To be fair, I can imagine that Maya may have turned to one of the mafia packs to get creative with the shady numbers.
Despite his delicious scent calling to me, I ball my hands.
I can’t believe that I have spent my life hoping that I would find my scent match but he may actually be a villain.
Yet could any devil actually look this much like an angel?
Snowflakes feather onto the Alpha’s long, thick eyelashes and silky, black hair, which is slicked back from his handsome face. He is about a head shorter than Icarus but is athletic. He appears to be in his mid-twenties and is dressed smartly like all managerial staff in a gray suit with a crisp ivory shirt under a long, dark woolen coat.
Icarus would approve of how immaculate the Alpha is. At least he isn’t going to have any problems, unlike my rebellious Omega soulmate, in meeting the hotel’s rules on dress and appearance.
The only thing that he is missing is the correct tie.
The Alpha takes a deep breath, before his pupils dilate. He clenches his jaw, as if getting himself under control.
He blinks the snow out of his eyes, studying my face, before awkwardly adjusting his tie. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting you? I didn’t know that anybody was here.”
So, he wants to ignore that we’re scent matches. It hurts, but I understand. It’s not as if we’re in a scent matching agency or on a dating app looking for a pack.
For all I know, he already has a loving pack waiting at home for him. Why would he want to add to it?Add a Reject Omega like me?
Still, his awkwardness is adorable.
“I was taking my break,” I reply. “But you’re allowed to share the garden too.”
“I’m Lionzio.” He holds his hand out to me like he’s a CEO making a deal. “You can call me Lion.”
He does realize that I’m an Omega, right? No one has tried to shake my hand before.
I laugh, shaking Lionzio’s hand, firmly.
“Good handshake you’ve got there.” Then his smile fades. “Also, blue hands.” He pulls away and strips off his leather gloves, passing them to me. “They’ll be too big but at least will be warm.”
I stare at him in shock.
Lionzio doesn’t appear to realize the impact that he has had on me, however, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world to give strange Rej Omegas expensive leather gloves. Instead, he notices Zoe, who is peering around my legs.
He drops to one knee, holding his hand out with a serious expression to Zoe. “Would you like to shake my hand, little Omega?”
Zoe looks at his hand, before placing her tiny one in his. She beams.
I pull on the warm gloves, and slowly feeling bleeds back into my numb fingers.
Lionzio stands with a swirl of his coat. When he turns his face up to the sky, and the cold light falls across the sharp planes of his face, it shocks me how striking he is. Yet also how sad he looks, before his pale eyes become flat in a troubling way.
This man is dangerous.
I can sense by his scent that he isn’t dangerous to Zoe or me. But he is capable of it.
Am I right about him being from a mob family?
“You’re both still shivering.” Lionzio’s expression clouds. “Why don’t you have warmer clothes?”
“You’ll discover,” I reply, “that both staff and Hotel Omegas are provided with the bare minimum, whether of clothes or possessions. The guests live in luxury, but those who serve them don’t. The Frost pack make their money through having close margins on things like food and clothes for their wards. Bosses care about the bottom line and not their staff’s welfare. Or is your boss different?”
I’m not covering for Maya.
Lionzio will find out this information anyway. Accountants only care about the numbers, but maybe Lionzio can put in some kind of staff mistreatment section in his report, which could help my case.
