Page 24 of No Strings Attached (Omega’s Preference #4)
Olivia
I stand on the bustling set of the Nature’s Beast ad shoot, hating how normal everything feels despite the chaos.
Damage control, as it turns out, means going back to work, acting like everything’s normal until we find the right moment to dissolve Elias’s contract.
The last few hours at home were tense, Elias’s scent souring with frustration and fear as he scrolled through comment after comment on his phone.
I finally snatched the phone away, cutting him off from his socials for his own sanity.
“It doesn’t matter what anyone says at this point,” I told him, my heart aching at the pain in his green eyes.
But my desire to shield him only extends to our front door.
Here, at the shooting location, there’s no hiding.
Everyone’s staring, whispering, their eyes darting to Elias as he moves through the set. He looks so uncomfortable but he hasn’t said a word about it. I can feel his unease, his rain and honeydew scent edged with a nervous tang.
He manages a wave to one of the other actors, a Beta with a friendly smile, and slips off his sling, wincing slightly as he poses with the new poster for the ad.
His arm’s still tender, but he’s pushing through, his face a mask of professionalism.
Everything’s going okay, or as okay as it can be, until Elias freezes, his eyes locking on the door, a glare hardening his features.
My heart lodges in my throat as the door swings open and Warren Hart steps in, a smug smile playing on that stupid face of his. I knew this moment was coming and I made sure Elias understood it would—but I’m not ready for it, not for the way his presence fills the room like a storm cloud.
Elias’s nostrils flare as his body tenses, and I take a deep breath, my own scent sharpening as I brace myself. Warren moves toward me, ignoring the crew’s whispers, not even stopping to say hi to his own employees he lent me for the ad. “I see Elias’ still doing well despite all the backlash.”
A low growl runs through my chest as I step up to him, my hands clenching at my sides. “The backlash you started! There was no fucking reason for you to say any of that shit at the press conference.”
Warren’s smile doesn’t waver, but his eyes harden. “I needed to protect my brand,” he says, like it’s a perfectly reasonable excuse.
I snort, folding my arms across my chest. “No, you needed to protect your fragile ego. You made it sound like he was less for being an Omega.”
“No, I made it sound like he was more precious. And he is. After these days with you are over, he’s going to be very important to me.”
I glance over at the set, happy to see Jamie rushing to help Elias focus.
With Warren now in here, I can’t imagine how Elias is feeling but Jamie’s bright smile has Elias relaxing all over again.
I return my focus to Warren, ready to chew his ass out for just existing at this point.
“Here’s the deal. Elias is our Omega, and he’s not your fucking property to do as you wish.
I’ve been scouring that fucking contract for the last few days trying to find a way out. ”
Warren chuckles, his eyes glinting with amusement. “That thing is ironclad. Elias is mine for the foreseeable unless he somehow comes up with 50,000 dollars.”
“You don’t get to talk about my Omega like that, you bitch.”
I gear up, ready to throw an entire fucking speech at him when the door swings open a second time, Tristan walking in like he owns the place.
He shouldn’t even be here after selling his company to Warren but he is and his sights are set on Elias.
My blood boils as I watch him stalk closer.
Not on my fucking watch, I tell myself, grabbing the nearest thing to me.
A clipboard finds my hand as I chuck it across the room, aiming for the bastard’s head.
It catches Tristan in the neck with a satisfying thud, and he stumbles back, choking, his face turning beet red.
The crew bursts into laughter, some clapping, others whispering, as Tristan clutches his throat, gasping but I’m done. “Hey, whoever is playing security at the door needs to start doing a better job. He has no right to be on set!”
Warren steps closer, trying to intimidate me but I meet his gaze, unflinching. “Try me, Warren. I’m really fucking pissed about how you treat people, but most definitely Elias. The fact that you used his accident for sympathy makes it worse.”
“Don’t cross me, Olivia. I can make this world a whole lot worse for you.”
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, a grin spreading across my face as I read the text from Reggie. I look up at Warren, shaking my device at him. “You see, I was hoping there would be a way out and it seems there is. You have a nasty habit of not reading your goddamn contracts.”
Warren’s face twists with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“One of the agreements in the contract stated that no one was to reveal Elias’s designation.
He was supposed to be ambiguous, both online and in person, unless agreed upon by both parties.
Elias would remain designation-less to the public.
” Warren’s eyes go wide, his smugness faltering, and I cackle, the sound echoing through the set.
“You poor soul,” I say, leaning forward.
“It seems Elias’s contract with Hallis and Hart Entertainment has been nullified, effective immediately, and you owe him a payout.
Granted, if he agrees to sign another contract… ”
Warren’s face twists further, this time with frustration, his hands clenching at his side.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Tristan left out this little tidbit in an attempt to reclaim Elias but that’s not my problem to deal with.
He stomps over to Tristan, who’s still rubbing his neck, and grabs his arm.
“You have some fucking explaining to do,” he snarls before dragging him out of the shooting venue, the door slamming behind them.
Elias and Jamie rush over, both of them checking me over several times before Elias asks what’s going on.
I throw him a genuine smile, relief running through me for the first time all day.
“It seems Tristan threw Warren under the bus. You said it before but your contract said your designation wasn’t supposed to be shared, which means you can legally break from it or rewrite it on your terms.”
Elias frowns, his brows furrowing. “It can’t be that easy.”
“Baby, sometimes it is,” I tell him. “Warren will fight it, probably take his anger out on Tristan, but for some reason, Tristan didn’t tell Warren about the clause. Which means Tristan has something else up his sleeve. For now, though? You’re all ours.”
Elias’s eyes soften as he pulls me into his arms, his strong hands wrapping around my waist. He kisses me, his lips tasting of sugar and need. I melt against him, my hands sliding up his chest, my berry scent mingling with his honeydew rain. His heat must be close but for the moment, it’s just us.
A general shock ripples through the employees and actors around us, their whispers halting. I realize where I am and pull back, my cheeks heating at the fact that I never made our relationship public. Well, they know now…
I turn to the crew, my voice clear but sheepish. “Guys, surprise? Elias is our Omega.”
There’s a beat of silence and then cheers erupt across the set, laughter bubbling up from the small crowd.
Someone shouts, “How did I know they were going to get a whole ass burly Omega?” More laughter follows, mixed with congratulations, and another voice calls out, “I still can’t believe Elias is a fucking Omega. Seriously?”
Elias blushes uncontrollably, his cheeks red beneath his beard, his eyes dropping to the floor. I laugh as I pull away, my heart full at the happy reception we just received. “Okay, let’s wrap this up here,” I say, raising my voice to the crew. “We’ve got more work to do than you’d think.”
Jamie pouts as Elias is dragged back to the poster, mumbling, “Where’s my kiss?” I almost think he’s not going to get one and then Elias turns back and bends Jamie over, kissing him thoroughly before letting him go.
“Happy?” Elias muses, his face just as red as Jamie’s.
“Yes. So much. Let’s go. Everyone is staring.”
I chuckle, realizing how much I’m going to enjoy this dynamic between the three of us.