“Juneau, why don’t you come and get this box of napkins instead so you don’t actually shatter all of my new glasses,” Rex said with a little huff.
I grabbed the much lighter box of napkins and as I passed by him I stopped and fluttered my lashes innocently up at him. “Yes, daddy,” I simpered sweetly before whirling away from him and hurrying back over to the counter.
The BBs cackled as Rex stared at me, open-mouthed, before wheeling around to glare at them. “Dammit, you three, I told you to stop teaching Juneau weird shit!” he growled, only making them laugh harder.
Pleased with myself, I plopped the box of napkins on the counter. Legs held her fist up and I bumped it with my own before turning to continue organizing the supplies.
As we finished putting everything away and started to prepare for the night, the bell over the entrance to the bar rang as someone opened it.
“We’re closed until seven thirty,” Rex called without looking up from where he was hooking a new keg up to the taps.
I glanced up from where I was drying the newly cleaned glasses to find a man in a dark uniform staring at me.
“I’m afraid I’m not here for a beer,” the man said, taking off his hat and tucking it under his arm.
My view of the newcomer was immediately blocked by Rex’s broad back as he stepped in front of me. “How can I help you, officer?” he asked calmly.
“The police department has received several reports of an unregistered female omega living on the premises. City records show that only one male omega lives at this address.” I could hear the arrogance in the officer’s voice as he spoke to Rex.
The scent of rain and eucalyptus surrounded me as Podcast and Storm flanked me on either side. I resisted the urge to lean into their warmth.
“She’s just not registered in this state, she’s a family friend from Louisiana,” Rex told the officer. My apparent backstory was new information for me, but one glance at Storm and Podcast’s expressions told me that this was something they’d discussed previously.
“I’m sorry but I’m going to need to see proof of that,” the officer said, sounding smug as if he knew that we didn’t have any proof.
“I’ve got that right here for you officer,” Taz’s voice came from the hallway. The BBs had gone back into the office to work, but were now standing together like a trio of vultures ready to pick the man limb from limb.
Taz joined us, holding a stack of papers that I’d never seen before out for the officer to take.
I peeked around Rex’s bulk, watching the man scan the paper before he looked up and made eye contact with me. His eyes were the color of an oil slick, and something about them made me feel cold.
“June, right?” he asked and my knee jerk reaction was to correct him. I hated people saying my name wrong, but I quickly realized that whatever documents they had created to establish my identity in 2022 couldn’t have my real name on them. Juneau was too unique of a moniker for me to flaunt at will.
“Yes, how can I help you?” I tried to sound disinterested in him completely, staring at my cuticles while I waited for his next question.
“Can you give me your birthdate?” Oil slick eyes were glued to my face as I tried to think about what they would have put as my birthday. Would it have been my actual birthday in July? No, I didn’t think so.
“Miss?” the officer asked again and I felt the pack around me stiffen.
I just needed to take my best guess and hope to everything in the universe that I was correct.
“March twenty-first, sir,” I said, making sure to tack the sir on the end. He seemed like the kind of man who would let his ego be inflated by something as simple as a word.
The man’s spine straightened and he held the papers back out to Taz. “May I speak with Miss Thames in private for just a moment?”
Thames? They had given me Thames as my last name? I shot a look up at Rex and found the corner of his mouth twitching. He probably thought he was hilarious.
“No I don’t think you can,” Rex growled at the man. “You’ve done what you came here to do, so unless there is something else?” The threat in his voice was evident, and it hung in the air between us and the officer.
“I don’t believe I was speaking to you,” the man said, clearly having a death wish.
“I don’t feel comfortable talking to someone I don’t know,” I told the man, trying not to glare at him. He was the exact sort of pushy that I loathed.
“Come back with a warrant and then you can talk to her.” Rex blocked my view of him again and effectively ended the conversation.
“Fine, you all have a nice evening.” I listened to the sound of the man’s boots as he left and waited for the door to slam shut before speaking again.
“What if he does get a warrant?” I asked Rex when he turned around, an angry expression still on his face.
