Page 1 of Give Me You
Emilio
A heavy sigh falls from my lips as I stare at myself in the mirror, wondering how everything is going to change in a few short months. I’ve grown up surrounded by the nightlife, my parents integrating us into the club they built from the bottom up,Aurum Pulse, the very legacy of the Arydn family.
My lids flutter close as I feel the bass through the floor from downstairs, the heavy beats rattling the old wood of my nightstand. Friday nights at Aurum Pulse are always packed, and tonight's no different. I can feel the energy building, thatelectric buzz that comes right before the club hits its peak. It makes my pulse quicken, excitement thrumming under my skin. God, I love this feeling. The chaos, the noise, the way the whole building seems to pulse with life. It's mine. All of it.
But then I remember thethingthat’s going to change my future, my gaze falling back on my half-naked body in the mirror. I run my hands over the slightly extended swell of my belly, my pants digging into my hips.
I tug at the waistband, frowning at my reflection. Another week, maybe two, and I won't be able to hide this anymore. I'm due in another two and a half months, maybe earlier, with all the stress this job provides. The sponsors breathing down my neck, my brother, Zaden, constantly trying to sabotage me, the late nights and early mornings blurring together until I can barely remember what day it is. But when I think about being a dad, when I imagine holding my baby boy and showing him this place, teaching them everything my parents taught me? It makes everything worth it.
I've wanted this for years. The idea of being a daddy has been sitting in the back of my mind since I was barely old enough to understand what it meant. I'd watch other Omegas with their packs, with their Alphas hovering over them like they couldn't breathe without permission, and I'd think about how different I'd do it. How I'd have my baby without all the strings attached, without giving up everything I've worked for just to satisfy some outdated tradition that says Omegas need Alphas to survive.
That's the thing people don't understand. Legally, if I bonded with an Alpha, I'd have to take their name. And once I did that, they'd have control over everything my parents left me. Aurum Pulse would belong to them, not me.
I'd be nothing more than a pretty Omega on their arm while they made all the decisions, ran the business into the ground, or sold it off to the highest bidder. I refuse to let that happen. Thisclub is my parents' legacy, and I'll be damned if I let some Alpha take it from me just because I want to be a father.
I grab my shirt from the bed and slip it over my head, smoothing it down over my stomach. The fabric is loose enough to hide the small bump, at least for now. I rest my hand there for a moment, relishing the flutter of movement beneath my palm. It's real. This is actually happening. In a few months, I'll be holding my baby, and none of the bullshit with the sponsors or Zaden will matter anymore.
"Soon, little bean," I whisper. "Soon I’ll get to show you everything Mom and Dad built, hmm?"
A rough knock at the front door makes me jump, my hand jerking away from my stomach. My phone buzzes on the dresser a second later, the screen lighting up with a text notification. I sigh, looking back at the mirror. The bags under my eyes are darker than usual, purple shadows that no amount of sleep seems to fix. Not that I've been getting much sleep lately. Between the club and the pregnancy and the constant anxiety that someone's going to figure out what I'm hiding, I'm lucky if I get four hours a night.
My doctor has told me one too many times that I need to take a break, but doing that would give Zaden the opportunity to step in and… well,fuck that.
I grab my makeup bag and dab concealer under my eyes, blending it in with my fingers until the shadows are mostly hidden. Adding a little color on my cheeks to hide how tired I am and some gloss on my lips to make me look less like I'm about to pass out makes me look a little more normal.
In another month or so, I'm going to need help. Real help. And that means trusting someone enough not to fuck everything up, which is easier said than done when everyone around me seems intent on undermining me at every turn.
Another knock reaches my ears, a little more insistent this time.
"I'm coming," I grumble, snatching up my phone.
The text is from my brother.They're going to start the sponsor meeting without you.
I stare at the screen, my jaw clenching so hard it hurts. Bullshit. I know exactly what this is. Zaden's been trying to get a one-up on me for years, ever since our parents left the club to me instead of him. The older Alpha thinks that makes him more qualified to run Aurum Pulse. But our parents knew better. They knew Zaden would turn this place into a playground for his ego, that he'd run it into the ground within a year just to prove he could do whatever he wanted without consequences.
So they left it to me. And Zaden's hated me for it ever since.
It got worse after he found out I was pregnant. I don't know how he found out, but he did, and ever since then, he's been doing everything in his power to ruin me. He wants the sponsors to see me as some fragile Omega who can't handle the pressure, who needs an Alpha to step in and take over. He wants them to see him as that Alpha. He wants them to hand him my club on a silver platter while I'm too exhausted and hormonal to fight back.
And if Zaden ever finds outhowI got pregnant, or I suppose the reason I did, I’m done for.
Unorthodox doesn’t even begin to cut it, but I didn’t have a lot of options. No doctor would inseminate me without parental approval or an Alpha's okay, which is just more societal hierarchical bullshit. So I did it on my own. I slept around. It wasn't a hardship, honestly. I made sure the men I chose were healthy, that they had good genetics, that they'd give me the baby I wanted without any strings attached. No bonds, no claims, no legal entanglements that would give them rights tomy business or my body. And now I'm on my way to having the life I want without any of the overhead of a pack.
When a third knock echoes through my apartment, I know I’m out of time. I shove my phone into my pocket and head out into the main area of my apartment. The space is small but comfortable, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the dance floor below. I can see the lights flashing, a crowd of bodies pressed together in a sea of color and sound. It's beautiful. It's everything I've ever wanted. And I'm not going to let Zaden take it from me.
I throw open the door, unsurprised to see Otto standing there, one hand raised like he was about to knock again. He's big, even for an Alpha, broad-shouldered and graying at the temples, with the kind of calm presence that makes people feel safe. He worked with my parents for years, back when they were still alive and running the club together, and he's one of the few people I trust completely. He's never tried to take advantage of me, never looked at me like I'm just some Omega who needs to be controlled. He treats me like a person, which is more than I can say for most of the Alphas in my life.
He laughs when he sees me, his expression just the right amount of warm to calm my chaotic thoughts. "Hey, they thought you might have died or something up here."
I roll my eyes, stepping out into the hallway. "We both know none of the sponsors think that. I'm sure they're taking bets on which Alpha I have in my bed. Let's go before they add you to the roster."
Otto laughs, a deep rumbling sound that makes me smile despite my irritation. "I'm twice your age, Emilio. It would never happen."
"I know," I say, grabbing my keys from the counter. "And you're not my type, old man."
We head down the stairs together, the music getting louder with every step. The hallway is dimly lit, red and purple lights casting everything in shadow. I can hear voices from the main floor, laughter and shouting and the clink of glasses. It's a good night. The kind of night that makes all the stress worth it. The kind of night that reminds me why I love this place so much.
Otto glances at me as we walk. "How is everything?"
