Page 6 of Claiming the Pack’s Omega (Riverwell Omegaverse #2)

Theo

I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into “The Dollhouse.” Milo found out this is where Stone’s mystery girl works pretty quickly.

As demonstrated by the poles and stage out front, it’s registered as and presents itself as a strip club. That said, it doesn’t put much effort into hiding the real nature of this place and the darker tastes it caters to.

Like buying a night with an unregistered omega to the tune of three thousand dollars.

It’s not a ridiculous amount of money for me and our pack, considering what we all do for a living and the family that Milo comes from.

Well, technically, the family we’re both from since his family adopted me into theirs after I bounced around in the foster care system.

But just because three thousand dollars is trivial for us doesn’t mean that’s the case for the Southsiders who live near here.

I’d argue that sort of price is set to intentionally deter the majority of Southsiders from purchasing time with these omegas.

Or at least, this omega in particular, considering she was priced the highest.

This does point to a very specific kind of client: a Northside alpha with terrible ethics that doesn’t want to shell out the kind of money the Omega Center pushes for to overlook being an abusive asshole.

I find the door I was directed to and go right in.

I’m supposed to act like the kind of alpha who would go to a place like this when I’m in the more public areas of this establishment. Confident. Selfish. Dominant.

Easy enough to play the part of a shark when I am one in my day job, at least when I’m in a courtroom.

I freeze when the door shuts behind me. So much for acting like a shark. I’m a deer in headlights. Except, the headlights are the omega in front of me.

Damn.

Stone has liked other omegas before. He’s not an honorary monk like Milo, but he’s never acted as consumed by an omega as he did on that call the other night.

Reyna “Raine” Carver doesn’t disappoint.

Her scent is delicious and earthy, reminding me of the scent of morning dew.

She’s spread out on her side, at the foot of the bed, one leg hiked up a little bit to show off the curves I can see through the white lace robe she has on.

Her raven black hair is spread out all over the red sheets in loose curls.

Her makeup is flawless and only enhances her features like the graceful slope of her nose and the plumpness of her lips.

She’s stunning.

But she also hasn’t moved since I entered the room. She doesn’t even stir, not even when I’m standing in front of her.

Is she asleep?

“Hello?” I say, reaching out tentatively before squeezing her shoulder lightly.

She jolts awake, pushing herself up and blinking like she’s trying to clear her vision.

The most stunning, startlingly intense storm gray eyes blink up at me. They’re lined in dark makeup that makes her look like a siren, ready to lure men to jump off their ships and into a murky ocean for the chance to look into them.

Her gaze is also unfocused. She seems out of it.

My jaw ticks as my brain jumps to the worst-case scenario. Stone did say there was a possibility she was being abused.

“Did they drug you?” I growl. I’m not sure who “they” would be, but if they did, I’m going to find out and they will pay.

She blinks up at me in confusion, her gaze starting to focus on me. “What? No, I fucking wish.”

She turns her head, making a curtain of her shiny hair fall mesmerizingly before she coughs into her elbow.

Under closer inspection, the flush of her cheeks that I originally thought was blush doesn’t seem to be just from makeup.

“Forgive me.” I press my hand against her forehead.

She lets out a small huff of laughter.

“Nothing to forgive. You have me for eight hours.”

The insinuation in her words and expression is clear. She expects me to do much more than just touch her forehead.

My brows draw down in concern and I can feel the urge to start tapping my foot building.

“Eight hours when you’re feverish?”

That’s ridiculous. How can they expect her to work, especially a job as physically demanding as the one she’s working? It may not be physically demanding in the same way a construction worker’s is, but it certainly still is physical.

She bites her lip and starts to push herself up. If I weren’t so used to picking people apart in the courtroom, I might have missed the way her expression shifts. It’s a natural shift, but the change is still there. It’s like a mask comes on.

“I know it’s not ideal,” she pouts. “But I promise you, I’ll be able to take care of you just fine.”

She rests her hand on my chest as she shifts her weight.

I freeze at her touch. It, in combination with the way she’s blinking her huge, storm-grey eyes up at me, is incredibly intoxicating. I have to force myself to start breathing again.

I gently take her wrist and pull it away from my chest. It takes all my willpower, but I won’t be able to have a conversation with my wits about me with her touching me and looking up at me like that.

“I meant you’re forced to work the entire night when you’re sick?”

Her brows draw down in confusion. I don’t know whether it’s from my question, from me removing her hand, or a combination of both.

“You’re a strange one,” she breathes out. “To be honest, this hasn’t happened to me before, but some people don’t have the luxury of taking a day off when good money is on the line. You did buy me for the entire night, and believe it or not, that doesn’t happen very often.”

So her working conditions aren’t great if she’s being forced by circumstance to work when feverish, even if she’s making the choice to be here right now. A good employer wouldn’t allow that to happen.

But I can also empathize with needing money. She doesn’t give me the impression of someone being trafficked and held against her will. That’s not to say that isn’t happening here, I just don’t think she fits the profile for that kind of omega.

“I can’t imagine that’s not because you aren’t popular,” I say, fighting to keep my gaze on her face instead of her body. Though, that’s not really a hardship, considering how gorgeous she is.

She shrugs. “I may be popular when I’m out on the floor, but there don’t tend to be a lot of people from around here that can afford my price. And those that can are usually satisfied after a few hours.”

It’s her turn to eye me up and down. Even with the haze of a fever clouding her gaze, it’s still sharp enough to notice the designer emblem stitched onto the cuff of my suit jacket.

I can practically see the wheels in her brain turning. She’s estimating the price of my suit, the way I carry myself, and the fact I bought a whole night of her time, and she’s probably coming to the correct conclusion that I’m a Northside Alpha.

She sits back onto her heels, on her knees, on the bed in front of me.

“So then, did you have anything in mind for our night together?”

“Before I came in here? Not really.” I’m being truthful.

I didn’t know what to expect from something like this.

Should I have bought an entire night with her, then?

Probably not, but after seeing her dance up on that stage, I couldn’t help it.

The way she moved, the effortlessness, the strength, the beauty, it was all hypnotizing.

When the clerk who scheduled me asked me how long I wanted with her, my mouth opened and said the entire night before I realized what I was saying.

I clear my throat and collect myself.

“But now that I know what condition you’re in, all we’re going to do is make sure you get some rest.”

Her body actually jerks back in surprise. Considering the fact that she seems to have excellent control over her reactions and facial expressions, I seem to have taken her really off guard.

“Like—like cuddling or something?” she asks

I have to fight back a purr at the idea of having this gorgeous omega curled up in my arms. I settle on shrugging.

“If you’re offering.”

“You really are a strange one.” She tilts her head.

“Strange how?” I ask.

“I’ve never had someone buy an entire night with me and only want to cuddle before,” she shrugs. “But I’m not complaining.”

I turn and walk to the bar in the corner of the room, picking up a plastic water bottle.

“Here, drink. You have to stay hydrated.”

She smiles as she takes the bottle before cracking it open and taking a few sips. Her smile nearly lands me on my ass. It completely transforms her face. It’s like the first rays of the sun after a thunderstorm.

“Drink more,” I encourage her.

There’s not much I can do to make her feel better in a place like this. I’ll have to make sure to order a delivery of some basic medicine from a pharmacy. I’m sure I can pay someone to drive it directly here so she has it before she leaves in the morning.

She actually lets out a giggle at my comment. It’s like music, light and airy. Something I don’t get the impression she does very often.

Stone is going to be so jealous when I tell him about this interaction. I can one hundred percent see why she’s ensnared Stone. I’m in the same boat.

“What’s so funny?” I say, her laughter making me smile in return.

She blinks up at me, her eyes going wide. Maybe she feels similarly about my smile? One can dream.

Her earthy petrichor scent takes on a rich, sweet edge to it.

Maybe my dreams are becoming a reality because, from the way her scent is shifting, she likes what she’s seeing. Maybe not as much as I like what I’m seeing, considering I’m nowhere near her level of beauty on any metric, but she’s attracted to me.

Good.

She clears her throat.

“Water normally isn’t what alphas in here are ordering me to drink.”

I can feel my pulse picking up again, my jaw ticking at the mention of her previous clients forcing her to do anything without her enthusiastic consent.

But then she sets down her water bottle, leaning back against the pillows. My brain short-circuits.

When she gestures for me to join her, my alpha hindbrain completely takes over.

I may be undercover and have no intention of doing anything more with her, given the nature of the situation, but I’m also not going to say no to feeling her body against mine. I’m not that good of a man.

I kick off my shoes, toss my suit jacket over on the armchair in the corner, and settle onto the other side of the bed, lying on my back. If she wants to cuddle, she’ll have to make her way over to me herself.