Omega (Evan's Alphas Book 1)

by D. J. Heart

  “Good,” Peter says, the word sounding like a threat. Chad looks to Evan, and it’s clear that the omega has also caught on to the sudden tension.

  “We’ll see you tonight,” Peter says to Evan, kissing the top of his head before walking to the door. Aiden watches the show of affection with poorly hidden surprise. Did he not think that Peter cared? Chad shakes his head, disappointed that Peter seems set on going through with Aiden as Evan’s bodyguard. He kisses Evan’s head, Peter’s scent mixing with the omega’s to create the most intoxicating aroma, and again tells him to call if he needs anything.

  “I will,” Evan says, sounding less nervous than he did in the bedroom. Peter’s little show seems to have done the trick and calmed his worries, and Chad would be glad if he wasn’t counting on this to be a disaster. Still, he can’t help but be relieved that Evan isn’t scared.

  With nothing more to say, he and Peter head out side by side, off to their first full day of work since Evan was conveniently delivered to their door.

  ***

  “So, it’s just us,” Aiden says as the door closes. He turns around and crosses his arms, biceps bulging, studying Evan like he’s a particularly interesting insect he’s found in his backyard.

  “I guess,” Evan says, not sure how to interact with Peter’s friend now that his alphas aren’t here to shield him. Aiden has the same kind of presence that Peter does, but rather than blanket him and make him feel protected, Aiden just feels oppressive. It’s not comforting in the least.

  “It’s just weird,” Aiden says as he lets his arms fall loosely to his sides, walking into the apartment. After a moment's hesitation, Evan follows. “I mean, Peter doesn’t even like omegas. He thinks they’re weak. What’s so special about you?”

  Aiden briefly glances over his shoulder, expression critical, but he doesn’t wait for a reply. It’s almost like he’s talking to himself. Evan decides to keep quiet. He could say that there’s nothing special about him—that Peter and Chad are the special ones—but something tells him Aiden isn’t interested in his opinion.

  He follows the sharply suited alpha into the kitchen, standing off to the side and observing as he makes himself at home, grabbing a carton of juice from the fridge and taking gulp straight out of the container. Evan had been taught to always use a glass, but he’s seen both Peter and Chad drink straight from the carton, so he’s not sure if that rule is just for omegas.

  Either way, he’d never have the guts to tell someone like Aiden to use a glass.

  “Are you not allowed to talk?” Aiden asks curiously, turning to him with a challenging lift of his eyebrow. Evan is struck by just how wide Aiden’s shoulders are. He wonders if it’s just the suit, or if his shoulder to waist ratio is as dramatic as it seems.

  “I’m allowed to talk,” he says, feeling on edge. “Why?”

  “Just curious,” Aiden puts the juice away, leaning against the counter as he talks. After a slight pause, he asks, “Is Peter strict with you?”

  Evan hesitates, feeling put on the spot. Why does Aiden want to know?

  “No,” he says hesitantly, not sure what Peter would want him to say. The truth is that Peter and Chad are as far from strict as an alpha could be towards an omega. They’re more shockingly lenient than strict.

  “No?” Aiden shakes his head, laughing like Evan has just told a particularly funny joke. “He’s strict with Chad, you know,” he says, heading towards the living room. Evan follows. “That boy wouldn’t piss unless he had Peter’s permission. It’s a shame, really. He would have been a formidable alpha if Peter hadn’t gotten to him.”

  Aiden sits down in the armchair opposite the couch, unbuttoning his suit jacket and crossing his leg over his knee. His pants ride up his leg to expose a shiny black snakeskin boot.

  Evan sits down on the couch, confused. Chad defers to Peter, sure, but he isn’t cowed. Is he? Either way, he doesn’t like Aiden talking about his alphas like this. It’s disrespectful of both of them.

  “You don’t agree?” Aiden asks, studying him as he leans back in the chair. There’s a malicious gleam in his eye, and Evan decides not to trust him. Especially not where Chad is concerned.

  “I think they make a good couple,” he says boldly, making sure to look Aiden in the eye as he gives his answer. It goes against all his teaching in the center to contradict an alpha in this manner, but he’s sure Peter and Chad would approve. That’s all that matters, in the end.

  “They do seem happy, don’t they?” Aiden says, looking away. It feels like a victory though he knows Aiden doesn’t see it that way. He nods his agreement.

  “So, let’s see what the plan for today is,” Aiden says, pulling out his phone. He spends a few minutes reading from the tiny screen, rolling his eyes every so often.

  Evan waits patiently, feeling a flutter of excitement as he tries to imagine himself at school. Though the revelation that he isn’t actually good enough to get a spot at the Obrey Art Institute on his own merits has put a damper on his enthusiasm, he still can’t wait to go. He’ll make the very best of the opportunity he’s been given. Wallowing and sulking would be just stupid.

  “So if we leave a little before noon we should be there in good time. It says here you need to bring your portfolio. Do you have that ready?” Aiden slips his phone back in his pocket, grabbing the remote for the TV as he waits for Evan’s answer.

  “It’s in Peter’s study. Should I get it now?”

  “Sure. Just leave it by the door, so we don’t forget it,” Aiden says, attention on the TV. He’s watching basketball; a game Evan understands much better than the football Chad is so enamored of.

  Evan jumps up, happy for a chance at a few minutes out of Aiden’s line of sight. He breathes a sigh of relief as he turns the corner, making his way to Peter’s office. He finds his portfolio just where he left it, hugging it to his chest with a dopey grin on his face. It’s filled with drawings of Peter and Chad, and he feels a little embarrassed if he’s going to have to show it to someone.

  At least he’s got a few good drawings of the city skyline. He’s lucky that Peter and Chad live in such a tall building, the views truly spectacular. He’s about to leave when his eye catches an envelope on the desk, a vaguely familiar logo making him stop in his tracks. He stares at it, wracking his brain. The logo is small and simple; a stylized letter O layered over a bold letter V, and he knows he’s seen it before.

  Then it hits him. He was thirteen when he last saw the logo, when a boy at the center found a flyer for an omega house. The advertisement had spelled out in lurid detail just what kind of fate might await Evan and the other omegas living at the center if they were unlucky. It had filled him with dread, giving him nightmares for weeks, and he can’t believe he didn’t recognize the evil logo on sight.

  Why would Peter have a letter from an omega house? The Virgin O, his memory supplies.

  Things with Peter and Chad have been good. He knows they aren’t going to sell him. Is sure of it.

  Still, he needs to know. It’s probably nothing—junk mail—and he’ll feel stupid for checking... but if he doesn’t check it will eat at him and make him worry endlessly. He knows himself well enough to be sure of that.

  Gingerly, feeling like Peter’s about to burst through the door with an angry shout, he tiptoes back to the desk and snatches up the envelope. It’s already opened, so all Evan has to do is unfold the flap and slide the contents out.

  VIP passes to the club. Evan stares at them, not sure how to make sense of it. There’s a note, and he reads it over twice before the words make sense.

  Peter,

  A gesture of my appreciation.

  Yours,

  Richard Cruz

  The passes are a present. Evan lets out a sigh of relief. The tickets have been gifted to Peter, probably by a client who doesn’t know Peter well enough to know how much he disapproves of omega houses.

  Feeling silly and ashamed to have invaded Peter’s privacy, Evan puts the note and
passes back into the envelope and places it back on the desk where he found it. He picks up his portfolio and takes it to the front door, leaving it there before going back to the living room to watch basketball with Aiden.

  ***

  Peter nudges Chad’s leg with his knee, catching the distracted alpha’s attention.

  “He’ll be fine,” he says, resting his hand on Chad’s thigh and giving it a squeeze. They’re in the back of the car on their way to work, and Chad seems restless and antsy. Peter knows how he feels. He doesn’t want to leave Evan either.

  “I know,” Chad says, looking out the window. “I just don’t like leaving him alone when he’s all nervous.”

  Peter sighs, pulling his hand away. This is about Aiden, again. He doesn’t understand what Chad has against his friend, but he wishes it would just stop. While it’s true that Aiden can be both crude and a little mean, he’s also one of the most dependable people in Peter’s life. In all the time they’ve known each other, they’ve never let each other down. He’s not about to cut Aiden out of his life just because Chad doesn’t get along with him.

  “Aiden will take good care of him,” Peter says, frowning when Chad rolls his eyes. He decides not to press the issue. Chad will see when they get home that everything will have gone smoothly. For now, they just need to focus on work and get through the day.

  Peter has kept on top of everything while he’s been taking time off, but there’s no substitute for working all day every day. He knows that his team leaders deliver the best results when he’s there looking over their shoulders, keeping them on their toes.

  “There was something I wanted to ask you about,” Chad says, a slightly confused frown marring his face. Peter braces himself.

  “What?”

  “There was a courier for you yesterday with a delivery from Richard Cruz. He’s the owner of all those awful Virgin O clubs. He sent you a whole bunch of VIP passes… I didn’t know you knew him,” Chad says, the words something between a question and an accusation.

  Peter had expected Chad to disapprove of his deal with Cruz, but he’d thought he’d be able to tell him about it on his terms. Not have it sprung on him like this.

  Still, it’s good to hear that McCorkle has been doing a good job.

  “He’s a new client. Scott McCorkle and his team have taken over the security of his IT systems,” Peter says, almost defiantly. Chad just stares at him; slack-jawed.

  “He’s a what?”

  “A new client. Is that a problem?” Peter asks, pulling his hand away from Chad’s thigh. Chad stares at him with disbelief written all over his face. It’s making Peter uncomfortable.

  Chad pulls himself together, outrage spreading over his features. “So you get mad at me for looking at porn, but it’s OK for you to cozy up with the owner of a fucking chain of omega houses? Less than two weeks after getting Evan?” Chad’s voice is getting louder and angrier with each word, until he finally explodes, “What’s wrong with you!?”

  Peter had expected Chad to disapprove, but the sheer outrage has caught him by surprise and has him feeling cornered and defensive.

  “He’s a client, Chad. I don’t approve of him, but I’m not going to turn away a paying client just because I don’t like his business.” The words come out sharper than Peter had intended, more forceful. Chad rears back.

  “By that logic we should still be doing wet work for sheikhs in Saudi Arabia. Money isn’t… You can’t justify working with someone like Richard Cruz.” Chad looks really upset. “I thought you’d have a good explanation for this. I was sure you’d have a good explanation for this…”

  And now Chad looks disappointed. Like Peter has let him down. Peter can’t remember Chad ever looking at him like this, like he’s done something wrong, and he doesn’t like it one bit. He doesn’t think he deserves it at all.

  “It’s nothing like that,” he defends himself. “It’s just IT work. If we didn’t do it, someone else would and then—"

  “So let someone else fucking do it!” Chad interrupts, startling Peter. He reacts to the defiance on instinct, grabbing Chad by the neck and pushing the younger alpha’s chest down over his lap, holding him pinned.

  “Richard Cruz is our client. We don’t have to like him, and you don’t even have to work with him. I don’t want to hear another word about it, do you understand?” Peter’s voice comes out as a warning growl, Chad trapped in his grip. The driver slows the car down to a crawl, obviously having caught on that something is going on despite the partition being up.

  “I understand,” Chad says after a tense few seconds, Peter lets him up, feeling bad for overreacting.

  “Chad, I—"

  Chad cuts him off again, looking out of the window. He’s tense and mad. “No, I get it. You’re the boss.”

  Peter nods, but Chad can’t see it. He feels awkward. For all that he’s the dominant partner in their relationship, this isn’t how they do things. He doesn’t use intimidation or force against Chad. Doesn’t want to.

  “I’m sorry I grabbed you like that. I shouldn’t have reacted that way,” he says. It’s important that he can acknowledge when he’s done something wrong, and the way he just treated his younger mate falls into that category. He’s never wants his position of authority over Chad to be an abusive one.

  Chad nods, but he doesn’t say anything. His shoulders are raised, and his back is stiff, his body language clearly telling Peter to back off. So he does.

  When they get to work Chad says goodbye and walks into the building ahead of Peter, disappearing from sight with a stiff, angry walk that has Peter feeling guilty. He decides to give Chad his space, nodding goodbye to their driver and walking into the building at a measured pace. When he reaches the elevators, Chad is nowhere to be seen.

  Peter and Chad don’t interact much at work outside of their roles of boss and employee, but they do usually ride the elevator up together. It feels wrong, starting the day without the familiar ritual.

  Peter must have a look because no one else enters the elevator when the doors ping open, letting him have it all to himself. He angrily hits the button to close the doors, embarrassed to be visibly unsettled. It’s rare for Peter to lose his composure and rarer still for him to lose it and not realize it.

  Sighing, Peter hits the button for his floor and leans back against the wall. This is a disaster. He wonders for a minute if it was a mistake to take Cruz’s business, but despite Chad’s reaction, he doesn't think it was. It’s not like Cruz couldn’t have gone to any other company specializing in IT security to solve his problem. Not taking him on as a client would have made no different to the omegas he exploited.

  Doors opening on his floor, Peter decides to put the matter out of his mind. He’ll wait and see if Chad has calmed down by the end of the day and go from there.

  ***

  Evan opens the closet to find a jacket he can wear, smiling despite his nerves as he waits for Aiden to finish up in the bathroom.

  “You’re wearing that?” Aiden’s voice startles him, making him jump and turn around without having selected anything from the closet. The alpha’s words register, and he looks down on his clothes, wondering what’s wrong with them. Peter had picked them out, and Evan thinks they make him look nice.

  “Yes…?” he says, confused. “What’s wrong with what it?”

  Aiden smirks, pulling his gloves and sunglasses out of his pocket and slipping them on, opening the door leading out of the apartment.

  “Nothing,” he says, holding the door open for Evan. Evan grabs a jacket from the closet and hurries out the door. “They’re very nice. I’m guessing Peter bought them for you?”

  Evan nods, but he isn’t impressed. Anyone who knows Peter and Chad would know that Peter was the one who cared about dressing nicely.

  “I like the pants. Very tight…” Aiden says, locking the door behind them and walking to the elevator. Evan feels self-conscious. Are his clothes inappropriate? He can’t imagine Peter would bu
y him anything he shouldn’t wear in public... At least not without telling him.

  But the pants are tight. Evan blushes as he remembers Peter’s heated look when he’d seen Evan try them on, the way he’d grabbed his ass and smirked.

  Evan likes that the pants make him look good. That they make his alphas want him. It’s a good thing, isn’t it, to be attractive to your mates?

  Evan decides not to let Aiden get to him.

  “Yes,” he agrees. “Peter likes them that way.”

  Aiden turns his head to look down at him, but his eyes are hidden behind his mirrored shades so Evan can’t tell what he’s thinking. He doesn’t seem to have expected the answer. Aiden doesn’t seem like he has any idea how to interact with Evan. One minute he’s ignored, then the alpha will try to needle him into a reaction. Something tells him that Aiden hasn’t had much to do with omegas in his past. If he’s like Peter, then Evan guesses it makes sense.