His Isolated Omega Luna

Chapter Twenty Six

Gabriel tapped his fingers restlessly against his knee while he waited for someone to come out and fetch him.

After a few minutes, the door opened. A man in a black suit, broken only by a charcoal tie sauntered out. His face broke into a forced smile of recognition when he saw him.

“Gabriel, you look well!” He said, closing in on him when he stretched out his hand. Gabriel stood up to return the handshake.

“Raymond,” He replied politely. “Likewise.”

“Oh, it’s Szandor or LaVey now,” The man corrected, gesturing for Gabriel to join him in his office. He could sense Gabriel didn't understand the reference, so the man explained without waiting for him to ask. “Just a stupid nickname. Some of the new betas say I work them like the devil.” He laughed out of mild amusement and shut the door behind them. “After the Satanist, presumably. I didn’t ask. Drink?”

“No. No, thank you. It’s a bit early for me,” Gabriel answered. He watched LaVey move over to a cabinet by the back wall and pour out a large serving of whisky into a glass tumbler. He took a generous sip and positioned himself in the seat behind his desk opposite Gabriel.

“Well, I know you haven’t come here to make small talk,” LaVey said, as soon as he was settled.

Gabriel had to give him some credit. He certainly knew how to get straight to the point.

“No, of course not,” Gabriel replied flatly. “Listen, Raymond. I know we didn’t part on the best of terms and I can’t say I condone the ‘nature’ of your business,” He hesitated, while his eyes scanned the pseudo-erotic pictures that lined the walls.

“Hmm…” LaVey offered vaguely. Gabriel shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

“But honestly, you’re the only person I know in this town and my sister - ” He stopped suddenly when he noticed LaVey was watching him a little too intently. Gabriel stumbled to try and give a reason why he had bothered to search him out after such a long time.

“I’m concerned about her. I know you have a lot of influence here and I wanted to ask you to take her under your wing, so to speak,” LaVey nodded, and took another drink. “I’ll pay you, of course.” Gabriel added quickly, trying to sweeten the deal. He knew LaVey had an unnaturally passionate love for the money that funded the life he was accustomed to, and Gabriel had no doubt it would definitely talk on this occasion.

“You want a guardian for her? Is that why you came here? That's what you're asking?" LaVey prompted. Gabriel huffed a laugh.

“God, no. The girl’s thirty-two. She doesn’t really need anyone to look after her, although she is a bit on the skittish side,” He added, nervously licking his lips while he debated just how much personal information he should really divulge about Cassandra.

Gabriel had some serious reservations about putting his trust in a man like LaVey, but when he thought about the alternative, Gabriel felt compelled to continue. The thought of someone like Axel Harrison sinking his teeth into his sister’s delicate neck made him feel sick to his stomach. He hadn’t kept her safe from over-sexed alphas all this time for her to become a submissive f**k toy for anyone who clad himself in leather and denim and always looked at Cassandra like he wanted to eat her.

“She’s an omega,” Gabriel blurted out. LaVey suddenly sat up straight and hurriedly deposited his glass on the desk before he spilled the contents all over it.

“A female omega?” He echoed quietly. “Well, now... isn’t that interesting?” Gabriel could have sworn he saw a muscle twitch in LaVey’s cheek. He got the impression a revelation like that had actually stimulated his curiosity more than he was letting on, but it was too late now. He couldn’t take it back and desperately needed LaVey on his side.

“Yes. Her condition is no longer a secret, and I want to stop her from being claimed by a certain alpha who seems to have his sights set on her. His name is Axel Harrison.”

“I see...” LaVey began, with as much nonchalance as he was able to fake at such short notice. “So, you think she’s at risk of being claimed against her will.”

“Well, that’s the point. I don’t think it would be against her will, per se. She seems to have developed some sort of… I don’t know,” Gabriel batted his hand dramatically while he searched for the right word. It looked like it almost pained him to say it. “Attachment to him. I don’t really understand why. Cassandra has always been absolutely terrified of being r***d by an alpha.”

“Why don’t you want her to mate?” LaVey asked. Most omegas wanted to be chosen to breed.

“Let’s just say I have my reasons, but that is no concern of yours. Do you want my money, or don’t you?” Gabriel asked bluntly. He was getting agitated and it would have been a lie to say that LaVey wasn't enjoying every second of watching him squirm.

Gabriel already felt horribly guilty for trying to separate Cassandra from Axel, especially when it was obvious his sister had started to invest so many emotions in this man, but it wasn’t enough. He would not see history repeat itself and that was the end of it.

“I completely understand your right to discretion, Gabriel. I'm sure I'll be able to have some of my people watch out for her,” Gabriel’s heart fluttered an unexpected warning in his chest at the cold gleam that seemed to shine out from behind those dark eyes.

“Make no mistake, though. I don’t want Cassandra harmed or frightened in any way. Like I said, she’s very sensitive,” LaVey nodded.

“Naturally. I'm aware you think I have questionable morals, but I'm not a monster,” He said pointedly. Gabriel thought he stressed that last word with unnecessary force.

“I wasn’t suggesting…” Gabriel tried, but LaVey quickly interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

“Consider it done. Come by later and we can talk some more. My card.” LaVey flicked his hand in and out of his breast pocket before Gabriel even remembered blinking and thrust it towards him, his mouth curving up at one side.

Just for one passing moment, Gabriel wondered if he had made a terrible mistake. He imagined that was probably the way a snake might smile at you just before it wrapped you in its coils.

***

Axel was still gazing at Cassandra with pure devotion, soaking in the warmth of her hand where it rested on his own. Axel was almost certain he heard right, but he had to make sure, so he slipped his other arm around Cassandra’s back and pulled her up so he could look into her eyes.

“You really mean it, Cas?” Axel asked softly. Cassandra gave him a shy smile. Axel's mouth suddenly burst into a wide grin of happiness with the realization this beautiful, perfect omega was going to give someone like him a chance to prove he was worthy of her affection.

The idea Cassandra was seriously considering him as a potential mate forced Axel's heart to swell with hope. “You do know what I’m asking, right?” Axel prompted again. He wanted no more secrets or misunderstandings between them. Axel needed Cassandra to know his desire for her wasn't just because he was going to add her to his list of conquests, or chalk her up to experience. He wanted to be with her forever.

“Yes, Axel. I know what you're asking,” Cassandra said quietly. Her cheeks gently flushed with blood, shining with a rosy glow when a very explicit image suddenly popped into her head. “You want to knot me, don’t you?” Axel never thought he would hear something like that fall from Cassandra’s mouth. It took him a couple of seconds to recover.

“Jeez, Cas!” Axel gasped. It caused his alpha brain to go into default mode, the picture show now playing relentlessly on a loop in the back of his mind threw him completely. He was aching to shove his tongue back into Cassandra’s mouth and relieve some of the constrictive pressure that was making him warm and uncomfortable again.

“No.” Axel said defensively, but that wasn't really true and he was so done with all the lies. “Well yeah, but s**t - not when you say it like that. That’s not really what I meant.” Cassandra looked away and Axel watched the blush spread all the way across her face and right up to the tips of her ears.

Axel let out a small laugh when he pulled Cassandra close again and rubbed his cheek against her jaw. He realized Cassandra might have taken that as a rejection.

“Hey. God, yes I want to do that. 'Course I do, but I’m not gonna take something like that from you unless you really want to be with me, Cas,” Axel wrapped his fingers possessively around the tops of Cassandra’s arms and held her back so he could look right at her when he made his promise. “If I do that...” Axel started slowly, making sure he had Cassandra’s full attention. “Then I’ll do it when you agree to let me claim you.”

Cassandra tried to stop herself from being pulled in by the depth of those seductive green eyes. A lifetime of daily affirmations that she would never let herself be claimed by anyone was still settled deep in her subconscious and she couldn’t deny she was still very worried about Gabriel.

The last thing she wanted to do was to swear a vow to Axel she might not be able to keep. He deserved better than that, too.

“Axel, I don’t know if I'll ever be able to give myself away so completely...” The omega sighed and Axel’s mouth dipped down. “But if I do,” Cassandra brushed the tips of her fingers against Axel’s cheek. “If I ever decide I want to be mated, I know I would want it to be you.”

“I get it, Cas...” Axel said slowly. “I know I can’t ask you to do something like that without you being completely sure. I’m not just saying it ‘cause I wanna get you on your knees. If I bite you, it’s forever. I can’t take it back.”

“I know that, Axel. I just need some more time, yeah?” Axel’s smile soon returned.

“Alright, I think I can live with that. How am I doing so far?”

“I would say you’re doing alright. Probably in the top three.”

“Huh...” Axel's mouth gave a little twitch at one corner. “Better up my game, then.”

Cassandra continued to humor him, but there was a profound sadness behind her eyes. She let her hand fall limply into her lap when she looked down again. “But I don’t want you to put your life on hold for me, if that’s something I just don’t have to give, Axel,” Cassandra admitted honestly, but Axel had already made up his mind and there was nothing anyone could say or do to dissuade him from pursuing Cassandra.

“It doesn’t matter how long I gotta wait. This is it for me, Cas. I'll never give up on you, never.”