Max opened his eyes and for a moment, he’d almost forgotten he wasn’t alone in his room. He struggled to remember the name of the Alpha sleeping next to him, but it didn’t matter. He’d drunk so much last night, Max doubted he would be remembering his own name by the time he woke and shuffled off. The omega took the money on the nightstand and got dressed as quietly as possible before leaving the room that wouldn’t feel like his own until the last clients had left the ruthouse.

It was still light blue outside as the sun took its time rising, and the air was crisp with the promise of winter. Max walked the long path around the block of strip clubs and businesses the nicer side of town had decided to relegate to the fringes.

Not that he could blame them. He’d come to terms with the fact that the things he had to do simply to keep existing were off-putting to other people a long time ago, and while the money was good enough incentive to keep going, now that he actually had a chance at finding Gavin, he knew something had to change. Best case scenario, he didn’t want the first words he said to his son to be a lie because he was too ashamed to admit what he did for a living. If Gavin did want anything to do with him, even if it was only for Max to exist on the peripheral of his life, his circumstances had to be different.

It was for that reason that Max had woken up early to take the bus across town and interview for a job he wasn’t even remotely qualified for. The sliver of a chance that he’d actually get it would change his life in a big enough way that it was worth the thirty-minute trip and the chance of humiliation.

Roman Enterprises was one of the few companies that would not only look past an omega’s checkered past but actively sought to hire those who worked in the very kinds of places Max had just come from. He knew it was still a long shot, since he had no experience as a filing clerk, but when he’d heard that the Buffalo branch of the company was opening its doors to new applicants, he’d applied that night.

If he got the job, the pay would be even better than his best week at the ruthouse. He could use that money to pay for the rest of the investigation and move into his own place. It wasn’t the flashiest job in the world, but it was a chance to start a new life that he could be proud of, one he could welcome Gavin into with open arms.

As Max waited in the lobby outside the reception area, he realized he was far from the only omega applying for the position. He’d thought he looked presentable enough in the thrift store suit he had so carefully pressed and polished, but the sea of designer dresses and suits around him made him feel sorely underdressed. The other omegas were sitting prim and proper with their Blackberries and their laminated resumes, and they all matched the elegant woman behind the desk far more than he did.

Max touched his shaggy brown hair and found himself wishing he’d pulled it back. It wasn’t quite long enough to do so without hairs falling into his face, but looking around, he seemed to be the only one who hadn’t done so with the exception of a particularly intimidating looking omega sporting a buzzcut across the room.

“Max Redding?” the receptionist called. “Mr. Roman will see you now.”

Roman? Every head in the room snapped up. Max had expected to be interviewed by a mid-level employee, not one of the four Alphas who made up the infamous Roman Empire, a corporation that spanned nearly every industry and had its tendrils spread throughout every continent on the globe.

He stood and forced himself to keep walking even though all he wanted to do was run the other way. When the receptionist led him to a spacious corner office past an endless row of cubicles, Max stopped short of going through the door.

Sure enough, Reece Roman was sitting behind that massive desk, a suit in place of the flannel shirt he wore in most of the photos the paparazzi snapped outside his California home. Despite having traded in his favorite fabric for fine silk, the Alpha looked every bit as rugged as he did in pictures with a thick if well-trimmed beard and an expression that said he’d rather be hiking than sitting behind a desk. What he was doing in upstate New York was beyond Max’s wildest guess.

“Mr. Redding,” the rugged Alpha said, standing to shake Max’s hand. “Thanks for coming in today.”

“It’s a pleasure,” said Max, surprised he could speak at all. He all but collapsed in the chair across from the Alpha’s desk and chastised himself for gawking, even though it did little to stop him. “They didn’t say anything about who’d be interviewing me over the phone.”

“It was a last-minute change,” Reece said, taking Max’s resume to look over it. “I was in town dealing with some issues for one of our companies, and thought I’d step in to help with the interviews. The Moving Forward Project was very important to my late wife.”

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Max said softly. He’d seen the stories in the news of Janie Roman’s untimely death, shortly after the birth of the couple’s only child.

Reece gave him a sad smile that didn’t touch his kind eyes. “It says here that you’re currently working at a place called the Cabin, is that right?”

Max swallowed hard. “Yes, sir. I know what it looks like, and I won’t pretend it’s anything different, but I do have qualifications that I believe would serve me well at this job, even if they don’t necessarily jump out on paper.”

Reece wasn’t laughing him out of the office, and he actually seemed to be considering the omega’s words, so Max continued. “I handle a lot of the administrative work in the business. Ledgers, guest logs, waivers and that kind of thing. Over the years, I’ve become comfortable with every new point-of-sale system they put out, and I know I can learn the programs you use here quickly, if given the chance. I’ll work holidays and weekends, and I’ve never been late a day in my life.”

Reece leaned back in his chair, listening intently. “Why do you want to leave the place you work now?”

The question was simple, and standard enough for a job interview, but it took Max off guard all the same. An omega leaving a retail chain might be able to spin a safe answer without denigrating his former employer, but how was Max supposed to distance himself from the field and remain professional?

“There are no wrong answers,” Reece said, seeming to sense his hesitation. “While this program has produced some of our most innovative and dedicated employees, including more than a few participants who were eventually promoted to executive-level positions, we like to look at more than just stats and degrees. We take the whole person into consideration, and a big part of that is helping omegas who feel stuck in their current roles in life to move forward into something more, if that helps you understand a bit better why I’m asking.”

It did. Max took a deep breath and knew if he stood a chance at getting this job, he had to be honest. Even if it meant swallowing the pride that motivated him to leave the Cabin in the first place. “The place I work now is about as good as it gets for an omega in this line of work. It’s relatively safe, and we have freedom, but it’s a job. It’s not who I want to be.”

“And who do you want to be?” asked Reece.

Max swallowed hard. “Someone my son can be proud of.”

The Alpha’s gaze softened. “I wasn’t aware you had a child.”

“I don’t. I lost him when he was a baby, but I have a chance at reconnecting with him soon, and I want to use every moment I have until then to accomplish something better,” he said earnestly. “I know I’m not the most qualified person here for the job, Mr. Roman, but I swear to you that if you give me this chance, I’ll work harder than anyone else. This isn’t about a job for me, it’s about a second chance at the life I want to live and the person I want to be, for my son.”

Reece’s neutral expression faded into surprise as he listened. He was silent for a few moments once Max had finished, studying the omega thoughtfully. “I believe you. I still have to interview the other applicants, but I want to thank you for your time today. And for sharing your story with me,” he said, standing to offer his hand. “We’ll be in touch shortly.”

Max returned the handshake and thanked Reece for his time before slipping out of the room. The next omega in line for her interview gave him a once-over and a victorious snort before she strode into the office.

As Max sat on the bus, staring out the window for the long ride home, he felt doubt setting in. A sob story didn’t make a good employee, and there was probably no shortage of omegas who had one to tell. All he could do was wait and hope like he’d been doing all along.