, he’s not that valuable to him.
So… picky. That omega you’ve got here will be worthless to you if he’s been raped or injured. ”
I lapsed into silence. Had I said enough? Had I said too much?
“So…you’re from that pack?” Zarbius said thoughtfully. “We used to be neighbors, you know. I always knew that pack was too soft on their omegas. Their Alpha must be a weak-assed son-of-a-bitch.”
“Oh, yeah,” I agreed with him. “Weak as piss.”
Mentally, I apologized to Talius, but figured he’d forgive anything that helped keep his mate safe.
“But back to your problem with this omega. I suppose you could sell him on the black market but he’d fetch a lot less than if Talius paid a ransom for him.
Depends what’s important to you – do you want your betas to have a good time or do you want to make money out of this?
It’s your call, obviously, but from a business perspective… ”
I let my voice trail away, pulled a bit of a face and shrugged before looking away as if I didn’t personally care but thought he was making a stupid decision.
It was a gamble. I wanted Zarbius to make the decision himself, wanted him to think he was making a ‘smart business decision’.
I was hoping his pride would make him do it.
But if he didn’t, I wasn’t going to leave Irian to his fate.
I didn’t know what I’d do – didn’t know what I could do - but I’d find a way to get him out of here.
Talius had saved me when I’d been a desperate young shifter with no pack, half-starved for both food and company.
I owed it to him to save his mate if I could.
What I really needed was the opportunity to go back to the pack and tell Talius where his mate was, but I had to make sure Irian would be safe here while I did that.
“W-e-l-l,” Zarbius drew out the word. My chest hurt with the breath I was holding; my heart was racing. Things could go either way at this point. “I was planning on having a bit of fun with him myself before doing a trade.”
I let my shoulders rise and fall indolently, not that bothered.
“You’ll just have to decide if the loss is worth it to you then.
I’ve heard he’s useless in the sack anyway, not much there to get excited about.
And to be honest, he’s pretty uninspiring all round - I don’t think anyone’s going to care too much if he doesn’t go back. ”
That was so not true. Irian was a real sweetheart and the pack loved him. And I knew Talius would be devastated if anyone laid a hand on him, and especially if they touched him sexually. But he would never, ever, turn his back on him, that I was sure of. He loved that omega more than he loved life.