Chapter 2
CASSIUS
The door to the changing room slammed open. I took a startled step back, still more angry than intimidated.
The new alpha who stood in the doorway had on a wide-striped coat that looked both old-fashioned and modern. His dark hair hung thick and straight to his shoulders, and shadows outlined his glinting eyes. It painted a picture of gorgeously spoiled. And frightening.
Now, there were two dragons facing me. Were they going to force me to obey?
“Bish hired set omegas for the party?” the alpha asked, lips quirking. “How many?”
Klonis, the manager of our omega group from Brimstone, stepped forward, shoulders suddenly sloping, chin down. “I’m sorry if our conversation intruded on your festivities, sir.”
The other alpha held his hands palms up and shrugged. “I just got here.” His smile could’ve been almost pretty if it wasn’t so tight. “I just thought there might be a fight. If there is, count me in.”
Klonis took a step back, clearly confused. “No fighting here.”
The alpha pointed at the floor. “What’s with the broken glass, then?”
Klonis cleared his throat. “Just trying to get this omega under control.”
“You threw a glass at him?” he asked Klonis.
“No. He threw it at me.”
The alpha’s eyebrows popped up. “Did he?” The dark gaze swung to me. I thought he would snarl at me or make some comment about my body being only good for one thing. Instead, he held my gaze and his smile dropped away. He said to me, “Did he deserve it?”
Slowly, I nodded as my body heated from shame. “It was drugged wine.”
Klonis’s face darkened. “He’s one of the more disobedient of the ranch’s herd. I don’t know why he was chosen to come here.”
“Am not!” My fists clenched at my sides. I wasn’t a trouble-maker. Never in my life.
The alpha boldly strode into the room until he stood before me. “There’s no doubt why he was chosen.”
I wanted to look away but couldn’t.
Klonis did not respond.
“You don’t want to be here, do you?” the alpha said to me.
I shook my head.
“That’s really too bad because that’s not how the world works.”
My breath shook inside my chest. “I hate this world.” My words came out softer than I’d intended.
The alpha’s head tilted. “That makes two of us, angel.”
Angel? My mind skipped that to mull over later.
Why would an obviously privileged alpha hate the world?
He looked rich beyond any means I’d ever known.
What could he know about suffering? He was here at this big house, this big party, holding all the power while I stood on the other side of the fence with nothing to my name but a tarnished slave collar.
Klonis stepped forward again. “I apologize. Cassius is mouthy and unruly. I’ll take care of it. He’ll be going back.”
The alpha cocked his hip. “Why?”
“Obviously he won’t behave,” Klonis said.
The alpha didn’t budge. “But he was already rented for the night. Maybe it’s you who doesn’t know what he’s doing?”
Klonis’s jaw tightened. “I had no trouble with the other six. They’re already entertaining at the pool.”
“Good for you for doing your job so well.” Sarcasm dripped.
I wasn’t sure what I was seeing. It didn’t seem like the alpha was actually sticking up for me but more like he was looking for a fight. With another alpha.
What was going on?
Klonis straightened his back. “I’m sorry, sir, if I have offended you in any way. This one is the only problem and it will be taken care of.”
“Sure. But you’ll have to give the host—a very good friend of mine—a refund.”
Klonis nodded. “Of course.”
The alpha turned back to me. “Such a shame.”
I tried not to glare.
“Will you be punished?” the alpha asked me.
I blinked hard and nodded.
“But it’s worth going through that just to be defiant?”
Voice low. “No, sir. I’m not just being defiant.” I would suffer for my next words, but I couldn’t stop them. “Look at what he wants me to wear.” I reached out to the bench and held up the skimpy, white see-thru jock-strap thong.
The alpha took a deep breath. “Hmm. I guess I wouldn’t want to wear that, either, except maybe in private with a lover.”
“This outfit was requested by the host for all the omegas,” Klonis blurted. “This group is rented to provide entertainment.”
“I understand.” The alpha looked at me. His voice deepened. “Will it fit?”
My cheeks flamed. “I—I don’t—I—I guess—maybe.”
“You have no rights. You have to do what the alphas say, right?”
I put my fingers to my forehead and rubbed. “Yes.” The S sound came out like a hiss.
The alpha turned back to Klonis. “What if I tipped him to have him wear what I requested. It would be a big tip so he could remain at my side for the night.”
Klonis’s eyes got big. “That is permissible.”
“Do you have an Exactabuck account?”
“Yes. Through Brimstone Services.”
The alpha took out a phone, tapped a few times, then said, “A nice sum has been transferred. You can leave the room.”
Klonis grabbed his phone and tapped, eyebrows popping as he looked at the screen. “Yes, sir.” And without even a backward glance at me, walked out the door and shut it behind us.
“Now that wasn’t so hard to solve, was it?” the alpha said with a smile.
“Why did you do that?” I asked.
“Because I can. And because I don’t like him and I’m nine months sober from punching anyone.”
Punching someone? Was this a violent alpha? “I—I don’t know what to say. What do you want me to wear?”
“Don’t get any weird ideas. I don’t like set omegas. It’s a long story. But I do like fucking with other alphas. Klonis is going to have to look at you all night and know he couldn’t have things his way. It’s fun.”
I had to admit, that felt pretty good. But an alpha who didn’t like set omegas? I’d never met one before.
The alpha opened the case he was carrying and took out a blue pair of swim trunks. “How about these? Not see-thru. Long in the leg.”
I blinked up at him. “You brought those?”
“Yeah. They’re mine. But I don’t plan on doing any swimming. Maybe some food and drink.”
“You want me to wear your trunks?”
“They might fit you loose, but yeah.” He turned around as if surveying the room. “And don’t they provide any sort of poolside robe?”
I held up another white net garment with sleeves and a short hem.
“Oh. Well. At least it’s something. Now go ahead and change. Quickly.”
I waited for him to look away, but he just stood there looking at me until I took the trunks from his hand. I set them aside and undid my jeans.
The alpha crossed his arms and tapped his foot. “Any time. I don’t have all night.” He cocked his head. “Correction. I guess I do have all night. I paid for it.”
I inhaled sharply and pushed off my pants.
I didn’t look at him as I quickly pulled on the dark blue trunks.
They were drawstring, which was somewhat of a saving grace because I could tighten them to fit so they wouldn’t fall off.
The legs hung almost to my knees, but I made it all work. Next, I put on the robe.
When I glanced up, he was staring at the ceiling still tapping his foot.
“All done,” I said.
“Good. Follow me. Stay by my side. The others will be jealous.”
“Is that what my job is? To make other alphas jealous?”
“You don’t have to do anything. Just look pretty, angel.”
So, he did think I was pretty even if he didn’t like omegas. No, he’d said he didn’t like set omegas. It was a weird relief. It meant that at least for tonight I wouldn’t be poked and prodded by strangers, or worse.
“My name’s not angel, it’s Cassius.”
“Got it.” The alpha, whose name I still didn’t know, took my hand. “Don’t step on the broken glass.”
It had been a glass of drugged wine Klonis had wanted me to drink. I bent to pick it up but he pulled me away.
“Let housekeeping do their job.”
He led me through the big house and outside where lights flashed and music beat loud enough that the tile beneath us shook. A giant pool party was in full swing.
My six ranch brothers who’d come here with me were on a small, makeshift stage wearing the horrible net thongs and robes. Dubai and Earnest looked annoyed but cooperative. Seacrest, Cory, Buck and Benji were drugged, their eyes nearly black as they swayed to the beat.
The alpha squeezed my hand and pulled me into the crowd.