Page 19 of Unhinged Omega

The name alone is enough to sour my mood further.

"I'm not letting that spoiled hedonistic twink's princess tantrums deter me from using a perfectly good facility," I snap, my voice harsher than intended. Lex doesn't flinch. She's used to my moods by now. "Besides, with Surhiiran forces crawling all over the Outer Reaches like they're scouting real estate for one of their swanky little spa towns, a gutter like Belvast is the only safe option."

Lex holds up her hands, placating. "Hey, you don't gotta sell me on it. Just curious, is all." She pauses, and I can see the question forming before she even opens her mouth. "You, uh... heard anything from him lately?"

"Of course not," I snarl, my hand instinctively going to the gun at my hip. The familiar weight is soothing. "Last I heard, the little shit had sunk all his ill-gotten gains from whoring into that cesspool of a club."

"Oh yeah," Lex muses, her scarred face scrunching up in thought. "What was it called again? Alpha Beta?"

"The Alpha's Alpha!" Reese's voice carries from outside, and I swear I can hear the grin in his tone.

"Fuck off!" I roar, my patience hanging by a thread. A thread that's already stretched tight under the best of circumstances.

Lex snaps her fingers. "Right, that was it." She grimaces, shaking her head. "Never got the appeal of a place like that myself. Why would an alpha want another alpha when you could have an omega?" There's a wolfish glint in her eye as she grins. "A beta'll do in a pinch, long as she's got a nice rack, but?—"

"Speaking of princesses," I cut her off before she says another word that'll have Reese scrambling back in here to weigh in. "How's our guest?"

"Peachy. She's been out the whole time since I picked her up. Least, she was until last night."

I arch an eyebrow. "You drugged her?"

"Nah." Lex shakes her head. "She was awake, just... not all there, y'know? Zoned out." She chuckles. "Now though? More like a rabid tiger. And a pretty cute one. Too spicy for my tastes, though. I like my omegas sweet."

Something in her tone sets my teeth on edge. "I trust you followed my instructions to the letter?"

"'Course, boss," she says, all innocence. "No men allowed near her, just like you said."

I bristle. "Isaidfemale betas only."

Lex's grin turns downright shit-eating. "Did you? My bad. You know how the connection out here can be."

I clench my fist, resisting the urge to put it through her face. "That omega is Arthur fucking Maybrecht's brat. Do you have any idea the kind of shitstorm that's going to rain down if we give her back even slightly inconvenienced?"

"Since when do you care about diplomacy?" she asks, folding her arms.

"Since I have enough guns to be a diplomat," I answer with a sneer. My gaze tracks across what was once the most active airfield in the region. A country that no longer exists.

But that's the way it is out here.

Empires rise and fall like dominoes, so why not add another to the mix?

A glint of excitement flashes in Lex's eyes. "Diplomacy was never my strong suit," she muses, running a hand through her short-cropped hair. "But I could see myself as a general. Those fancy Surhiiran swords are something else."

I can't help but laugh at that. "We play our cards right," I drawl, "finish this deal with the Ghosts, and you can have all the fancy swords you want." I pause for effect, watching her eyes widen. "And an omega to hold each one."

Lex throws her head back and laughs, the sound harsh and grating in the smoke-filled air. "You're a crazy fucker, you know that?" She shakes her head, still chuckling. "But that's why I'd rather work for you than your old man."

My mood sours instantly at the mention of my father. The great patriarch of the Vlakov Family.

I push the thoughts away, focusing on the matter at hand. "Speaking of prisoners," I say, my voice carefully neutral. "How's our other guest doing?"

Lex's brow furrows and she drops the laugh like a hot coal. "That's the thing, boss. It won't eat any of the meat we throw down there. Just stands and stares at the sky all night, at least when it's not tryin' to rip apart anyone who gets too close to the pit with those fucking claws. Sometimes it moves around like it's trying to stand under the moon. So maybe it's got some moon version of photo-sympathy."

I arch an eyebrow. "Photosynthesis?"

"Yeah, that's it."

I sigh. "Maybe it doesn't eat meat."

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