Chapter Eleven

Rowan

Cuffed felt different that night. The air was charged with even more sexual energy than usual. There was a new DJ. The music had strong bass. There was something about even the music making everyone, well, I didn't really know. But the atmosphere was charged with an inexplicable energy.

Talon called me to the office as soon as I walked into the employee entrance. He kissed me stupid and said he wanted to make sure my cuff was on.

He wanted me to deliver him a drink later and promised that my tip would be fantastic.

Several times that night, I saw him come out of his office, putting out some fires. There was an altercation in one of the private rooms, and Talon intercepted the drama despite having a security team.

He even took a seat in the corner booth and watched me work. He must've had a dozen males approach him, some even being so bold as to sit next to him, only to be dismissed immediately.

Talon hadn't even looked their way.

"I take it the date went well?" Samuel sidled up to me and waggled his eyebrows.

I snorted. "I don't know if I'm supposed to say anything. Talon is our boss."

Samuel shrugged. "I won't tell. Come on. Every available omega in this place has slick dreams about Talon and meeting all his needs. Give me something."

My wolf snarled a bit inside me. "I think I'm not going to divulge. There are some things in life that should stay private and personal."

"I can respect that," Samuel said. "I can tell how it went anyway. Look at you. You're glowing. You've been smiling while drying the glasses, and no one smiles while doing that mundane work. You keep glancing to the corner booth. He's sitting there, watching your every move, Rowan. I'm telling myself that the date went well. I'm happy for you."

I nodded. "Thank you."

I took a large order for a table that the other servers seemed to be avoiding. I liked to help them when I could, if I had time. Plus, sometimes the tipsier people were, the more generous they became with their tips. Not that I'd seen many overdrinking here.

"Here you are, gentlemen." I delivered their orders but as I bent at the waist, I felt a hand on the back of my upper thigh. "Hands off," I said and stood back up.

"Don't you want a good tip? Or maybe you want more than just the tip?" The alpha with his crude voice and sour scent reached out and grabbed my ass. Despite his expensive suit, his words were cheap. I whirled around, ready to give him the what for when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Talon stomping over. I sucked in a breath. "Talon?"

Before I could process what was about to happen, Talon grabbed the offender by the shirt and jerked him to his feet. "Kenneth Matthews. How dare you touch one of my employees without permission." He set the man on his feet.

"I…it was just a grab, Talon. No harm." The alpha stammered out the words. Talon still fisted his shirt and reached out to tear off his ring. A red ring.

"You are banned from this club."

"What? Talon, you and I have been friends for years. Just for grabbing a cute man's ass? Are you fucking kidding me? This is a sex club. There are people doing things worse than that right there at the next table!" The man squirmed, trying to free himself from Talon's hold, but there was no use.

No one was doing anything at the next table. Members had respect for the rules unlike this man.

"Come get this fucker, William." A monster of a man with the width and girth of a linebacker came from somewhere in the shadows and grabbed the ass-grabber Kenneth by the back of the pants with as much effort as I used picking up a glass. "Turn the music down," Talon yelled, and instantly the DJ cut off all the sound.

There were lights all around the club. Talon had told me they were strategic and I knew that somehow, but in that moment, I felt like every spotlight was on me.

Talon had thrown someone out because of me.

"Listen up! We opened this club so that people of all preferences could come here and explore their desires without being assaulted and always with consent. That consent extends to every single staff member." He walked over to me and held up my arm with the cuff on. "If you see one of these cuffs on a person, you keep your fucking hands to yourself. There are plenty of ways to have your needs met without involving my employees. Spread the word. You fuck with my employees, you get banned. Now turn the fucking music back up."

Releasing a long breath, I steeled myself to go back to work when I realized Talon had never let go.

"Talon," I breathed.

"In my office. Now."

I walked behind him and had a hard time keeping up. The man was practically sprinting. My wolf sensed that something more was going on with his mate, but we didn't know what.

As soon as the door shut, I was pushed against it and Talon's mouth covered mine. He drowned me in a searing kiss that made my knees weak. Then he pulled back and rested his forehead on my chest.

"Talon?" I asked after hearing his ragged breaths go back to normal.

"No more," he said and my chest constricted internally. What was he talking about? Did he mean me? Was I fired?

"Me?" I asked and forced my chin to stop trembling.

"What?" He raised his head. "You think I'm…you did nothing wrong out there, omega. He did. But I'm not sure I can go through that again."

Yep. This was it. He was about to fire me.

"You're firing me?" I squeaked out.

"No. I'm not. But I don't want you to work as a bartender or a server anymore. I can't take it."

I swallowed, trying to make sense of things. "Then, where do you want me to work? I have to make a living, Talon."

"I want you to come work for me, Rowan."

"I am working for you." A nervous chuckle broke loose.

"I mean for me, personally. I need a personal assistant. You're smart and capable. And I want you near. I…I wanted to hurt that man, badly for touching what is mine."

I ran my hands through his hair, knowing how it calmed him. "I am yours."