Having to guard against both of them, as well as the Imperial family, had put too big a strain on business, and Michelle was no longer willing to stand in the background and allow it to continue. But that meant going up against the White Frost, the largest mafia in the city, and the second largest on the planet.
Fenrir was doing this in part to get ahead, and also because bad business only meant one thing for the people he considered comrades. To make up for poor sales, regulationswere starting to loosen. Product was being pushed in places to a clientele that the Wardrobe had considered itself above before.
The auction he’d been presented at had been above board, practically legal. But they weren’t all like that. He’d seen the numbers, the file left on Michelle’s desk one evening when he’d been summoned and told to wait.
They’d lost six omegas and four alphas in the past five months, all to buyers who hadn’t been properly vetted. People who’d been allowed near the product, welcomed even, who’d abused that chance.
Maybe it was naïve of him to believe even for a second that he could make a difference, but he couldn’t sit back and do nothing. For years now, those people, the product, had been his only companions aside from Michelle. He wasn’t close with any of them, and yet he could relate to them more than anyone else on the planet.
Certainly more than other omegas who understood going into it what to expect when being knotted.
His cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, and he inwardly cursed himself for being so weak. The embarrassment was visceral, however, inescapable as he was reminded of the way he’d clung to the alpha in the car and squeezed around his length.
How he’d passed out…like a fucking bitch.
He was so caught up in his own mortification, he almost didn’t notice when the program completed its transfer. Sucking in a sharp breath, he pulled the chip free and cleared the screen of the device, taking great care to replace it at the exact odd angle he’d found it.
Then he went to the nearest door, using his ability to melt the frost, swearing when it opened to a walk-in closet.
The next one was locked—probably the exit. Made sense. Of course the alpha wouldn’t want him roaming around what had to be a castle-like home.
That only left one other option, and sure enough, Fenrir found the bathroom inside. He went straight to the toilet, dropping the chip into the water, then relieved himself while he was at it.
A great weight was lifted from his shoulders as soon as he flushed and the evidence of his crimes vanished.
Now all that was left was to get out of there, which shouldn’t be so hard, considering the dose the waitress had given him had been mild. The fact that he was no longer experiencing any signs of heat was proof as much. One knot had been all it’d taken to clear his system, and while he imagined the alpha might try and complain, their contract was clear.
Oberon had purchased a single heat, and now Fenrir’s heat was over.
“You seem good,” the alpha’s presence startled Fen when he stepped out of the bedroom.
“Where did you come from?” he tried not to sound guilty, but did allow his gaze to wander to the closed door, the one that had been locked moments prior.
“I went to get refreshments and excuse the staff.” Oberon waved an arm toward the desk where a tray had been placed. There were bowls filled with various snacks and several bottles of water.
The multi-slate was still there, but—
“Care to explain this?” The alpha held up the fountain pen.
Fenrir had forgotten all about it. There was blood on the tip, and even though he went still, the alpha’s gaze easily homed in on the cut still bleeding on his inner thigh.
“My heat is over,” Fen blurted, not even bothering to come up with some half-baked explanation. “Our contract has been completed. Where are my clothes?”
The alpha stared at him for a moment and then hummed, seemingly coming to some understanding. “Is that why you did it?”
Fenrir frowned.
“You cut yourself to end your heat early?”
“I—” He’d been about to deny it, but…That could work. “I wasn’t due for a week. It was already strange.”
“So you’re saying I have no way of proving you ended it by causing yourself harm, or if it simply ended on its own because it wasn’t a full heat?” Oberon tossed the pen to the side, the metal object clattering loudly. “Are you trying to rip me off right now, omega?”
He shook his head. “I fulfilled my end of the agreement. You knotted.”
“Once.”
“There’s no mention in the contract of it needing to be done multiple times.”