by J. L. Wilder
“He’s late, as usual. Probably drunk in Williamsburg wasting time with those artist girls.”
Before Hunter had a chance to respond, his phone buzzed on the desk. He picked it up and saw that it was a text from Jack, their other brother, letting him know that he was in the lobby and would be up in a few moments.
“That the man himself?” asked Hunter, dropping into Adrian’s desk chair and letting his legs dangle over the side.
“It is. Meaning that when he gets here, we’re going to need to go right away. We’re already running late for this thing.”
“Faster we get this bullshit out of the way, the better,” said Hunter. “I got plans with some bears down in Queens. Not in the mood for some hoity-toity party.”
“Be prepared to cancel them,” said Adrian. “Because this event is far more important than you getting drunk with some bears, likely calling attention to yourself in the process.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Hunter waved his hand dismissively one more time.
A chime sounded through the office, letting Adrian know someone had just stepped out of the penthouse elevator.
A tall, built figure stepped through the office doors. Jack, the third of the triplet brothers, entered. he looked just like his brothers, with dark hair - his cut in a short and stylish fashion- and sharp, impossibly handsome features. He had the same brilliant green eyes as Adrian and Hunter – emerald green, inhuman.
He was dressed in a dark green button-up shirt along with black, slim-cut jeans and a pair of trendy sneakers. Artistic and always up to date on the latest trends, Jack had always struck Adrian as the type born for a place like Brooklyn. And indeed, that’s where he spent most of his time, overseeing their operations in that borough.
But rather than his usual cool, detached way about him, Jack seemed preoccupied. He entered without saying a word and took a seat in one of the chairs across from Adrian’s desk. Adrian could tell that something was wrong and hated how Jack tended to force others to ask about it.
“Spill it, brother,” said Hunter as he prepared to take another pull of the whiskey.
“It’s...weird.”
“Weird how?” asked Adrian.
Without saying a word, Jack reached over for the bottle. Hunter laughed and gave it to him. Jack poured himself a glass and took a long sip. Adrian appreciated how he bothered to pour it and not simply drink straight from the bottle.
Jack glanced from brother to brother, his brown eyes dark with thought. “You two are telling me you haven’t felt it?”
Adrian said nothing. He had felt something—a presence in the city. But he hadn’t wanted to say anything, thinking it might’ve been nothing.
“Shit,” said Hunter. “You felt it too? Thought it might’ve just been me.”
Jack asked, “You think it might be an—”
“Omega,” finished Adrian.
“Fucking hell,” said Hunter. “An omega?”
Adrian said nothing, turning back to the city.
An omega had been what the three of them had been waiting for. But they were rare. Even in a city like New York, there might only be one or two, if they were lucky. And they’d had no such luck.
But a human omega would be the only way they’d be able to have children. The three of them needed to mate with the same one, and she’d have to be willing to carry the child.
It would be a difficult process, but the only way they would be able to carry on their lineage. They were all ready to mate, and only a human omega would satisfy them.
“I felt it too,” said Adrian. “And if the three of us are having the same sentiment, it means there must be something to it.”
“Holy shit,” said Hunter. “We’ve been spending all this time trying to find an omega, and now there might be one in the city right fucking now?”
“It might be the case,” said Jack. “And if we’re feeling it, some of the other dragons must be having the same thoughts as us.”
“Damn,” said Hunter. “How long has it been since we finally fucking got peace between the dragons? Two years?”
“Two years and five months,” said Adrian. “Finally, an end to the bloodshed. But if there’s an omega in the city, things could change, and fast. Omegas have a way of making dragons think...irrationally.”
“Irrational is a hell of a way to put the very good odds that war might break out again,” said Jack. “Last one...fuck, we barely made it out of that with our heads still attached. Can’t say the same for dragons in the other clans.”
Adrian threw back the rest of his whiskey and turned towards his brothers. “We’ll worry about this later. For now, we have a party to get to.”
The brothers nodded, both of them understanding there was no getting out of this obligation.
“Shall we?” asked Adrian.
“Yeah, let’s do it,” said Jack.
“If we gotta, we gotta,” said Hunter. He took one last pull from the bottle of whiskey, and the three brothers were off.
A limo awaited them in front of the high-rise condo. Each of the brothers had his own place, Hunter’s in Queens and Jack’s in Brooklyn, but the apartment in Midtown was Adrian’s, and functioned as their home base. It was one of the most secure—not to mention one of the most expensive—apartments in the city.
“So what’s the plan?” said Hunter as the driver pulled them away. “We meet with the other dragons and...what?”
“Yeah,” said Jack. “Something tells me that whatever was going to be discussed, it’s going to be tabled in favor of the omega issue.”
Adrian nodded. “Well, it won’t be discussed. You think the rest of the clans are going to want to talk about it? What’s there to say, who’ll have breeding rights?”
“That’s the fucking thing about it, too,” said Hunter. “You can’t force an omega into this kind of shit, right? They’ve got to do it on their own.”
“Right,” said Jack. “She has to be willing.”
“Doesn’t mean that some of the other dragons might want to try their hand at capturing her, however.”
“And a fucking human,” said Hunter. “Has to be a fucking human. Makes all this shit more complicated.”
“No kidding,” said Jack. “A human with powers that she probably doesn’t even understand. Unless she’s been in the shifter world for a while, she’s about to get involved in things that are unlike anything she’s ever known.”
Adrian watched as they passed by the city at night. He grit his teeth, frustrated. Sure, an omega would be the solution to their problem of being three brothers all ready to mate, their need almost desperate. But it’d mean that war, something Adrian had been so careful to avoid, might be on the horizon.
And there was the chance one of the other dragons in the city might get his hands on her. Nothing was going to be certain about the days ahead. But he knew everything hung in the balance.
The limo arrived at the elegant, stately building where the party was being held. The driver opened the door and the three brothers got out and made their way to the front doors. A pair of guards—bears as far as Adrian was able to smell—nodded as they approached. They were well-known figures, and there was no need to confirm their identities.
The party was well underway when the brothers arrived. It was a high-class affair, a who’s who of shifter elite in the city. Bears, wolves, dragons, foxes—nearly all of the heads of the packs and clans in the city were there mingling.
But something else caught Adrian’s attention as he entered and stopped, sniffing the air.
The omega. She was there.
He smiled, knowing the evening was about to get very interesting.
CHAPTER 3
Sarah
The party was like nothing Sarah had ever seen before. The place was huge and elegant, several stories up, the balconies giving view to the well-dressed men and women in attendance. Chamber music played from a live band, and the drinks flowed. It was a slice of Manhattan elite.
And Sarah felt
immediately out of place. It wasn’t at all how she’d been expecting to spend her first night in the city. She nervously tugged at the tight black cocktail dress Kelly had let her borrow. It was far more revealing, far sexier than anything she normally wore.
“Thoughts?” Kelly flashed her a smile, one that suggested that, however uncomfortable Sarah felt, Kelly didn’t in the slightest.
“It’s...weird.”
“Weird? You’re in the most exclusive party in the city, and that’s the only word you can come up with?”
“I don’t know how else to describe it. I’m still processing, I guess.”
“Well, don’t take too much time to process. We’re here to have fun, remember?”
Fun for Sarah was typically a quiet night in with some takeout and bad TV. Or maybe a small outing with a group of close friends. She didn’t know what kind of person would have fun at a party like this.
“And remember,” said Kelly. “If you put on a nice face and laugh at some bad jokes, you might find yourself with a few powerful friends by the end of the night.” She winked, and Sarah understood exactly what Kelly had meant by that.
“I hope you’re not expecting me to, um, do anything.”
“Don’t do anything you don’t want to do, obviously. But if you’re going to be on the rebound from Carter, there’re definitely worse guys to do it with. Maybe you’d even get some new clothes out of the whole thing.”
“Not really what I’m into right now. I’m more thinking about what I’m going to do for a living.”
They made their way to the bar, a bartender in a sharp tuxedo coming over to greet them.
“Two vodka martinis, please,” said Kelly. “Mine with extra olives.”
Sarah eagerly watched as the bartender put the drinks together. She didn’t normally like to get too drunk when she went out, but she figured a little booze might be just the thing to take the edge off.
“Oh, and one more thing,” said Kelly. “Some of the people here are...a little eccentric.”
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. They’re rich people, and you know how rich people aren’t exactly living down here on Earth with us normal people. And I mean that literally—you should see some of the apartments these people live in.”
Their drinks arrived, and Sarah didn’t waste any time bringing hers to her lips.
“Wait!” said Kelly, raising her palm so quickly she nearly sloshed her drink over the side. “We need to toast!”
“Hmm,” said Sarah. “What’d you have in mind?”
“How about...to new beginnings?”
As overwhelmed as Sarah felt, the idea settled nicely with her. “To new beginnings.”
“OK,” said Kelly. “I think I’m going to make the rounds and see if there’s anyone familiar. If I meet anyone...interesting, I’ll be sure to bring them over.”
“Um, you’re going to leave me here?” Panic tinged in Sarah’s belly.
“Sure! I won’t be long. It’ll be good for you—no pressure, just enjoy your drink and do some people-watching. Maybe you’ll catch someone’s eye. See you in a few!”
With a flash of her white, toothy smile, Kelly was gone, melting into the crowds of men in suits and women in dresses and gowns.
Sarah’s feeling of being overwhelmed returned. But despite how out of place and nervous she felt, there was something about the crowd that intrigued her. The feeling seemed to be more than mutual. Every now and then, one of the men in the crowd regarded her with a strange look, one that almost seemed to suggest they knew her and were surprised to see her there. But she didn’t recognize any of them.
When she was almost done with her first drink, the booze seemed to have worked its magic. She felt a touch better, almost ready to socialize. But before she could say or do anything, she felt the presence of someone at her side—a man.
“Shocking as hell to see a woman as beautiful as you alone in a place like this.”
She turned and was confronted with a middle-aged man with graying hair and a fleshy face. He was dressed in a tuxedo, his watery blue eyes locked onto hers and a pleased smile on his face. Sarah felt money and power on him right away.
“Oh, thanks. Just new in town, don’t really know anyone.”
The words “new in town” seemed to have a serious effect on the man.
“Sounds like you need someone to show you around, in that case.”
Sarah looked the man up and down, her eyes lingering on his hungry shark smile before taking in the rest of his less-than-impressive appearance.
Then, a thought flashed in her mind.
God, she’s fucking hot as hell—the things I would do to her. And...there’s something about her smell. Is she...? No fucking way. Well, fuck her first and see what happens later. Never know until you try.
“What the fuck?” shouted Sarah, loudly enough to attract the attention of a few nearby guests. Her face tinged red as she realized that she’d made a small scene.
The man looked confused. “What the fuck about what?”
Sarah glanced around to make sure the guests had gone back to their business. “What the fuck are you doing talking about my smell? What’s wrong with you?”
He was even more confused. “I...didn’t say anything.”
Sarah wanted to get away from the man as fast as possible. “Excuse me...”
She took her drink and hurried off to nowhere in particular. Sarah went up the stairs and looked out over the party, trying to collect her thoughts.
What the hell is going on with me? Reading that guy’s mind...there was something different about it, more intense.
Her chest rose and fell as she composed herself. Down near the bar, she caught sight of the man again. He flashed her a knowing smile, one that suggested he wasn’t done with her, before heading off into the crowd.
Relief began to take hold, but before it could totally settle in, more thoughts floated up from the crowd below her. She caught snips of them here and there, not enough to know exactly what they were thinking.
Brandt’s been expanding like crazy...fucker’s going to start another war...
...foxes are looking ripe tonight...know to stay away from them, but can’t fucking help myself...
That smell? Can’t be a fucking omega, can it...?
Another reference to a smell. And foxes, and war. Fear ran through Sarah’s body as she tried to figure out exactly what the hell kind of party she’d found herself at.
She decided she wanted to see Kelly. Maybe she could answer some questions about what the hell was going on. But before she could take a step, a trio of men approached her from all sides. They were all tall, beefy men, their hair long and tied in ponytails. They were dressed in suits, but the way they carried themselves suggested it wasn’t their usual style of dress.
“Damn, she smells even better up close,” said one of them.
“No fucking kidding.”
“Yo, you a human, right?”
Sarah was even more confused. “Am I a human? Of course I am? What the hell kind of line is that?”
The three men laughed. “Damn, a human and has no fucking idea where the hell she is.”
“Don’t worry, gorgeous. We’ll show you what’s up.”
The third man stepped close, close enough to be in Sarah’s personal space in a way that made her intensely uncomfortable. He grabbed her wrist and flashed a vicious smile.
Three of us, one of her. Not big on sharing, but with a piece of ass this hot, I can play nice with the boys. Probably won’t play so nice with her, though.
“Get the fuck off me!” Sarah yanked her hand free, the man laughing again.
“Feisty!” he said. “That’ll make this even more fun.”
“Let’s get her out of here. She wants to scream; there’ll be plenty of time for that shit later.”
The three men surrounded Sarah. She looked around, trying to see if anyone noticed what was going on. But if th
e guests did, they didn’t seem to care. Fear ran through her body as the men prepared to make their move.
“I knew there was a reason we kept wolves out of our parties,” a man’s voice spoke over the three men’s shoulders. It was a pleasant voice, calm and smooth.
The men turned, and Sarah looked in the direction of the voice. It was a man, all right. And maybe the hottest man Sarah had ever seen in her life.
He was tall, she guessed a little under six-and-a-half feet. His hair was dark and slicked back, framing his impossibly handsome features perfectly. His eyes were a deep, almost startling green, his features sharp, his cheekbones high. He was dressed in a dark suit that was clearly expensive and made just for him. And his posture was calm and composed, a sly smile on his face that suggested he knew something she didn’t.
Despite her fear, Sarah’s pussy clenched at the sight of him. Something about the man drew her to him. She wanted him to pull her into his arms and take her, like the three other men seemed to want.
“Fucking hell,” said one of the men. “Adrian fucking Thorne.”
“Who the hell asked you?” said another of the men. “This shit isn’t any of your business.”
“Yeah,” said the third. “Fuck off and let us get to know the new girl.”
Adrian cocked his head to the side, that same smile on his full. “Doesn’t look like she’s much interested in getting to know you. Maybe ask her opinion on the matter?”
The men turned toward Sarah. “Yeah,” she said. “Leave me the hell alone.”
“Now,” said Adrian. “Maybe I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy, but when a woman makes her feelings that clear, I tend to respect them. Maybe you should do the same before things get...out of hand.”
He straightened his back and stared the men down, one by one. Despite being outnumbered, the man didn’t show the slightest bit of fear. If anything, he seemed amused by the whole thing.
“Are you boys going to play nice? It’s your call. But make sure you don’t do anything you regret.”
Menace was thick in the man’s voice. Despite his elegant, refined demeanor, Sarah could sense he was capable of violence. She froze, waiting to see what was going to unfold.
