Mac knew that. Omegas were not allowed to be in such places without an alpha or beta.
“We should leave.” Jamue wrapped his hand around his arm. Mac didn’t budge. He walked deeper into the room.
“Mac?”
“Can I help you?” a well-dressed beta said, blocking his way. His long shirt molded to his thick body.
Mac’s eyes lingered on his chest. He swallowed a groan. He loved them thick and bigger than him.
Focus, he told himself.
“Are you looking for help?” he asked, pointing at the sign behind him.
“Are you looking for work?”
Mac nodded. The beta stared at him before he walked away.
“Follow me,” he said.
“Mac, don’t.” Jamue tightened his grip.
“Wait here,” he told him, then followed the beta to the back of the establishment. He walked into a well-lit room that looked like a war room. Serving bots moved around - coming and going. The beta moved behind a worktable where he made his spirits. Mac stared at the different ingredients, fascinated. It reminded him of the tiny room behind the house, where he and his mom made spirits.
But it was nothing like this.
Against one wall was a massive steel shelf stuffed with all kinds of base ingredients for mixing spirits, on the other was a distilling machine and pressure pumps.
Wow.
He and his mom did everything the old way, they made their spirits from scratch. He'd never seen anything like this.
The beta moved around, mixing the ingredients to make the spirits. He placed them on the serving bots.
“I lost my helper a few weeks ago. He moved to the capital, and I haven’t been able to fill his position. Are you experienced in making spirits?”
He wanted someone to make spirits?
“Yes. My mom taught me. But we didn’t have fancy equipment.”
“Oh, I don’t use those. I had a dream of making spirits. But…” the beta shrugged. “I buy concentrated base ingredients and mix them to my taste. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yes, I can learn the way you make them,” Mac moved closer to the table. “I’m a quick learner.”
The beta’s eyes focused on him, his nostrils flaring.
Fuck. He’d just scented him.
Mac resisted the urge to step back so he wouldn’t catch his scent. But it was too late. He already knew.
“You’re an omega?” The stunned look wasn’t anything new.
But Mac hated it.
“I am. Is that a problem?”
“No.”
Up and down, his eyes went.