In a world divided by castes where alphas rule, betas work and omegas obey. Falcon is at the top and in the prime of his life. Coming from a multi-million dollar family with a legacy of powerful, dominant and empowered alphas, they had the luxury of doing whatever they wanted and much more. Who would oppose them? No one. Few could stand up to those with his name.
Plus, with an appearance worthy of his status and the fortitude worthy of a full-fledged alpha to prevail over many, he had no reason to complain at 32 years old.
Even if...
Unlike all of his high caste, Sergei did not seek his destined partner, he did not want anyone who would make him lose his mind to the point of wanting to abandon everything. He liked being in control. His life, right now, was simply perfect.
That did not mean that he was a responsible man when it came to business. He had recently bought a new company, not so big or prestigious, that was in mortal decline and that was mainly focused on the world of makeup. And what was the main condition for which you chose it? Well, only beta people will work.
That meant zero problems and more productivity.
First thing in favor, you wouldn't have to deal with the classic alpha rank fights that used to happen or the tense atmosphere that was always created. Second, no or no omegas would be hinted at using your zeal or pheromones as an excuse to go after your money or your status.
That was something that could not be allowed. At his side he already had an omega, with enough status and power to be able to stand by his side and who would give birth to his strong and healthy cubs. Although he had to remove the detail that he had not yet marked it. That would be after the next wedding. Before ... it could cause problems.
Nor would he be stupid to reject his destined mate if she ever appeared in his life, but for the moment it was better to be safe than sorry. If he wasn't looking for her, he wouldn't have to show up.
The car stopped in front of the building that needed more than one touch-up, something that would do and put it at the top of the market, so he would no longer have to hear that he lived on his parents' money. In his world appearances, name, recognition, and your own achievements came first. Being alpha wasn't that easy either, and although he already made his own millions, his parents' billions were always in the shadows.
-Are you leaving me alone?- The girl next to him rubbed against his arm.
Despite being in a relationship for two years, Falcon loved her, but he didn't love her, just that she was the one. He could consider himself lucky, she was a beauty with huge blue eyes and abundant dark hair, yet there was something missing.
-I'll be back as soon as I can- He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and left. If he stayed too long she would continue to insist and from experience he knew that she ended up being unbearable.
One of the employees was already waiting for him at the entrance to take him to the meeting room where he had called one in the morning. He was fast, he didn't like detours, and he needed to make the points very clear. He commanded and what he said was done.
His secretary, a beta man two years younger and smarter than he appeared, sat next to him as he entered and settled in. At least 10 more people were waiting for him, quite tense. Sergei noticed the empty three-seater seat to his left before he started.
-Who is the missing person?- He asked in his usual serious tone. Intimidating betas and subordinates was the first thing on his agenda, he would not tolerate disrespect for his person just because he was younger than most of those present.
-Excuse me for being late. He is the head of the Design department. He is finishing compiling all the information that the previous director had about the project and said that it would take only a few minutes - one of them notified him
The alpha leaned his face into the hand that rested on the table with its elbow. He saw the man stiffen, but did not reply. The truth had called the meeting only an hour ago and the bad work of the old director was known. He didn't bother too much, he still had plenty of time.
About ten minutes had passed, when the dense atmosphere of the office was interrupted by the sound of the open door and the voice of a ... woman.
-With permission, sorry for the delay-
Falcon felt the ground beneath his feet shake and his world suddenly collapsed.
It ... couldn't ... be.
A soft but delicious smell that made him shiver from the tip of his foot to his head and his back began to soak in sweat came like lightning to his nose and he was dizzy losing for a few seconds to composure.
Beside him, Leo, his secretary touched his shoulder and saw his boss's disoriented expression. He frowned. Falcon never lost his composure like that.
-What's going on?- He asked quietly, taking advantage of the fact that those present were attentive to the newcomer.
-Leo, what the hell does an omega do in this company- he replied through clenched teeth and feeling his breath shake. His fangs threatened to pierce her lower lip.
-I do not understand what it says, I checked the staff papers before arriving and there is nothing out of what you asked-
-So what have I got before me?- He noticed the petite, slim woman with crystalline golden eyes and an ordinary face framed in short, shiny dark hair.
Leo studied the woman for a few seconds and found nothing strange. He recognized it, remembering the image in his file. Silver Miller, Head of Design Department, 23, Beta. Just in case he checked her neck and found nothing but a thin, unadorned gold chain. Not even the characteristic protective necklace of omegas and even less the trace of a supposed brand.
He gave him the information in a whisper and his boss still didn't seem to understand the situation. The alpha was intelligent so he had no idea what was happening, or the interest in that woman, perhaps it had caught his attention, he did not believe, Sergei, from what he knew, was quite faithful and no scandal was known to him.
-Leo, find out everything about her- he whispered before recovering and putting his serious face again- I think she is ... my destined partner-
The beta made a face that disfigured his face and looked at both the woman and her boss. Now the alpha, if he had gone crazy.
-It's impossible- several exclaimed at the same time, receiving a raised eyebrow from the alpha in response to the new proposal he had given.
Falcon was fast and had priorities on his way. Right now, her partner wasn't one of them. But the work and the meeting in front of him. So he had pulled himself together after the shock of meeting that strange woman and was moving on. Still he couldn't help but sneak a peek at her.
-In that case I will only have to look for more competent people to develop the project- he said seriously.
-Please, President, calm down- one of the executives from the production area spoke somewhat alarmed. Most of them were entering a state of nervous breakdown.
If they knew that he was the one who really had reasons to go into crisis but ...
-I'm calm-
The man swallowed hard before answering again.
-What we were referring to is that it is impossible to do all the three-month work in just 15 days, there are many steps and concepts to fix and ...-
-Then I will look for qualified personnel- he answered again -You know how many people would be willing to be your place in exchange for working more- the beta to whom those words were directed clenched his fists under the table. I hated dealing with alphas, they were as arrogant as the sky itself- I said it and I repeat it, this concept that they had raised will not stand out in the market, many brands have opted for this trend that I propose and the competition will be very close this year and you will not they can afford to lose sales-
Although the man spoke like all the almighty, he was right in what he said. They were broke, the previous boss had been spending the money on women, and they were short on budgets. There was no room for failure
-I think we can achieve it- Silver gave his opinion after hearing the approach of his new boss and seeing the tormented expressions of his colleagues
-It's crazy- the editorial chief with whom she normally had serious problems and who sat in front of her protested- Do you want to show off because we have a new manager and you want favors? -
The young woman's face did not flinch and the others present only remained silent. It was well known of the fights of both and of the little soft words on the part of the female.
-Watch your words Mr. Seft, we are in the same rank and I demand the same respect with which I address you- blunt and neutral tone. The man could only swallow his tongue, again. Some even gave it as a lost cause, that guy did not learn, many had hinted that he liked the girl.
She sighed and continued.
-During the meeting I analyzed the new concept of the president and despite the fact that there are significant changes we can work on the basis of what has been done-
Falcon straightened in his seat. The woman had realized her point. Too fast for your liking. It was good.
He explained to them the procedure with which they could work and accelerate the project, remaining practically the exact days that were required.
-Most of it falls on my department- she concluded- Don't complain so much-
-How many designers are there?- Falcon, hadn't had time to dig into all the workers.
-Besides me, six -
-And with that small number, do you think you can make all the change?- He questioned his ability. In his father's company the design team had to have at least 15 people.
-Don't underestimate us, President. The previous owner was just as unpredictable and we got used to big changes in the last few hours. It only boils down to two words. Overtime, which of course, you will pay at the end of the month-
-Really? - he questioned
-That is something that we cannot refute president- Falcon was annoyed that that man got into the conversation between him and his supposed destined partner, which had not yet responded to him.
Didn't he smell his alpha, his face and body seemed calm, without any hint of reaction, although maybe it wasn't a good idea to have an omega in heat right there. He preferred to have her to himself alone in the privacy of both his office and his room.
Perhaps three more hours passed when the director left the meeting and dropped the papers with a thud on the table in the design department.
-Guys- her colleagues left what they were doing to attend to her- Big changes, a fifteen-day deadline and an imperfect boss, to work-
***
Silver kept the last document in front of the computer to continue organizing the folder and the materials that he was going to change. She checked the time and it was already past 9 at night. She was hungry, her head hurt, and she was tired. Something very usual in his routine.
She stretched out her arms when an email reached the mailbox on the laptop. She opened it and to her surprise it was her beloved and adored new boss. The one who had caught him looking at her more than once and in a way ...
She didn't want to get any wrong ideas but ...
-And now that you want this one, it wasn't enough for you to screw us with all your work today- She sighed trying not to bother.
She got up and went to his office. Apparently they were the only ones in the entire building because a soul could not be heard and the other apartments were dark. She stopped short in front of the elevator without touching the button.
That didn't smell good to her, and if he wanted ... He could be a well-dressed man, relatively young, that didn't mean he was a pervert. She didn't know him well enough for her to think otherwise.
Just in case she went through his pocket and found her house key and grabbed it. She had learned on a TV show that keys could be lethal weapons used properly. And since it was a building, at night and they alone, as if he intended to get home ... complete.
She knocked on the office door upon arrival and waited for an answer. She entered cautiously when it arrived only to be paralyzed.
The pheromone-laden environment hit her back and clung to the snowy glass behind her like a support. What the hell, for a beta like her to feel that, it only meant one thing, someone was in heat or entering that phase.
She moved her eyes from side to side and looked behind her for the door handle but found herself so dizzy that she couldn't coordinate her fingers well. But there was something that made her stop breathing, when from the shadows of the dim office someone began to approach her. It could only be one person. His eyes greener than I remembered, his long blonde hair tousled, without his neat jacket and the first two buttons of his open white shirt. And worst of all, he looked at her as if she were delicious prey.
Silver squeezed the key in his palm until it bled, trying to calm the fear he felt. Her omega friend had told her that having an alpha in front of her made her melt. She would hit her a good one when he saw her. Yes, it was melting, but not from desire. She didn't feel the same about omegas. Damn.
That alpha seemed to want to mate and was releasing his pheromones left and right, seeking to stimulate his prey, in this case her, although he had not mentioned a small detail. She was not turned on by his pheromones even if she could perceive them. A rare feature that it had despite being declared a beta.
On the contrary, she touched his chest when it began to ache with shortness of breath and blood pumping, burning her inside. Her sight suddenly turned black and his somewhat disturbed conscience faded against his will.
Yes, there was a problem.
Something was wrong and her body had disconnected.
Maybe her boss wanted her to go into heat with all those pheromones. That was impossible, she couldn't go into heat.
God, she was a bloody beta.
What part of it did he not understand?
-Mom- the girl ignorant of certain matters walked happily beside her mother -You imagine her being an alpha, or an omega, as she will feel- she exclaimed with enthusiasm and curiosity.
-You will be a beta- said the mother with her hard voice, as always.
-Mom, you cannot know that, after my accident there is nothing that indicates that it will be beta. You can't be more flexible on the subject-
-Don't reply Silver. You will be a beta, I am sure of that and it is better for you, our future depends on today's result-
The girl turned her face to the other side with a frown. It was always like that with her mother, it was what she said and nothing more. Why couldn't he be an alpha or an omega, he had heard of the complicated relationships between them, of the ties, of what it would be like to go through a heat, experiencing things outside the majority was more interesting than the basic and routine of betas.
His mother was a beta. His father, he did not know. Natacha never spoke to her about him and was forbidden to touch the subject. She had lived the last few years watching her sink into bitterness and hatred of non-betas. What would your story be? that was something he was sure to take to his grave.
Silver felt his palms bathed in sweat. They had been waiting for more than half an hour for the result that the doctor should bring.
-Mom, what if ...? -
-Don't go on- she cut him off abruptly -You don't see how stressed I am, we'd better wait quietly- She tried to soften the atmosphere after seeing the expression on her daughter's face.
The office door opened five minutes later. A gray-haired man carried several papers in his hands including an envelope that he handed to the youngest, which was snatched from her hands.
His mother opened it and a smile lit up her face.
-I knew, you're a beta, I had no doubt-
Disappointment ran through the youngest. I was expecting another result, now nothing could be done. It was one more of the lot, of the routine.
***
Silver opened his heavy lids. She let her eyes, little by little, get used to the dim light of the ... office? What office? The haze in her mind suddenly vanished
She sat up so fast that a heavy dizziness seized her. What had happened? Where was it? What was he doing? She looked at the watch on her wrist and narrowed his eyes to focus, 10:15, it hadn't been long.
-What are you?- A male voice near her startled her.
Silver shuddered and raised his head, searching for the source of that deep voice in the dim light of that place. She found her boss sitting in the armchair in front of the sofa where she was lying.
The woman opened her mouth to close it again. His words caught in his throat as he tried to process the question. What?
-Answer me- Falcon demanded seriously, although he already seemed less ... aggressive, excited .... His eyes had returned to their clear green color and his pheromones seemed to be calmer. There was no trace of heat in that alpha, that was a relief.
-I don't understand your question, President- she began to straighten up, rubbing her head, she felt very vulnerable, barefoot and in an almost horizontal position. In addition, he noticed her blouse was not exactly well placed and quickly closed the two buttons that revealed the beginning of the valley of her breasts. He noticed that the man followed the movement of his fingers with his eyes.
-Why do you smell like an omega? My omega- his teeth almost gritted, emphasizing the last part.
Silver blinked.
Omega?
She gave an involuntary laugh at the phrase and couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time they had said that to her and look, she had been surrounded by alphas since she joined the company three years ago at different business meetings. She also had to admit that she was more sensitive to pheromones than a regular beta, but she put it down to the side effects of his accident, but there was a pretty good stretch of that to omega.
Her answer seemed to annoy the man who grunted and got up starting to walk towards her.
-Excuse me- the smile disappeared completely from her face and her body tensed, pressing her back against the furniture where she was sitting. He didn't know why but he couldn't move. She could just see how that alpha stopped in front of her, tall, big, overbearing. He swallowed, looking up and forced his lips to move -I don't know where he got that from, I'm a beta, it's impossible that it's his omega-
Falcon clenched his fist not at all pleased. She was lying. That fragrance present in her was stunning him and it did not allow him to reason well. I thought I could lose control at any moment.
-I'll give you another chance- he leaned in until his face was level with hers. He moved his hand and with the back of his fingers he caressed the side of her neck, going down until they stopped where that list of buttons that she had fastened earlier began. His skin was really smooth. He had felt it before when he laid her down on the couch although he stopped himself from taking her clothes off. Nor was he a son of a bitch to touch an unconscious body. He would have time for that later as she writhed beneath his body.
At that a vein throbbed in the woman's temple.
-Maybe I have to bring him my medical papers- Silver adopted his serious demeanor when he saw that his answer did not convince him. His pulse beat under the touch of those fingers.
Medical papers? He was serious then. Falcon was more unsettled. At that moment his cell phone rang and the alpha was reluctant to pick it up, refusing to break that atmosphere that he liked so much. But at such insistence he straightened up and pulled it out, displaying Vicky's name on the screen.
He clicked his tongue. It was not a good time, although the call had brought him to all five of his senses, which he intended to do by breaking his own rules.
-Do you need anything more president? - The supposed beta made a sign to get up. She seemed desperate to get out of there.
Falcon looked her up and down and gave up. He would wait for the information from his secretary. Perhaps the doubts would dissolve. Although letting her go was more difficult than expected.
-You can go- he paid attention to his cell phone taking away interest in the matter, he had to keep his sanity. Breaking his structured life life was not in his plans and they would not be for the moment.
Silver got out as fast as he could and clung to the wall, finally breathing easy. That had been the most suffocating hour she'd lived through so far including the blackout. She checked herself now that her mind was cold and she found everything in its place. At least he hadn't sexually assaulted her. She didn't want to lose his job. She was winning well and was comfortable, despite the state of the company. Salaries were stable to avoid some internal scandal.
I just hoped a cycle of sexual harassment didn't start. She has just come out of one of labor exploitation because of the amount of work he did.
She went down the elevator and picked up her bag without checking to see if she left anything. She needed to get out of there, she needed air.
She came home after paying for a taxi. It felt good to have a familiar roof over your head. She opened the door of his house to meet his mother in front of the flat screen TV watching a movie.
-Ma, I arrived-
-How good, Silver, overtime again?- She paused and turned to her. Hans has been calling you and you were not answering your cell phone, he wants you to call him immediately-
-Yes- he snorted. Sometimes her boyfriend, a beta who had been a neighbor of them since they were children, could be a bit suffocating especially when she ignored his call or forgot.
She lost his appetite just thinking about it. Without saying another word, he went upstairs and into the bathroom. A cold shower was the best.
She let the water wash away all or part of his worries. The image of their president came to mind. He was handsome, she couldn't ignore him. Attractive, with thick lips, a semi-waving blonde hair that had a somewhat long classic cut that caressed the nape of the neck, a height greater than six feet and a structured body that was noticeable above the suit. But up there. That being attracted to her was something else. And more when he mentioned the fact that he was his partner
Where did he get it from? He had given up on that ever since he saw the B on the paper. To harbor hope was useless, you do not change from beta to omega or alpha just to want it, you were born and you were what you were.
She dried himself off before collapsing onto the bed. She turned off the cell phone, she did not want interruptions, and less from her boyfriend, and tomorrow she would talk to him with a cold mind, Falcon's green eyes still tormented her every time she closed her eyes.
She reached into his nightstand drawer for a pot of pills and took his daily dose. His body relaxed instantly. That drug did wonders.