Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Sharon

"Could we get our check?"

It was harder than usual to bite back my sigh and force a smile at the family seated at Tiffany's table. Another Friday night, and another night she just couldn't seem to keep up.

This place would fall apart if I quit.

It had been over a week since the night I'd worked at The Warehouse, and thoughts of quitting Frankie's kept popping into my head. I'd loved working here, even on the hard nights, but after seeing what it could be like to work at a club, it was getting harder to remember my loyalty.

It wouldn't be like that at just any bar or club though. The Warehouse is different.

My core clenched as I tried to ignore the memories associated with that night, a bead of sweat rolling down my spine.

"Of course. I'll grab it for you in just a moment."

The laden tray I carried seemed to gain weight the longer I held it, and I hustled over to the table waiting on their food.

"This burger was supposed to be plain. It has mayo on it."

"I need ketchup for my fries."

"Can I get more water?"

I gritted my teeth as the family bombarded me, holding on to my smile with sheer determination.

"I'm so sorry about that, I'll have them make another right now, and I'll bring ketchup and another water."

I was breathing harder than usual when I reached the kitchen window, my skin crawling as more sweat made my shirt stick to me. The sensation had me wanting to rip it off, irritation seething beneath the calm fa?ade I was barely hanging onto.

"That burger was supposed to be plain, bun and meat only. I need another."

Gary grunted and waved a hand at me as he slapped another patty on the grill. Turning to grab the water pitcher, I almost slammed into Tiffany, a snarl ripping out of my throat before I could stop it.

Gasping, Tiffany jerked back, her eyes and nostrils flaring. She was only a beta, but she acted more omega than I did sometimes, and at the moment her reaction only irritated me further.

I sucked in a breath to calm myself, almost gagging over the scents that bombarded me.

"Table five needs their check. They've been waiting."

"S-Sorry. I'll get it now."

Instead of placing the order ticket she held on the clip before heading to the register, she turned and fled with it still sticking out of her fist. All I could do was shake my head, knowing there was going to be another table irritated by the wait for their food. Hopefully the idiot remembered to come back and give Gary the order before being distracted by something else.

"You okay, Sharon?"

My spine stiffened as Frankie's voice drifted from behind me. I hadn't realized he'd emerged from his office, but a quick peek at his face showed he'd probably heard my slip.

"Just busy, and she's making it worse, like usual. I don't know how you're going to make it without me."

His brow dipped as he turned his attention to the younger woman, but he shrugged one shoulder.

"I hired a new girl today to cover you. If she works out I'll give her Tiffany's shifts and bump Tiffany to lunch."

The tension along my spine eased at the reminder that he was prepared for what was coming. My heats had always been fairly predictable, but there was no way to know exactly when they'd start, and I always worked as long as I could. With the way I was feeling, I might have to call in for my next shift.

"That's good."

His focus turned back to me, and he gave me an assessing look as I grabbed a fresh bottle of ketchup for my table.

"If you need to go, come get me. Waiting tables is better than dealing with alphas getting stupid over omega pheromones."

I grimaced at the reminder of what had happened in my first year working at Frankie's. I'd held out too long, well after the cramps had started and slick was seeping from me in a constant flow, and there had been a brawl between my then-boyfriend and a customer.

"I'm not that close. I'll be fine."

Pinning me with his stare, he remained silent until a ding from the kitchen window made me turn away. My burger was waiting, and Frankie had already headed back to his office when I glanced toward where he'd been.

When the night was finally over and cleanup complete, I was grateful for the chill in the air as I stepped outside. If I was smarter, I'd have found an alpha to hole up with for the next few days, or been even smarter and gone to one of the centers for unbound omegas in heat, but I wasn't planning to do either. Every time I'd thought about contacting someone I thought I could trust to help me through my heat, dark eyes had flashed through my mind, and I'd gotten an unsettled feeling.

Dreams of Alex had plagued me since I'd left him at the club and followed his directions to go home and go straight to bed without washing, but I had nothing more than his first name. Even if I'd been willing to risk trusting him enough to ask for help, there was no way for me to contact him.

And that was just a one-time thing. Alphas like him don't date omegas like me. They use us and move on.

I wiggled in my seat as I started the car, my core clenching at the thought of him using me. I couldn't help that it excited me, especially on the cusp of my heat. I was biologically designed to react to alphas and their aggressive natures.

It was a short drive to my apartment, and I scanned the parking lot as I arrived, making sure there wasn't anyone outside. Even though it wasn't that late for a Friday night, the area was quiet, and I slipped from my car, pausing to dig the special spray I splurged on from my purse. The stuff was ridiculously expensive, but I bought it anyway for my safety. Scent didn't linger in the air for long, but if an alpha came by too soon after I'd passed, especially if I'd touched something, they'd be able to pick up my pheromones.

I gave the door of my car a quick spritz, then sprayed it over my shoulder every couple steps. Making sure not to touch the handrail of the staircase, I hurried up to my floor then down to my door. After unlocking it I doused the area around me as I backed into my living room and shut the door, throwing the deadbolt and turning the lock on the knob for good measure. It wouldn't be much protection if an alpha figured out there was an unmated omega in heat inside, but the spray prevented that from happening.

The tension in my shoulders eased as the familiar scent of my home invaded my lungs, reassuring the animal part of me that I was safe. There was a little itch in the back of my mind that something was missing, but it was easy to ignore as I put my things away and headed for the kitchen. I wasn't truly hungry, but without an alpha to tend me through my cycle, it wasn't likely that I'd be getting many nutrients over the next few days, so filling up prior was important.

The first cramp hit as I was washing my plate after stuffing down a half-cold serving of leftover lasagna. It almost sent the heavy glob of noodles and cheese sitting in my stomach back up, and I pressed a hand to my belly as I concentrated on keeping it down. I'd hoped to make it to morning before things progressed, but it seemed like my body wasn't going to give me a chance to get a good night's sleep.

This wasn't the first heat I'd spent alone, so it didn't take much thought to fill a few bottles with water and grab nonperishable snacks to put on my bedside table. My nest of blankets atop the mattress called to me, but I had to be sure everything was ready before I could give in and sink into their embrace.

I found the spare batteries and put them on the bedside table with the water and snacks before digging out my trusty toys. After suffering through my first untended heat, I'd learned that rechargeable dildos just wouldn't work, because once they died, I didn't have enough thought process to put them back on their charger.

I'd also gone out and bought one with a sensor that inflated its artificial knot when it felt the contractions of an orgasm squeezing it. I couldn't articulate the frustration of trying to pump up one of the manual ones when I could barely think beyond the need.

With everything prepped, I stripped out of my work clothes, tossing them in the special basket in my closet that was odor proof. I grew numb to the scent of grease and people while I was at the diner, but past experience had told me that those smell would drive me crazy once I sank deeper into my heat. I couldn't afford to replace shredded clothing again.

My thoughts were already starting to slow, haze taking over the edges of my mind as I walked into my tiny bathroom. The cramps continued but were milder as I performed tasks my body saw as nesting, but they would grow more intense throughout the night. I'd gone through it enough times to know I only had a few hours left before I'd be crying into my blankets.

Body already weary, I'd have preferred to take a shower so I could get into bed faster, but the pelting of the water on my skin would be too much, so I was stuck with taking a bath. Which, of course, meant I had to scrub the entire tub first, then find my bath salts and oils, then wait for the water to warm again before I could fill the tub.

I sank into the tepid liquid, growling under my breath because it wasn't as hot as I'd have liked, but my skin was crawling, and my patience was running thin. I let myself sit for a moment, trying to relax as another cramp tensed my middle and made me grunt, but it wasn't long before the brightness of the overhead light began to irritate me.

Sitting up, I snatched my washcloth from the edge of the tub and dunked it in the water before pouring a glob of my unscented soap in the middle. I lathered myself from scalp to toes, scrubbing my skin until I was pink and tingling, but even removing the layers of smells and sweat didn't make me feel better.

Snarling, I yanked the plug and stood, turning on the shower to rinse off. The frigid liquid that hit me square in the chest stole my breath, and I shrieked as I did a quick spin before kicking the plunger to turn the shower off again. Teeth chattering, I grabbed my towel and dried myself as fast as possible before wrapping it around my hair and darting for my nest.

The crinkle of the mattress protector beneath my sheets was another irritation, but I ignored it as I burrowed into the mound of microfiber and fake silk. Drawing my knees up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and shivered until the bedding finally warmed enough to let my muscles relax.

Buried in my nest, the cramps that had been growing stronger eased again, and I reached beneath my pillow to pull out the skirt I'd worn over a week ago, bringing it to my nose as I drifted into a fitful sleep.