34. ELLIE

ELLIE

The evening shift feels a lot more hostile than usual—not just the low tips and the odd looks but the general murmurs and pointing as I dance my way through a set I know like the back of my hand. Even as practiced as I am, I stumble over the last few steps, cursing at my loss of concentration.

“Ellie, wait!” Tati calls after me. One of the girls is resting by my desk, a newer Beta, but definitely one that believes she owns Lewis by the balls. I try to push past her but Darla is having none of it. She grabs my wrist and shoves me into a chair.

“What the fuck was that? Just because you’re some big hotshot doesn’t mean that you don’t have to perform.” Darla pulls out her phone, furiously scrolling until she snaps the device around to face me. Clear as day, there’s a picture of Savin kissing me, his hand wrapped around my neck. It looks sweet, like something between lovers. “Being a homewrecker isn’t anything to be proud of.”

I frown. “What the fuck are you talking about?” Unconsciously, I rub my stomach, shifting uncomfortably in my chair. The outfit of tonight covers my midriff, Tati ensuring that I get to keep my secret a little longer. Tati snatches the phone, her face morphing from confusion to anger.

“Says that Savin is cheating on his Alpha with you. You’ve been seen at two events with him now and… there’s not a lot of nice things to say about you in here.”

My face blanches because I now understand why all the patrons kept pointing at me. My face is out there. People know who I am, however, not as one of the Astors, but as the woman who’s trying to pull them apart. Whoever took a picture of us framed it as though I had been in the backseat with Savin without Macon’s knowledge. It didn’t matter that our Alpha was driving the car—that’s not a story everyone would latch onto.

Darla laughs, “Nothing to say for yourself? You know Lewis doesn’t like drama. Why the fuck would you bring it here? And you told all of us that you didn’t sell yourself. That that wasn’t your thing and yet you’re publicly caught macking on someone’s Omega. Trashy, Ellie. Real trashy.”

I don’t even get a chance to defend myself when Lewis scoots into the room, nearly dragging me out by my hair. “Fix this,” he seethes before walking me into one of the private booths, separated from the main floor. He sits me down across from Nathan himself, the man cackling at my disheveled appearance. I have never wanted to put on more clothes in my life.

“Got yourself into a little pickle, eh? I couldn’t see you as Macon’s but Savin? He’ll fuck anything that walks. It’s too bad the press caught you because that Omega has a sweet little ass. Probably cries real loud when he comes too, huh?” His lips curl up in a nasty grin and I reach across the table to pop him in his mouth. He growls in frustration, blood trickling from his nose. “You little cunt. That’s twice you hit me. Twice. You might think you got it made because you’re Savin’s bitch but that’s not the case. I will have your job and your-”

“Nathan, calm down.” The sickly sweet, familiar voice cuts him off, my entire body rigid as Aalya steps into view. I haven’t seen her since she hired me to work for her son but she’s just as elegant and off-putting as she was when we first met. Aalya steps up to Nathan’s side, placing her manicured claws on his shoulder and squeezing until he winces and scoots over. The power move is unnecessary but proves a point as she sits where Nathan just was.

A small envelope is placed on the table between us as Aalya leans forward, clasping her hands together beneath her chin.

“See, I had a bad feeling about you, Ellie. Hiring you to clean my son’s house was in poor taste. However, you’ve done half the work for me. I wouldn’t have picked you and I never would have thought that Savin would have given you a second glance, but what’s done is done.” A wiry grin slides onto her face as her gaze dips to the envelope and then back to me.

I know I’m being silenced and more, being told off from the Astor house. I just don’t understand how Macon’s mother is involved. Until I remember the main points from that tabloid tell-all and everything clicks. Aayla sees this as an in to offer Macon the ‘perfect Omega’.

“I’m not a homewrecker, Ms. Astor. Macon was there—driving the car. He-”

“Don’t you ever accuse my son of such disgusting behavior. Rope that useless Omega into whatever plans you have but you won’t do the same to Macon. Now, if you would stop playing games, you’ll know that it’s in your best interest to walk away. Go home, wait, and all this will blow over.” She pushes the envelope toward me but I refuse to touch it. I won’t be paid off and I won’t be made into the perfect vessel that she needs me to be.

I fold my arms across my chest. “We’re together. Money won’t make this go away, ma’am.”

“I highly doubt my son would touch you with all that metal everywhere. Goddess, I should have taken pity on you and given you that job. Macon will get the Omega he deserves and Savin will pay for disrespecting my son. You would do best to not get any funny ideas and go home.” Aayla leans back in the booth, waiting for me to make a move. Nathan is silent but the smirk on his face is making it really hard not to reveal that I’m pregnant with my mates’ babies. The problem is that someone like Aayla would require a DNA check and ultimately, finding out that they were Savin’s would make all this worse.

Without anything else to say, I just sit there. Aayla has other plans, though, as she stands and grabs the envelope before gesturing for me to follow her. I don’t want to draw any additional attention to myself so I keep my head tucked, sending a small wave to Tati on my way out the back door. A sleek black car is sitting in the parking lot, my confusion rising until the door is opened.

“Go ahead, Ellie. My driver will make sure you get home safely.”

I slide in, the envelope placed on the seat beside me before the door is closed. Aayla is dangerous, not just because she’s powerful but because she doesn’t care about boundaries. Macon has already told her to stay away. Savin has done the same and she still hasn’t listened.

I keep my thoughts to myself, glaring at the offensive paper at my side. I can only imagine the thousands of dollars written out on the check that has to be in there but curiosity gets the better of me when I open it. Seconds pass by as I stare at the zeroes both appalled and angered by the amount.

Walking away is only worth $250,000?

Her son’s sanity is only worth a quarter of a million when both Macon and Savin are worth billions? I snicker and then slap a hand over my mouth. My response is ridiculous but the random fact that a human’s body on the black market is worth the same throws me into a fit of laughter. I’m sure the driver thinks I’m crazy as he pulls up beside my apartment but the giggles are keeping the anxiety and panic away.

As I dash up the stairs to find comfort in my sister, no words have to be shared as she opens her arms for me to fall into. The laughter turns into gasps and then I pull away, fists curling at my side, the envelope crinkling in my hand.

“Tell me that I don’t need to kill your mates. At least tell me that,” Carleen growls out as she folds her arms across his chest, face hardened from the news swirling around regarding my scandalous kiss. “Ellie, so help me-”

“No. They’re wonderful but I’m going to kill Macon’s mother.” I slap the envelope against my sister’s chest and march to my room, needing to cool down before I speak to my Alpha about this. If I don’t take a long shower before saying something, I might very well burn a few bridges. Macon says that his mother is no longer allowed in his life but I’m hoping he’s ready to do more than publicly disown her.