by Merel Pierce
Claiming His Myshka
By
Merel Pierce
© 2020 Merel Pierce
&
Reticent Desire Publications
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Pierce, Merel
Claiming His Myshka
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the author. This includes electronic or mechanical transmission, photocopying, recording, information retrieval systems or storage.
This book is a work of fiction and is intended for adults only. Some scenes may contain explicit material that could make some readers uncomfortable.
Any names, businesses, places, or events used in this work are fictional. Any similarities to living or dead people, incidents, companies, products, or organizations are purely coincidental.
Chapter One
Aislin stared out across the club floor, one elbow propped on her knee, a fist beneath her chin. She felt the vibrations of the sound system, saw the flashing lights and dancing bodies, but all she heard was a dull throb of white noise. Of course, that was because she’d turned off the tiny digital hearing aids nestled in her ears.
Whenever Byrne requested she appear at one of these meetings, the first thing she did was shut off the devices that allowed her to hear. Most of the time, no one spoke to her once they started discussing business, anyway. She was just a showpiece, the pet Omega of the Asbury Syndicate. Omegas being so rare, she was little more than a status symbol for the Alpha who ran the show.
She hated the club. It was too loud. Far too much stimulation for someone more comfortable living in a world of near silence. Born 95% deaf, Aislin had grown accustomed to the quiet. In her early years, it had been her only solace. When Byrne presented her with the little high-tech ear buds some three years before, it had been to make things easier for himself, not to help her.
It had been half an hour since he made her switch off when an elbow in the ribs drew her attention to the Alpha at her side. Her gaze slid his direction, and she was relieved when the burly man tapped his ear suggestively. She hoped this meant he was done with her for the night.
She was never ready for the rush of noise that assaulted her each time she pressed those tiny buttons. A visible wince, pursed lips, a knit brow; there was always some sign of her distress. She tried to minimize her reactions in mixed company, knowing how much it displeased Byrne for her to look sour. She was his little ‘fresh faced’ sweetheart. He wouldn’t tolerate her looking grim.
Task accomplished, she gave the Alpha her full attention, only now noticing that most of his companions had gone. “I have another meeting, A Thaisce. You will stay for it as well.”
She dipped her head in acknowledgement, but the man frowned.
“Use your words, sweet. I didn’t pay for those lessons so you could nod your head at me when I’m talking to you.”
Aislin hated talking. She disliked the sound of her own voice. Her words felt blunt and dull on her tongue, rounded on the edges where other people’s speech was crisp and sharp. The speech therapy classes had helped, but she still thought her ability to converse was weak. In her opinion, people talked too much about nothing. No one really needed her words. Byrne always insisted, though.
“How long?”
The Alpha’s expression soured as he sat back, lifting his arm to signal a waitress. “As long as I want you to, Aislin. Why, do you have somewhere to be?”
The question was rhetorical. They both knew she wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without his approval or permission.
“Just tired, Alpha,” she supplicated with a yawn.
“You’ll live.”
“When are they coming?”
“Anytime, so be ready to turn off your ears and look sweet. This Russian can be a real prick from what I hear, so don’t make eye contact or draw attention to yourself, understand?”
“I understand.” Only the wealthy and dangerous could hold on to an Omega in this city when they were so rare and sought after. Byrne having her at his side was a symbol of just how formidable he was. But it was still a risk to have an Omega in the presence of another powerful Alpha. “Can I use the bathroom first?”
He waved her off, his casual dismissal serving as her permission to go.
Grateful, she rose from the sofa and smoothed the skirt of her dress - a sapphire colored fifties style swing dress that Byrne loved - before making her way across the floor. She wove in and out through the gathered patrons, heading for the stairs leading up to Byrne’s office. She wasn’t allowed to use the bathroom on the main floor. Too much traffic, he said. She didn’t mind. The bathrooms were abysmal down here in the club.
She was almost to the foot of the stairs when a much larger shoulder collided with hers, knocking her back a step and upsetting her balance. Aislin squawked surprise, arms flailing as the jolt nearly tipped her off the sparkling black pumps Byrne made her wear.
Before she could fall, two large, powerful hands closed around her biceps. Her arms shot out to grab at the sleeves of his suit instinctively, holding on for dear life as she teetered on unsteady feet.
“Be easy, myshka. I’ve got you.”
A shiver skated down her spine, goosebumps rising across her skin at the sound of his voice. Husky. Heavily accented. Confident. She knew he was an Alpha before she ever raised her head to look at the man before her.
She let her eyes travel up the length of his chest to his face, nostrils flaring as she drew in his scent. When she inhaled, she smelled expensive cologne and fine cigars. Beneath the masking layer of odors, she detected hints of his natural musk. Cinnamon and black pepper. It tickled her nose.
He was a gorgeous specimen. Dark hair and piercing green eyes were only the frosting on the cake. He was beautiful, in the way a prowling lion is beautiful. It was the type of beauty best admired from a safe distance.
When the corner of his mouth turned up in amusement, it drew her attention to a set of full, kissable lips. Her eyes lingered there, wondering if they were as soft as they looked. The rumble of his throaty chuckle shook her from her thoughts, embarrassment coloring her cheeks as she forced herself to meet his gaze.
“Do you see something you like, little one?”
“No!”
His eyebrow arched at her hastily given answer, his smirk widening into a dazzling grin. “Is that so?”
“I…” Aislin’s stomach dropped, a nervous glance sent over her shoulder towards where Byrne was sitting on the other side of the dance floor. No one was allowed to touch her. Anyone who frequented the club knew that. The man wasn’t from around here. “I’m sorry. I mean - I have to go...”
He released her, and Aislin's own hands slid free of his jacket as his arms fell away. She stepped backed, putting the requisite distance between them needed to keep her from getting in trouble, or him killed.
“I didn’t mean to startle you. Please accept my apologies.”
She nodded, side stepping the man and scurrying up the stairs before he spoke again. Halfway up she dared a glance back and found him still standing where she’d left him, watching her ascent. Dark eyes held her gaze, so magnetic that it took three whole steps for her to pry her eyes away and seek refuge in Byrne’s office.
She shut the door, twisting the lock before hurrying to the bathroom to do her business. She couldn’t allow herself the luxury of thinking about the brief encounter. Byrne would be angry if she were gone too long, and the last thing she needed was the smell of her interest and arousal alerting him to the fact that something had happened. Aislin wasn’t immune to her Omega instincts. An attractive Alpha in her space purring and smelling sexy was hard to ignore. But that’s what she had to do. With a groan, sh
e forced him from her mind.
A few minutes later she’d freshened up and left the office, scanning the crowd below as she descended to the main floor. She didn’t see the man she’d bumped into, and while she knew she should be grateful, disappointment snuck in to darken her mood. She let the thought go, chiding herself for being so foolish. If Byrne knew she’d spared another man a second thought, he’d make sure she couldn’t sit down for a week.
Aislin was nearly back to their booth when she froze mid-step. Through a gap in the crowd she could see Byrne talking with a man seated opposite him. A man she was familiar with, as she’d run into him only moments before.
“Shit.”
She hadn’t put two and two together in the moment. The accent, the business suit… She should have realized. This was the Russian Byrne was meeting with. Byrne said not to draw attention to herself, but she’d already done it by slamming into the man on her way to the bathroom.
Now she was nervous. If the man told Byrne, he would punish her, even though it was an accident. She’d let another Alpha touch her, and that was unacceptable.
Her shoulders slumped as she resumed her trek, knowing there was no point in putting it off. He’d just send someone after her if she took too long, and her punishment would be worse.
Chapter 2
She paused at Byrne’s side, folding her hands before her as she waited for him to acknowledge her presence. The Russian’s eyes cut her direction, giving her a quick appraisal before he returned his attention to the Irishman across from him.
Byrne, noticing the Russian’s brief shift of focus, glanced her way.
“A Thaisce, I worried you’d gotten lost.”
Aislin bit her lip and dipped her head in apology, knowing better than to speak in front of another Alpha.
Satisfied by the subtle show of submission, Byrne motioned for her to join them. She tucked her skirt and sat down beside him, careful to ignore the Alpha across the table.
“This must be your fabled Omega, then,” the Russian mused. “I heard she was a beauty. The rumors are grossly understated.”
Byrne sat up a little straighter, chest puffing with pride as he threw an arm around Aislin’s shoulder and drew her closer to his side.
“She is a precious jewel in my crown, no doubt.”
“I’m surprised she isn’t fat with child. Pretty little thing, I imagine she would gift you with a strong heir.”
Alarmed, Aislin shot a look of disbelief at the man seated across from them, wincing when Byrne’s fingers tightened over her shoulder. Though the stranger’s face was a mask of calm, she sensed the threat of danger in his tone. The scent of aggression was thickening the air like a mist around them. It wasn’t difficult to guess what he was thinking about when he made it so obvious. He was testing the waters, testing her Alpha’s temper. Why else would he bring up such a dangerous topic?
“Aislin has only just celebrated her eighteenth birthday,” Byrne rumbled. “She isn’t ready for the mark or mating yet. She’s growing yet to do.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. She had just turned eighteen, and Byrne hadn’t mounted her. In fact, he never touched her sexually. Not once in the three years since he’d stolen her from her home several Burroughs away and force bonded her as a teenager to make certain she couldn’t escape him.
He wouldn’t dare stick his cock in her, either. It was a small blessing, knowing she wouldn’t be subjected to that particular torture.
Born mostly deaf, he saw her as flawed. She still served her purpose, but he had no interest in claiming a defective Omega as a true mate. She spent her heats locked in the wine cellar, grateful he and his men left her to endure that misery alone.
Of course, most people didn’t know that. Even amongst criminals there were certain lines you didn’t cross. Bonding a child was one of those lines. It probably explained why he’d marked her low on the hip, where no one would see. He hadn’t waited for her cycle, hadn’t marked her in the place biology demanded. Nonetheless, he had been effective in tethering her to him.
“A wise choice,” the stranger agreed, breaking Aislin’s revere. “Only a monster takes a woman too young and risks ruining her.”
The sharpness of his words made goosebumps raise along her arms, the hair on the back of her neck lifting as if the air were statically charged. Another stolen glance at the Russian found his eyes locked on Byrne. The intensity of his gaze sent a chill down her spine, sensitive instincts flaring in warning. It was like he knew their little secret.
This Alpha was dangerous, and not in a cowardly, backhanded way like Byrne. No, this was something more. Something worse. But Byrne couldn’t feel it like she could. If he did, he’d have shot the man where he sat. Instead, he reached for his glass.
“I’ll drink to that.”
He raised his glass to the stranger and took a drink, both he and Aislin watching as the man gave a half-hearted lift of his own tumbler before throwing back the amber liquid it contained. Satisfied, Byrne pressed a kiss to Aislin’s temple.
“Time to turn off.”
Normally, Aislin obeyed the command to turn off her hearing devices. She had little interest in the day-to-day operations of his empire. Only on rare occasions did she pretend to turn off the devices while continuing to listen in on a conversation. It took a good deal of practice to keep her face neutral and not react to her environment the way she would if she could hear. Most of the time, it wasn’t worth the effort or risk. Tonight, it seemed like it might be. There was something different about this man, and she needed to know what kind of danger he posed.
She made a show of slipping a finger into each ear, manicured nails pretending to tick over the tiny, imperceptible switches.
Satisfied, Byrne gave her shoulder a brief squeeze before removing his arm and sitting forward. Elbows propped on his knees, he put on his game face. Big bad Alpha, ready to do business and not inclined to take any crap.
The Russian didn’t seem impressed. In fact, his focus was still on Aislin. “Why not send her away if you do not wish her to hear?”
Byrne made an exasperated noise. “Are you here to talk about my Omega, or business, Dima?”
Dima, as Byrne called him, gave a shrug and sat back. “Let us get to it, as they say.”
*
For the next twenty minutes the men discussed the terms of an apparent business deal wherein the man named Dima’s superior, a crime boss named Petrovski, would provide the funds for Byrne to expand his operation twofold, for a 25% cut of the profits and a say in what new associates he did business with.
Byrne scoffed at the terms.
Aislin knew of Petrovski. In the dark underbelly of her world, there were few who hadn’t heard of him. He single-handedly ran the city of Meron, and his reach extended far beyond. Old school Bratva, he was a force to be reckoned with, and not a man you refused. Byrne would be a fool to turn down the offer. He was just trying to negotiate better terms by feigning offense.
The Russian remained unflappable in the face of Byrne’s arrogance, unmoved by his arguments. Her Alpha’s temper grew short, frustrated by Dima’s refusal to negotiate the terms. The raising of his voice signaled coming violence.
Through all of this, Aislin kept her gaze directed at her lap or at the dancers on the floor nearby.
The unexpected interruption of one of Byrne’s generals redirected the Alpha’s anger, much to Aislin’s relief.
The Beta bent to speak in her Alpha’s ear, and the message he gave the burly man only made him growl. Byrne stood abruptly, justifying Aislin’s looking up at him in question. He split a glance between her and the man across the table, debating.
“You’ll have to excuse me for a moment, Dima. I won’t be long.”
“Of course,” the Russian replied, his tone cool and even. “Take your time.”
Aislin could tell Byrne was considering dragging her with him. He was weighing how it would look if he did. Taking her would insinuate concern for her safety in his o
wn club. Her Alpha didn’t like to seem weak.
Finally, he raised his palm and gestured for her to stay. Eyes wide, Aislin nodded understanding. Even though he wouldn’t be far away, he’d never left her alone with another Alpha that wasn’t one of his own men. Dumbfounded, she watched him and the Beta walk away and leave her with a stranger.
Chapter 3
“I don’t bite, myshka. At least, not in polite company. You needn’t worry so.”
Aislin stiffened, resisting the urge to turn her head and acknowledge that she’d heard him. Her heart skipped a beat, dread knotting in her stomach. He knew she’d been listening. But, how? She’d been so careful to ignore them and seem bored.
“I won’t tell him,” the man promised, his tone full of amusement. “But, I am curious why you would deceive him so.”
Suspicious, she slid her eyes his direction, still refusing to turn her head and openly acknowledge that he was speaking to her. The smirk he wore only made her more wary.
“Allow me to make it easier for you.”
He sat forward, reaching out to snap his fingers in her line of sight. If it were caught on camera, it would look as if he sought her attention visually.
Slowly, Aislin turned her head his way.
“Good girl,” he praised, the low thrum of a purr vibrating up from his chest. Were it not for the sensitive hearing aids, she might not have heard it for all the noise in the club. Undoubtedly, that was his intention. It wasn’t appropriate for him to be purring at her.
Satisfied that she was paying attention, the man sat back and gestured at his mouth. “You can read lips, yes?”
Aislin nodded.
“Good. Pretend you do so now, understand?”
She nodded again, swallowing hard against the knot forming in the back of her throat. He was trying to talk to her when Byrne wasn’t around. Whatever he wanted couldn’t be good. Likely, she’d pay for humoring him later.