6. Archer

6

We're having trouble with our temp employees. Especially the dancers tend to be flaky. Luna Desantos has missed a shift too many, and I don't know if I can keep her on the payroll anymore.

Yet the big boss and bar owner wants me to keep hiring part-time, temporary employees because it's cheaper for him.

I don't want to tell Luna never to come back. She's been having a rough time, from what I have gathered, and I've slipped her a card of the Omega Sunshine Shelter, but she hasn't mentioned it, and I've never noticed her at the shelter.

It's possible she doesn't need help. Or doesn't want any from me. It's possible she isn't interested in working here anymore. It happens.

People come and go. Life circumstances change.

Stop seeing yourself as a knight in shining armor, Arch. Stick to your pack and to your work, and don't overcomplicate your life.

But when you are privileged, shouldn't you look out for those who aren't?

Anyway, looks like I need to find another cage dancer. We have this event in the after-hours, booked by a pack about to go official and wanting a raucous party to celebrate.

Beats me why some people feel they need to do something they consider "crazy" before they knot one another. A very literal tying of the knot. If I could make my pack official, register it for real, I couldn't care less about partying with strangers. I'd gather my pack at home and cook up a delicious dinner, then I'd make love to them all night long.

Or I'd take them on a vacation to some exotic place.

Spend time with them.

But that's not happening yet. Not without an omega, a requirement by law, and so far no omega has struck our collective fancy. We just don't need another member in our pack. We're fine.

I sigh. Run my hands through my hair. I need to check my list, see who can take Luna's spot. Maybe Jasper?

Sometimes we have alpha groups asking to see betas or omegas dance. Sometimes they'll request a striptease. We're not a sex club, but we have a license for such events, as long as it ends there and everyone goes home afterward. No lap dances. No sex.

It's a fucking pain in the ass, setting those limits and making sure they are observed.

I don't love this job, if we're being honest. I hate running after customers, making sure they keep their hands to themselves, and making sure our dancers are safe. But my men both work here, so the place sure has its perks.

Like now, when I walk out of the office, frustrated after having called three of the dancers on our list and not finding one to replace Lune. Then I see Kyrian from across the bar. His gaze meets mine across the room, despite the loud crowd and strobing lights. As if he's been waiting for me to come out.

His face lights up, and the concerns and stress fall off my shoulders.

That's my mate. He gets me. Worries about me. He knows when I'm feeling down, and when he sets off to meet me, shoving his way through the crowd, I'm not surprised.

It's like a link between us, an invisible string.

It tugs. Hurts so fucking good.

He's in front of me in no time, grabbing me in his arms. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," I rumble. "Just work stress."

"Tell me how to help."

"I need to find a dancer for tonight."

"I'll help," he says, so simply, because that's how he is, and I pull him in for a kiss.

His mouth is hard and demanding on mine, the hand he slides up to my neck bruising. He's kind, and thoughtful, but he's a beast in bed. Kyrian is so damn sexy.

And then Roman joins us, throwing his arms around us, and fuck, all I want is to close shop and drag them home, fuck them against the headboard and make them scream my name. I'm the top alpha, and my job is to serve them. Pleasure them. Take care of them.

And on occasion use them for my own pleasure, show them who is their top. They love it. We understand each other.

We're great and don't need anyone else. I see large packs around me, but we're fine just the three of us. Spending our time off work at home, cooking and fucking, playing videogames and watching TV, or driving to the countryside to camp and grill and fish.

It's cool.

I love it.

But then Roman frowns. "Hey… why is that cute guy staring at us? Do you know him?"

Kyrian turns and grunts. "Fuck…"

I glance over to see and I find myself staring.

Well, damn…

The guy looks like an omega. A little short, cute, with dark curls and big eyes.

Unexpectedly hot.

He's with a group who are dancing around him, while he's just standing there, staring at us, as Roman said.

"Ky, do you know him? Ky." At his silence, I turn to shoot him a look. "You do, don't you?"

"I met him the other day at a café downtown." He scowls when I lift my brows. "I needed a coffee and I discovered a whole damn library in the back."

"In the back of the café?"

"Yeah! Like, this guy who owns it decided to have books for his customers to read. And then I pissed him off."

"What the hell did you do? And why did he get upset?"

Kyrian shrugs.

The cute, hot guy has now turned his back on us and is dancing with his friends. Nice ass…

"Wait a sec." I lift a finger. "He's the owner of the café?"

"Yup. I didn't know, either. Not until I grabbed a book and shelved it on another shelf, and he got mad at me for ruining his system."

"Oh, that explains the look," I mutter. "That's kind of an extreme reaction, though."

Only he hadn't looked mad. He'd looked… interested. Or am I projecting?

"His system was just sorting the books by color," Kyrian protests. "Or so it looked, anyway. He was spitting mad."

"Why would you go around rearranging people's books?" Roman asks.

"I wasn't. I was just taking a look at the books," Kyrian admits. "I hadn't meant to rearrange them. Hadn't realized there was a system, to be honest."

Roman chuckles. "Figures. He's pretty. He's an omega, right?"

Kyrian swallows. "He sure smelled like one."

"Sweet," I breathe.

And what's the matter with me? I'm not into omegas. Yeah, yeah, all alphas are into omegas. Well, I've never felt the pull, okay? The need. I have my men, and if I ever find myself in need of a softer side, Roman just about rides that boundary between rugged and beautiful. He's a beta and has that athletic grace about him that is so common in his designation, but not being much into competitive sports, he has that willowy frame of acrobats and dancers.

Not like this Sawyer with his boyish looks and smaller body.

Which I'm not thinking about.

Not one fucking bit.

Though both my men are still staring Sawyer's way. All three of us watch him dance in silence. We watch him down two shots, one after the other, and grab another male omega, from the looks of it. He dances a sort of… jig with him.

Then he turns to one of the alphas in the group and climbs onto his back, so that the alpha now dances with Sawyer piggybacking on him.

"He has a pack," I state the obvious.

"Mm… Yeah, from the looks of it," Roman says, using my shoulder now as a lever to rise on tiptoe to see better. "I mean, it's a pretty clean act, but they all seem close."

Currently, the alpha on whose back Sawyer is hitching a ride leans in to kiss the other omega.

"Or not so clean," Roman continues, not missing a beat. "Whoa, that kiss is hot."

"Why the fuck are we watching them?" Kyrian grumbles, turning away. "I should get back to work. Got better things to do than to watch another pack make out on the dance floor."

"Grumpy bear." Roman snorts. "It all started because you pissed off that omega, let me remind you."

"And I'll probably never see him again." Kyrian nods at me. "See you guys later at home."

I nod back, thoughtful. "Remember the event. We're staying late."

"I don't fucking care."

I grin.

We live in another part of town, a new boho suburb. Our apartment faces a park. It's neat. Good digs.

I can't wait to get my men alone tonight, because watching that pack make out was sexy, and I've been dying for some action all day. Then again…

"What got that stick up his ass today?" Roman mutters as we watch Kyrian push his way through the crowd, heading for his post at the entrance.

"Search me," I mutter back, but I think I have a hint in the shape of a cute omega.

Kyrian's reaction is unusual. He's a cool guy, pretty Zen despite his tattoos and his job as bouncer. He's not above watching couples and packs make out on screen or real life, either.

Something about this omega has piqued him. It's like watching a cat trying to get rid of a burr in their fur. And I should know, because I used to have a cat as a kid, and they are prickly assholes, but also adorable fluffballs. Although Kyrian isn't the latter by any stretch of the imagination, he can sometimes be the former.

He may be Zen, but he has triggers, as I've discovered during our time together.

And he won't talk about them, or what caused them.

Could this Sawyer be a trigger? But how and why?