CHAPTER TWO

Isabel

“Damn, who lets a mess get this bad?” A disbelieving little laugh escapes my lips as I take in the pigsty someone made out of the middle of this softly decorated room.

There are papers scattered across the entire hardwood floor, everything from printer paper to what looks like used toilet paper.

Open folders form chaotic trails between the main desk and the tall shelves, packed with documents threatening to collapse at any moment.

I also see plenty of dirty mugs, but the worst part is the dozens of food containers giving off a rotten smell that turns my stomach.

“I bet the assistant did this on purpose the moment he found out he was getting fired. I can't believe he worked in the middle of this on a regular basis!” I mutter, shaking my head as I pull a big black trash bag out of the cart.

I start with the obvious.

I toss every food container, disposable cup, and the toilet paper that's actually been used into the bag, filling it up much faster than I expected.

I set the torn papers aside in a new bag, and once I notice the smell has improved a little after getting rid of the nastiest trash, I feel a bit more motivated to keep going.

Not that I could stop anyway... I need this job. I don't have another option, since I never finished school.

My parents were never very interested in my education.

Only Elizabeth mattered.

She was the one who'd marry a powerful Alpha, so they invested everything they could in her.

I got whatever was left over... when there was anything left.

I push the memories of the past to the back of my mind and get back to work, because dwelling on things I can't change won't help me finish this cleaning before dawn.

Before the king arrives.

A shiver runs through me just imagining running into him, which is why it takes me a while to notice that the papers I'm gathering to throw away are actually official documents.

“If they don't kill the ex-assistant over this stunt he pulled, I'll call it a miracle...” I peel off my dirty gloves and toss them in the trash bag before continuing to sort the pages, refusing to touch important material with the same hand that handled used toilet paper.

It'll stain, and then they'll blame me for it!

I start sorting everything more carefully, opening the fallen folders to see if any of the reports belong there. When I realize those are mixed up too, I add the pages to the growing pile, deciding to read each document so I can sort them by topic and organize them properly.

“Still only 10 p.m.” I mutter, grabbing my phone to put on some music. “I'll knock this out quick and then finish the cleaning!”

To the sound of Bones by Imagine Dragons, I build stacks in front of me, skimming the pages just to check if they cover the same topics.

Time passes fast, and before I know it, the chaos starts taking on some kind of order, turning into perfectly aligned rows on the dark wood floor, which still needs to be swept.

“Almost done now...” I pull a new folder closer, and the moment I open it just to make sure nothing's missing, the air leaves my lungs.

Omega Registry — Annual Update.

“Holy shit.” The curse slips out of my mouth as I scan the printed lists.

Full names.

Dates of birth.

Cold notes about the bodies of women I don't know, treated as if only their wombs mattered.

They reduced people to data.

Cataloged everything!

First heat.

Marking status.

Blood type.

Interested Alpha.

My stomach turns with disgust, but my fingers keep flipping through the pages anyway, and my eyes keep reading the information, until I land on my sister's name.

Elizabeth A. Johnson.

Marking status: confirmed omega at age 2.

Blood type: O.

First heat: 16 years, 3 months.

Interested Alpha: King Razor.

“Of course she's about to marry the most powerful man in the world...”

I scoff, unable to believe my sister doesn't just get to skip the pain of pre-heat — which no amount of medication can prevent, only mask the smell — but she's also going to fool the Alpha and bond with him.

The worst part is the two of them will never have an heir, since she won't get pregnant.

The irony pulls a dry, humorless laugh out of me.

“In the end, she got everything that actually matters.” I shake my head, feeling so envious I'm almost ashamed of myself. “Elizabeth gets the power and the status, without the pain or turning into a human incubator. All the 'benefits' of being an omega, without actually being one...”

I close the folder harder than I meant to and shove it aside, unable to keep staring at how unfair life is.

She's at our parents' mansion right now, sleeping soundly, while I'm sweaty and grimy, dreading getting home wrecked with nothing but old instant noodles to eat.

“At least I'm free.” I try to convince myself as I stand up, taking a deep breath and swallowing the bitter taste rising up my throat along with the resentment. “No Alpha will ever own me.”

I check my phone again for the time, and when I see it's already past 1 a.m., I decide to stop playing secretary and finish this cleaning already.

I just need to use the bathroom first...

Now that I'm standing and not distracted, the pressure in my stomach builds in a way that's impossible to ignore, along with a wave of nausea that makes me close my eyes to keep from making an even bigger mess on the floor.

Shit, the pill's wearing off!

The realization leaves me disoriented, especially since I don't have another pill in my bag. I never bring them to work, since I always get searched when I arrive, and I'm never here this long. My shift ends at 9:30. Today's the exception.

“And now I'm screwed!” The laugh that echoes through the office is pure desperation, and it only makes me need to pee even worse.

I look around, searching for a solution I already know doesn't exist. The guard made it very clear that if I leave now, I don't get back in, and I haven't finished cleaning yet.

I got distracted with the wrong things.

If I don't leave this place spotless, I'll get fired.

But if I stay here, on top of wetting myself, I also risk them finding out I'm an omega.

What do I do?

What do I do?

My traitorous eyes drift on their own toward the door of Razor's private office, where I know there's a bathroom perfect for using.

The king isn't here...

It'll take less than a minute to relieve myself...

No one will ever know I went into his room...

“Screw it, better this than exploding!” I convince myself as I approach the empty office, which smells so good it actually makes my mouth water.

I push the door open carefully, flinching at the terrifying creak, and the scent of the Alpha's pheromones grows so intense that my legs nearly give out as I rush toward the bathroom, my body sensitive and restless in a way that fills my head with completely indecent thoughts.

I quickly pop the button on my uniform's tight skirt, not bothering to close the door behind me, and the second I sit on the toilet, I let out a deep sigh of relief, closing my eyes to savor the indescribable feeling of not wetting myself completely like a two-year-old.

Damn it, why does his scent smell so good?

No matter how hard I try not to feel it, the king's pheromones wrap around me almost like a physical touch, making me realize I'm in far more trouble than I already thought.

I need to find a way out of here once I'm done cleaning.

Not through the hallway, since any guard who sees me will realize I'm an omega.

I can feel the scent coming off me.

I can feel the drug losing the battle against my nature.

“Okay. Breathe, Isabel. Don't freak out!” I tell myself, reaching blindly for the toilet paper, keeping my eyes closed as if that could help silence my panicking brain.

I try to think of a way to sneak through the halls without running into anyone, but knowing that's impossible, I start wondering if the rumors I've heard about a secret passage in the king's office, one that leads outside, are actually real.

No harm in checking...

I finally open my eyes, accepting it's my only real chance to escape without anyone learning the truth I want to hide.

And I find the king.

In the open bathroom doorway.

Staring at me.

The most powerful being in the world.

The monster who conquered all of humanity.

My boss, technically.

Who just watched me pee.