Page 13 of Knot All is Crystal
“Must be,” I say, uncomfortably pulling at the skirt that barely covers my ass. “I didn’t see Puck, so he didn’t brief me.”
Tyler leans his chin on his hand. He’s devastatingly handsome, with piercing green eyes and shaggy blonde hair. His nose is pointed, and his lips are thin, giving him a fairytale look.
“That man is always looking for you,” he says dreamily, but his eyes don’t stray from my face. “I don’t know why you haven’t gone there yet.”
“Maybe because, unlike you, I have standards,” I say, shoving his shoulder lightly.
“Hey, I resent that implication!” he scoffs, resting a hand on his chest. “I’ll have you know that even low standards are standards.”
I snort as I reach over the bar to grab a bottle of water. “You got me there.”
After I went through a painful heat alone, where I came back looking “halfway in the grave,” according to Tyler, he begged me to let him help me during them. So we gave it a shot a few times with his then partner, a Beta named Atlas. It was fun, but he and I couldn’t be more than just friends. The chemistry wasn’t there beyond being an Alpha and an Omega, and I called it off after the third heat we spent together.
Still, he smelled nice and had a knot, which was all I needed for a comfortable heat.
The door to our lounge opens, and Puck stands there with a scowl. His dark eyes trace over me before locking with mine. “Good evening, Queenie. Your subjects are here.”
FIVE
Crystal’s facetransforms from one that loves to try my patience to a compliant customer service mask. It’s impressive, but not her, and I find myself missing the sassy smirk the moment it’s gone.
I step to the side and usher in the group of four Alphas. I didn’t want to allow them into her room tonight, but Kieran vetoed my veto. These Alphas specifically requested an Omega, which is a red flag in and of itself, and then they wanted to ensure they weren’t interrupted.
That request is why I’m here now. Usually, a rotating security staff filters in and out of the rooms since I have a lot to oversee in the day-to-day operations of Prism, but Queenie has me permanently tonight.
It’s not like it’s a hardship for me. I wouldn’t trust anyone else for the job, and Kieran agreed.
Tyler, the bartender she always works with, would not be able to protect her from four Alphas, and despite what she thinks, she’s not just another Omega. She’s important to Kieran. He’s grown quite fond of the little Omega since she joined his team.
He’s not the only one.
If she knew how many men had ended up in the interrogation room because of what they said about her, maybe she’d understand how good she has it compared to some of the others.
She’s protected in a way that most Omegas who come into Kieran’s clutches aren’t.
I’m doing my best to make sure her story has a happy ending, but sometimes she makes it so damn hard.
I do my best to help her when I can, but her attitude will get her in trouble one day when she mouths off to the wrong person, and I won’t be able to step in like I have in the past.
The four Alphas spread out around the U-shaped couch, practically drooling at Crystal in her tiny plaid skirt scarcely wider than a belt. A shiny patch of plastic bandage peeks out from the bottom of the skirt. She’s chewing gum, undoubtedly part of the character she’s putting on tonight, with her hands propped on her slim hips.
“Hey, doll, we’ll have four glasses of your best scotch.”
She nods, looking at Tyler to make sure he heard the request. When she turns back to the men, she asks, “With bubbles or without?”
“With,” one of the men says quickly. When an Alpha with glasses whispers a question, likely asking what it means, he waves him off. “With, please. For all of us.”
Crystal nods tightly and heads behind her serving station. She’s the best we have when it comes to selling fizz, but it’s still strange to see an Omega who went to finishing school selling drugs.
“Now, when it comes to bubbles, I highly recommend you take some home with you and have smaller amounts tomorrow to help with the crash.”
“This isn’t our first rodeo, princess,” another Alpha says, raising my hackles. “We know what to do. We’ll be okay.”
“I’m not a princess,” she says through gritted teeth. She takes a few steps closer to the offending Alpha, baring her teeth as she leans into his face. “I’m the fucking Queen. There’s a reason why. Take my opinion or not, but don’t insult me regarding my business.”
I rub my hand over my face to hide my laugh. Crystal hates all of the royalty nicknames, but none more than princess. This guy unintentionally stepped onto a landmine there.
“I’ll take an extra dose,” says the bespectacled Alpha, who questioned the order initially.
