And now this. An attack in my salon.
And although I’ve got a good poker face on right now, the guilt is gnawing away at me.
Because of my stubbornness, I failed to keep people safe.
I take a deep breath, then exhale. “Look, I’m not disagreeing with you, okay. But… do you really think this place needsmorealphas after what’s happened today?” Rowan’s look tells me he does. “It won’t work. You know my staff. You know what some of them have been through.” His gaze softens then. “And anyway, Rue might not even—”
Right on cue, the revolving doors swing open to reveal my other older brother.
“Re-Re, did you fuck up that guy outside?” He grins, striding over and sweeping me up into a swinging hug. “Bent that fucker’s nose right out of place.”
“I was taught well,” I mumble into his hard shoulder.
When he puts me down, he’s still smiling until he glances at Rowan, then he sighs. “Listen, Re-Re…”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I mumble.
“Come on, just give my place a chance! We’reliterallythe best private security in the country.”
I don’t respond, and his grin becomes tight, eyes crinkled in the corner. He sighs again.
“Just let me speak with my bosses. You might only need one alpha if—”
A soft growl rumbles in my chest. “These omegas want to work and learn. How can they do that if there’s an alpha, or evenalphas,roaming the place? Watching them like… like prey for the taking.”
Both my brothers frown immediately, but I hold up a finger.
“You were raised with an omega sister—it’s different. You both have some modicum of respect.”
Rue smirks, but Rowan remains stoic.
I run a hand through my hair, rub my lips together, then relent. “Fine. A beta. That’s what I’ll accept.”
Rue groans.
Rowan sighs. “We’ve been over this. A beta won’t be enough. Even in the police, there’s an alpha in every unit.”
“He’s right, Re-Re. We’ve got some big fucking betas at my place, but they’re always paired up with alphas for jobs…” Rue raises both hands. “Hey, I’m not saying it’s fair, but that’s just the way it is. Betas aren’t as strong, they can’t bark—you know this.”
I close my eyes and breathe out through my nose, tipping my face back to the ceiling.
I know they’re right, and I hate it.
This place is my baby. I’ve poured everything I have into it. And I’mjuststarting to make a profit. When this gets out, what omega or even beta would want to come here?
Especially if I don’t try to prevent it in the future.
When I first opened those glass doors, I was naïve to believe I could just have this. That a salon run by a female omega, with mostly omega staff, would be a success without any hiccups.
That I could prove to the world a packless omega with a passion for hair could do this. Alone.
Except we don’t live in a world where omegas have the luxury of just living. We’re always under threat. Exploited. Used. Belittled. Undermined.
But this ismysalon,myworld, and inside here, it’s my job to keep everyone safe—especially the omegas.
Maybe it’s time I swallow my pride and accept this is one thing I can’t handle alone.
I built this place to prove what omegas could do, but as I look around the salon at Serena, at my staff… at the blood still drying on the floor, I realise proving a point isn’t worth the risk.
