Page 2 of Such a Sweet Omega (His Alpha Desires #5)

Beale

I was stuck between knowing I deserved better and being tired of dating. Breakups were hard. Starting over, dating someone new was even harder. Of course, my wolf wanted me to stay single and wait forever for my fated mate, but life didn’t work that way sometimes.

So when Aaron texted me, wanting me to go to Cuffed again, I put the phone down and didn’t immediately reply.

I didn’t know what to say. There was something off about Aaron. I couldn’t put my finger on the red flags about him, but my wolf and my gut told me to be careful.

My wolf had never steered me wrong, but I was also tired of being alone.

At my age, I thought I would already be happily mated with pups on the way. My desperation was making decisions for me and, lately, I didn’t know if they were good ones.

Aaron’s thick lips and dark, beady eyes were the first signs, but I chalked up my dislike of those characteristics to watching too many crime documentaries. Still, it felt like he was holding his real self back. I got glimpses of anger bubbling from underneath his smooth and overly kind demeanor. Felt it in the air like a charge of electricity but again, my growing anxiousness about being unmated tugged me back into his embrace.

All week, I’d debated with myself about breaking it off.

Cutting ties with him, even the idea of it, gave me some peace in my soul. That should’ve been a sign.

The other issue was, I liked Cuffed. It was a place where I felt safe for a moment or two. Where even if Aaron got overly dominant, he would never hurt me. Dungeon monitors oversaw the different areas, making sure no one got hurt, at least, in ways they didn’t want to.

Aaron wanted to try everything in the beginning but had gravitated toward knife play.

It scared me at first, but the way the alphas and omegas interacted in the demos and scenes made me think it wasn’t so bad.

Tonight, Aaron planned a scene for the two of us.

My fear should’ve made me decline—cancel the date.

Goddess only knew why after a few minutes of arguing with myself that I agreed, saying that I’d meet him at the club in a few hours. He never picked me up for our dates. There were no flowers or sweet morning texts.

Dating Aaron had been rather cold and contractual.

Too bad I preferred that over being alone.

I ate dinner early since Aaron only wanted to see me at the club or his house. He never asked me to spend the night, and a smidgeon of pride stopped me from asking to stay.

I’d had iced lattes that were warmer than him.

The more I mulled over it, the more I regretted not breaking up with him.

One more time, I told myself. This date would be the make or break with him.

Dressed in my leather harness and black tight pants, I threw on a peacoat for the walk to the club. I would have to be there early and wait for Aaron to arrive. He had the membership, so I couldn’t enter without him.

“Hey,” a man waiting outside said to me. “Waiting for someone?” He was vaping and had a mask pulled up, resting on top of his head. It was one of those masks that resembled a futuristic soldier. I’d seen some of those guys on social media. They were hot, but that simply wasn’t my thing.

“I am.” I bundled my jacket tighter around me.

“He’s with me.” Aaron’s voice boomed from behind me. He got his ticket and thrust his keys at the omega valet with no finesse whatsoever. Valet parking at the club was a new thing, and I’d heard other omegas saying that the club had purchased the parking garage a block over.

Aaron once made a comment about omegas talking too much.

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go home and curl up with a good book. The pages would’ve been nicer than him.

“Ready to go in?” he asked, grabbing my elbow and tugging me along.

Goddess, who had I become? Once, I would’ve kicked this alpha in the nuts and told him to fuck off before he even attempted to touch me, much less pull me like luggage.

“I can walk,” I said, gathering my gumption and wrenching my elbow away.

“Oh, you’re feisty tonight. We’re gonna have a good time.” He opened his coat to show me a glimmer of the three knives he’d brought in.

“I thought you said you didn’t have any knives,” I said as a slice of fear ripped through me.

“I got some, baby, just for you.”

I sighed. Perfect.

We checked our coats and got our rings as we entered the lobby.

“Should we get a drink first?” I asked, wanting to delay whatever he had in mind. I had a feeling that night, he was wanting to make the knife play real, and nothing about that idea thrilled me. In fact, it terrified me.

Aaron cut me a look. Disapproval, I thought. “I suppose. But only one. I’m eager to play tonight.”

I shuddered. Not at the change of temperature in the club or the booming of the bass around us but at the thought of being at his mercy.

We had a safe word, but a large part of me thought Aaron wouldn’t honor the code, even if I called it out.

I sipped my drink while Aaron pretended, unsuccessfully, not to ogle every omega who passed by.

“Let’s go,” he said, and pushed my drink away from me even though I’d only taken a few slow sips. On purpose, of course.

We watched an alpha play with his omega. The man being cut cried out in sweet agony as blood rippled from his wounds, but all the time, there was a smile on his face. His alpha asked over and over if this and that was okay and reminded him that he loved him.

“Our turn. Come on.”

Again, I let him not so gently lead me to the leather table where I lay down. There was a dungeon monitor in the corner, arms crossed over his chest. He stood in shadow so I couldn’t see his eyes, but somehow I felt them on me.

Seeing Aaron take the knife from his pocket, I shivered, and terror gripped my entire body. “I don’t think I’m r-ready for this, Aaron,” I stuttered.

“Don’t be stupid. We’ve been watching for long enough. It’s time to have some real fun.”

“No. I changed my mind.”

I tried to sit up, but Aaron put his beefy hand right on my chest and pushed me back down. “You’ll do as I say, Beale. I mean it. I’ve waited long enough.”

The fuck?

I pushed off the table again, my wolf helping me with a bit of his power.

That’s when I felt the crack of his hand against my cheek.

He slapped me.

This fucker slapped me.

“That’s enough,” a bass voice said.