Page 15 of Claimed By the Boss

A cold voice cuts through the chaos. “What the hell is going on here?”

Through the blur of tears, I see Nolan striding toward us, his green eyes blazing with anger as they land on us. I’ve never seen him look so fierce before, and the sight sends a shiver down my spine. Tony hovers behind him, his face pale.

“Mr. Rockford,” the woman stammers, releasing my arm as if burned, and I slump against the wall. “I’m sorry, sir. One of the new boys just has cold feet, but we’ll get him broken in.”

“Broken in?” Ice drips from Nolan’s tone as he turns back to fix his angry gaze on Tony. “Is this how you run my club? By forcing Omegas to work back here?”

“Of course not, sir.” Tony’s face reddens. “Leo volunteered for this job, but you know how it is. He’ll be fine once he gets started.”

“Really?” Nolan’s gaze shifts to me, his expression inscrutable. “Did you ask to work back here?”

I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out. While I didn’t ask for this job, I did agree to it, and shame floods through me.

Behind Nolan’s back, Tony catches my eyes, his expression promising retribution if I do anything but back up his statement.

My lips part, but the words won’t come out, and tears leak down my cheeks.

Nolan turns back to Tony, his voice low and dangerous. “Did you even check to see if he’s Marked?”

Caught off guard by the question, Tony blanches under his stare. “Marked? No, I didn’t… Why would he be Marked?”

“All Omegas who work back here are supposed to go through health screenings before every shift,” Nolan growls through clenched teeth. “Did you do that?”

Tony’s eyes dart to the madam, who pales before grabbing for me. The hall spins and dips as she turns me to inspect my nape, where Nolan’s Mark stands out as a vibrant red ring against my pale skin.

Tony’s curses fill the hall. “I swear, I didn’t know. If I did, I never would have let him back here.”

“You should have known!” Nolan roars, his anger crashing like waves around me. “What would have happened if his Alpha found out about this? Are you trying to get me sued?”

The waves continue to crash through my body, and a strange, prickling warmth fills my limbs, intensifying with each passing second.

Why is Nolan pretending he’s not the one who Marked me? Does he not remember doing it? Were the last three days just a fever fantasy brought on by my Heat?

Panic shoots through me. No, that was real. Wasn’t it?

My breathing turns shallow and uneven, vision blurring at the edges, and my legs fold beneath me.

Strong arms catch me, and a familiar, welcome scent fills my lungs.

“Leo?” Nolan grips my jaw, lifting my face to his. Concern fills his face, followed swiftly by rage as he looks back at the madam. “Did you give him drugs?”

Their voices fade in and out with the rush of waves in my ears, and distantly, I realize it’s my pulse beating so fast that my heart feels ready to explode.

My feet float off the ground… No, wait, that’s Nolan picking me up and cradling me in his arms. My head lands heavily on his chest, the thunder of his heartbeat melding with the crash of blood in my veins.

A sense of safety envelops me. Despite my current state, nothing bad will happen to me as long as Nolan is here.

My eyes close, blocking out the world, and I focus on the heartbeat beneath my cheek.

A sense of motion flows past me, and I force my eyes open, catching sight of the employee room and Phoenix’s worried expression before my lashes flutter down.

A shock of cold follows, then the smell of leather and Nolan’s pheromones.

Warm hands grip my shoulders, and Nolan shakes me. “Leo, look at me.”

I try, but my eyelids refuse to open again.

“Look at me.” The Command in his voice demands a response, and my lashes flutter, his face swimming in and out of focus.

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