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“Did you think I was weaker, or less capable as an alpha?”

“No,” Uriel said again.

“Was I any less hot?”

Uriel looked the alpha up and down, taking in his rippling muscles, a stark contrast against the pink butterflies on his underwear. “You’re just as hot,” he admitted.

Bruiser brought his face closer, so their noses were almost touching. “If I can wear omega things and still feel like an alpha, then maybe you can look like an alpha, and still feel like an omega. Wear a dress. Wear pretty panties, paint your nails. Your job doesn’t need you to present yourself as an alpha. As long as you do good work, your customers shouldn’t care.”

Uriel chewed his lip. “Some of them might.”

“Your spells are exceptional,” Bruiser said seriously. “If your customers can’t see that, then they didn’t value you anyway.”

“But my income—”

“You have me now. I’ve been saving up for centuries for an omega. Let a few customers go. I’ll make up the difference.”

Uriel swallowed, his heart thumping. “That sounds too good to be true.”

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll give you some cash to have in your bank, something you can fall back on. No strings. You can take that money and leave tomorrow, and I won’t stop you.”

Uriel frowned. “That might be too generous.”

“Let me prove myself, sweetheart.” Bruiser grabbed his phone and pulled up an app. “Give me your bank details. I’ll make a transfer right now.”

“No strings?” Uriel said, still disbelieving.

“No strings. Consider it prepayment, in case you make the transition and your customers ditch you.”

Uriel picked up his phone and gave Bruiser his bank details. Then he watched in stunned silence as Bruiser transferred thirty grand into his account.

“Thirty grand,” Uriel squeaked. He felt like he might have a heart attack.

Bruiser shrugged. “In case you lose all your customers. That’ll give you some time to get back on your feet.”

“You can’t just—Thirty grand.”

“I just did.” Another shrug. “You can use that to pay Doc too, if you want. Although I doubt he’d bill you for much at all.”

Maybe Uriel cried a little. He buried his face in his pillow and waited until he could face Bruiser again. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Bruiser petted Uriel’s side. “If it makes a difference, that isn’t all that much money to me.”

“You can’t just say that to omegas, what if everyone comes to you asking for money?”

“You didn’t,” Bruiser pointed out. “You told me to go fuck myself.”

Uriel chuckled, sagging against the bed. “How did my life end up like this?”

“That’s a question we all ask ourselves.” Bruiser looked amused, so Uriel leaned in, carefully pressing himself against the alpha’s bare chest. He thought he felt Bruiser’s heart skip. “Anyway, I have a vested interest in this since I suspect you’d use that money for Cassie anyway.”

“You sneak,” Uriel muttered. He didn’t move away from Bruiser’s warmth though. It felt good, snuggling up to him like this. Who would’ve thought?

Uriel fingered the huge lace butterflies on Bruiser’s hip, then carefully followed the strip of lace to Bruiser’s ass, where it disappeared between his cheeks.

“I have a new respect for omegas now,” Bruiser said, making a face. “I can’t see why anyone would willingly wear butt-floss.”

“Some do it to feel sexy, I don’t know.” Uriel glanced at the bedroom walls. “You know your butler would come up with a pickup line just for this.”