"Did you seriously just do that?"

Luca rolled his eyes and glanced up from his phone as he leaned on the peeling faux granite counter in the back of the bar. His supervisor, Killian Jones, narrowed a pair of eerie yellow eyes at him as he let the swinging door wobble back into place behind him.

"He fucking grabbed me," Luca responded venomously, his gravelly voice low as he looked back at his phone, watching with despair as he spent the last of his hard earned cash on fucking suppressant medications. He'd taken too long to save up. They were going to be delivered a day late. He was going to be a day into his heat before those things landed on his doorstep, which meant even the delivery guy was probably going to break his door down and try to fuck him.

Like the fat tub of lard out in the bar who'd grabbed his wrist and tried to swing him around into a soggy lap stained with beer and onion ring dip.

Shuddering in revulsion, he raked a hand through his white hair that fell back into place near his shoulders. Which was a whole other problem in itself. He needed a haircut bad. He was starting to look like his mother and the thought made his skin crawl.

"You can't deck a guy because he grabs you," Killian snapped, making Luca scowl without looking up. Killian cursed and marched over, snatching the cheap cell phone out of Luca's grasp and Luca whirled on him with a downright animalistic snarl. Killian reared back at that, his eyes widening and Luca hesitated, then curled his lip and took advantage of Killian's surprise to snatch his phone back.

"I don't like to be touched," Luca replied in a growl, turning away. Killian pressed his lips together for the longest time, staring at the omega across from him. Luca had been employed with him for two years. His uncle had been the one to hire Luca before he passed away, had insisted they protect the omega. It made sense; Luca was downright... beautiful. Not in the traditional omega way, definitely not. Luca was more muscular than your average omega, leanly built like a dancer, with long legs that wouldn't quit. Then there was the fact that he was albino, making him some kind of rare gem.

Long white hair that fell to his shoulders in straight locks, thick white eyelashes that flipped up like a dove's wings, revealing glittering rubies. Skin the color of freshly fallen snow. Perfect white teeth with canines that were a bit too sharp for Killian's tastes, considering he'd been on the receiving end of them at one time.

Yes, Luca was definitely a beautiful omega.

But he was a fucking liability, a lawsuit waiting to happen.

The incident with fatso in the bar was the third incident in the past week where Luca had gotten physical with a customer. He'd punched an alpha in the kidney, punched a beta in the nose, and put another one into a chokehold that left the poor fucker unconscious. All of which Luca had replied with "I don't like being touched".

Except, he worked in a fucking bar, Killian thought angrily. A fucking bar, where all of his staff had been inappropriately touched at one time, including himself. And he was an alpha down to the marrow of his bones. But he didn't clock anyone for it. He used it to get more business.

Everyone, except Luca had accepted that fact.

Luca just couldn't get with the program.

Killian should've expected it, of course. After all, the biting incident was how they met. Killian had come to take over when his uncle had gotten sick and the one time he'd touched Luca on the shoulder, the guy had spun around and bit him on the shoulder. It had taken a lot of begging and pleading from his uncle to not fire the guy, let alone straight up beat the shit out of him.

Luca wasn't normal.

He'd never been normal.

He wasn't delicate like a lot of omegas Killian knew, but he also wasn't polite like most of them. Luca had a foulmouth, a quick temper. Worst of all, the little fucker was incredibly smart. He knew damn well Luca wouldn't be able to afford all of his suppressants on the salary he earned at the bar. No, the omega was finding other ways. Ways Killian wanted to pretend weren't happening under his nose.

But it was getting to be too much.

This omega was going to cost him a fortune in lawsuits.

He had to do what his uncle had been too weak to do.

"You're fired," he stated, the words tasting like battery acid on his tongue.

Luca blinked and looked up, staring at him for a full moment before he flashed one of those pointy fangs in a smirk, his expression one of chya right. He shook his head and looked back down at his phone before shutting it off and tucking it in his back pocket so he could snatch his black apron off the counter.

"Fine, I'll get back out there, but I'm going to stay behind the bar," Luca added, moving to go around Killian for the door, but Killian blocked his path. The omega pulled up short to avoid a physical confrontation before frowning and looking up at the alpha, which wasn't something he often did considering he got his height from his father.

"I mean it," Killian said in a tight voice, wondering why he felt like there was a rock stuck in his throat, "I need you to grab your things and leave. Permanently." Luca stared at him for a moment, struggling to process what the guy was saying. He'd meant it? He'd honestly meant it?

"I've been here for almost two years," Luca said flatly, taking a step back now. If Killian hadn't felt like there was a wall between them before, he definitely felt one now. One that towered high above both of them and was quickly being put together with fucking steel and concrete.

"And our business has been struggling because of it," Killian continued, wondering why he was so upset by a clearly logical and rational decision, "My uncle put up with you for some fucking reason that I cannot begin to fathom. He's the only reason you know how to make a decent Horseman or dirty Martini. He's the only reason you've been allowed to stay, but honestly, he's been dead for months now and you're not getting any better and I cannot afford to keep you around here anymore, not when there's a lawsuit waiting to happen." Luca stared at him, and Killian hated how he couldn't read that calm, flat expression. It totally creeped him out, especially with those red eyes.

"So you're seriously firing me," Luca said slowly, and Killian pretended he didn't flinch inwardly at the anger in Luca's tone, "You're firing me a week before my heat starts." Killian gritted his teeth. No way. He was not going to be guilted into this. Goddamnit, he was an alpha and when it came right down to it, Luca was an omega. He was nothing to him.

"Yes. I am. I am tired of being your babysitter. I am tired of making excuses for you. I'm tired of carrying around your baggage. Get your shit and get out of my bar before I ask Heath to come take you out," he said, referring to their security that honestly spent more time at the bar himself than providing actual security. Hence why Luca didn't trust the alpha to come to his rescue. Not that he needed the fucking meathead to do so.

"Fine," Luca stated, untying his apron and rolling it up to drop it on the table before he turned to Killian with a curled lip, "For the record, I know you were thinking about fucking me around the time we met. And I'd have rather fucked a cactus than you." Killian gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to throw the omega over the counter and fuck him blind to teach him his place.

Instead, he stepped back and watched Luca yank his leather jacket off the coat hook in the back and exit through the kitchen door. The sound of the door slamming shut was the last thing he heard.

Luca stepped out into the warm rainy night, seething as he glared across the tight alley behind the bar at the rundown restaurant/hotel next door. He spun on his heel and marched toward the street, wanting to find someone, something, to put his fist through, except the street was mostly vacant.

Of course it would be.

It was midnight on a Monday night. The only people out at this hour were the drug dealers and the prostitutes, all of whom were hiding in the shadows from the rain.

Luca yanked his jacket closer to himself as he turned and headed toward the bus stop to take a bus home, only to stop and realize... shit, he had no cash. He'd spent the last of his money on his suppressants. Infuriated, he kept walking with the intention to just walk the twelve blocks home.

He totally understood Killian firing him from a management standpoint. He would've fired him too if he'd been in the same position. The only difference was that part of the reason Killian fired him was because the alpha had wanted to fuck him since day one. Ever since Killian realized he wasn't going to submit to him, the alpha had wanted to make an example of him-- in front of everyone. It wasn't a sexual attraction thing either. It was just a way to assert his dominance, and holy fuck, Luca wanted to shred what ego that alpha had left.

Alphas were all the same, he thought bitterly as he splashed in a puddle of rain, car fuel, and probably piss. They were self-righteous arrogant pieces of shit who thought they owned the whole world because of some magic dick juice. And frankly, omegas were garbage too, as far as he was concerned. They spread their legs and gave the alphas the satisfaction of domination in the end. They were nothing more than prizes to be won, tools to use for procreation. And betas? Holy shit, fuck those guys too. All they did was stand on the sidelines and try not to get involved in the active battle between omega rights and alpha instincts.

Total bullshit.

All of it.

He wasn't even sure how he played into all of this.

He just didn't want to die.

Oh, hell no.

He wasn't going to die until he slit his mother's throat and bathed in her blood for everything she'd done to him. Or, maybe it was more like, everything she hadn't done to him. She hadn't been there for him. She hadn't babied him or cared for him or loved him at all. She'd taken one look at her white ass baby and tossed him to the curb, only for a poor pathetic beta to swoop in, snatch him up, and stick him in her churchy orphanage where he'd spent six years getting slapped by nuns and pinched by priests.

Oh yeah, he had a whole mess of payback waiting for that bitch.

The only problem was that she'd done a marvelous job of covering her tracks. Almost like she knew the mutant son she'd birthed was going to hunt her down like the animal she was.

Which is how Luca had found himself at the bar in the first place.

He'd left the orphanage when he was sixteen. He'd taken off and did a bunch of shitty odd jobs that even the poorest of omegas wouldn't do. He'd ended up in a fist fight with a bunch of betas, got his ass handed to him on a silver platter, and found by a dumpster by Killian's uncle. The old man had taken pity on him, but not in the same way the nun had.

Nah, the old man whipped his ass into shape.

Not with an iron fist.

But... with what Luca could only describe as a gentle loving hand. Something he was entirely unfamiliar with.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Luca reached up and clutched the pendant around his neck. He wasn't religious. Never had been. Any concept of a higher power he could've had was smashed to bits when the nuns had adopted him. But the religious pendant around his neck, the circle with the knotted cross in the middle, always reminded him of the one time in his life that he knew what kindness felt like.

And god, he felt like a fucking pussy whenever he thought about it, but what the fuck ever.

He jammed his fists into his leather jacket pockets and continued to trudge through puddle laden streets. He hated this weather. This hot and steamy weather that aggravated his heat. It felt like it was coming on sooner, faster, stronger. He could feel it in the way his muscles seemed to sag on him, his cock twitched to life for literally no reason, his pheromones permeated the air like he was a walking LUSH store. Worse, he hungered for something he loathed more than anything.

Shuddering, he shook his head and took out his phone again, double checking the route back to his apartment since he rarely walked the path as opposed to taking the bus. He turned a corner and followed the little blue arrow on his map. He got a tickling sensation on the back of his neck, though, as he continued to walk down the abandoned street. Like someone was watching him intently.

And he wasn't an idiot.

Someone was watching him.

He scrolled on his phone to find a shop, a business, anything nearby to duck into, but it was just a bunch of fucking apartment buildings and construction zones. The one business that was nearby was a sketchy massage therapist who was closed for the weekend. Cursing, he picked up the pace and lifted his head, walking with confident purpose. If he was going to get jumped, he fucking dared the asshole to try it. He was an omega, yeah, but he was a pissed off omega.

Whatever god the fucker stalking him prayed to better have mercy on him.

Luca moved quicker now. He could hear the echo of a puddle splashing beneath his feet, which meant his pursuer was after him on foot. So at least he had a chance to get away.

He took it and turned his speed walk into a straight up sprint. He clutched his phone tightly and ran up ahead, turning a corner and heading for the nearest business he'd seen on his map. It was a whole three blocks away, but he wasn't about to let that stop him.

He sprinted east of his apartment, going for one of those lame mostly abandoned chicken places that was usually shown up by a big corp. fast food place. He was almost there. He could actually smell the nasty greasy chicken as he ran, see the sign lighting up the dark streets along with cars, which meant more people, which meant safety.

Except a pair of arms wrapped around his body, pinning his arms to his sides and hoisting him up. Luca roared with immediate fury and thrashed like someone had tossed an ice cube down the back of his shirt. He threw all of his weight back, which seemed to surprise his attacker, throwing him off.

Luca felt himself topple backwards with the guy and the guy released him to catch himself. Luca spun around and landed a kick to the guy's groin, which resulted in a gross squealing sound from the pig who'd grabbed him. Luca spun back around to take off only for a second attacker to come out of nowhere and stab him in the neck with a needle.

Luca gasped, stumbling back before shoving the guy away and bolting for the chicken store again, only for his legs to go rubber on him. He hit the ground fast and hard, gasping when he cracked his head on the sidewalk. A moan left his lips as he rolled over, reaching up to touch his head.

"Fuck," came a muffled snarl from somewhere in the haze, "He could've killed any chance I had of reproduction! Fuck that bitch! I'm gonna kill him--"

"Ease up, man," another voice warned, "He'll get his when a fat rich alpha fucks him sideways. He's too pricey to cut up for organs. Just grab him so we can get to the club, and fast, before Blake figures out we screwed up on the last one."

Luca didn't understand a word of what they were saying. All he knew was that the world was suddenly getting heavy and thick and all he wanted to do was curl up with a blanket and sleep.