Bianca’s dark hair was in a messy bun, loose tendrils curling alluringly against her neck, which looked long and graceful with Dante’s too-big robe sliding off one shoulder. Though she’d tied the belt tightly, it was simply too large to keep her covered. The robe seemed determined totaunt them all, constantly falling open to reveal a peek of leg or flash of cleavage.
Callum hadn’t even bothered to secure his robe properly. It fit him much better than Bianca’s did, but was still too large, so he’d let it hang open. Most of the golden-brown skin of his torso was on display, the belt tied just tightly enough to close the fabric over his lap. With the way it was draped, all Callum needed to do was open his legs a bit, and they’d all be able to see his pretty cock.
Callum winked when he caught Dante staring, then started tapping away on his laptop. He’d taken to the job immediately, as though working was a fun new game that he intended to win. Teresa had declared him a fast learner and a lively addition to the team, and she wasn’t wrong. Clients loved him, contractors kept finding reasons to drop by when he was working, and vendors seemed delighted to flirt with him and offer free samples of whatever they were peddling. He’d said he was good with people, but Dante was still impressed by how well he handled customer service, considering his wealthy upbringing and lack of employment history.
“Oh my god, that damn brunch has barely begun and Alicia has already posted a perfectly filtered photo,” Callum exclaimed, turning his laptop for Bianca to see. “Oh look, she decided on a floral theme. For spring. How original.”
Dante chuckled, glancing at the social media feed on Callum’s screen. Bianca’s influencer frenemy had indeed posted a photo of herself and Katrina Rhodes, dressed in white sundresses and wearing colorful flower crowns while standing in front of a marble fountain. Based on the caption, which somehow made Alicia sound like the guest of honor, the brunch was a baby shower she’d planned for some other influencer. Allthe omega guests wore white dresses and flower crowns like they were in a creepy horror movie cult.
“I know it’s terrible, but you look like you’ve seen a ghost, Queenie.” Callum cocked his head, eyeing Bianca quizzically. “Do you hate basic bitches that much?”
Dante turned his attention to the omega beside him, who looked surprisingly shaken. There was something in her moonlight eyes that Dante didn’t like one bit. He looked back at the photo, studying it more carefully this time. It had obviously been taken outside of the brunch venue, and there were quite a few people milling around in the background. Behind the white-clad omegas, there were a couple of alphas slightly out of focus at the edge of the frame. Bianca had been staring at a man who Dante didn’t recognize from his blurred profile. With the heavy filter on the photo, he couldn’t even be sure of the guy’s coloring.
“I was just marveling at how quickly you navigated to social media on your work laptop,” she told Callum, rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to her own computer. “And right in front of your employers too. Amateur.”
Callum laughed, turning his laptop back around. “I’ll have you know that this is the company account. Before I started here, King’s Guard had no social media presence whatsoever. Now we’re building a strong following. See for yourself. The links are in your inbox.”
“The what is where?” Bianca asked, already opening the mail app on her laptop. She shook her head at Callum, intently scanning the messages in her inbox. “And why am I not surprised that social media was your first initiative?”
“We doubled our follower count when Callum posted a selfie that ‘accidentally’ had King working out in the background,” Van interjected delightedly, earning a heavy sigh from King. He hadn’t seen the photountil after Callum had racked up thousands of likes, and it was too late to make him take it down. “I can’t wait for him to post woodworking thirst traps from my new workshop. I’m thinking nothing but safety goggles and a strategically placed reciprocating saw. We need to make sure the layout includes plenty of good lighting, y’all.”
Dante turned back to his conversation with Van, though he made a mental note to peruse Alicia’s photos when he got a chance. The abrupt change of subject hadn’t escaped him. Something about the brunch picture had upset Bianca, and he wanted to know what it was.
“How do I have an inbox?” Bianca demanded a few minutes later, interrupting Van’s commentary on the dimensions of his workshop. “Or an employee email address for that matter?”
Dante grinned, pleased to hear the normal bite had returned to her voice. “I told you we were getting you on the payroll, Viper. I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”
Bianca’s face was unreadable as she looked from Dante to Van to Callum, then finally to King. There was a fifty-fifty chance she’d be pissed, but Dante didn’t think she was. He could feel a quiet pleasure radiating off her, and there was something soft and new in her voice when she spoke again.
“I don’t recall agreeing to any terms or reading a job description,” she said finally, smiling wryly. “I don’t even have a job title.”
King smirked, brown eyes dancing behind his glasses. “The terms are whatever you want them to be. The job description is whatever you want to do. And your title is Countess.”
“That isnotthe deal I was offered!” Callum protested. “This is an outrage!”
Van laughed, grabbing Callum around the waist and pulling him into his lap. “You already do whatever you want. Don’t be a brat.”
Callum grumbled good-naturedly, pulling his laptop over so that he could work from Van’s lap. “Fine. But I’m changing my job title to Archduke of Administration.”
Dante shook his head and turned back to Bianca. “We’ve opened a bank account for you. Your pay will be deposited directly into it. The account info is in your email with directions for how to set up online banking, and to order checks if you want them. Your debit card should come in a few days. Callum has already gone through the setup process, so he can help you out if you need it.”
King leaned forward, steepling his hands on the table and holding Bianca’s gaze. “You’re the only person with access to your account. You can verify with the bank if you want to, but I promise you that we can’t see or touch your money. Anything you earn is yours and always will be.”
The pack had discussed the importance of this part of their plan last night while the omegas were asleep. Callum and Bianca would never want for anything. Pack King would make sure their omegas were well taken care of. King’s Guard would only continue to grow, enabling them to give their mates a comfortable life, even if it wasn’t quite as extravagant as what they were accustomed to.
Both omegas had been manipulated and controlled by wealth. Bianca especially. Dante knew that the only reason she’d pursued Pack Willoughby was because she thought they were her only path to freedom from Pack Bonnycastle. Her parents had made her reliant on their money and status, convincing her that she wasn’t capable of making her own living. They’d caged her with their expectations, keeping her in line with the unspoken threat of disownment and disgrace.
It was utter bullshit. Dante and his packmates could see how fucking capable she was, how brilliant and determined and resilient. They were finding ways to help her see it too, and the bank account was just anothertangible way of showing their omega her worth. More importantly, the bank account would help her feel safe. As she made her own money and that account balance increased, she’d know that she could take care of herself. She would never be trapped again.
Dante could see in her glossy gray eyes that she understood the gesture, at least partly. She blinked rapidly, lowering her head as if focused on checking her new email. Dante exchanged a satisfied glance with King.
“Is that enough space for the showroom, BB?” Van asked, drawing everyone’s attention back to the blueprints on the large monitor, and giving Bianca a moment to hide her tears. “I don’t know how many pieces you expect me to keep on display, especially since you say I’ll only be doing private showings.”
They’d already added a few notes to share with the engineer so that she could draw up new plans, but with Bianca’s input, they managed to accomplish quite a bit over the next hour. Even after Van decided that Callum being on his lap wasn’t enough and that he needed to be on his cock too, the conversation continued. Van grinned devilishly at Dante, holding Callum in place on his dick while he asked Bianca’s opinion on the basement and first floor plans.
Dante didn’t need to ask why he was smiling, the obnoxious prick. Van was obviously still enjoying the memory of that morning’s premature ejaculation. Dante gritted his teeth.
“Clients don’t want to see where the help eats, they want to see a sleek, thriving business,” Bianca was saying when Dante managed to look away from Callum’s flushed face and Van’s smug grin. “Put the dining hall in the basement. And don’t look at me like that. It’s a walkout adjacent to green space, not a dungeon. The first floor should be all function and elegance. Meeting rooms, event spaces, and comfortable seating nooks.”
