by D. J. Heart
Post purses her lips, the answer not pleasing her. “In essence, yes. A wrangler’s job is to provide a single authority that the omegas are beholden to. He is, in effect, their alpha. Their well being, such as it is, is his responsibility. As is their behavior. Do you understand?”
Aiden nods, hiding his grimace. It sounds like a boring and thankless job. “What do you mean when you say their well being?” he asks, curious. Everyone knows that club omegas burn out quickly from their heats. That the lack of a mate kills them. It has never seemed to him that anyone gives a fuck about their well being.
“Make sure they eat and drink, get them medical attention when they need it. Should an omega in your care die of an infection, dehydration or a preventable illness it would mean your job.”
That makes sense. Omegas are expensive, and the club would loathe to lose one before it had maxed out its earning potential. Still, the idea of playing nursemaid to a bunch of omegas is less than satisfactory.
“So it’s just one wrangler per club? How does that work?” he asks. He’s not about to move into an omega club and act the alpha for a whole flock of needy omegas in heat.
“They don’t need constant supervision. It’s knowing that you exist, and that you will be called if they cause problems, that keeps them in line.”
“So I’d be on call?” he asks, the whole thing sounding less and less appealing.
“You’d work five nights a week, spending time with the boys and taking care of any problems that might come up during their shifts. As long as you do your job right, the chances of having to call you outside of work are slim.”
Aiden nods, scratching his chin. “I have to admit, I’m not that tempted,” he says, not wanting to string her along. It’s nice to be wanted, but this sounds like it would be much worse than guarding just Evan.
“I understand,” Post says, sounding like it’s what she expected. “I told Mr. Cruz that someone with your background was unlikely to be interested in this line of work, but you came highly recommended, so he insisted we give you an offer,” she opens a drawer under her desk and slides an envelope across the smooth metal surface, “And this is it. Please take a day to think it over and let us know by tomorrow.”
“I will,” Aiden says, mind already made up as he takes the envelop and tucks it in the pocket inside his jacket.
“Good. If you’d like a tour, or to see the omegas you would be working with, Jacob will be happy to show you. Thank you for coming in,” Post says, standing and offering her hand. It’s a bold move for a beta, but Aiden humors her and shakes it.
Jacob is waiting outside, a grin on his face. “Did you get it?” he asks, like he can’t imagine Aiden not wanting the job.
“She offered it, but I don’t know if I’ll take it,” he says, walking with Jacob towards the exit. “I’ll have to think it over.”
“You should consider it. The benefits are great, and it’s a fun place to work,” Jacob says, sounding very happy with his job. Aiden almost envies him his lack of ambition.
Jacob takes him to the employee entrance, forgetting that Jacob is parked on the main street, and they’re just about to turn around when they run into a pair of brawny alphas waiting by the door. The two men narrow their eyes when they see Aiden, puffing out their chests and pulling back their shoulders, and for a minute Aiden considers taking the job just so that he could put them in their place. Typical military rejects, Aiden feels nothing but contempt for the strapping twenty-somethings. They might as well be omegas, for all the use they’ve made of their potential.
“Not here yet?” Jacob asks, looking between the two alphas. They shake their heads, eyeing Aiden like they're sizing up the competition. Aiden bares his teeth, meeting their gaze one by one until they both turn their heads. He’d welcome a challenge from these fools.
“No. Think the fucker might have changed his mind,” reject one says, crossing his arms.
“They’re waiting for an omega. His alpha was supposed to drop him off an hour ago, but he hasn’t shown. It happens,” Jacob explains.
“Fucking pussy,” reject two snarls, crossing his arms so that his arms bulge. Aiden ignores him.
“So how does it work?” Aiden asks, the beginnings of an idea forming in his mind.
“How does what work?” Jacob asks, confused.
“When you get new omegas. How does that process work?”
“They just bring the omega to us. We have a doctor examine it, and if it’s healthy Mrs. Post makes an offer and buys it.”
“That’s it? They just show up with an omega and you buy it? What about paperwork, medical records and all that?” Aiden asks. It can’t be that easy to sell an omega to an omega house, can it?
“Sometimes they buy virgins straight from the center, I guess. There’s paperwork for that, but for the used ones? Not really,” Jacob says, looking to the rejects for confirmation, “Is there?”
“Nope,” reject one says. He cracks his knuckles, looking like he’s nervous and trying to hide it. It’s a reaction Aiden is more than familiar with.
“Huh,” Aiden says, deciding to look into the process himself. The sting of Peter’s rejection still hurts like a bitch, and the need to make Chad pay is as strong as ever.
Consigning Evan to an omega house would be the perfect way to get back at the pathetic young upstart.
Once Peter sees just how pathetically Chad falls apart without his little toy, he’ll see how wrong he was. How unsuitable Chad really is. Aiden will make sure of it.
***
Evan chews his noodles, broth running down his chin as he scoops more food into his mouth. His heat has passed, and though he has no idea how many days it’s been, he knows he’s hungry.
“Slow down,” Peter says, voice fond as he places a hand on Evan’s neck. Tucked against Chad’s body, Evan stops chewing and drowns in the sensation of Peter’s hand on him. The alpha came out of nowhere. Peter lets go of his neck and sits down next to him, taking his bowl and putting it on the table out of reach. Evan is now squeezed in between his two alphas, the two of them dwarfing his slim body in both width and height. Evan loves it.
“My-” he starts to complain, reaching for his soup. Peter holds him back with a chuckle, pushing something against his lips. Opening his mouth, Evan lets Peter push whatever it is past his teeth and lay it down on his tongue, leaving it there. Peter traces his lips with the pad of his finger, then pushes his jaw up, closing his mouth.
“Chew,” he commands, voice firm and kind. Evan does, biting into what has to be the best dumpling he’s ever tasted. He moans, opening his mouth for more. Peter pushing his finger into his mouth, but there’s no food. Evan closes his lips down on the big finger, tasting Peter’s skin as he sucks on the big digit.
“Good boy,” Peter says, pulling away from his mouth. He wipes his wet finger on Evan’s shirt, right over his nipple, but Evan ignores the way his cock tingles and opens his mouth for more food. He’s just finished his heat, and he is in no mood for more sex. Not until he stops feeling exhausted, hungry and sore.
Chad surprises him, pushing a dumpling into his mouth and catching him so off guard he almost chokes.
“Sorry,” Chad says, rubbing him on the back. Evan doesn’t care. He chews his dumpling happily, loving the way the juices run over his tongue and towards the back of his throat as he bites into it.
“This is so good,” he says, loving the way Peter and Chad are both pressed up against him. He’s warm, fucked out, safe and being fed. What more could an omega ask?
“I’m glad you like it,” Peter says, feeding him another. Evan closes his eyes as he chews, moaning again.
“You need to stop that,” Chad says, and Evan’s eyes fly open.
“What?”
“Making that noise,” Chad says. Evan looks down, and sure enough, the crotch of Chad’s sweats are sporting a massive bulge. It looks very pretty, but Evan wants nothing to do with it.
“Let him enjoy his food,” Peter comm
ands, speaking to Chad. Evan feels a thrill at being defended. That Peter is sticking up for him, even in something this small. He likes Peter a lot better since Chad has come home, though he hates what it says about how Peter feels for him that he only acts like this with Chad around.
Not that Evan has any reason to complain. He’s extremely lucky, for an omega.
The next dumpling is dipped in some sort of magical sauce, and Evan shudders as he bites into it.
“Peter!” Chad whines, tense and needy. Evan ignores him.
“I’ll be right back,” Peter says, giving him a kiss on the top of his head and standing up. The loss of warmth is upsetting, but Peter more than makes up for it by handing him a whole bowl full of dumplings.
Evan is going to gorge himself.
“You have to count to twenty between each one,” Peter says, doing that thing with his voice where it’s just impossible to disobey.
“Yes, Sir,” he says, plopping one in his mouth and chewing it slowly as he counts. He barely notices when Peter pulls Chad off the couch and marches him towards the bedroom.
By the time Peter comes back Evan has finished half the bowl and he’s starting to feel full. He looks up, wondering why Peter is alone.
“Where’s Chad?” he asks, putting the food aside. He’s full to the point where another dumpling would probably make him throw up.
“He’s tied up in the bedroom,” Peter says, sitting back down. Evan wonders what Chad could be doing in the bedroom, then he gets it. His eyes go round.
“You tied him up? Why?” he asks, remembering the last time Peter had tied Chad up. That night had ended with Evan taking two knots in his ass at the same time, and though the idea is intriguing, he’s too tired to want to do it again.
“Because I wanted to,” Peter says, offering no other explanation. “Are you done with this?” he points to the bowl of dumplings, taking it when Evan nods. He sets it on the table next to the noodle soup, sitting down next to Evan and dropping an arm around his shoulders. It’s intimate and Evan doesn’t quite know what to make of it.
“So you’re done with your heat, how was it?” Peter asks, arm curling around Evan’s neck as he reaches up to brush his fingers through his hair.
“It was OK,” Evan says, leaning into the nook under Peter’s arm. He isn’t going to pass up an opportunity to cuddle.
“Yeah? And when I was at work, how was that for you?”
“Horrible,” Evan spits out before he can think better of it.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could have taken time off to be there for you,” he says, sounding like he means it.
“It’s OK,” Evan says, self conscious. While his heat was ravaging him and making him crazy it had seemed only natural to think that Peter was obligated to come tend to him, but now that the lust has passed he knows how stupid that was. Peter has a company to run, and Evan is just an omega.
“At least Chad came home. That’s a relief,” Peter says.
“What would you do with me if he hadn’t?” Evan asks, curiosity once again getting the better of him.
“Honestly? I would have let Chad take you with him.” Peter sounds sure, but Evan distinctly remembers Peter saying the complete opposite when Chad was leaving.
“I don’t think Chad wants to leave you,” Evan says, turning his head into Peter's body and breathing in the scent of him.
“No?”
“No,” Evan says, voice muffled by the cotton of Peter’s shirt.
They sit quietly for a while, Evan almost falling asleep nestled tight under Peter’s arm. He wishes Peter had sat with him like this when Chad was away visiting his parents.
“I’m sorry,” Peter says, and Evan realizes he said that out loud. Peter pulls him up on his lap, wrapping his arms tight around him and resting his chin on the top of Evan’s head. Legs spread out on either side of Peter’s massive thigh, nose buried in his neck, Evan wonders if Peter really means it.
“I was just sad that Chad was gone,” he says, rubbing Evan’s back, “I should have taken better care of you.”
They sit like that for another few minutes, and when Evan shifts he can feel that peter has gotten hard.
“I don’t think I can-” he starts to say, just the thought of anything touching his hole making him squeeze down in protest, but Peter interrupts.
“That isn’t for you. That’s for Chad.” There’s a dark promise in his voice, and Evan wonders just what Chad is in for. Whatever it is, he’s pretty sure Chad will like it.
“Do you want to come watch, or do you want to go sleep in the guestroom?” Peter asks, standing up and lifting Evan with him.
Evan is curious, and it’s not like he has to join…
“I want to watch,” he says, Peter stopping in his steps.
“Yeah?” he asks, and Evan can hear the grin in his voice.
“Yes,” he confirms, Peter’s hold getting that much tighter.
To be continued on May 25th…
Sign up to be notified of new releases from D.J. Heart!
D.J. Heart - New Releases Mailing List
