MATED BY DECEPTION

RED LIGHTS casino stood gallantly in the bustling heart of the city, the entrance filled to the brim with posh cars and elegant customers. The nightlife of the city made the casino thrive and come alive as men with much to waste, played games and drew large bets, the women wrapped around their arms, watching in silent support. "Are you certain that he's going to come?" Paolo leaned back in his chair, twirling a glass of wine with a confident smile. "The offer is too good to pass up, Gabriel." "He will surely come." Gabriel looked around the casino, clicking his tongue at the drunk gamblers and women been passed around like commodities. "Why would you choose such a place to meet with him?" he asked. "The Moretti family isn't people that should—" Paolo chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. "Their family is nothing without people like us. We gave them that power." He gestured around. "The casino is my territory. I built this and if the Moretti family wants a deal with me, they would do well to respect my work." "There's nothing respectful about women being treated like slaves," a gentle voice interrupted and a woman stepped into their booth. She sat down, elegantly crossing her legs. "It's very shameful, Mr. DeRossi." Paolo observed her with a frown. The woman was gorgeous— breathtaking even. Her dark hair cascaded down her back in waves, face soft with the warmest brown eyes and lips painted in red. Dressed in a tight, black dress that amplified her curves, she was a vision to behold. Though, despite the soft features, there was a way she carried herself that screamed danger and had his senses at high alert. Gabriel spoke up beside him, "It's disrespectful to join a conversation that has nothing to do with you." The woman smiled gently. "I didn't mean to offend anyone." She tilted her head, observing them. "I was just... curious." Paolo tried to sniff her scent to know what sub gender she was but came up empty. Either she was wearing scent blockers or had a great control over her scent. The latter was very rare even among dominant genders so he ruled it out. He leaned forward a sly smile on his lips. "A beauty like you can never offend me." Paolo reached a hand and placed it on her lap, gently squeezing. "There are ways that you can show that you're truly repentant." The woman's gaze darkened and she raised a brow. "Repentant?" she repeated, taking the hand off her lap. "It's no wonder that your business is crumbling, Mr. DeRossi." Paolo's eyes flashed red, his pheromones spreading out to express his anger. "How did you know that?" The woman lips curled with amusement. "I have my ways." "Who are you?" Gabriel asked. "Ruelle Moretti," she replied. "It's not a pleasure to meet you both." Paolo's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "You're Luciano's sister?" Ruelle hummed, eyes filled with amusement. "The one and only." His face twisted further in anger. "This is total disrespect to me! I requested an audience with the heir of the Moretti family and they sent me a woman?" Gabriel's eyes widened and he subtly tried to pull his companion's sleeve only to be shrugged off. Paolo's pheromones spread around the booth, expressing his displeasure. "What good is a woman in this line of business?" Ruelle's eyes narrowed subtly and Gabriel leaned away, heart pounding. Paolo didn't notice and continued, "They are only good for—" He dropped down on the floor, a bullet between his eyes and Gabriel gasped, eyes wide with fear. Ruelle let out a tired sigh. "So much for having a peaceful negotiation." "Come in, Nico," she said and a man stepped into the booth, a gun in hand. Ruelle gestured to the body. "Feed it to the dogs." Nico nodded and dragged the body away while Gabriel watched, heart pounding with fear. Ruelle clicked her tongue, standing up. "I didn't want to be this messy, but his death was inevitable." She leaned in and gently tapped Gabriel's cheek, grinning when he trembled. "Inform the rest about what happened tonight. Don't leave a word out." "Am I clear?" Gabriel nodded furiously and Ruelle smiled in satisfaction. "Good boy." She wrinkled her nose at the smell of drugs and pheromones. "Let's go." Nico wordlessly nodded and walked out of the room. Ruelle didn't pay attention as they walked out of the casino and bumped into a hard chest. The scent of peppermint filled her nose making her dizzy for a moment. She couldn't control the gasp that escaped her lips. "Watch where you're going," a voice coldly said to her and before the omega could respond, the person sidestepped and entered the casino. The lights weren't bright so she couldn't make out his face. Only his heady scent and the firmness of his chest had sent her heart racing. And his voice was... attractive. It stirred an unfamiliar feeling in her chest. Ruelle watched as he disappeared between the crowd, wondering who he was. She wasn't worried about his rudeness. She began to follow— "Boss?" Nico called, drawing the omega's attention. Ruelle turned, schooling her expression. "Is the car ready?" The bodyguard nodded dutifully. "Yes." He led her to the car and soon they were off. She cleared her throat. "Have the goods been delivered?" "Yes," Nico said, eyes fixed on the road. "The dealer will be here tomorrow." "The Don said you should handle it, Boss." Ruelle clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Making me lose sleep because he's lazy?" The bodyguard's lips twitched but he maintained a straight face. Ruelle placed her head against the glass window. The thought of that stranger popped up in her mind. It was obviously an alpha from his heady scent and— The omega cut herself off, eyes falling close. She didn't allow such mere encounters to linger in her mind. This one will be forgotten too. For some reason, that didn't feel like the truth.