Chapter 4 Saxon
THE SCENT OF caramel apples lingered. As a Fae, I’d been cursed with a superhuman sense of smell, but normally it wasn’t something I spent much time thinking about.
But this one was pervasive. Why caramel apples? Because that was how Danny smelled. The omega I’d met two weeks ago. For two weeks, I’d been hamstrung by the scent of his skin and the slight weight of him as I held his small frame against mine.
All because his friend’s Alpha needed my help.
I wasn’t going to do something juvenile, like ask Gatlin if Danny had mentioned me. I knew that Gatlin’s mate was in contact with Danny every single day. I was nearly one hundred years old, for Christ”s sake. I couldn”t go around asking for updates like I had a schoolyard crush. Not that anyone said schoolyard anymore. I said it, because I was old. I didn’t look it, but I felt it, every single moment of the day.
Jesus. I breathed out. I’d worked hard to acclimate. To be modern. Sometimes it worked better than others. I was too rigid, too formal, too old-fashioned.
But none of that was relevant at the moment. Other than the fact that I was obsessing over a twenty-two year old omega. I hadn”t been the same since I’d met Danny.
My younger brother banged into my office without knocking. Simon wasn’t just younger, he was seventy-five years younger. Fae were not the most maternal creatures in the world, and many didn’t have any children at all. The males were even less suited for child raising. We had that in common with vampires. But for some reason, our very cold and uninterested mother had procreated again, when she was two hundred years old.
Yet Fae children weren’t that different from humans. They needed love, affection, patience, and understanding. We got none of that from our parents. Only instruction, correction and expectation.
“Why are you hiding in here?” Simon picked up my drink and took a sip. ‘Yuck.”
“I’m not hiding.”
“You usually walk the floors.”
“Yes, because it makes our members feel welcome.”
“Christ. You really are a boomer at heart.”
“I’m not a boomer. Technically, I’m part of the Greatest Generation.”
He rolled his eyes. “You don’t need to remind me how you fought in World War II. We’ve all heard it a thousand times, even if it was against demons and not people. And you might be old, but you look thirty. So it doesn’t matter.”
Sometimes it felt like it mattered. Sometimes it felt like it mattered a whole fucking lot.
“And you’re actually twenty-five, so get off my lawn.” I shoved his shoulders, trying to push him toward the door. I was interrupted when my phone buzzed. It was my mother. It had been seven months since she’d called.
“Being summoned?” he asked, peering at the screen.
I heaved a sigh. “Yes.”
“You don’t have to go, you know. It’s your choice. But being the heir is an honor. I wouldn”t dismiss it so easily.”
Was it though? Was it my choice? It sure as fuck wasn’t an honor. At this point, I was still the heir. I was to take over the northern part of the east coast. It was what I’d trained for, for seventy years. I might have bought the club and evaded my duty for the last four years, but I couldn’t cut the Fae off entirely.
Was my brother jealous? Was he bitter that my mother hadn’t given up on me yet, and named him the heir? I didn’t know. And I didn’t care.
“I’ll go visit her soon,” I said as my brother grabbed one of the enchanted bottles of gin I kept locked up and dashed out of the room.
Unlike the wolves, my Fae family wouldn”t come after me. But if I didn’t come when they called, there was hell to pay.
Why didn’t I cut ties with them? I’d considered it, more than once. But they were powerful allies, as we’d demonstrated to Gatlin and Haven. If I snubbed them, then I wouldn’t be able to rely on their assistance when needed.
So if summoned, I’d play my role, if somewhat reluctantly. I sat in my chair, watching the night unfold on the monitors.
My phone buzzed again. But this time it was welcome. It was Danny, out of the blue, texting me.
The text read: Can I call you?
I answered immediately. Of course. You never have to ask.
I stared at my phone. It didn’t ring. You’re a Fae warrior. You are not desperate.
But I was desperate, just a bit. I forced myself to read through my emails while I waited on his call. Nothing interesting stood out. An update from my accountant, requests to change the decor in the dining room, an invoice from a contractor, and the caterer’s suggestions for a new spring menu. I didn’t pick the menu. But because I owned the club, I got all the information, whether I wanted it or not.
What I wanted, was to hear from Danny. Finally, the phone rang. I picked up immediately.
“Danny,” I said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
But he wasn’t. His voice shook as he’d said the words. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Okay. Tell me what you need.” There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for him. Fae were known for our disinterest. But I couldn’t imagine feeling disinterested toward him. It was true that I barely knew him. But what I knew of him, I really liked. Besides being beautiful, and having that absolutely captivating scent, he was brave and loyal and committed to his friends, all traits I greatly admired.
And as a competitive male, the more reluctance he showed me, the more I wanted him.
Was that immature of me? Definitely. But I couldn’t change it. Nor did I particularly want to. It wasn’t like I was going to force myself on him, so there was no harm in letting the dynamic play out.
“I don’t want to talk about it over the phone.”
“Are you safe?” I asked.
“Yes. I am.”
“Where do you want to meet? I’m at the club now.”
“No.” He practically shouted the word. He huffed. “I don’t want to come to the club.”
That was fine. Even though I saw it in such a positive light, I knew he had some kind of hang up about the club. I’d fashioned it to be a place to relax for both Alphas and omegas. And it was. It was also a place that provided opportunities for those who hadn’t found love in more traditional ways, but not everyone saw it that way.
“Have you eaten? If not, I’ll come pick you up and we’ll go somewhere.”
“Okay. That works.” He paused. “Saxon?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”
***
Danny looked hotter than ever. His dark hair fell around his pink cheeks. His eyes were bright and clear as he walked quickly to my car from his apartment. His carmel apple scent was fresh and just as tantalizing as before. He looked healthy, so at least he wasn’t ill. But he was fidgeting with his sleeves as we walked. Whatever the reason he’d called me, he’d tell me when he was ready.
“Any preferences?” I asked as he climbed into my SUV.
He shook his head. That was fine. I was happy to choose for him. “We’ll have sushi today.” I found the closest sushi place and parked. I opened the door for him, but refrained from touching him as we were seated. I had no excuse to put my hands on him today.
“As I said, I need a favor,” he said, flipping the menu over in his hands.
“Tell me what you need.”
Danny gripped a pair of chopsticks. “My cousin texted me. He said he’s an omega. He wants to come live here with me.”
Why was this distressing? It didn’t really matter. It upset him, so I would help him however I could. “Do you need a place for him to stay?”
“No. If he moves up here, he’ll stay with me.”
The waiter appeared, and we took a minute to order. Danny only got one order of avocado rolls. At my insistence, he added an order of spicy salmon rolls.
“Okay. Keep going,” I said.
“He said he was an Alpha. Back when I lived there. He said he was an Alpha and he –” Danny stopped and gulped.
Ah. “Did he hurt you?” Cousin or not, I’d have this asshole eliminated if he’d hurt Danny.
“No. No, he never did anything to anyone.” Danny met my gaze, fire blazing in his eyes. “I wouldn’t even consider letting him come up here if so.”
That sounded like the Danny I knew. “So tell me what’s got you so rattled.”
“My hometown wasn’t the best. My brothers and I escaped. And we didn’t tell anyone where we were going. Hollis has a sister who knows, but she won’t tell. But my cousin found me.” He let go of the chopsticks and rubbed his eyes.
“So you feel exposed now.”
“Yes.”
There was obviously a lot he wasn’t telling me. Young people might neglect their relationships with their families, but they didn’t cut them off for no reason. For him to have no contact, the situation must have been beyond dire.
“So what do you need from me?”
“I can’t just let him show up here. It isn’t safe. But if he’s an omega, I’ll know right away. I’ll be able to tell. Then he can come live with me, or I can help him find a place.”
“But you think he might be lying.”
“Yes.”
“And he’d be looking to do what? Drag you back to Tennessee?”
“Yes.”
Our food arrived, and I enjoyed watching Danny devour his sushi. His eyes got brighter, and his lovely scent intensified as he ate. “I won”t let that happen,” I said. “I”d be happy to escort you.” The presence of a Fae would deter most anyone, human or supernatural.
“You would?” His eyes teared up. “Thank you.”
It wasn”t that big of an ask. I was happy to do it.
“What can I do for you in return?” he asked.
“Nothing. This won”t take long, and I like spending time with you.”
He seemed to brace himself. “If it turns out that he”s actually an omega, then I”m going to need help. Financial help.”
I could help with that too. But I had to tread carefully. Most people were sensitive about money. “Tell me what you need,” I said.
“You run the club,” he said slowly. “You own it.”
“Yes.”
“So you might want a –” He bit into his lip. He picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth. Then he put his hand on the container of soy sauce and spun it toward him, but he still didn’t finish his sentence.
“Danny.” I put my own chopsticks down and leaned forward. “What is it? You can tell me.”
“You don’t have a sugar baby.” He kept his eyes on his plate. ”Haven said you don’t.”
“No. I’ve never had one.”
“But you run the club.”
“Yes.”
“So…” He finally looked at me. “Can I ask why you don’t?” He grabbed for his water and gulped it down. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. Just ignore me.”
“It’s fine. There”s nothing shameful about having a contractual relationship, as long as everyone is safe and everyone is satisfied.” I truly believed that. Just because I’d never pursued my own sugar baby didn’t mean I objected to having one.
“I know. Haven pushed back pretty hard on those ideas.” He finished his last avocado roll and moved his plate away. “It just seems like, as the owner, you’d have first dibs on the omegas who come in.”
I’d long finished my own food, so I had nothing to distract myself with. Danny had been open and honest. He deserved the truth. “That’s exactly why I don’t.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Do you know much about the Fae?”
“A little. The usual things.”
I wasn’t going to make him recite them for me. “You know that we possess the ability to sway others. It makes having a relationship outside of our own kind difficult.”
“I’ve heard the stories.”
“It’s why we are so distrusted in the supernatural world, even more so than vampires. No one is sure if we’re using our power over them.”
“Aren’t there some Fae sugar babies?”
“Rarely.” Being at someone’s mercy was difficult for a Fae.
“Do other Fae refuse to date non-Fae?”
“No. Most of them like being with other Fae.” My kind liked a challenge. That didn’t mean some Fae didn’t take advantage of their abilities in romantic relationships. And our elders had zero desire to police that kind of interaction, so any Fae was free to use his or her influence unchecked.
“So you don’t want to influence someone?”
“No. I want my partner to like me of their own free will. As well as having this power, I am the owner of this club. The power imbalance would be significant.”
“Isn’t it already unbalanced? Between a sugar baby and a sugar daddy?”
“We try to make it balanced. Though some sugar babies enjoy the imbalance. It’s part of the appeal.”
He grimaced at that. I could only imagine why.
He took another drink of water. “I was going to ask if I could be your sugar baby.”
Shock gripped my chest. My stomach twisted. Arousal surged through my gut, even as worry warred with lust. My sugar baby? Danny? It took me a second to find my footing, “Why do you want that? You wanted to avoid my club.”
Danny had seemed skittish around me from the beginning. From every interaction, he’d telegraphed that having a sugar daddy was the last thing he’d want. His brother Haven hadn’t suffered that reluctance at all. He seemed to enjoy his role as a sought-after omega. The night that Gatlin had chased after him, I reviewed the security footage.
One of my guards had reported an omega outside in the courtyard with a half-feral wolf shifter. Once I’d realized it was Gatlin, I hadn’t worried. Gatlin was ferocious and often ill-mannered, but he’d never hurt an innocent person.
On the recording, I’d watched Haven walk in with his head held high. He’d flicked his light hair over his forehead and gazed into the dining room. But Danny was different. He didn”t want to be in my club, and I wasn’t going to force him.
“I need help with my cousin.”
The arousal faded. He didn’t want me, not in the same way I wanted him. Or maybe he did. But he needed my help, so I’d focus on that. “I can help with that. But it doesn’t have to be transactional. I can do this for you, because you’re a friend, and then we’re done.”
“But we’re not friends.”
That stung. So did knowing that he hated the idea of my club, but he was forcing himself to consider it. I never wanted to coerce anyone, especially not him.
“Not yet, anyway. And I need it to be transactional. I can’t owe an Alpha anything.” His mouth twisted. “I’m sorry. I know that sounds bad.”
I wasn’t sure I understood his reasoning. I was almost sure I’d seen a flicker of interest in his eyes a few times, as he’d looked over my face and body. But either I imagined it, or he didn’t realize it. “It’s how you feel.” His reluctance didn’t feel great, but he was young, and he was terrified, and I could take an emotional hit; I’d been doing it my entire life.
“So if my cousin is actually an omega, would you be willing? Can you be my–” He rubbed one hand over his mouth. “My sugar daddy?”
“You can barely say the words.” I put my hand on his, making sure that it wasn’t sexual in any way. “It’s not meant to be shameful, not ever.”
“I know. I can say it.” He lifted his chin and stared directly into my eyes. “Saxon, I want to be your sugar baby.”
I loved that he found a backbone when someone else needed help. I just wished he’d apply that grit to his own needs. I touched his cheek. “You have my aid, with or without this.”
“I need the sugar baby part.” His eyes flared with desperation. “I really do.”
“Okay.” How could I refuse? “I would be happy to be your sugar daddy.” My body didn’t seem to get the message that this agreement was an emotional landmine. My cock was hard, pushing against my pants. Thank God we were sitting down. As highly strung as he was, I didn’t want him to see it.
“What do I have to do?” Danny asked.
He didn”t know me. He didn’t know that I’d never push a terrified omega into my bed. I had to come up with some kind of reason. Something that made sense, something that wasn’t scary. What was less scary than sex? Ah. Dating. Maybe that would work. “Just date. I could use the practice.”
“Date? Why?”
“Because I’ve never done much dating.”
His forehead creased. “But the way you look. And your money. Surely that means you have a lot of interested omegas.”
He thought I looked a certain way? I shouldn’t ask, but I had to know. “How do I look?”
His face went pink. “You know.”
“I don’t.”
“I know that you do. No one looks like that and doesn”t know!” He gestured emphatically at my face and chest.
That was the loudest I’d ever heard him speak. It was true that I knew I was attractive. But it was because I was a Fae. All of us were striking. That was genetics; it wasn’t personal. I wanted to know how Danny saw me. But asking him was too much. I was pushing him again. “Looks aside, I have not dated much. In my clan, all pairings are based on power. There is no concept of love or attraction.”
“Like arranged marriages?”
“Exactly like that.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Most don’t. Fae keep their secrets close.” That was an understatement.
“I won’t say anything.”
“I don’t actually care. I think a lot of their rules are destructive, so I’m not interested in continuing them.” I paid the bill and we left. He even let me hold the door open for him. I managed to stay behind him so he didn’t see my erection. Sex wasn’t on the table, at least not at this point.
Once he was safely buckled in my car, he glanced over at me three times but didn’t say anything.
“What?” I asked.
“But you’ve, you know.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’ve been with people. Romantically.”
“Are you asking if I’ve slept with anyone?”
His cheeks were nearly fuschia. “Yes.”
“Yes. I have. Sex and dating are not synonymous in my clan.”
“But you want to date?”
“Yes. I’d like to. I’ll do my best to avoid influencing you, and I’ll practice my courting skills.” But the real reason was that I wanted to be around Danny. I’d never felt this kind of interest in any omega before, and I’d do whatever it took to be with him.
***
We reached his apartment in just a few minutes. “Tomorrow we’ll go get your cousin. Does that work?”
“That’s great,” he said.
“Danny. I need to know why you’re worried about your cousin finding you,” I said as I parked. “I know you may not want to talk about it, but I want to know what I’m getting into.” I had to think about strategy. Could this be an ambush? “I want to be prepared. Is there any chance that your cousin won’t be alone?”
“You mean would he show up with my parents? Or his parents?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
He unbuckled his seat belt and turned to face me. “I don’t think it’s likely. But it’s not impossible.”
“Tell me why it’s not impossible.”
“Things are different in Tennessee.”
“How so?”
“My parents. Um.” He pressed his hands against his eyes. “I don’t talk about it. Not to people who don’t know.”
“You don’t have to tell me details. Just give me an idea. How many would come?” I could handle five humans alone. More than that, and I’d bring my brother with me.
“No, I do need to tell you. You should know. Before we go.” With the seatbelt hanging loose, Danny wrapped the thick nylon around his hand, twisting it. “All my life, my mother told me to respect my betters. Betters being Alphas. I was supposed to take a mate, and have children. That was it. By my senior year, I’d made no effort to find a mate. So my parents took action. During my first heat, they invited a single Alpha into our home. Then they unlocked my bedroom door.”
Holy fucking shit. I sat there, barely staying in my seat, my Fae power swirling around me, every muscle coiled, ready to kill, to end the lives of those who’d tried to hurt Danny. I only pulled back when I saw Danny flinch. Fuck. “Give me their address.”
“No. Haven already went through this with Gatlin. He wanted to rip them to shreds.” Danny let go of the twisted seatbelt, letting it snap back into the place where it coiled.
“He should,” I said. Did Haven’s parents do this too?”
“No, they tried to sell him.”
Sell him. Jesus. He’d moved away from me, pressing himself against the door. Dammit. Scaring him was the last thing I wanted to do. I turned back to face the road. I couldn’t fix this for him. It had already happened.
Why did I feel this way? Why was I attached so soon? Fae weren’t supposed to fall in love. If I were better, I’d let him go. But I wasn’t. I was going to keep him, and let him be my sugar baby.
“I want to make it clear that the only expectation I have is that we date,” I said carefully. “I’ll take you out twice a week, and in return, you’ll receive the stipend from the club.” I’d prefer to give him a lot more, but I didn’t want to spook him. Pushing more money might make him think I was expecting sex.
And while I’d love to have sex with him, I wasn’t going to make that a part of our bargain. Hell, I’d already laid my cards on the table. I’d told him I’d help him, no bargaining required. But maybe he didn’t believe me.
“Do you understand?”
He looked up at me with those big brown eyes and nodded. And even while I was consoling him, my cock throbbed. My body hadn’t gotten the message that he was off limits, at least right now.
The truth was, he could have gone to Luke or Gatlin for help with his cousin. They’d have both agreed to help him, or found someone who was willing. But he didn’t go to them. He came to me.
I was a seasoned warrior, yet I was filled with pride that this sweet omega had found a way to see me again.