Chapter 1

Ari

Wealthy people sure knew how to throw a party. At least my parents did. They'd pulled out all the stops for this one, hosting it in their penthouse apartment in downtown Barrington that took up the entire top floor of the towering building. There were floor to ceiling windows in the vast living room that looked out on two sides of the city. The glittering, nighttime skyline of Barrington was the highlight view now, but during the day, the spectacular view of the beach and the ocean beyond were the star of the show.

I stood by one of the windows, gazing past the sparkling, expensive skyline to the blackness of the mountains and forests beyond. It was the one part of the view that I had to crane my neck to actually see, which was fitting. I'd been uncomfortable in my parents' world since the day I was born.

The flash and spectacle of the city was at my feet, literally and figuratively, mine for the taking, thanks to my parents' name and money. The beach was always there as an option when I wanted to show off my svelte, omega body and end up with some kind of racy photo in the gossip section of the papers that only rich people read. I could have whatever I wanted, as long as it fit into the neat little gem-encrusted box of the super-rich.

The mountains were what I truly wanted, though. They had always intrigued me. Nature intrigued me. It was the opposite of the glitz and glamour of my parents' world. The mountains were cool and calm. They had an air of mystery to them, an air of escape. With a slight edge of danger, of course.

I wasn't sure which excited me more, the escape or the danger.

No, that was a lie. At the moment, what pulsed through me and tugged at every cell of my being was the need to escape. I had to escape the shallow, stilted existence I'd been born into. I had to escape the perfectionism I was held to and the sheer emptiness of it all. I had to do more than look pretty in designer clothes and keep my parents' name in the papers by appearing at gallery openings and fashion shows. I wasn't sure how much longer I could be nothing but another bangle on my mother's wrist, or another byline in my father's newspaper empire. If I had to be someone's trophy for another second, I'd?—

I'd do absolutely nothing. Because it was already too late for me. My fate was sealed. That was what the party was all about.

"Ari, come away from the window and socialize with your guests," my mother said, smiling perfectly as usual and looking like she genuinely enjoyed the spectacle she'd spearheaded. Well, the party planner she'd hired had spearheaded it, but she'd supervised the professionals.

I thought about protesting. I thought about storming off to my bedroom, packing a bag, and leaving the party and my life entirely. I was twenty now, a third of the money in my trust fund had been released to me on my birthday, which was a small fortune by anyone else's standards, and I should have had every right to set out on my own.

Except for the tiny detail that I didn't have any marketable skills, I didn't know the first thing about taking care of myself, and I was just plain chicken.

Besides, the Ingraham family would have found me and brought me back anyhow, even if my parents wouldn't have.

I sighed and pushed away from the window. "Okay, Mom," I said, without any enthusiasm. "I'll do whatever you need me to."

My mom reached for my hand and kissed my cheek once she had me. "You look beautiful, you know," she said, pride in her eyes. "That white really suits you."

I flushed as I glanced down at the designer suit she'd picked out for me. It was by an up-and-coming beta designer that she had been championing, and it was, admittedly, flattering. It was in that popular masculine-feminine juxtaposition style that was popular with our set in Barrington at the moment. The cut was clean and male, but the fabrics were soft and drapey, with flowery details and suggestive motifs. It made me feel like a cross between a modern omega on the go and one of those omegas from history who were auctioned off to the highest bidder, then carted home and bred like they were a piece of meat.

Surprisingly, that last part didn't bother me so much. In fact, I kind of got off on the idea of being an omega who was treated like an object to be claimed and bred. There was something primal and delicious about the idea of having an alpha hunt me down in a primeval forest because his instinct demanded he breed. I might even have fantasized about being roughly force-bred by some hulking alpha who didn't even know my name while jerking off a time or two. Or two dozen.

Fuck, that was my go-to fantasy to turn my ass to a loose, slick-dripping mess while I pounded myself with the fattest, knot-producing dildo money could buy. I'd even asked the alpha from Bangers Mash that my father had hired to take me through my first heat last year to tie me up while he fucked me, but he'd said bondage wasn't in his skill set. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Although there wouldn't be a next time with a hired alpha, would there. There wouldn't be anything interesting, that much was certain. There would only be Clyve.

"There you are, Ari," Clyve said in his suave, slightly European accent. Which was totally faked, by the way. The Ingrahams were no more European than my family, the Crestmonts. Clyve had been sent to Italy for university, and he'd come back with that stupid, fake accent that wasn't Italian. "You're looking hot tonight."

"Thanks," I said, knowing I should smile and be enthusiastic for my fiancé, but not feeling it at all.

Clyve was your typical, entitled, young, rich alpha. He was on the short side for an alpha at only six feet, and much of his bulk was because of his barrel-chested build instead of any work he put in at the gym. As far as I knew, the only time he'd ever done squats was when he was kneeling down to kiss his father's boots. Norman Ingraham was one of the wealthiest businessmen in Barrington, on the entire East Coast. He controlled a shipping empire that included owning most of Barrington's port district, and ports all up and down the coast. My family had money, but the Ingrahams put us to shame.

But not so much shame that they hadn't felt the benefits of arranging a marriage between Clyve and me. It was the perfect merger of shipping and news media, an ideal match between the golden boy alpha son of one family and the gorgeous, useless omega son of another. We were expected to smile and reassure the rest of the wealthy class that marital mergers worked, and I was expected to pop out at least four or five perfect, shiny kids, preferably alphas but with one, attractive, biddable omega to barter off the same way I was, who would grow up looking and acting exactly like their grandparents.

"I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone," my mom said, kissing my cheek, then stepping away. "Don't go far, though. Your father wants to make the wedding announcements in about five minutes. I'm just going to go have a word with the photographers to make sure they know and that they're set up to get your best angles."

"Okay, Mom," I said, smiling for her. She really did love the limelight and creating a social media perfect image, and I hated to ruin things like that for her.

"I'll make certain little Ari behaves, Mrs. Crestmont," Clyve said, winking at my mom, then ogling her ass as she walked away.

I tried to hide my sneer at Clyve's rude stare, but I hadn't yet perfected the art of seeming like I didn't care how messed up the world I was stuck in was. Mom had that one down, and I'm sure I would learn from her in time.

As soon as Clyve finished drooling over my mom, he turned to me and gave me the same sort of hungry look. That was pretty much all I got from him, though. His father might have been a shrewd businessman who made money like it was candy floss, but Clyve was as dumb as a post. He didn't have the first clue how to make conversation. I already knew half my life going forward would be talking to people for him.

And then he had the audacity to say, "God, I can't wait for your heat!"

"Excuse me?" I said, blinking once at him.

"I'm going to tear that sweet ass of yours to shreds," he said, either not hearing the flatness in my voice or not caring. He wiped the lower half of his face like it was already sticky with my slick. "You've only ever had one heat before, right?"

"Not that it's any of your business," I muttered.

Clyve snapped his eyes up from where he'd been staring at the exposed vee of skin over my chest. "It damn well is my business," he said, narrowing his eyes. "You belong to me now."

"Not until the wedding," I muttered, even though it was useless to protest.

"Which is next month," he said. "You're as good as mine either way. If I could go back in time and take your first heat myself just so you'd go your whole life never tasting another alpha's cock, I would."

"Charming," I said, rolling my eyes. I reached for a flute of champagne from the tray of one of the servers, who seemed to know I needed at least a moment of rescue and veered close.

"I was promised you'd be a good, obedient omega," Clyve hissed once the server moved on. "That's exactly what you're going to be. You don't want to mess around with me, Ari. I'm an important alpha. You have no idea. I can make your life a living hell."

Whatever will to fight I had vanished. Clyve was right. Not the part about being an important alpha. He wasn't even twenty-five yet, and still sucked at his father's teat. He would probably always kiss his father's ass and rely on his father's influence, too. Norman Ingraham was the one who had arranged our marriage to begin with. He controlled every aspect of Clyve's life, whether Clyve knew it or not.

He would control every aspect of my life, too.

"I'll do whatever you want, Clyve," I sighed, knowing I would because I would have no choice.

"You know it," Clyve said with a smug grin. "Now, stay right here and keep out of trouble. I need to go take a shit before our wedding announcement."

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes again by downing the champagne as Clyve walked away. Alcoholism was looking like a good idea right about then. God only knew how many high society omegas drown their bitter fates with a bottle. I would just be continuing a long tradition of being a useless, stressed out, hopeless, wealthy omega.

"Hard day at the office?"

The teasing comment came from my only true friend in the world, Hayden, as he came in to fill the vacuum left by Clyve.

I'd never been so happy to see anyone.

"Just contemplating my fate," I sighed. I set the empty champagne flute on the table near where we stood, then greeted Hayden with a hug. As another omega from a wealthy family, I knew Hayden understood my misery.

"There's still time to get out of it, you know," Hayden said once we were standing side-by-side, watching the crowd of stiff, unhappy, oh-so pleased with themselves rich people as they did what they did best, consumed overpriced food while wearing overpriced clothing and being miserable while doing it.

I huffed a laugh. "There's no getting out of any of this for me," I said, glancing around. "My fate was sealed the day I was born in a high-priced birthing center bedroom while a hundred thousand dollar midwife waved crystals over my mom and chanted."

Hayden snorted a laugh. "When I have kids, I'm just going to have them at the hospital, like normal people."

"Unless whatever power-alpha your parents arrange for you to marry says differently," I said, wishing I were joking.

Hayden, who always had a sense of humor, despite the expectations for our lives, grinned. "I've already told Papa and Dad that I will choose my own mate," he said.

"And their response was?" I prompted him.

Hayden laughed. "They gave me a short list to choose from."

I smirked and shook my head. "Normal people get to choose their own mates. We aren't normal. So you can kiss the hospital goodbye."

"Maybe," Hayden said with a shrug. He kept smiling as he went on with, "Just because you have to marry the prick your parents picked doesn't mean you can't have a little fun elsewhere."

I stared at Hayden. "Are you kidding? Have you heard the stories of what happens to society omegas if they're caught having an affair?"

"If they're caught," Hayden said, shrugging one shoulder. "And you're not married yet."

"I will be in a month," I said, frowning at the corner where my parents had intercepted Clyve on the way to the bathroom, like they were coordinating final details before the announcement.

"So?" Hayden went on. "You still have a month to sow some wild oats."

I stared at Hayden again. Something about the way he spoke wasn't random. Heat wasn't the only time omegas had sex. I'd only had one heat, but I'd had more sex than most people my age. College had been fun. It was where I learned I liked bondage, and where I'd had a chance to experiment with it. But I could tell from the glint in Hayden's eyes he had ideas about how I could spend the next month.

"If you ask me, you need one last, really good heat before accepting your fate," Hayden went on, confirming my suspicions.

"That isn't exactly up to me," I said. "The wedding date was planned specifically so that I would go into heat just afterwards, just in time for the honeymoon."

"Yeah, but omegas have more control over when their heats start than they used to just a few years ago," Hayden said.

He was talking about Heat Lightning. The system had been invented by scientists at Bangers Mash and had hit the market like a storm a few years before. It had been designed to help omegas in omega/beta or omega/omega relationships to get through heat without an alpha partner, but the pills that were part of the system were perfect for jumpstarting heat. Taking one pill could give an omega a mini heat of one or two waves. If an omega was close to heat anyhow, one or two Heat Lightning pills would bring on the full three-day cycle.

I shook my head. "There's no point in bringing on my heat early," I said. "I have no one to spend it with but Clyve. He sure as hell isn't going to let me call Bangers Mash again."

Hayden gave me a downright wicked smile. "There are more organizations besides Bangers Mash to help you get your rocks off."

He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a business card, which he handed to me.

The card was matte black with shiny black printing, which made it just a little hard to read. I could read the words, "Dark Fantasies Club" printed in the middle with a website address underneath it.

A shiver shot down my spine. "Dark Fantasies Club?" I asked quietly.

"It's for those of us with specific kinks, to help match us up with others who share those kinks," Hayden murmured.

"Such as?" I asked, even though my fantasies had already popped into my mind.

"Oh, you know," Hayden said. "This and that. BDSM, slave fantasies, kidnappings. Things that shouldn't get us off but absolutely do."

I saw myself running through the woods, burning up with heat, terrified of the alpha chasing me. That flashed to me being tightly bound in a breeding position and fucked so hard the nameless alpha breeched my womb and pumped it full of his seed.

"There are people who actually organize that sort of thing?" I asked, already feeling hot, like a precursor to going into heat. At the rate I was going, I might not even need Heat Lightning pills.

"Ari, there are people who will organize every sick, kinky, wild fantasy you could possibly have," Hayden said, leaning close so that no one might overhear us in passing.

"And you've…you've used this service?" I asked, heart racing.

"Mmm hmm," Hayden said, eyes glittering with mischief. "A couple times. I arranged to be kidnapped as I left work late a couple times. I had the alpha grab me and secure me with duct tape, then take me to a dirty apartment in the bad part of town and fuck me raw while I screamed in protest."

My eyes went wide, partly because I was shocked at Hayden's kink, and partly because I craved that experience so badly myself.

"And you arranged for all of that?" I said. "You, what, like, put in an order with someone for a rape fantasy?" I lowered my voice even more.

"Yep," Hayden said. "Best sex of my life. All three times I've done it. It really scratches that itch you don't want other people to know about."

My primal fantasy flashed through my imagination again. "How?—"

I snapped my mouth shut over my question as one of the servers came over to offer Hayden and I blinis with cheese and caviar. We both shook our heads, and they headed off.

"Visit the website," Hayden said, urging me to tuck the card away. "It's all done really professionally, I promise you. The matching part of the process is anonymous, but then you're required to have a planning meeting with your fantasy match. Each of you is required to bring a second along for the meeting to vouch for you and to meet and approve of the other person. There's even a contract you sign, and for longer scenes, both parties are required to check in with their seconds at regular intervals to make sure everything is safe, sane, and consensual."

"Got it," I said, practically buzzing with excitement. So much so that my dick was trying to stand up and tell me to visit the website immediately. "And people set up all sorts of fantasies through this site?"

"Yep," Hayden said. "You can arrange to meet someone tomorrow, if you want. Well, next day really is a little too fast to go through the required protocol, but you've got plenty of time to plan and execute something so dirty and kinky that you'll fantasize about it years from now, when Clyve can barely get it up to give you your fifth child in as many years and when sex has turned into more of a chore."

I grunted, feeling like that hit a little too close to home.

Across the room, my mom started clinking her fat wedding ring against a champagne flute to get everyone's attention. "Everyone, if you could gather around, it's time to make the announcements."

She smiled directly at me, gesturing for me to come join her and my frowning father. Beside them, Clyve's papa and father were watching Clyve as he stumbled toward them from the hall were the bathroom was.

That was it. That was my future. I had one chance to make a memory that would carry me through the next, painful sixty years.

"I'm doing it," I told Hayden, stepping forward. "I know exactly the fantasy I want, and I'm going on the site tonight, after the party, to set it up. You'll be my second, won't you?"

"Of course," Hayden said with a shit-eating grin as my parents' guests started to applaud. "What are friends for if not to get you laid in the kinkiest way possible before you marry a jackass?"