33. ELLIE

Chaste kisses and light touches happen throughout breakfast although my attention keeps getting pulled by Savin as I check on him. Macon drags me onto his lap as I chomp on what must be my fifteenth piece of bacon, an arm around me just below my chest, the other around my shoulders, casing me in against him.

“Stop staring, sweetheart.”

I growl around the bacon, “You didn’t see him! His lips were blue,” I whisper, trying not to draw Savin’s attention. The Omega has disappeared down the hall to change for a modeling shoot, one of which I’ve been invited to. I’m terrified and excited at the same time, unsure of what’s going to happen. I struggle in Macon’s arms, his lips against my ear silencing my protest.

“I did see him, sweetheart. I always see him. I also know that he doesn’t want me—want us—to worry. Finding ways to support Savin is hard but there are ways. For now, don’t stare. Don’t bring attention to his pain. Love him, nurture him, but don’t dwell on it.” Macon kisses my ear and then down my cheek to my jaw, drawing a breathy sigh from me. “You’ll notice when he’s at his limit and then you remove him from the situation. Otherwise, he will work himself to death to prove that he’s okay.”

My brows furrow as I twist around in Macon’s grip, meeting his eyes. “But why? Why is it so important to prove himself? He’s-” I bite my tongue before I say the one thing I desperately hate. He’s an Omega. Everyone should love and nurture him as most of society does. Just like I’m a Beta and society ignores me. If I break it down to our base designations, I’m no better than everyone outside this house.

Not to mention that Savin told me before that unless he’s on camera, he’s usually glossed over. He’s only as famous as his image or his Alpha.

I run my tongue along my lip rings, trying to find the right words but as usual, Macon helps me through my thought process. “It’s important because Savin feels like he’s failed. He used to be at the top of his game. He had his entire life ahead of him, not to mention a mate and a husband. And then his health took a turn for the worse. In any other occupation, his Omega status would be fawned over. In the entertainment business, many Omegas are seen as a liability. They have heats. They’re fragile. They’re full of emotion and while that’s not always the case, Savin is treated no differently. Invisible until needed.”

My heart goes out to Savin as I slip off Macon’s lap and stretch, sighing with relief when my back cracks. “That’s stupid. Savin is precious.”

“And that’s why we love you.” He stands as well, grabbing our plates to put in the dishwasher. “Do you need anything before you and Savin head out? His shoot is in an hour and fashionably late isn’t really a thing.”

“I mean… clothes.” I playfully point to the fact that I’m only dressed in his shirt, Macon turning around and chuckling at my attire. He steps up to me, wrapping his arms around my back before pressing his lips to my forehead. His morning scruff feels heavenly against my skin as I sink into his embrace. A few weeks ago I would have never entertained this much intimacy.

It wasn’t really part of my plan and now I can’t imagine days without their presence surrounding me.

“I think we can snag a ride for you.”

I hurriedly shake my head. “No, I’ll just call an Uber or something because-”

Macon pinches my chin to cut off my train of thought. He blows out a deep breath, no doubt trying to weather his emotions despite the slightly pissed expression on his face. “Ellie, please let me take care of you. I get that you do everything best on your own. But goddess, let me do the little things.” I want to ask if this is because I’m pregnant but I don’t get that far. “You opened up to us yesterday and I love that but this isn’t about bonds or babies. This is because I care. If it was you or Savin, it wouldn’t matter.”

Grabbing an Uber in my head would be easier. There would be fewer questions from my sister and I could arrive at the venue just fine. However, that isn’t the issue here. Macon is acting as my Alpha, trying to provide for me in a way that I’ve always done for myself. Hearing that he would do the same for Savin makes it easier to digest.

“Okay.” I’m halfway to the door when a pair of shorts hit me in the back of my head. “Right, clothes.” Despite my ease of walking in public with less fabric than is probably appropriate, Tati warned me about this—that an Alpha, my Alpha would show his possessiveness as time passed. I can’t wait for Macon to get all growly and try to fuck me into submission. Savin has mentioned that Macon likes that side of the bedroom and I’m just biding my time until it happens.

Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Savin pops up a few moments later, thoroughly kissing his Alpha before grabbing my hand and leading me to the garage. A small door to the left of the foyer opens and I stare inside, blinking as a Beta dressed in a full suit rests against a sleek black car. He smiles and bows slightly before opening the back door. I twist around to Savin, waiting for an explanation.

“How long has he been in here?” I hiss.

The Omega takes my hand and leads me into the backseat, before bending down to give me a soft kiss. “Not long. He’ll take you to your house and then to the venue. I’ll wait outside for you, okay?”

“But how-”

“Macon works a few streets over so he’ll drop me off. Stop worrying. Ethan will make sure you get there safe, alright?”

The door is closed, Ethan slipping into the front seat, his eyes meeting mine through the rearview mirror. “Ready to go, miss?” It feels weird being addressed with that kind of respect but I embrace it, nodding before I curl up in my seat and text my sister.

Hey

Bout time. Thought they fucked you into silence. How are you?

If you weren’t my sister, that would be weird. It’s still weird.

Not weird. You tell me all about your sexual encounters. What time will you be home?

Coming to get a change of clothes. I’m attending one of Savin’s shoots as his PA

Job upgrade? I should start sleeping with famous people.

Says the woman who isn’t interested in sex.

Ah, fuck off. I’ll run you down an outfit. What’s the vibe?

I’ll come in.

Not after you told me about the stupid cameraman following you around. Now pick an outfit. One of yours or do you need to dress it up a little bit?

Mine. Longer shirt though.

Copy that, sis. Eta?

20 mins.

I imagine walking into the venue with my usual leather pants and crop top, showcasing every last one of my tattoos and the dark makeup I usually sport. Being in the entertainment business, it might work but in every picture I’ve seen of the Astor couple, their clothes have always had a muted but rich air to them. Quiet is better. Well, shit.

Quickly, I text Carleen again.

Your clothes.

Already put together. I love your look but maybe not for this. ^^

I snort and stick my phone back in my pocket as we drive up to my apartment, my sister leaning against the building to deliver my care package. I roll down the window, Carleen approaching slowly with a wild smile on her face. “Goddamn, you smell like an Alpha, Ellie. No, no, that’s a good thing. You smell very… claimed. Anyways, clothes, water, a sandwich, and more ice cream from Eclectic Desserts.”

My nose turns up at the idea of water and the sandwich. Although I ate breakfast, I haven’t been keeping up with my meals.

“Yeah, I know that look. I want pictures after you’ve eaten. Give me your Alpha’s number so that I can make sure he keeps you on a regular schedule too.”

My cheeks warm and I shake my head, stealing the bag from her. “I’ll eat, okay?” I rummage through the bag and rip open the perfectly wrapped sandwich, stuffing half of it into my mouth. “Better?” I say, my voice muffled by the food. Carleen chuckles, shaking her head as she pats the car twice and then backs up. I throw her a small wave and roll up the window as the car takes off, Ethan rolling up the privacy screen without me having to ask.

“There’s about fifteen minutes to the next destination, miss.”

That’s the last I hear from him as I scarf down the sandwich, choking several times until I force myself to drink the water as well. A few pictures later that all get sent to my sister, I shove myself into the maxi dress that does well to hide the slight curve to my belly. I stare down at my tits, loving the way the fabric hugs them until I realize that I’ve worn this dress before and it’s never fit so snugly. Testing the waters, I grab my left tit and bite back a moan when I’m met with extreme sensitivity.

Holy fuck.

Needing to distract myself, I dig into my spinach lavender ice cream, kicking my feet up with every bite. The nonpregnant me would hurl at the thought of these flavors but it just… works. The ride passes quickly and the only reason I know we’ve arrived is that my door is flung open, Savin there with his stupidly perfect smile. His eyes widen at my half-finished pint, the Omega stealing my spoon for a taste of his own.

“Goddess, what flavor is that? Spinach and lavender? Why do I like it? Who cares? It’s delicious.” Savin takes a few more hurried bites as I admire the way his hair is tightly pulled back, showing off his bond mark. He’s dressed in a loose band tee with cut-off sleeves and tight jeans that leave almost nothing to the imagination.

An impressed sigh falls from my lips, tearing Savin’s attention away from the dessert to me. I cough to cover up my intentions, although it does nothing for my scent, and I scoot out of the car, pushing him out of the way in the process. “Not here. We cannot start anything here.”

Savin hums his response as he continues to shovel ice cream into his mouth. He scrapes the bottom of the container and lets out a ragged sigh before tossing it in a nearby trash can. “Uh-huh, Macon would be mad he missed it. Let me show you around and then I get to do the modeling thing while you watch.” His aura lights up the entire place as he steps inside, pointing at multiple stations full of products I’ve only seen in stores. Nothing aside from the general beauty products have ever caught my attention so even though these might be good, I’ve never tried any of them.

“Do you want to smell them?” One of the crew asks, holding up a few samples. “Savin, here, says they all smell like ass but I just think his nose is broken!” She giggles and I catch onto her airy Omega scent as she shoots Savin a warm smile. It makes me happy to see that there are a few that bring happiness to Savin’s day in his line of work. The girl holds up a sample to me and I shake my head.

There are a few things I’ve found that I no longer enjoy and smelling random perfumes and lotions seems like a headache that’s easy enough to avoid. “I prefer my things unscented at the moment. I’m Ellie.”

“My PA,” Savin butts in.

The girl’s face lights up. “I was wondering where Macon went! He’s usually lingering but that makes sense. Jace will be relieved not to have to deal with the Alpha’s presence. I love Macon but he can be… a lot. Right, I’m Yvonne.” She sticks her hand out and I take it eagerly, her gaze soon narrowing in my direction. “You smell really sweet. No way! When are you due?”

I suck in my bottom lip, not sure if I want to answer that question. Of course, other Omegas would pick up on my scent—their noses work way better than the other designations. I do well not to touch my stomach but I just give her a little smile before trying to get out of the conversation. Yvonne catches on and shrugs as if she never asked the question in the first place.

“Savin, you’re at station three and then four. Ash is the photographer, so good luck.” She points across the white tiled floor at a row of stations, each with other Omegas and Betas posing for pictures. A shutter sounds and then another until it’s just a cacophony of them. Savin guides me over to station three, his hand wrapped around my wrist, fingers digging into my skin to keep me present.

“I kind of forgot that this would be a problem,” he mutters.

“It’s not. I’m okay. It’s not the same.”

“The last thing we should be doing is stressing you out when-”

I pull my wrist from his grip, Savin whirling around in shock. I nearly lose my cool before I reach up to fix the collar of his shirt—not that it needs it—to give the illusion that there’s a reason to be this close. “If you say babies, I will murder you. I am not a piece of glass and you do not need to coddle me any more than I need to do for you. Now, go out there and look pretty before I’m tempted to ruin whatever makeup they’ve slathered on your face.”

A giggle tears from his throat as he walks over to the one empty station, a photographer approaching him to position him correctly. Ash, I presume, is a wild character with a brilliant red mohawk, more earrings than me, and a gown that looks like it belongs at the MET gala. I’m not even sure what Ash is wearing but it’s impressive.

I stand there awkwardly, watching Savin work his magic. His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes—it’s not the same one he shows at the house. Still, I watch and reassure him when he looks in my direction. I’m sure as a real PA I would be doing something more but the least I can do is grab him water and snacks. Finding the buffet of junk food is rather easy as I snag a water bottle and a few cookies, knowing that both Savin and I prefer sweets over chips.

“You must be the new PA that Macon was telling me about.”

I pause in my tracks and turn around to face an Alpha nearly as large as Macon. His presence isn’t as fierce but blue eyes and that haughty smile tell me he’s trouble. “And you must be Jace.” I shuffle everything into my left arm so I can shake with my right. Jace accepts the gesture, obviously trying to dissect me with the way his gaze keeps narrowing.

“Having Macon run around here for his Omega was a bit of a mess. Every time he thought something went wrong, he’d step in and make sure it was corrected. A bit of a headache.”

I don’t like Jace’s tone but I don’t comment on it. “Right. Seems like a lot.” I head back to station three, Jace in tow. Does he need something? “Yes?”

“It’s just nice to see Savin opening up to other assistants. They don’t usually last long but he seems to like you. Now Macon can get his work done and-”

My face contorts with disgust as I drop my spoils onto a chair behind the station before turning to face Jace head-on. “I’m sure you mean well. After all, Savin is your model. But in the past minute that I’ve met you, you’ve favored Macon over Savin. Are you one of the ones that believe Macon’s mother?”

Jace holds up his hands, waving them furiously. “No! I-”

“Then don’t fucking talk about Savin like that.” At this moment, Jace doesn’t remind me of an Alpha. I get the feeling that he exudes power until he’s caught demeaning his own or lying. I know nothing about him but I have decided that I don’t like him. “Excuse me, I have to make sure that Savin stays hydrated.” There’s no need to interrupt but from what Macon said, Savin will run himself into the ground.

Just as he moves to station four, I intercept him and drag him back to his seat, not listening to Ash’s protest that they’re on a schedule. “Hey baby,” I whisper so that only he can hear. “Water and cookies.” Savin lets out a little sigh as he stuffs a cookie into his mouth, lids falling shut as he rests against the chair. “You know, it’s not the work itself that bothers me. It’s the cameras and the lighting and the rigid poses. It might be only fifteen minutes of it but it’s a strain nonetheless.”

“Do we need to go home?”

“No, I’m just explaining. Give me another minute and then I’ll be okay.”

My head tilts as I watch Savin, truly watch him. His jaw pulls tight and his fist clenches at his side as he swallows the last of his cookie. Macon said not to stare but it’s so fucking hard. Ash is yelling for Savin to hurry up and I ignore him again, handing Savin the bottle of water. He downs it before muttering a thank you and marching to the next station.

The second station takes much longer, Ash never happy with Savin’s poses or the way Ash positions him. It’s never quite right but I can see my Omega fading with every click of the camera. At one point, he stumbles forward and then corrects himself, mumbling a sorry to which Ash lashes out. I hate it. I hate all of it. And I’m just supposed to stand here?

As his PA, maybe I would understand and allow Ash to berate Savin but as Savin’s Beta? I can’t watch this. Even worse, he’s the father of my unborn children. I grit my teeth together, deciding to step in. Macon said I could, that at my discretion I would need to make a choice to protect Savin’s health.

“Excuse me.” I step up beside Savin, glaring at Ash. “Do you need more pictures or is this done?”

“You have no right-”

He points in my face and I do my best not to snap his finger off with my teeth. “I have every right as his PA to keep you from badgering him. You position him and then don’t like it. Or are you trying to get more material than he’s been hired for?” I’m bullshitting at this point but it works by the embarrassed look on Ash’s face. “Great, so you have what you need and Savin is done here. Right?”

“Yes.”

Without looking back, I delicately guide Savin to the seat behind station three, grab our things, and march toward the door. In reality, we move very slowly as I try to keep from pulling Savin along. His breaths are shallow, his face a few shades lighter than usual but that smile is still on his face as he mouths ‘thank you’. I sit him on the bench by the entrance before pulling my phone out to text Macon.

Alpha, how do we call a driver?

This isn’t something we spoke about and Savin has his head bowed, hands fisted on his thighs. I didn’t even think to ask him but I’ve already messaged Macon.

Is everything okay?

No. Savin… we just need to get home.

I’m hoping that Savin doesn’t pass out because I might lose my shit. Most likely by stomping back over to those stations and letting Ash have a piece of my mind.

I’m down the street. Give me a few minutes, sweetheart.

I’m about to respond when my phone lights up with his call. “Yes, Alpha?” My eyes scan the general vicinity but no one is paying us any mind. Well, Jace is standing a few feet from the buffet table, his attention trained on the two of us. Instinctively I step to the right, blocking his view of Savin.

“How’s he doing?”

“Not great.” I place a hand on Savin’s shoulder, squeezing a little to remind him that I’m there with him, He leans his head on my hip, taking large gulps of air beside me. “When are you going to be here? I can call—” I cut myself off, knowing that Macon will want to pick us up. If he hadn’t, he would have sent a car.

“Five minutes. Maybe less. Walk Savin outside for me, alright? How are you doing?”

“Could be better. They really don’t see him other than when he’s in front of the camera. We’re sitting over here and not one person has come to check on us. Not even one of the other Omegas I first met.” It hurts so much. I thought this part of the business would pride each and every individual but they pick and choose when to see them and I hate it. “Savin, Macon’s on his way. He said to wait outside.”

Savin shoots me a sloppy grin and then groans, before slowly sitting back and then pushing to his feet. He uses me as a crutch, stringing an arm around my shoulder as I help him outside. “Hey Alpha,” he mutters when I hold the phone out between us.

“Hey, baby. I’m right around the corner.”

Screeching wheels sound through the earpiece and as we step outside, Macon’s car is barrelling through the parking lot to get to us. The Alpha hops out to help Savin in the back before turning to press his forehead to mine.

“I’m not sure whatever we would do without you, sweetheart. What did you say to get Ash to let you go?”

“Said he was taking too many pictures.”

Macon roars with laughter as he gestures for me to sit inside with Savin. I snuggle up against the Omega, Savin leaning down for a sweet kiss before sliding down to place his head in my lap. Unfortunately, that’s when I hear that camera shutter but I do well not to look around as Macon peels out of the parking lot.

“You heard that, right?” I ask, uncertainty in my voice. I slip my fingers into Savin’s hair, undoing his bun, needing something to occupy my thoughts. “Macon, they took pictures.”

“Sweetheart, whatever happens, I will be right here to protect you both. There’s not much of a story they can spin when all three of us are here.”

I settle, not wanting to exacerbate the situation but I don’t believe that at all. I don’t believe the worst thing that someone could run in the tabloids is my new relationship with the Astors. I’m not worried about them publicizing my job or where I go to school. I’m worried about them somehow masking the truth with whatever story they want to run.

Macon’s mother did it. It could happen again.

“Trying to rip my hair out, angel?” Savin groans. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” He’s asking about me when he’s in pain? I need to do better about swallowing down my emotions. This irrational fear of a story being run is mine to bear. If Macon isn’t worried, then neither should I be.

“Nothing. Sleep, we’ll be home soon.”

I want to curl up with Savin in his nest and wish the world away for a day. Unfortunately, I still have a shift at Euphoria, and my share of the rent won’t pay for itself.