by Sky Winters
“How about I can handle the wine for the evening? I’m not much of a cook, but I can buy wine like no one’s business.”
Wine sounded heavenly. She hadn’t been drinking all that much over the last week, but Rick always managed to slip a couple of shots of whiskey her way here and there. And she couldn’t believe it, but she’d been developing a taste for it.
“Sounds perfect,” she said. “How about something red and something white?”
“That I can do,” he said. “Just shoot me a text if you need anything while I’m out.”
Jessie watched as Jonas grabbed his things and headed out the door. He was dressed in a trim gray suit, his blonde hair looking just as luminous as ever. He cut a stunning profile.
And she couldn’t help but wonder what he looked like under all those fancy clothes.
God, she thought. Rick hasn’t even been gone for a day and I’m already fantasizing about Jonas. What the hell is wrong with me?
It began to feel to her that one man simply wasn’t enough. This thought came as a shock to her – she’d never thought herself to be the kind of woman who needed so much...affection. And it wasn’t as though she liked Rick any less.
She just liked Jonas...differently.
But it struck her as something silly to worry about. After all, it’s not like Jonas had expressed any direct interest in her.
Then again, they did have the week to themselves.
As Jessie unpacked the ingredients for the meal ahead, she couldn’t help but wonder, with a sly smile, what tomorrow night held for her and Jonas.
She knew she was down for anything.
CHAPTER 14
JESSIE
“You ready to get going?” asked Jonas.
“Yeah, sure,” said Jessie.
She did her best to keep her tone cool and even, but the truth was, she’d been looking forward to her day with Jonas since they’d planned it last night. She wanted to get to know him better, to find out what made him tick. And she figured that a day alone with him would be just the thing for that.
“The girls are with their tutors for the day,” he said, standing in front of one of the mirrors in the living room and smoothing down his golden-blonde hair.
“That means we have the afternoon?”
“That’s right,” he said with a grin of perfect, white teeth. “I’m ready if you are.”
“I am,” said Jessie with a smile.
They took the elevator down to the garage and Jonas led her to a sporty, black car that looked fancy and European. He let her in before climbing into the driver’s seat, gunning the engine, and taking them out onto the street.
“This is all so weird,” she said.
Jonas raised an eyebrow, his eyes hidden behind dark, designer sunglasses.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“The whole contrast between your lifestyle and your job. I never would’ve guessed you were a fireman.”
“Surprised that someone like me would want to give back to the city?”
“No, it’s not that,” said Jessie. “More that dragons tend to, you know, do jobs that take place up in places like those.” She pointed forward as they crossed the Williamsburg Bridge, at the gleaming towers of the financial district.
“You wouldn’t be entirely wrong about that,” he said.
“Huh?” asked Jessie, surprised.
“That’s right. My friend, the one you’re meeting tonight, is the owner of several galleries in the city. And one in Paris. All galleries which, I should point out, used to be mine.”
“Really?” asked Jessie. “Now that’s a job I could see you doing.”
“Then that would make you a good judge of character,” he said. “Because I worked in the art world for decades. And I still paint on my own.”
“That makes your fireman job even stranger,” she said. “What’s the reason that you and Samuel and Rick all got into that? Rick told me that he used to be in a biker dragon clan.”
“It’s...a long story,” he said. His tone was sharp, and suggested that he didn’t want to get into whatever the reason was.
Jessie respected this, but that didn’t make her any less curious. She wanted to find out who these men were.
They arrived downtown in the lower east side. Once Jonas had them parked they got out, the early afternoon surprisingly crisp for a late spring day like today.
Together, they went from boutique to boutique looking for outfits for tonight. After a few hours of trying on clothes and enjoying their day out, Jessie eventually settled on a dark blue cocktail dress with matching shoes and clutch, and Jonas selected a handsome, dark suit with a pair of jet-black double-monk shoes.
After a brief stop for lunch, they headed back to the apartment in time to meet the girls as the tutor dropped them off. They fed the girls a quick snack and brought them downstairs to their playdate. The two of them then got dressed and ready for their night out.
Once Jessie was in her new clothes, she took a look at herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom. The dress was tight− very tight, actually− and showed off every bit of her ample curves. She gave herself a small spritz of the perfume Jonas had bought for her – enough to catch attention, but not enough to cover up her natural omega scent.
She hated to admit it, but she wanted to look good for Jonas, to be as appealing as possible. Jessie knew that she couldn’t resist – just like in her fantasy, one alpha wasn’t going to be enough.
She felt her pussy tighten and clench at the idea of Jonas kissing her, his hand grabbing onto the soft skin of her inner thigh and slowly moving up her leg, up and up until his finger grazed her pussy through her black, lacy panties.
Standing in front of the mirror, Jessie felt her skin flush and warm, and she chewed softly on her lower lip at the idea of grabbing hold of Jonas’ prick and...
A knock at her bedroom door snapped her out of her fantasy.
“You about ready in there?” Jonas asked.
Jessie’s eyes flicked to the bed. They were all alone in the apartment, and she wondered what would happen if she simply opened the door, grabbed onto the lapels of Jonas’ suit, and threw him onto the bed.
She had to push the idea out of her mind.
Come on now, she thought to herself. Just because Rick was all about you doesn’t mean Jonas would be too.
Then again, she reminded herself, she was an omega−an unclaimed one. Jonas was cool and collected, but that didn’t mean inside he wasn’t going through the same conflict that she was.
Still, she decided not to take her chances. What if he rejected her advances? Or, even worse, what if they were to sleep together and Rick was to find out? She didn’t like the idea of this happy home breaking up on account of her.
Jessie opened the door and Jonas was on the other side. He was dressed in a lovely dark suit, his gorgeous, fair skin a contrast to the dark fabric.
His eyes went right to Jessie’s body, his stunning blues going wide as he looked her over.
“Wow,” he said, shaking his head.
“You think I did a good job today?” she asked, turning around and giving him a full, three-sixty view.
“I’ll say,” he said.
Jessie smiled and sauntered past him, knowing he was likely taking one more look at her rear as she passed.
She knew she was never normally this flirty, but just like with Rick, something about Jonas brought it out of her.
After a brief drive into the city, they made their way to the West Village. The evening was still somewhat chilly, but not cold enough to be uncomfortable. Soon, they arrived at the glass-fronted exterior of a hip art gallery.
“Here we are,” said Jonas, stopping in front of the place.
Jessie looked inside, noting that the crowd was very, very hip. Almost too hip.
“Are these all shifters?” she asked.
“Most of them, yes,” he said. “Why, is something wrong?”
“No,” she said. “Just ho
pe that I don’t feel too out of place among the art crowd.”
“You’ll be fine,” he said with a smile. “Just stick with me.”
A few of the attendees greeted Jonas as they entered.
“Just weird to spend so much time away from shifters and now I’m going to be right in the middle of a whole room full of them,” she said.
“Can’t pretend you’re one of the humans forever,” he said.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “You’re right about that.”
“Shall we?” asked Jonas as he held the door open.
“We shall.”
Jonas extended his arm to Jessie and she took it, his arm strong and hard through the fabric of his suit.
They entered the gallery and Jessie did her best to force down her anxiety. All sorts of scents rushed up to greet her from the various shifters in attendance. At first, it was almost too much to bear.
But Jonas stayed close, never straying too far as he introduced her to the various shifters. At first, Jessie felt self-conscious and insecure, but after a time, she felt more and more comfortable, and actually even began to enjoy herself.
Jonas being there helped, to say nothing of the champagne that was there for the taking.
Across the room, as Jonas chatted with the owner of the gallery, Jessie caught sight of someone. It was a shifter who appeared to be the human equivalent of his mid-forties. He was dressed very well in a sharp dark suit, his hair a striking silver. Jessie found herself watching him as he spoke, his hand motions fluid, his demeanor confident and authoritative.
Then his eyes flicked over toward Jessie’. Before she turned away, she noticed that his eyes were a stunning golden-brown, the sort of inhuman color that only a few shifters possessed.
Her face turned red as soon as she looked away. She felt like she’d done something wrong, that she wasn’t supposed to have looked at that man, as silly as the thought struck her.
“You okay?” asked Jonas. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “I think.”
She glanced back in the direction of the man but saw that, to her surprise, he was gone.
“You’re doing great,” said Jonas. “Here, what do you think of the art?”
“A timeless quality,” spoke a low melodic voice. “One that’s reminiscent of the greatest neo-classicalists of the nineteenth century.”
Jessie, shocked at hearing the voice, turned to around.
And standing right in front of her was the man with the silver hair and the golden eyes.
CHAPTER 15
JONAS
He was the last dragon Jonas wanted to see.
Standing before them, dressed in one of his impossibly expensive suits, was Stone Walsh, one of the most powerful and ancient alpha dragons in the city.
“Jonas,” he said, extending his hand. “A pleasure to see you.”
“Likewise,” said Jonas, though Jonas wasn’t being entirely sincere.
Then Stone turned his attention to Jessie, and Jonas realized right away why Stone had come over to greet them – he was an alpha, just like them. And, just like them, he couldn’t resist the scent of an unclaimed omega.
“Raymond Stone,” he said, offering his hand to Jessie.
“Jessie Carver,” she said.
Jonas could tell that she was feeling very overwhelmed by the encounter. Stone was like that – he had a way of intimidating most with a nothing more than a handshake and a word or two.
“A pleasure to meet you, young lady,” he said, a sly smile on his face.
Then he addressed the both of them.
“I do apologize for interrupting your conversation, but I couldn’t help but notice the scent of a new shifter among us. I’ve gotten so used to the same familiar faces that I simply had to come over and see who this lovely young specimen was.”
Jessie blushed, and Jonas could tell that it was partially out of intrigue and partially out of nervousness.
“Tell me, Miss Carver,” he said. “You’re not a New York native, I take it?”
“No,” she said. “Here from LA.”
“Ah,” he said. “A west coast dragon. It’s a beautiful part of the country – I don’t get a chance to travel out there as much as I like. And Jonas – I trust that you and your...other alphas are still in the fire-fighting game?”
Jonas picked up on the disdain in Stone’s voice. Dragons like him considered work like Jonas’ beneath their kind.
“That’s right,” said Jonas. “Still in it.”
A silence hung over the three of them, one that Jonas could tell was deliberate.
“Well, I won’t keep you for any longer,” said Stone. “Like I said, I simply had to make your acquaintance, Miss Carver. Or, may I call you Jessie?”
“You...you may,” said Jessie.
“Excellent, Jessie,” he said. “Before I leave, allow me to make an offer. If you’re interested in getting to know this new city that you’re now calling home, please let me know. I’m more than accommodating to new and interesting dragons.”
With that, he flashed one last smile before turning on his heels and leaving the two of them alone, his alpha scent hanging in the air.
“You okay?” asked Jessie.
“Huh?” asked Jonas.
“Your hands,” said Jessie, pointing down.
Sure enough, Jonas’ hands were clenched into tight fists.
“I’m fine,” he said. “You mind if we get some fresh air?”
“Sure,” said Jessie. “Fresh air sounds good.”
Jonas tried to do his best to not seem rattled. The two of them went up in the elevator, the doors opening to a lovely terrace that looked out over the West Village. Other partygoers were scattered here and there, light music filling the air.
He felt better now that he was away from Stone. But he was frustrated with how he’d tensed up in front of Jessie like that.
“That dragon...,” said Jessie once they each had a fresh glass of champagne in their hands. “He’s an alpha, right?”
“That’s right,” said Jonas. “And not just any alpha – an old and very powerful one. One of the most powerful and wealthy in the city, if not the country.”
“His name sounds familiar,” said Jessie.
“That’s probably because it is. Even with you being a part of the LA shifter society, you’ve likely heard his name once or twice before.”
“And I could tell by his scent...he’s unattached.”
“That’s right,” said Jonas. “Stone has taken many mates over the years, but he’s never passed his blood down to an omega. Apparently, he hasn’t found one worthy of his line. I’m not sure what he’s looking for, exactly – omegas are hard to come by, and they tend to be claimed as soon as they arrive on the scene.”
Jonas couldn’t help but look Jessie up and down. God, she looked good. The sun was beginning to set, and the light pouring down seemed to glow on her skin. Her dress clung to every sensual curve of her body. All Jonas could think about was reaching over, cupping that perfect ass of hers, and pulling her into a deep kiss.
But he restrained himself. Clearing his throat, he spoke again.
“So, you, as an unattached omega, are naturally going to catch the eye of people like him.”
Jessie shook her head.
“Back when I was a kid, my mom always told me to stay away from alphas.”
Jonas raised an eyebrow.
“Is that right?” he asked.
“Mhmm. She said that as an omega, I’m going to spend my life fighting off the attention of alphas. Neither of my parents expected me to be one, and I think it caused their family life to get shaken up just a little.”
“What was your father?”
“A beta,” she said. “A strong beta, but a beta nonetheless. My brother was too. Both of them worked for one of the alphas in the city as foot soldiers. And....”
She bit her lip and trailed off. Jonas could sense there was more, but he did
n’t pry.
“Anyway,” she said. “My mom told me that alphas are no good – obsessed with power and status, and all they’ll want to do with an omega like me was breed me and keep me locked up like a bird in a cage.”
Then she looked away before turning her attention back to Jonas.
“Is that...what your mate was like?”
“No,” said Jonas. “We agreed, the others and me, that when we all claimed her that she wouldn’t like that. Yes, you’re right that many alphas treat their omegas like nothing more than a source of good genes. But we vowed to be different.”
“And what happened?”
Jonas nodded.
“We stayed true to our words. We gave her freedom and independence, but made sure to keep a close eye on her for her own safety. She was protected, but not smothered. It worked out – for a time.”
“Then what happened?” asked Jessie.
Jonas didn’t know what to tell her. Was she ready for the truth?
“Have you...talked to Rick about this?”
A strange expression flashed on her face.
“Yes. I mean, no. I’ve asked, but he was cagey about it.”
“It’s... a rough subject. But I suppose now that you’re going to be with us for a time, you have a right to know. But...I’d rather tell you away from the crowds, if that’s all right.”
“Sure,” said Jessie. “I think a couple of hours of hardcore socializing is about all I can handle anyway.”
“Then let’s say our goodbyes and get out of here,” said Jonas.
“Sounds good to me.”
They left the roof and made their way through the party. After bidding their farewells, they left. Jonas took one last glance over his shoulder at the party, noticing that Stone was watching them carefully as they left, his golden eyes narrowed.
Something about his look sent a shiver up Jonas’ spine. But he put it out of his head, instead choosing to focus on the conversation at hand.
The two of them made their way down the street away from the party, the evening air still crisp and pleasant. Jonas extended his elbow to Jessie and she took it. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the feeling of her hands on his body. He could almost not hold it against Stone that he clearly had his eyes on Jessie.