Page 36 of Beautifully Scarred Omega

“It’s beautiful,” I manage.

And it is. It’s also a very effective way to ensure loyalty.

“I’ll let you get settled in.” Lucy hovers by the door, fingers playing with the lanyard around her neck. “If you need anything, anything at all, just ask. My extension is 221.” She pauses, and her face softens. “And don’t worry about tomorrow. First days are always the hardest. You’re going to do great.”

And I know she means it. I can tell by the way she holds my gaze, steady and open, none of the fake corporate warmth I’ve learned to spot a mile away.

“Thank you, Lucy. Really.”

She gives me a little wave and slips out.

I take a deep breath and move to the window. The grounds stretch out below me, gardeners, security personnel, a car being washed. Somewhere in the building, Elena is running her kitchen. Any one of them could be the mole.

I press my forehead against the cool glass and close my eyes.

Focus. One step at a time.

I pull out the folder Ethan gave me, sink onto the edge of the bed, and flip it open. Rows of faces stare back at me.

I have a mole to catch. Everything else, even the three alphas who happen to be stupidly hot, is just noise.

I start reading.

CHAPTER 12

Max

She has dead eyes.

From here, you’d never know it. I’m standing at my office window, watching Lucy give Sophie the tour of the grounds. They’re down by the fountain now, Lucy gesturing animatedly while Sophie nods along with that soft, uncertain expression, making herself look small and harmless.

But it’s just an act. I know, because a few hours ago she sat in my office with as much warmth as a loaded gun. And when I looked into her eyes, there was nothing behind them. It was like staring down a well with no bottom.

Lucy leads her toward the gardens, and I watch as Roberto looks up from his roses as they pass—our head groundskeeper, pushing seventy, been here longer than I’ve been alive.

Sophie turns to greet him, and even from this distance I can see the transformation. The shy smile and the slight duck of her head. The body language that says I’m just a nervous new employee, please like me.

Roberto’s entire posture changes. His shoulders relax. He pushes himself to his feet, and Sophie throws her head back, laughing at something he said, open and easy and so goddamn effortless.

In a matter of minutes, she’s got him wrapped around her finger. Just like that.

If he knew the truth about her, he’d probably have a heart attack.

But that’s the point, isn’t it? That’s exactly why she’s perfect for this job. No one suspects the pretty omega with the nervous smile and the frilly pink blouse.

Griffin was right about everything. That should make me feel better. It doesn’t.

I turn away from the window and check my watch. It’s nearly six, enough for one day.

I grab my coat and head out. The residence is a straight shot through the eastern gardens, but tonight I’m in no hurry to get there. I veer toward the river instead and take the long way home.

The evening air is cool, carrying the scent of fresh-cut grass and the first hints of jasmine from the trellis near Elena’s kitchen garden. The river runs low and slow this time of year, winding along the edge of the property, catching the last of the light.

The house comes into view as I round the final bend. It’s nothing like the manor I grew up in, thank God. This house is ours, something my pack built together.

I push through the front door and the warmth hits me immediately. The smell of woodsmoke from the fireplace, the faint lingering scent of whatever Elena sent over for dinner.

“In here,” Finn calls from the living room.