by D J Heart
"That doesn’t mean you can’t say hello. It’s not like you’ll only see him on your days." Sam grabbed a frying from the drawer next to the stove and turned the gas on. "What are you going to do on your day, by the way? Are you bringing him to work with you?"
The tips of Hunter’s ears went red at the question, and Jack tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "What? Why are your ears blushing? You’re not going to do something weird with him while you’re at work, are you?"
Jack hoped not. Hunter had some weird kinks, and Sam shouldn’t be made to do things he wasn’t into. Jack was already anxious about the whole Max situation; he didn’t need Hunter adding to his worries.
"Jack, what Hunter does or doesn’t do with Sam on his day is none of your business," David said, walking into the room. He was dressed in a suit just as nice as Hunter’s, but Jack knew that he wasn’t going to work. He just liked to wear suits.
"But he shouldn’t—"
"Everyone knows the rules," David interrupted. "Sam gets a safe-word for anything out of the ordinary. Hunter isn’t going to defy me on this. Are you Hunter?"
David turned toward Hunter, who looked supremely uncomfortable.
"I’ll follow the rules," he said, his posture stiff. He shot Jack an offended glare.
"See?" David said, walking over to the fridge and grabbing a smoothie. "Nothing to worry about."
Jack grimaced, knowing that he had no choice but to drop the issue. He placed ten strips of bacon into the frying pan, listening as David and Hunter talked about work. When the bacon was done he fried his eggs in the leftover grease. Eventually Hunter took off with a distracted goodbye in Jack’s direction.
David came and stood next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder as he shifted his eggs and bacon over onto a plate.
"I’m glad you want Sam to be happy. It’s good that he has someone in the pack who really cares."
Jack looked at his pack leader, a little disturbed by his wording. Was he implying that no one else in the pack really cared?
That wasn’t good.
David laughed, Jack’s expression giving away his thoughts. "I want him to be happy, too. Don’t worry. It’s just good that he has a strong advocate in you. I’m sure that once the rest of us get to know him we’ll be just as invested."
Jack nodded, a little confused. They had claimed and mated Sam. How could the rest of the pack not like him and be invested in his happiness?
"I was going to take him shopping after breakfast. That’s okay, right?"
"That’s fine. As long as you don’t have sex with him, you can spend as much time together as you like." David stepped away, putting his empty cup down on the counter. "And since you’re going out, would you take him to the tailor so that they can take his measurements? I’d like them to get started on his wardrobe as soon as possible."
"Sure," Jack said.
"Thank you. I’ll see you at dinner." David walked out of the room, leaving Jack alone with his bacon and eggs. He sat down and started eating, looking forward to getting to know his new omega.
Hunter
Hunter headed into work and forced himself not to think about the pack’s new omega or Jack’s sanctimonious bullshit. That he had to share an omega with five other alphas was bad enough, he didn’t need Jack judging him on top of it.
It wasn’t like he wanted to hurt Sam.
"Want to talk about it?"
Sam looked up as Brian, his best friend, walked into the room.
"What?" he asked, leaning back in his chair. He was looking over the contracts of a merger he was overseeing, but he wasn’t getting any actual work done.
"You look like someone kicked your puppy. Did things not work out with the omega?"
Brian sat down in the chair across Hunter’s desk, leaning back and making himself comfortable. Where Hunter was tall and muscular, even for an alpha, Brian was short and wiry. He was a human, and when they first met Hunter had hated his guts. That they were friends now was probably one of the weirdest things that had ever happened to Hunter.
"No, it worked out. I just don’t like having to share him."
"I get that," Brian said. "But isn’t it better than not having an omega at all?"
Hunter smiled, nodding. "Obviously. I just… when I was a teenager I had all these ideas about how it would be when I got my first omega. I guess getting Sam really drove home the point that I’m in an alpha pack."
Brian didn’t say anything. He knew that Hunter was still bitter about his father’s bankruptcy and the fact that he’d had to find an alpha pack like a second born or a bastard. It was a bitterness borne out of snobby prejudice, and Hunter tried his best to not let it get the better of him, but it was hard.
He’d grown up being taught that alpha packs were for second-rate alphas, and the lesson had stuck with him even when he was forced to join David’s pack.
"Back then, were you into… everything you’re into now?"
Hunter snorted. Brian was the only person outside the pack who knew about his fetishes, and though he tried to be understanding, it was obvious he didn’t get it.
"Leather and forniphilia?" Hunter said, grinning. "Oh yeah."
Brian shook his head, more amused than anything. "I just don’t get it. I mean, the leather I do. It’s not for me, but I get why it’s hot. But how does tying someone up and pretending they’re furniture get you off?"
Hunter shrugged. "It just does." He didn’t feel any need to examine why he liked the things he liked. Tying a person up and using them as a couch, or a chair or even a footrest got him off. That was enough for him.
Sam was probably lucky Hunter didn’t have him to himself, if he was being honest. Hunter had never been one to deny himself the things he wanted, and when he’d been a teenager he’d imagined using his omega to satisfy his fetish full time.
"Well, I don’t get it."
"You don’t have to," Hunter countered.
"I know. So what day do you have him to yourself?" It was obvious Brian was changing the subject.
"Friday."
Brian grimaced. "So you’ve got to wait the whole week? That’s rough."
"It’s fine. I’ve got a ton of work to do, anyway. How about you? Are things good with Sara?"
Sara was Brian’s wife. Brian had never been interested in omegas, and he and Sara had been together practically since middle school.
"She’s good. She’s got a conference this Wednesday if you want to come over and hang out after work?"
Hunter laughed. Sara hated him, and the feeling was mutual. Brian went to great lengths to make sure they never spent any time together.
"Sure, that sounds like fun. What are you doing at work on a Sunday, anyway?"
Brian was not on the partner track, and he never worked when he didn’t have to.
"I fucked up the Birkrums case and I promised I’d have it all sorted by tomorrow."
Hunter rubbed his chin. "Need any help?"
Brian looked relieved. "Would you?"
Hunter laughed. "Sure. Why not? Go get the files and we’ll get started."
Watching Brian practically run out of the office, Hunter felt lighter. Time with his friend was exactly what he needed to keep his mind off what he’d lost.
He really didn’t have it so bad.
Sam
Sam and Jack were at the tailor, and it was like they had traveled back in time. The room was small and intimate, with fabrics everywhere and rows of finished and half-finished suits hanging along the wall. The place reeked of money, and Sam was trying not to feel like an intruder.
Standing on a raised platform, he stood with his arms pushed away from his body and his legs spread as a small army of assistants measured every inch of him. He was in his underwear, his skin prickled with goosebumps, and he couldn’t believe some of the things they were measuring.
What exactly was David having them make for him?
Keeping his eyes straight ahead, Sam tried to keep his cock from getting hard.
Normally that wouldn’t have been a problem, but Jack kept looking at him with this hungry expression that made it hard to think.
The alpha was sitting in an armchair in the corner, slouching like it was his own personal throne. He looked like he was having the time of his life. He was wearing a well-worn leather jacket, and when he lifted his arm to scratch the back of his head his shirt rode up so that Sam got a clear view of his abs.
They were glorious.
Jack caught him staring, his mouth looping up in a smile and his eyes warming. Sam looked away, his whole body feeling like it was one big blush. He felt horny and needy, and some of the things flashing through his mind made him feel like such a slut he couldn’t believe it.
"Are you doing okay?" Jack asked, leaning his elbow on the armrest and tilting his head. He looked like a wet dream. Sam nodded and blushed harder, wishing the tailor’s assistants would hurry up and finish.
"I’m fine," he croaked. "I’ve never been measured before, though. Are they always this thorough?" He looked down at the beta crouching by his side who was busy measuring the very top of his thigh.
Jack laughed. "Yeah. The end result is worth it, though. At least David thinks so."
Sam would just have to trust him.
The assistants finished up, and Sam was allowed to get dressed. He was just tying his shoes when the bell over the door rang. Looking up, he caught sight of an alpha walking into the small tailor shop. He was older than Jack—probably Hunter’s age—and he carried himself with a confidence that reminded Sam of David. He was attractive, even for an alpha, but it appeared that what Sam had been taught in school was true. A claimed omega was only attracted to the one who claimed him.
Sam was glad that the alpha hadn’t come a few minutes earlier when he was in his underwear. He rose to his feet, turning to Jack to see if they could finally leave, freezing at the look on Jack’s face.
The strange alpha waltzed toward Jack with a smirk, stopping when he was right up in Jack’s personal space. Standing next to each other, Sam could see that the new alpha was both taller and more muscular than Jack.
"Jackie, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Not exactly your kind of place, is it?" The new alpha clapped Jack on the shoulder and then pulled him down into a headlock.
It looked ridiculous. The new alpha was wearing a perfectly fitted suit, and his obvious bullying of Jack looked absolutely idiotic.
Sam felt a spark of fury on his alpha’s behalf. He didn’t care who this guy was; treating someone like this was not okay.
"Are you five?" he blurted out, his voice incredulous. The alpha stopped rubbing his knuckle over Jack’s scalp and turned to Sam.
"And who are you?" he asked, letting go of Jack.
"I’m Sam," Sam said. He glared up at the alpha, wondering what gave him the right to act like such a dick. The staff of the tailor shop had vanished at the first sign of trouble, and Sam, Jack and the new alpha had the room to themselves.
"And look at your neck," the new alpha said, walking toward him. "Are you a professional chew-toy, Sam?"
Sam watched the douchebag’s approach, not scared in the least. This wasn’t his alpha, and he had no right to do anything to Sam. He didn't know where his sudden confidence was coming from, but it made him feel invincible.
"And look at your neck," Sam parroted, his voice obnoxious. "Are you a professional chew-toy, Sam?" He made a disgusted face in the alpha’s direction. "That’s what you sound like. It’s embarrassing."
The alpha just looked at him, the smile slipping off his face. He didn’t seem to know what to make of Sam’s mockery. He turned to Jack, who had a look of pure panic.
Shit. Maybe Sam shouldn’t have taunted the new guy? After all, if things got ugly it was Jack who would have to step up to the plate and fight the douchey alpha.
"Is this yours?" the alpha asked.
"He’s my pack’s," Jack said, his voice wobbly. Sam winced.
"Well maybe you should teach the little fucker some manners, huh? Or maybe you need some help?" the bad alpha turned back to Sam, watching him with a decidedly unfriendly expression. Sam swallowed nervously.
"We’re just going to leave," Jack said, walking around the alpha and grabbing Sam’s wrist. They were almost at the door when Jack was grabbed by the back of his jacket and slammed up against the wall.
"You’re a fucking embarrassment," the alpha growled, grabbing Jack’s chin and squeezing his face. "Dad should have fucking thrown you in the river when he had the chance."
Sam widened his eyes. The douchebag was Jack’s brother?
"Aren’t you being a little stupid?" Sam asked, the words spewing out of his mouth before he could stop himself. The douchebag turned to him with a contemptuous expression, his lip curling in a sneer.
"Excuse me?"
Sam hesitated, but then he figured he might as well go for it. "I just mean… Jack is in an alpha pack. Can you really take on that many alphas by yourself? I mean… you’re a little bit bigger than Jack, but the rest of them would crush you like a little bug."
"I’m not afraid of some freak show of reject alphas," Jack’s older brother growled.
Sam narrowed his eyes. "Then why are you sweating?"
"What? I’m not sweating," the douchebag said. He felt his forehead, and then flushed like Sam had caught him doing something he shouldn’t. He let go of Jack and was about to say something when Sam interrupted him.
"And you’re lying. You know that Jack’s pack would wipe the floor with you."
The douchebag turned to Jack. "I’m this close to kicking your little cum-dump’s ass."
Jack pushed him away, his face furious. He grabbed Sam’s wrist and yanked him toward the door and outside with such force that Sam thought his arm was going to come out of its socket.
Jack’s brother didn't follow.
"What were you thinking?" Jack growled, pushing Sam into the car parked on the curb and running around to the driver’s side. He started the engine and hit the gas, not looking at Sam.
"I’m sorry," Sam said, his heart racing. "I just panicked. He was being so mean to you!"
"Well, that’s my big brother. He hates my guts." Jack sounded bitter.
"Do you see him often?" Sam asked. He hoped Jack wasn’t getting bullied by his douchebag brother on a regular basis. That would suck.
"No." Jack was quiet for a few seconds, his mouth tight. When he spoke his voice sounded small. "He works with David, though. They’re friends."
Sam tried to understand how that worked. "Does David know what an asshole he is?"
Jack shook his head, and then he turned to Sam with a glare. "And you’re not going to tell him."
Sam felt the full force of the command like a punch to the gut. Even the thought of disobeying was painful.
He powered through.
"You should tell David what an asshole he is. You’re the one in David’s pack, not the asshole. He would side with you."
Or at least Sam hoped so. If David was the kind of alpha who let his friends bully his pack member, then Sam had misunderstood just what it meant to be in an alpha pack. Disrespecting Jack meant disrespecting David. Jack’s brother must have known he was walking on thin ice with his behavior toward Jack.
Or maybe he was just confident that Jack wouldn’t tell on him.
Jack snorted. "Elliot."
"What?" Sam was confused.
"My brother. His name is Elliot."
"He’s an asshole." Sam didn’t know why he was so mad on Jack’s behalf, but he was. Out of all his new alphas, Jack was the one who had tried to make him feel like things were going to be okay. That someone would treat him poorly made Sam furious.
"I’m not arguing that. I just don’t want to start something. My brother knows that he can’t take things too far without the pack retaliating. I just want to forget about it. Can we do that?"
He sounded pleading. Sam’s heart was still beating fast, and he felt agitated and angry. He didn’t want to
let it go. He wanted to get Max and set him loose on Elliot.
He wanted to watch Elliot bleed.
Sam blinked, startled by his sudden thirst for violence. He’d never even been in a fight. What was wrong with him? His instincts must be more messed up than he thought.
He took a deep breath and said, "Sure. You’re the boss."
Jack took a breath, his shoulders relaxing.
"So what do you want to do now?" he asked.
