Zoe breaks the moment by yanking on Bird’s long curls.
He yelps, carefully pulling free his hair.
“See the danger of having long hair?” I say.
“The price of beauty.”
“How about you this morning? Are you okay?” I study Bird with a critical eye. “Your pheromones are fluctuating. You’re being used too often without a break between guests.”
Bird’s smile is tight. “Can I help it if I’m the prettiest Omega? Anyway, I heard that your favorite Idol is coming to the hotel. I’d have thought that you would have your whole mind on Immortal. I remember being driven crazy when we were teenagers because you played Immortal’s album “Star-struck”on repeat. I may punch him in the…you know where…to take my revenge for younger brothers everywhere.”
“Don’t you dare,” I reply, outraged, reaching to cover Zoe’s ears. “Or I will punch you in the…you know where. I should have known that you’d have already heard.”
“Guess what I also heard? Michah says that he saw Immortal’s bonded pack when they signed in last night: A male Alpha and male Omega. They’re the most beautiful pack of guests that he’s seen, and Michah sees beautiful guests every day. That Beta is never impressed normally.”
My face falls.
I duck my head to hide my expression.
Of course Immortal has a pack.
Of course he’s bonded with an Omega already.
Of course they’re beautiful.
Why did I expect anything different?
I’m happy that Immortal isn’t lonely and that he’s loved.
Yet an Omega can dream, right?
“Do you think that they will take part in the matching ball?” Bird asks, casually.
I shrug.
“Second piece of gossip because I’m spoiling you,” Bird says. “I overheard the financial manager moaning that the hotel may be in financial trouble. They are quietly bringing in outside Alpha accountants to help out. It appears that there are not as many Traditional packs as there once were who are okay with how the HOs are treated.”
I scrunch up my nose. “The financial manager told you that…?”
Bird licks his lips. “Actually, Hatton took a risk to summon me to a vacant room last week. I didn’t want to worry you but?—”
Trembling, I battle to keep my voice steady in order not to panic Zoe. “Why is Hatton taking risks like that?”
Bird narrow his eyes. “I don’t know, maybe because his brother, sister, and niece have been rejected and trapped within an abusive hotel system? What? Is it okay for us to take all sorts of risks but not Hatton? He wants to reform the hotels as much as we do.”
“The difference is that he’s under the authority of Ellington,” I say through gritted teeth. “What can he do? He’s putting himself in danger.”
“I said that to him, and he saidworth it.” Bird cards his hand tiredly through his hair. “You have ten percent of the hotel’s shares in your name still from Ryan. I have five percent and Hatton too.”
Something moves sickly in my gut. I don’t like the way that he is avoiding my eye.
“So?”
“Hatton is secretly drawing up for us both to hand over our shares to you,” he replies, “in case anything happens to?—”
“No,” I say too sharply because Zoe glances up at me, uncertainly. I kiss the top of her strawberry marshmallow head to calm her. “Don’t say that.”
“I have to. All these heats…the damage it’s doing…”
