by Sky Winters
A nervous smile formed on Boyd’s face.
“Anyway, I soon found out that Boyd used to date one of the few unattached omegas in the city. Unbelievable – an omega dating a human. What a waste! All those perfect genes down the drain.”
“Why am I here?” asked Jessie.
“Because you’re not safe,” said Boyd.
“Easy, Boyd,” said Stone. “Let me do the talking. How much do you know about those alphas you’ve been living with?” asked Stone.
“Enough to know I can trust them,” said Jessie.
“That’s where you’d be wrong,” said Stone. “So very wrong.”
“W-what?” asked Jessie.
“Didn’t you think it was somewhat suspicious that those three men were separate from their clans? There’s a reason for that – and it involves their last omega.”
“Tell me what you’re talking about,” said Jessie.
Stone chuckled.
“I’ll give it to you straight. I don’t know what they told you happened to their omega mate, but it was likely a lie. She died in a fire, but it was no accident, no clan fight that she got in the middle of. She was meant to be there, and the men behind the attack were none other than your alphas.”
Jessie couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Their happy little home looks so peaceful from the outside, but there’s something sinister behind it. Those three men are all castoffs from their clans. When they all learned they had this in common, they decided to start their own clan. And for that, they’d need an omega – and more than one.”
He went on.
“Normally, one omega would be enough. But there were three of them, and they needed to reproduce and fast. They eventually found out that their omega would only be able to produce one litter of dragons – and girls at that. Can’t have a clan with three girls as the next generation.”
“So they had her killed,” said Boyd.
“That’s right,” said Stone. “Had her killed and lured you in with some story about how they were just poor men needing a nanny for their little girls.”
“No,” said Jessie, her tone harsh. “It’s not true.”
Boyd leaned forward, his eyes wide with concern.
“Jess, I wouldn’t screw with you like this. Those guys...they’re bad news.”
“Boyd’s right,” said Stone. “To put it mildly. I wouldn’t be surprised if, right now, they were planning on figuring out what to do with you when they’ve...used you for what they have in mind.”
“I want to leave. Now,” said Jessie.
“Fine,” said Stone. “You’re free to go at any time, of course – no one’s keeping you here.”
Jessie put her hands on the armrests of her chair and prepared to lift herself up.
“But should you come to your senses,” said Stone. “You have Boyd’s number. I’ll be eager to hear from you.”
“You won’t,” said Jessie, preparing to leave.
“Jess,” said Boyd, his hand shooting out and grabbing her wrist. “Just...think about what he’s saying. I only want the best for you.”
Jessie didn’t want to hear another word. She grabbed her things and hurried out of the restaurant, her mind spinning from what she’d just heard.
CHAPTER 19
SAMUEL
Samuel leaned back in the tall, leather chair in his office, his eyes on the window outside of the apartment. He liked to watch the world pass by outside of his window, the pedestrians and cars below tiny dots from his height.
A knock at the office door broke him out of his reverie.
“Come in!” he called out.
The door opened, Rick and Jonas stepping into the office.
“Where are the girls?” asked Samuel.
“They’re watching a movie,” said Rick. “Figured we could get away for a few minutes to talk about what’s been going on.”
“Good call,” said Samuel.
Jonas and Rick sat down across from Samuel, Rick cracking his knuckles as he got comfortable.
“The fires,” said Samuel.
“The fires,” said Rick.
“How many are we up to now?” asked Jonas.
“Five,” said Sam. “Each one with the same dragon fire burns.”
“Fucking crazy,” said Rick. “Any idea what’s going on?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” said Samuel. “Five fires, all set by dragons−”
“And all in our part of the city,” said Jonas.
“That’s right,” said Samuel. “I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like the sound of it.”
“And we’re lucky as shit that there haven’t been any human casualties so far,” said Rick.
“Yeah, no kidding,” said Samuel. “A single death would bring the NYPD detectives into the matter, and we don’t need them poking around dragon business.”
“Hmm,” said Rick, sitting back.
“What?” asked Samuel.
“I dunno,” said Rick. “It almost seems like...like they know we’re going to be on it.”
Samuel thought the matter over. It made a certain kind of sense.
“Yeah,” said Jonas. “There hasn’t been a single fire-related death in this area since the three of us started working at our station. Any shifter who looked into the matter would know we were the reason.”
“And you think that, what, they’re trying to send us a message or something?”
“Maybe,” said Rick. “They might be poking around at our edges, trying to get a sense of what it’s going to take to get a reaction out of us.”
“Who the hell would it be?” asked Jonas.
“Better question would be ‘who the hell wouldn’t it be’?” said Samuel. “We’re three alphas living without a clan – that’s going to set off warning bells for any alpha who’s looking to move into Brooklyn.”
“But they’d have to know we were out of that clan warfare shit,” said Rick. “We haven’t been in that since...you know.”
“Yeah,” said Jonas. “We know. But they don’t. We’re fine with other alphas doing whatever shit they want as long as they leave us and our family alone. But they don’t know that.”
“Right,” said Samuel. “As far as they know, we’re competition. And then there’s the matter of Jessie.”
Rick and Jonas nodded in agreement.
“We’ve got an unclaimed omega here, and that’s something too irresistible for plenty of alphas to ignore.”
“There’s...there’s one way to solve that problem,” said Rick. “We could....”
“Claim her?” asked Samuel.
“Right,” said Rick.
Samuel said nothing, thinking the matter over. Whether or not to claim Jessie was the question that had been on the minds of all three of them, and one that they’d only mentioned in passing to one another.
He knew that Rick and Jonas had already been with her. He wasn’t jealous –they’d shared a mate before, after all− but he’d hoped that the three of them would be able to restrain themselves for at least a few months, long enough to figure out if the four of them were a good fit.
Looking back, he should’ve known that this was a silly idea. Alphas can hardly resist omegas, and Jessie was one that hadn’t been with a dragon in a long, long time – if ever before. Samuel realized he should’ve known the first time he caught her scent that this could happen.
“Maybe,” said Samuel. “We can’t just claim her without her permission or behind her back or something like that. It’s true that she looks like she’d be a good match.”
“The girls love her,” said Rick.
“Right,” said Jonas. “And it’s already starting to feel like things weren’t...complete here until she showed up.”
“I know what you mean,” said Samuel. “But like I said, we have to discuss this with her first.”
“Then how you do you want to play this?” asked Rick.
“We have to see if she’s actually a good fit for al
l three of us,” said Samuel. “You both have slept with her, but I haven’t.”
“Then you need to see if you two are compatible.”
“That’s right,” said Samuel. “We need to spend some time alone, just the two of us. See if there’s true compatibility.”
“Then you guys shouldn’t waste any more time,” said Rick. “Jonas and I can watch the girls tonight if you want to take her out when she gets back.”
Samuel nodded.
“I think that’s what I need to do. If I spend the evening with her and there’s no connection, then we’ve been worried about all of this for nothing – she can stay unclaimed and stay our nanny.”
“But if that’s not the case,” said Rick. “And you two bond....”
“...We’ll have a shitload of trouble on our hands.”
“Right,” said Samuel. “But we can worry about that when it happens.”
“And then there’s the matter of the attacks,” said Jonas. “This is all looking bad, like someone’s getting ready to make a move.”
“I know,” said Samuel. “We need to get to the bottom of all of this. Could just be some low-level alpha making moves, or it could be one of the New York players warming up for a full war.”
Samuel’s phone buzzed on the desk. He picked it up and saw that it was a text from Jessie’s driver letting him know that they were on their way back.
“She’ll be here soon,” he said. “You guys watch the kids and I’ll take Jessie out, tell her it’s part of her one-month surprise.”
“Whatever we do,” said Rick, “we need to do it soon.”
“You’re right,” said Samuel. “But for now, I need to think all of this over.”
Rick and Jonas left, and Samuel was alone once again. He went over to his office bar and poured himself a small drink of whiskey, returning to his chair with his glass in his hand.
Once seated, he returned to looking out of the window, trying to plot a course of action. He’d always took pride in his ability to not hesitate, to go with his gut and to never question himself. After all, that’s how he’d managed to rise to the top of the business world.
But there was something about Jessie, something that made him feel uncertain, like he wasn’t exactly sure what to do with himself. It was a doubt he couldn’t remember feeling since his last mate.
He sat and thought for a time, knowing that there was nothing to do aside from spending time with Jessie and seeing what came of it. He understood that for all he knew, this could just be a false alarm. Rick and Jonas could’ve simply not been able to resist an omega like her, and after they’d all had their fun they could go back to her being their nanny, just like before.
A knock sounded at his door. He knew it had to be Jessie.
“Come in,” he said.
The door opened and Jessie stepped through.
“Rick said you wanted to see me,” she said.
“I do,” said Samuel, standing up. “How was the spa?”
“It was good,” she said.
Samuel noticed that her answer was very quick, as if there was something more to what she’d said. But he put it out of his mind.
“Great,” he said. “And I was thinking there could be a little more to your day off.”
“Is that right?” asked Jessie.
“That’s right,” he said. “I wanted to take you out for dinner.”
Jessie’s eyebrows raised.
“What about the kids?” she asked.
“They’re with Rick and Jonas tonight,” he said. “Remember – tonight, you don’t have to worry about anything but relaxing.”
“I won’t say no to dinner,” said Jessie.
“Excellent,” said Samuel. “Then get dressed and meet me in the living room. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Sounds good,” said Jessie with a smile.
With that, she left. Anticipation built in Samuel. Tonight, he’d know for sure what Jessie would be in his life. He’d have his answers.
CHAPTER 20
SAMUEL
He knew he was in for trouble the moment he saw Jessie in her dress. It was a deep red color, the hem cutting off right below mid-thigh, giving him a lovely look at her milk-white skin. Her strawberry blonde hair draped over her bare shoulders, and her full breasts seemed ready to burst out.
Samuel felt his cock twitch in his pants, and he cleared his throat as he tried to work through the arousal taking hold of him. He reminded himself that there needed to be more to the bonding than just simple physical attraction – it needed to be deeper.
“Wow,” said Lucy. “You look so pretty, Miss Jessie.”
“Thanks, kiddo,” said Jessie, mussing Lucy’s hair as she passed the girls.
“Yeah,” said Rick. “What she said.”
Jessie gave Rick a playful swat on the arm as she made her way over to Samuel.
“You ready?” she asked.
“I am,” he said. “Reservations are ready. All we need to do is get there and enjoy ourselves.”
“I think I can handle that,” she said.
The two of them said their goodbyes and were off. A sleek luxury car was waiting for them in front of the building, and the driver opened the door for them as they approached.
“Where are we going?” Jessie asked, settling in.
“I thought we could celebrate your first month by going to the place with the best view in the city,” he said, opening up the small bar in the back and taking out a bottle of champagne.
“The best view?” she asked, intrigued.
“That’s right,” he said. “Though, that’s just my opinion.”
He popped open the bottle and poured two glasses, handing one to Jessie.
“What are we drinking to?” she asked.
“To many more months to come.”
“I like the sound of that,” she said.
They tapped their glasses and drank.
“So,” said Samuel, the car making its way down the city streets, “what’re your thoughts on the job so far?”
“It’s...amazing,” she said.
Samuel was pleased to hear this answer.
“You sound surprised to say it,” he said.
“That’s because I kind of am. I’d worked with kids before, back when I was a lot younger, but I never really thought it was something I’d be really into, or even good at. The nanny job, well, I didn’t know what to expect.”
Samuel took a sip of his drink, waiting for her to go on.
“I thought the girls were great from the moment I met them. But that didn’t mean I was going to be able to be a good nanny, you know? Not everyone has the knack for kids. But over the course of the days after that, and the weeks...I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”
“Try,” said Samuel with a smile.
“Okay,” she said. “It’s like...after what happened with my family, with losing everyone I cared about so suddenly, I thought that I’d never expose myself to any of that ever again. How could I ever let myself get hurt the way I had been?”
She went on, and Samuel was happy to let her. He enjoyed hearing what she had to say.
“But the girls...they woke something up in me, something that I’d been running from for a long time. And it’s been hard to deal with it, since I’d been forcing those feelings down. But I love those little girls – they’re wonderful and precious and amazing. Every day with them is a joy.”
It was all what Samuel wanted to hear.
“I’m glad you feel that way,” he said. “And I know the girls are crazy about you. I had a feeling you’d be a good fit for the job, and I’ve been pleased to see how much that’s been the case. You’ve been everything I’ve hoped you’d be for the position.”
Jessie’s face turned a gorgeous shade of red.
“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for taking a chance on me.”
They finished their drinks and soon arrived at the Midtown skyscraper where the restaurant was located. The driver
let them out and they made their way up to the entrance of the lobby.
Samuel noticed that nearly every man they passed couldn’t keep their eyes off of Jessie. She was stunning, and Samuel was thrilled to have her on his arm.
And what she’d said about the kids had been what he was hoping to hear. Omegas were made to be mothers, sure, but some of them never felt up to the task of the job, or thought the pressure was so much that they avoided it all together.
Jessie, on the other hand, appeared to love it.
The restaurant was a fancy affair, with white tablecloths and waiters dressed all in black. The hostess recognized Samuel and led them both to a private table on their outdoor balcony.
“Wow,” said Jessie, stepping over to the railing and looking out over Manhattan, the city spread out all around them. “You weren’t kidding about the view.”
“We’re eighty stories up,” he said. “Not many places in the city have this kind of view.”
“It’s wonderful,” said Jessie, stepping over to Samuel and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in for a tight hug.
Samuel took in her scent as she pressed her body against his. It was almost too much for him to bear.
He thought this all seemed good so far, and began to wonder if she was truly the mate they were looking for.
Samuel was turned on by her – there was no doubt about that. Even just sitting across from her was enough to give him a half-erection. He glanced inside of the restaurant from his seat, wondering if there was a place he could take her if he needed to have her right there.
Cool it, he told himself. At least get through dinner.
The waiter brought them a bottle of wine, and over the drinks the two chatted some more.
“There’s something I need to know,” said Samuel.
“What’s that?” asked Jessie.
“I need to know if you have any reservations about this arrangement. Because, as I’m sure you’ve learned, being back in the shifter world is different than pretending to be a human. Much more dangerous.”
“I’ve...learned that,” she said.
He could pick up on the fear in her voice. Instinctively, he reached across the table and took her hand into his.
