Chapter 2
Jason
My nose tingles as the scent of fear, despair, and anger washes over me as I step into the small room.
Andrew fairly quivers behind his desk as the omega slumps forward, desperation lined in every inch.
Though my heart goes out to this woman, I can’t continue to have her carry on like this in my branch.
“Escort her to my office,” I tell him as I turn on my heel and make my way toward the stairs. “I will deal with this from here.”
I don’t bother waiting to see if either will obey, since I know it’s in her best interest if she wants whatever this issue is to be solved.
A soft, tense hush descends on the lobby where there was once ease and merriment.
She did that. She caused the energy to shift, and I will not stop until I know why.
When she finally shuffles in, I point to a chair and slide a hand down my tie. At least she has the wherewithal to look ashamed of her behavior. Andrew steps over and hands me her paperwork and information, then leaves as if hell-fire is chasing him.
Unable to stop myself, a gentle smirk tilts the edges of my lips. Frightened by an omega. But then, as a beta, I suppose it makes sense.
“I’m glad you find this amusing,” she snaps out. “Then again, it’s my livelihood on the line. Not yours. So, that tracks.”
“Miss,” I look down at the papers, then back at her tear-stained face.
“Hayes. I can assure you, nothing about this matter is amusing. You’re lucky I was in the office today.
If I hadn’t stepped in, I’m sure the authorities would have intervened.
I don’t think you understand the seriousness of this situation. ”
For a moment, she blinks up at me, her face devoid of emotion. Then, something shifts, and she crumples forward, permeating the air with her sorrow.
“Sorry,” she says mournfully as her voice cracks and sniffles punctuate the end of her apology. “I’m not like this. I swear. I’m-”
“An omega. I know. So something has to have gone very wrong for you to snap like this. Give me a moment to assess the situation.” Out of the corner of my eye, I note the grimace screwing up her lips.
“You’re saying that because I’m an omega, I can’t have feelings other than simpering and sighing? As if I’m some weak, docile creature that cows before a man?”
“You mean like you did with me?” I can’t understand why I vex this woman so.
It’s not like I know her. This level of teasing is meant for those I’m familiar with and not strangers in a financial bind. Yet, with every defiant quiver of her lips, I want to throw everything off my desk and pin her against the polished wood while I force her to submit to me.
“Right. Because I can just fight past an Alpha command? Are you crazy? You talk about the authorities coming for me. What about you? You used your power over me to force me to comply.”
A frisson of need coils up my spine at her words. If only she knew what I could really force her to do if I wanted to. It’s because of my nature that she’s sitting here unmolested… not that I can tell her that.
“You were badgering my banker. I used the necessary force to get you to stop. Pretty sure they’ll find me in the right and you in the wrong. But please,” I murmur as I hover my finger over one of the several alarms in my office. “I am more than willing to test this theory.”
As she squirms in her chair and looks away, I can’t help but feel a ferocious sense of accomplishment. I didn’t even have to use my command on her. Just my words alone put her into a state of delicious submission. Ugh. This is madness.
Perhaps it’s been too long since I’ve had those needs met.
It’s not like I’ve really had the time to take care of my primal urges.
As the acrid stench of her fear mingles with something else, a sweet undertone that I can’t drive from my mind, I find myself determined to make an appointment with a rut clinic after she leaves.
I have to. If I’m losing my sense of strength and calm over this unknown omega, then what will happen to those other omegas working under me? They trust me to keep them safe and not use them for my own vile needs and perversions.
Minutes tick by as Noelle Hayes remains silent, and so I take my finger away from the alarm button and go back to studying her account.
It’s a mess. From what I can see, there’s so many overdraft charges that I almost can’t make sense of the figures in front of me.
Or is that her scent muddying my senses?
Dammit. I can’t concentrate when she smells like temptation and fear wrapped up in one fucking enticing bow. Forcing my brain to focus on the numbers, I let myself fall into the safe lull of adding and subtracting in my mind. It’s not quite the same as baseball stats, but it will have to do.
“Look over those papers. Are any of these charges fraudulent?” Peering at the details of each purchase, I notice many of them are ACH automatic withdrawals, things that should be protected.
But then I read who they’re from. Cheap ass suppressants that are no doubt going to fail her at some point, health insurance that’s mid at best, but probably all she can afford, car insurance for what I’m assuming is an ancient car based on the rate, and an even cheaper internet company I’m very familiar with.
The only things that might be suspicious are some of these streaming channels. Honestly, they look too juvenile to be hers. Perhaps some of those are fraudulent? Unfortunately, one look at her tear-stained face tells me they’re all legitimate.
“I don’t know how this happened,” she whimpers as she buries her head in her hands. “I searched each line. Everything is legitimate. They just weren’t all supposed to come out right now.”
My heart clenches as I hand her a box of tissues.
How I wish I could save the day and swoop in to rescue her.
Unfortunately, my hands are tied. I can’t cancel out purchases and debits that are genuine.
Even if I manage to erase all the overdraft charges, it will still leave her with a negative balance.
Every purchase that comes out will trigger an overdraft fee.
“Didn’t you check your app? Weren’t you able to see you were getting close to your threshold? I don’t understand how you could get into this much trouble without knowing anything.”
“An app?” Her eyes widen for a bit as she looks between her phone and me. “I didn’t know there was an app.”
Gritting my teeth, I look again at who opened her account. Thankfully, he no longer works with us. More than likely, this isn’t the first customer he screwed over. Unfortunately, it means I can’t drag him into my office and rip him a new one.
I reach out my hand. “May I? I’ll need access to your phone.”
Her face looks absolutely miserable, but she complies. Honestly, everything I do is in her best interest anyway, so fighting would do absolutely nothing for her.
“I just wanted to get my brother a Christmas gift. That’s all,” she murmurs so softly I barely hear it as I download the app.
No doubt it wasn’t meant for my ears, anyway. I do my best to ignore the pain drifting off of her. It threatens to choke me, nonetheless. After a few more minutes, I hand it back to her and give her simple instructions on how to check it and what to look for.
“I’ll be honest with you, Miss Hayes,” I grumble as I lean back in my chair. “It doesn’t look good at all.” Though I detest the air of despair swirling around her, I cannot lie to the poor woman hunched in front of me.
“Isn’t there anything you can do?”
A heavy sigh slips through my lips as I lean back in my chair. “Even if I take out the overdraft fees, you’re still stuck with the original debt. Are there family members you can borrow money from? Anything like that?”
Though I didn’t realize it was possible, the sorrow only grows worse. “It’s just me and my brother. Can I get a loan? Just something until I’m paid again?”
With a quick stroke of my fingers, I type in a bit of information and let the program do its job. It would be nearly impossible to get her a loan with her account being so new, and that’s not even including factoring in her debt or other markers we look for. And, as I thought, she’s denied.
“Sorry. You’re not approved through us. I really wish there were something.”
Again, my gut clenches as she dabs at her eyes, every inch of her distraught. If only they didn’t look at our personal accounts so closely or so often. I have more than enough to cover this and give her a good Christmas. Unfortunately, it would be career suicide.
Is it really worth it for someone I don’t even know? Fishing around my desk, I pull out a few gift cards that are close to expiring and slide them across the desk.
“It’s not a lot. Twenty dollars on each, but they are good at several local grocery stores.
At least with this, you won’t go hungry.
I’m also taking the overdraft protection off your account.
This way, you won’t rack up any more fees.
Until the balance is positive, you won’t be able to use your card. Do you understand?”
She simply nods as she looks down at the garish holiday gift cards.
“Your words, omega,” I growl softly as I demand her attention.
For a brief moment, the pupils in those hazel eyes of hers widen until they’re nearly black. A whiff of arousal swirls off her body and teases my nose, making my cock stand hard at attention. Dear God, but she’s a responsive little thing.
“I- I understand.”
“Good.” I contemplate whether I should even stand up with the massive erection tenting my pants, but she doesn’t even notice when I do. She’s far too wrapped up in her ball of anxiety to even see the effect she’s having on me.
Once more, she turns her gaze to me, and the tears catch the light, glistening like diamonds against her pale skin. All it does is make my balls draw up so tightly that I can barely breathe. I shouldn’t want her like this. I shouldn’t need her like this.
Unbidden, the image of her on her knees, her mouth stuffed full with my cock as I fuck her pretty, quivering little mouth, sizzles across my synapses, robbing me of what little rational thought I have left. She needs to leave. Now.
Reaching over, I press the intercom button, alerting my secretary to come in. Thankfully, she doesn’t ask any questions and gently escorts Miss Hayes out of my office. Once she’s gone, I plop back into my chair and rub my cock through my pants. So improper, so taboo, so against the rules.
It doesn’t stop me from groaning as I grip my balls and tip my head back against the cushion. I need something, someone, some way to drive her out of my mind. This is madness, a yearning I didn’t see coming.
Pulling out my phone, I go to the Willoughby Rut Clinic page and enter my information.
As much as I detest the idea of a stranger seeing to my needs, I need to drive these dark desires from me.
If only I had my own omega for the holidays.
If only I weren’t so committed to my work that I could meet someone. If only.
Waitlist. Of course, I’d be on the waitlist. It’s not as if every other unmated Alpha out there isn’t suffering the same maudlin thoughts as I am. ‘Tis the season to be feral, I suppose. Turning in my chair, I study the fat, wet snowflakes as they drift down in lazy circles.
There, on the street, Miss Hayes tips her face up to the sky. Even from up here, I can almost see the pain and longing in her face as she wraps her arms around her waist. Her pale golden hair drifts behind, lifted off of her shoulders, as if it has a mind of its own, drawing a smile across my lips.
‘Tis also the season for miracles. If I can’t be the one to provide it, I can only hope she’ll find another way. Who knows, maybe Santa is real, and she’ll find a wad of cash under her Christmas tree.