It took a moment for Ianthe to realize that the last bit of that was directed at her. “My name is Ianthe...”
“You said that already.” The woman’s foot tapped an impatient beat on the stone pathway. She was very clearly an Alpha, one of the few females of that dynamic, which did not bode well for her patience.
“I’m assigned to Cafeteria #149, but I was told to report here today.”
“Oh, another one of you.” Her voice was distracted, but there was no malice in her expression. “This is a bit different from cafeteria service, so I hope you learn quickly. The food preparation area is through there, ask for Zach and tell him that I said to get you a uniform.”
The woman turned away and resumed yelling into her headset, dismissing her before Ianthe had the chance to ask anything else.
Ianthe wove through a maze of tables, each laid out with a full service of flatware and fine china. This would be substantially different from serving in the cafeteria as the meals there didn’t tend to come in multiple courses.
A complicated art piece made from multiple glowing lights hung above the center of the pavilion, seemingly suspended in midair. In reality, the fixture likely hung from a complicated set of wire and pulleys but the surreal effect was the same. Crystal drops reflected light like tears from the eye of an unforgiving god.
The piece was a perfect representation of Pandora, elegance on its face that distracted from the dirty practicalities allowing for its existence in the first place. Ianthe was like one of those hidden wires holding the piece upright, completely necessary for its existence but unable to be seen or appreciated.
When she pushed open the doors to the service area, Ianthe was met with a bustling scene. Dozens of people dressed in starched black uniforms hurried around the room. She could only imagine what the per plate cost of an event like this would be, but it was likely enough to cover uncountable meals for her family.
Squeezing between the metal counters, Ianthe approached the nearest person who seemed to have some idea of what was happening. It was a Beta male, wearing the same uniform as the rest, but with an air of assurance that the others lacked.
“Excuse me.”
“You’re excused, beautiful.” He turned with a bright smile that would have devastated her months ago, but now just seemed a paltry comparison to something else. He had the same dark hair as the man that she couldn’t rip from her thoughts, but that was where any similarity ended.
“Do you know where I can find someone named Zach?” She said, ignoring the overly familiar tone. “He’s supposed to get me a uniform.”
The Beta gave her a long once-over that made her want to slap him in the face. “Depends on who’s asking, sweetheart.”
“My name is Ianthe,” she said, feeling like a repeater bird. “I’m here to serve.”
He waggled his eyebrows in a way that was clearly supposed to be funny. “That’s quite an offer, doll.”
Sick to her stomach and completely done with being played with, Ianthe turned away. “Forget it. I’ll ask someone else.”
“Cool it, sister.” He bared his teeth in a wide grin. “I’m Zach.”
“Great,” she murmured, exhausted already even though the work hadn’t even started. “The woman out there said that you could get me a uniform.”
“You mean Elsie?” He laughed, and the sound lit up his face in a way that made him seem much more approachable. “I’m surprised she stopped yelling at her assistant long enough to acknowledge you were there.”
Ianthe felt the corner of her mouth tip up in a small smile. “I do feel sorry for whoever is on the other side of that headset.”
“You said you need a uniform, right?”
“Yes.”
The Beta male surveyed her body, gaze lingering on her hips before moving up to her chest. She was about to respond to the indecent appraisal when his eyes snapped back to her face.
“Size four, right?”
She blinked at him, surprised at his accuracy. “How do you know that?”
“I have a gift,” he responded with a wink. “Maybe I was a fashion designer in a past life.”
It was impossible to tell if he was just messing with her so Ianthe made a point not to respond. His tone was too bold as if he were flirting with her. She was unused to getting that type of attention from strangers and it made her suspicious.
“Or I just spend too much time looking at women’s bodies.”
Face flaming, Ianthe grabbed the folded fabric out of his hands and turned away. “Where can I change?”
“Bathroom is down the hall.” His hand brushed hers as she took hold of the offered uniform and he held onto to it for a beat too long, prolonging the amount of time that they both held it. “I really like the perfume you’re wearing, by the way. It smells amazing.”
“I’m not wearing any perfume.” As if she could afford that sort of luxury.
“Really? I guess it’s just you.”
She snatched the garment away and held it close to her chest. “I'm going to change. What station am I assigned to?”
“Dessert prep, right over there. Just jump in as soon as you’re ready. One more thing, a bunch of us are going out for drinks after this is over. You should come.”
With a quick shake of her head, Ianthe practically scurried down the hallway to get away from the Beta, but she felt his gaze until she reached the bathroom and disappeared inside.
Ianthe barely made it inside of the stall before the nausea that had been threatening for hours finally reached its peak. She coughed and gagged as the contents of her stomach emptied in its entirety. It had been years since she had fallen ill enough to vomit, but clearly, the events of the past week had pushed her body to its breaking point.
Her ashen face met her in the mirror when she finally emerged from the toilet stall, sweaty and still feverish. The best thing to do would be go home and sleep it off, but she risked employment termination if she left now. Miranda would love any excuse to have her reclassified as unemployable.
Turning the tap, Ianthe cupped a handful of water and splashed her cheeks. The cool against her skin provided a small amount of relief. It was only a few hours of serving, perhaps she could even slip away early without it raising much of a fuss. She just had to get through a few courses of overly rich food served to spoiled dignitaries, then she could go home, crawl into bed and not emerge for at least a cycle.
Her hair was wilder than she liked and she made some attempt to smooth it into a more manageable shape. But little hairs continued to stick out here and there, making it seem like she’d just crawled out of bed.
She looked like what she was, a bedraggled slums’ rat.
Gathering herself, Ianthe changed into the provided uniform which was a perfect fit. Regarding herself one last time in the mirror’s hazy reflection, she breathed a heavy sigh.
It was possible to hear the noise as the pavilion slowly filled with invited guests, waiting to be served a more sumptuous meal than any she would ever experience. Signs outside indicated that the event was for charity and the irony of that was not lost on her.
She wanted to cry at the injustice of the world that kept her so low while others flew so high, but now wasn’t the time to succumb to self-pity. She had a job to do and she would see it done, all the while cursing those she was forced to serve to the very pits of the under-reaches.
Perhaps if she imagined the plates heavy with poison, instead of delicacies, it would make it easier to bear.
Chapter Twelve
Ianthe worked as if her mind was outside of her body. She placed plates piled high with chicken heavy under cream sauce and freshly picked vegetables just lightly steamed. She recognized herself to be in a haze, with only enough awareness of her surroundings to perform the most basic of tasks. Luckily, that was all that was required of her.
She retrieved the empty plate from in front of a man who did not even bother to look at her as he demanded his wine glass be refilled. She complied, f
ace empty and placid, as the feedback from a microphone going live came from a nearby speaker.
When Ianthe’s gaze moved to the podium at the front of the pavilion, the same Alpha woman she had met earlier was standing at the podium.
“Thank you all for being here this evening. My name is Adriana Hathaway and I am the chairwoman of the Astropolis Children’s Hospital Foundation. As you all know, the proceeds from tonight’s event will support the expansion of the Center for Genetic Disease on the hospital’s campus.”
The Alpha female waited for the polite applause to die down before continuing.
“I would like to bring to the stage the man responsible for the foundation’s continued success. He is our most generous benefactor and a true advocate for the children of this city. Please welcome Legion Aristophus.”
The plate in her hand slipped from fingers gone limp and crashed to the floor as the man that Ianthe hoped to never meet again took the stage. Any sound from the shattering porcelain could not be heard over the robust applause that progressed to a standing ovation. None of the people sitting at the table nearest her appeared to have noticed the shaking girl with a broken plate at her feet.
But he must have heard. Golden eyes met hers despite the crowd surrounding her. His gaze was intense and hyper-focused as if they were the only people in the room. A wave of nauseating heat rolled over her, practically bringing her to her knees. Heavy brows descended on eyes gone the color of an electric sunset as he tilted his head back and appeared to scent the air.
She lurched around, stumbling toward the nearest exit. Shocks of electricity shot through her body with each step that she took. Ianthe’s awareness was centered wholly on the fact that she had to get away.
Ianthe pushed blindly through the crowd, weaving around tables with no conscious idea of where she was headed. She just wanted to get away as fast as she possibly could.
She made it out of the pavilion through a side door and ended up in an unfamiliar service corridor. A patch of light at the far end was lit up like a lifeline. Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest that it seemed to echo off of the metal walls. Alternating waves of heat and cold rolled over her, sending her into feverish tremors. Her vision swam and twisted as she stumbled down the hallway, her arm against the nearest wall for support. If she could just make it outside, then this nightmare would be over.
A spasm clenched deep in her belly, nearly doubling her over. She felt a surge of wetness soak the crotch of her uniform and looked down to see the seep of fluid darkening the fabric covering her thighs.
It couldn’t be. She had been taking the alterants in the same doses that she always had, save for during the nights at Eros House. It had been years and never once had she felt even the slightest stirring of a heat cycle.
And yet here she was, about to enter full-blown estrous.
She had to get out of there, somehow make it home without broadcasting her scent to every male in attendance. Alphas, even ones with some trace of self-awareness, would be hard-pressed not to respond to an Omega in heat by falling into a rut. She would be mated multiple times by multiple males if she were lucky. Otherwise, she would be torn apart in a frenzy.
Ianthe searched for a place to hide, but she was only met with an expanse of smooth walls.
Another cramp rocked her insides at the thought of an Alpha knot, desire and repulsion both twisting inside of her. She stumbled toward the end of the corridor and closer to the open door that represented her only escape. She just had to keep moving and pray that this would not be the end of her.
Through the haze of her quickly narrowing vision, Ianthe saw a shadow emerge from the darkness to block her one meager source of light. An imposing figure rose to stand in her path as the door was slammed shut, plunging them into near darkness.
Legion’s face reflected harshly in the red emergency lights that blinked along the ceiling as he regarded her.
“Hello, little one.”
“No…” There was no getting past him. Not that it mattered as her knees trembled and gave out beneath her.
Arms nearly the size of tree trunks came up to steady her as hands bigger than the dinner plates she had just been picking up held her hips, gripping too hard for comfort. The scent of potent Alpha nearly overwhelmed her. Nostrils flared as she inhaled in harsh breaths, a small pink tongue lolling out of her mouth to taste the powerful hormones filling the air.
Dazed, she looked up into eyes that glowed with a nearly manic light. She could not see it but her own pupils had blown so huge that only a small ring of color surrounded a large circle of black.
Before she could react, Legion turned with her in his arms and shoved her back against the metal wall, hard enough that a shock of brief pain rocked her. The back of her head hit steel with a hard knock and stars danced across her vision.
“Little Omega.” Lips pressed against the tender shell of her ear as the male let out a growl that shook her to the bone. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for you?”
She indulged the instinct to resist him, to fight what had already become an inevitability. He allowed her to grapple with him for a moment before subduing her easily. When he growled again, her body seized as another wave of liquid spilled from her womb and saturated her uniform.
Her mouth fell open on a silent scream as his hand slid up to grip her throat, not hard enough to choke her but with enough pressure to rob her of the ability to speak.
“Did you really think that I wouldn’t recognize the smell of Omega, even one full of enough alterants to sterilize a true Beta? I knew you from the first, girl.”
“Please…” she choked out the word past the rising pressure in her chest, even as her throat pushed against his hand with each breath that she took.
His thigh moved between her legs so she straddled it and the apex of her sex pressed against him. The sensation sent her reeling, even as she fought the rising tide of desire.
“It’s your own fault, really. This could have happened differently, with proper preparations and a place for you to build your nest. But circumstances are what they are, now.”
She didn’t respond to that, eyes gone wide and dark as his face swam in and out of focus.
One thumb stroked her bottom lip, his expression tender even as the calculation did not leave his gaze. “But I’m not a monster, so I’ll offer you the choice.”
Her body sagged against the wall, more from despair than submission. She understood the choice that he offered her and it wasn’t a real one.
But still, she tried. “Please just let me go.”
“That is one option,” he said slowly as if lecturing a recalcitrant child. “If you don’t want me, then you can simply walk away. Of course, there are a hundred other males between you and any place that might offer safety.”
His threat was clear. There were dozens of males within range of her scent who would fall on her at the earliest opportunity without reason or restraint. She could already hear the shouts and raised voices just on the other side of the wall. Others in the pavilion had already caught her scent They were moments from being discovered.
And part of her wanted nothing more than to be filled so completely that it tore her apart, regardless of the consequences.
Ianthe ground her body against his thigh, but the light friction wasn’t enough to slake the fire burning in her. She needed something that only an Alpha could provide.
The aroma of their combined scents had saturated the air. And the smell of him made her feel crazed, it was like the most delicious meal, the sweetest perfume and the headiest intoxicant all rolled into one.
His hot mouth pressed against the delicate skin of her throat, with just the slightest press of teeth as he spoke. “Decide.”
She had no strength left to fight him as every cell in her body screamed for his knot.
A moan slipped from her lips. “Please help me.”
The sound of ripping fabric hit her delirium-clouded senses just before she felt the ru
sh of cold air as her body was exposed. Even as she urged him on with frantic rolls of her hips and fingernails digging into his back, his movements were not frenzied.
As she begged, his hands moved methodically over her body as he removed scraps of shredded fabric and forced her legs to part impossibly wide. Her back arched into his touch as his hand pushed between their bodies to tease at her opening.
She jerked and moaned as a large finger breached her. He growled again and his hands caught the gush of slick that exploded from her cunt. He brought his fingers to her mouth and forced them inside, nearly choking her on her own scent.
Buttons clattered to the floor as he worked at the fly of his slacks, freeing himself. That same hand caught both her wrists and raised them high above her head, forcing her body to arch into him as the bulbous head of his member teased at her entrance.
Her head turned so her cheek could rest against the metal wall behind her, the cold a slight balm to the fever burning her skin. He nipped at her chin and spoke growling words against her skin, urging her to open for her Alpha and take all that he had to give her. Nether lips burned as they stretched to accommodate an organ that was much too large for the place it breached.
With one harsh stroke, he seated himself completely inside of her. Ianthe screamed as a dark purr rumbled against her chest from the growling Alpha. With an effort, he held himself back for a moment, allowing her to somewhat adjust to his invasion.
But then he began to fuck her in earnest and she became overwhelmed by the demands of the rut. He stood between her spread legs, each thrust becoming more frantic as they both lost themselves and became one.
“Oh gods…”
She felt an answering smile against her skin as his teeth grazed her neck. “Just Legion.”
Somehow, the impressive length inside of her grew thicker as the rapid approach of his knot threatened. His thrusts grew more shallow as he filled her, each inch hard-won as her inner muscles gripped him tighter, marking her own approaching orgasm.
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