REN
Ren
“Tommy, your work ethic sucks.” I crumpled up the napkin he was keeping track of his score on.
“I got my ways, don’t you worry. Sales are picking up.” He patted the pocket of his cargo shorts. “It took a few days to get the word out and about.”
I didn’t have a few days. This cruise was almost over and Catherine and her damn necklace were haunting my every move now. Gaston made sure the paper was delivered to my room every morning so I could read the headlines.
“Go make some money.” I pushed him out into the crowd on deck. There was a massive event happening. The music was loud, the drinks were flowing and if the end of my days weren’t on the horizon, I’d probably enjoy it.
I scanned for another mark. Willow had told me there was an alpha, beta, omega pack in need of services. Fucking my way out of this was not ideal. I’d start pushing the casino harder. Now that everyone was cozy and a little bored, money was flowing. I tipped well, so the dealers were lining up to be my new BFF.
Willow had said the beta was striking, easy to pick out in a crowd. Short, blond, with a scar on his cheek.
Shit. Well, there’s my blond. He looked good in floral print shorts and a sky blue t-shirt.
Focus, you dumbass.
The music changed, and the entire deck moved. It was a speed dating game crossed with musical chairs. Packs looking for new members claimed the tables with yellow flags. People looking to join or merge packs mingled with multicolored flags. Alphas had green. Betas orange. The pink omega flag was tucked under Theo’s arm.
He was standing with his arms crossed, chewing on his thumbnail. That wasn’t good. Not his usual posture. And he wasn’t participating despite clutching that flag.
It took a few steps closer to Theo to follow his line of sight. Of course. He was staring at Mackenzie. Was she sitting in an alpha’s lap? No, she was at a pack table. A yellow flag sat on the table. Her pink one was kicked underneath.
When the fuck did that happen?
I slid onto the barstool next to Theo. He didn’t even notice me.
“How’s things?” I said warmly. “What’s good?”
He looked at me, then darted his eyes back to Mackenzie before giving me a pained smile. After about thirty seconds of visible internal struggle, he broke.
“That’s her ex,” he said. “I don’t know how it’s possible, but he’s somehow on the ship.”
Daryl.
I watched the dynamics play out. Mackenzie perched in this douche’s lap while his pack swarmed around her. The bite mark on his neck was still pink and fresh. Every time she put her drink down, they pushed it back into her hands. They kept leaning in to whisper in her ear, touching her back, her leg. Classic love bombing.
“Well,” I said, doing everything possible to push down that possessive voice shouting “mine” in my head. These fucking alpha instincts sucked.
“She’s happy, right?” Theo said, no longer even trying to convince himself. “That’s what’s important. Look how happy she is.”
“Let’s go ruin their day,” I said to Theo, patting him on the shoulder. He tried to pull me back, but I just winked. As the music changed, I snagged a flag from a middle-aged man who was never going to find a pack on this cruise, anyway.
I pulled out a chair and slammed it down at their table, making half their drinks slosh. Mackenzie sat up straight, shock painted across her face.
“So boys,” I said, scanning the table until my eyes settled on the pack lead, “looking for packmates?”
The pack lead hedged. “Well, we were…”
“Excellent. I’m looking for a pack myself. I bring a lot of resources to the table.” I leaned forward. “What are your pack finances like?”
“Uh…” The pack lead shifted uncomfortably. “I’m Brock. Let me introduce the rest of the pack…”
“I’m Ren Delano,” I cut him off. “Nice to meet you.”
Maybe my name would be a deterrent. Who the fuck knew at this point?
“So, pack finances… five young, healthy-looking alphas. You must be pulling in at least half a million a year, right?”
Their silence was telling.
“Well, you see, Sam here has gone back to school,” Brock said. “And with his degree and everything… and the economy’s really hard right now. Chaz is still looking…”
“So what, a quarter mil between all five of you? Must be rough surviving on what? $125k?” Less. It was less.
“What do you do?” one of them asked defensively.
“Restaurants. Family business. You?”
“Cars,” Brock said with a sharp smile. “I sell cars.” Used ones, no doubt.
“We just bought a house,” another one chimed in.
“Yeah, right on the edge of the Mired District. Up and coming neighborhood. Very trendy,” Brock added quickly.
“Five bedrooms, six baths. A pool. It’s pretty great. And now that we have our omega…”
I looked at Mackenzie for the first time and smiled. She nervously chewed on her drink straw, her cheeks flushed. I couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment, anger, or alcohol.
“Five bedrooms.” I counted out the alphas. “One, two, three, four, five. And what about your omega? Oh wow, are you one of those traditional packs with a schedule for their omega to bed hop?”
Brock’s face darkened. “Now wait a minute…”
“I mean, there’s nothing technically wrong with that. But what about her nest? What, is she going to nest under the stairs in the corner of the basement next to the laundry? Nesting space is super important for an omega.”
I didn’t bother listening to their response. It didn’t matter. What mattered was Mackenzie. Little wrinkles appeared on her forehead and she absolutely refused to look at me. Mackenzie wasn’t the gold digger type, but she was worried about money. The fact that she didn’t have any. That this douche left her with none. Just like this pack would.
These boys were all stuck in frat boy mode, like their auras had presented yesterday, and they were still trying to figure out how their knots worked. And they weren’t that much younger than me. That was the pathetic part. This kind of pack didn’t want an omega. They wanted a toy.
“So let’s just go over the finer details,” I continued. “I’m presuming you’re looking to add pack members who can bring wealth to the table? Help take care of your lovely new omega here… who still doesn’t have any bites?”
“We’re just reconnecting, actually,” Brock said stiffly. “Taking things slow.”
“I’m sure you’re all prepared with a bond price? Seeing as you’re traditional and all, you’re going to pay your omega for her bond, settle any debts she has and set up a pack dissolution trust so she’s financially cared for the rest of her life?”
“We… we’re just starting out and…” Brock stammered.
“So you want to be traditional but not follow tradition? It’s not technically law, but every pack has at least a bond dissolution fund set up for their omega. That’s what real alphas do. Care for people and provide.”
I practically willed Mackenzie to do the math.
“Well, good luck with that.”
I gave her one last searching look before letting the music carry me away. I rejoined Theo at his place at the bar.
“What was that about?” he asked.
“Just gave her some things to consider.”