O felt a swell of pride.
“What do you want?” Koah was the one to ask first.
“It’s actually something only King can give me.” Fenrir swiveled around on the leather cushion until he was facing Oberon. “I want you to buy me the Wardrobe.”
He blinked, momentarily caught completely off guard. “I’m…sorry?”
“You have enough money to buy out most of the shares of the board,” he continued. “That would leave Michelle’s. I want hers too.”
“You want to run the Wardrobe?” Koah sounded every bit as surprised by this turn of events as Oberon was.
“If you think dismantling the sex industry is as simple as buying out the largest supplier—” Baal began, only for Fenrir to cut him off.
“I don’t plan on dismantling it,” he said. “I’m going to restructure it. Right now, the Imperial Prince only poses a threat because of his and Kian’s crusade to correct our planet's low birth rate. They don’t have a problem with the sex industry, just forced sex trade. Neither of them wants to stop the barter or sale of alphas and omegas. They just want to dress it up all pretty and call it consensual.”
For their kind, sex was the catalyst for all. The driving force bringing people together and breaking them apart. National events like the White Hunt, Heated Hearts Day, and others, all meant to encourage them to fuck and breed, came with minimal legal restrictions.
Fenrir wasn’t wrong. What Altair and Kian were trying to do, and what Levi had suddenly taken an interest in,wasn’t actually to clean up and provide a safer, more equality-driven society. If they did, they would stand firmly behind that sentiment, instead of waffling in a poor attempt to please both sides.
Younger generations saw how things were run on their neighboring planet Glyph and called for change, while the older generations, people like Fenrir’s grandfather, were severely opposed.
“There are plenty of clubs and companies that offer clear and fair contracts to their product,” Fenrir elaborated. “Contracts that do away with the term product altogether and instead refer to participants as employees. Once I take over, anyone who wants to stay will be provided a salary, benefits, and a safe working environment.”
“You’ll lose more than half of the product that way,” Koah pointed out.
“That’s where you come in.”
Oberon rested his arm on the couch and then stroked his chin in thought, catching on. They would have to discuss how his omega had kept mum about this the entire time they were together, but for now, he’d keep his ire to himself so as not to ruin this for him.
“You want to cut a deal with Frost Loans,” he surmised. “Clever.”
“Think of it like an extension of the White Hunt,” Fenrir said. “If someone can’t pay off their debts, they’re given the option to work it off at the Wardrobe.”
“You think that many people want to sell their body?” Koah asked.
“I think this is Synastry,” Fenrir reminded. “Hell, on the drive here, I spotted a couple screwing on a park bench, and three in front of their open apartment windows.”
“You what now?” Oberon frowned at him.
“Plus,” he continued as though O hadn’t spoken, “we’ll offer further incentive.”
“Such as?” Baal tipped his head, his interest apparent. He was already seriously considering this plan.
Oberon would have to buy him a bottle of that expensive vodka he was into, maybe even three, as thanks for helping to prop his man up.
“Anyone who signs heat or rut contracts will be given full medical evaluations before and after. If they’re interested in fertility, we’ll provide aid in that department,” Fenrir had obviously been thinking about this for a long time.
“It’s impossible to guarantee a successful breeding,” Baal pointed out.
“We’ll make that clear in the contracts,” he agreed. “What we’re selling here is hope.”
“The only thing that sells better than sex.” Koah whistled.
“Exactly.” Fenrir absently reached back, hand dropping over Oberon’s left thigh and remaining there. “We’ll do breeding contracts as well, of course, but the fact that they’ll get to keep any resulting offspring from a mere hookup will be tempting.”
At the moment, if one of the product got pregnant, the Wardrobe confiscated the baby upon birth. Most companies did this, so it wasn’t unheard of or out of the norm.
Product weren’t free. To many owners, they weren’t even considered people. Fenrir was suggesting they strip that unfairness away. Koah had a point; many would leave the second they got the chance.