Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
~Harlow~
I make sure to keep my distance from the Alphas until the day ends, and am quick to leave the moment Rhen comes out and tells me I can.
I know something is going on with them because when Rhen returned with Leon, I heard Thane cursing him out about something he was caught doing.
So, I am relieved to get out of here; all the testosterone-filled anger is starting to affect my baser instincts.
Once out of the building and away from their threatening auras filled with Alpha dominance, I feel myself relax. I don’t realize how badly they affected me until I am away from them. Yet, now what? I still have no place to stay, no money, and my belly chose that moment to rumble.
Digging through my bag, I pull out some change and walk to the nearest payphone.
I call Brianna, dreading the conversation already.
I haven’t spoken to her since last night, after my run-in with the four Alphas who just so happen to be my new bosses.
The phone almost goes to voicemail when she answers.
“Hello?” she asks warily.
“Hey, Bree. It’s me, Zara.” I hear her sigh.
“Ah, I thought you were a debt collector or telemarketer,” she chuckles.
“Nope, just me. I um… do you think Tal will let me work behind the bar tonight? I could kinda use some cash,” I admit.
“Sure, yes, I will let him know. Head over and I’ll find you a uniform,” she says, and I let out a sigh of relief.
Finally, something is going right for me.
We bid our goodbyes, and I quickly hang up before rushing to the other side of town, to a seedier area.
I come in the back entrance and find the teeny, skin-tight little uniform hanging up, waiting for me.
Rushing to the staff bathrooms, I change quickly, making sure my mask is secure.
Tal greets me as I enter the bar and nods to me; I feel a little awkward around him now that I know he is related to one of my bosses, yet I have to work. Luckily, the cook I like is on tonight, and he sneaks me some dinner before I handle the 7 p.m. rush.
I hardly make any tips. A measly $7, and it’s a slow night since it is a weekday.
But once it nears 7:30 p.m., I know I have to leave soon If I want to find somewhere to crash.
I briefly consider asking Tal if I can sleep here, but dismiss it since this place runs 24/7 and I don’t want to find myself in a vulnerable position by sleeping in one of the VIP Booths.
I am getting ready to clock out and take a shower in the amenities here when Tal whistles from the landing above. He nods toward the entrance, and my heart stalls in my chest when I turn and see Leon waltz in. I quickly rush toward the back staff area when I hear my name called.
“Z!” Leon calls out, and I cringe. Fuck! If he finds out who I truly am, I am so screwed. I make a beeline for the rear doors when Tal suddenly steps into my path, having rushed down the steps.
“He spent most of the day here, hoping you would be in,” Tal whispers, and I glance over my shoulder to see Leon chatting with Brianna. I wonder if that is what Thane and he argued about earlier.
“You didn’t tell him who I am, did you?” I whisper.
“Of course not. If I had known you would be working for them directly, I would have taken the beating instead of sending you in there with them, but Leon… he is…”
“A Hybrid!” I offer, and Tal sighs.
“He’s my cousin. He has an addictive personality.”
It makes me wonder how big Leon’s family is.
“What’s that got to do with me?” I all but shriek.
“Blood addiction or blood craze, and you are an Omega,” Tal states, like that is supposed to make any sense to me.
“So?”
“You’re forbidden fruit. Thane has one rule with him: no Omegas. It caused quite a stir when Rhen hunted him down earlier and found him here, looking for you.”
A shocked gasp leaves me.
“Wait, he waited here all day, wanting to feed on me?”
“Yes, so maybe use that to your advantage, Z. You need the money, and tonight was a slow night for you,” he says. I chew my lip when he grips my wrist and drops $50 in my hand. $57, wow.
“Did you call him and let him know I was in?” I ask.
“I don’t remember,” Tal says, feigning innocence. I shake my head, knowing he did. Why would he do that? I fold my arms across my chest and pin him with my glare.
“Look, I owe Thane money. Leon said if I let him know when you’re in next, he would pay a chunk of the debt.”
So that is why he was eager for me to stick around past my normal leaving time.
“You sold me?” I ask incredulously.
“It’s just blood. Virgin, Omega blood! It’s addictive to a hybrid, and since he fed on you last night, he has been bombarding me with messages. But I know he will pay you well, if you let him.”
“Let him feed on me!” I hiss at him. Tal shrugs, and waves to Leon over my head. I cringe when I feel him coming up behind me.
“Tal!”
“Z! Advantage, use it,” he says, and I swallow when I feel arms wrap around my waist. Thank god he didn’t scent me before I resprayed myself with de-scenter at work.
“Omega,” Leon purrs, burying his face in my neck.
My heart beats erratically, thumping against my ribs painfully. Turning in his arms I push him off me. He chuckles.
“I’ll give you a hundred dollars, just to let me bite you,” Leon says waving it in front of my face. I raise an eyebrow at him and fold my arms.
“Two hundred?” he offers.
“Three! And I am not fucking you,” I snap at him.
This feels so degrading, but at three hundred I can book two nights in that shitty motel near work and buy some food and phone credit while I hunt for an extra job.
One thing is clear: I need options. I can’t live off fresh air and sunshine, plus I need more cans of de-scenter.
I just pray I won’t run out of suppressants, because those are expensive; nearly $700 for a month’s supply.
I am running dangerously low, already having to double up, and tomorrow I’m going to triple the pills.
Two pills did hardly anything today at work, so three pills a day morning and night won’t last me long.
“Deal,” he says, gripping my wrist and pulling me into the closest booth.