“He’s here. Should I bring him in?”

Charles looked up from his laptop as his personal assistant peeked in from the lobby. She was his fifth one that year even though he hadn’t fired any of the others, and he was hoping he’d be able to hold onto her for at least another few months. It was rare to find anyone who could remain civil to his guests while tolerating his long, erratic hours and tendency to constantly reschedule. Then there was his ever-growing list of eccentricities. If Shay didn’t work out, he was going to have to put out an ad in the classifieds and hope he caught the attention of someone who hadn’t heard he was a nightmare to work with.

“Yes, please do, Shay. Thank you,” he said, smoothing down his tailored gray jacket before he closed his laptop. The Alpha had been awake for the better part of a week finalizing the lineup for his new research and development team, and he had finally cast all the vipers from the den that was the old staff of the Futurus Initiative.

Rebuilding a company from the ground up was no small task, but the hardest part by far had been ridding himself of the old guard. To the traditionalists who insisted that they could convince every pack in the Federation to adopt their increasingly problematic system if they just held course and pretended the naysayers didn’t exist, Charles had one thing to say: Anton Davos.

The former CEO of Futurus certainly had his own way of doing things, and Charles couldn’t deny that he had built something impressive, at least in the beginning, but he was still a controversial figure. That controversy had ultimately cost him his life, and while Charles had no tolerance for the terrorist group that had killed Anton, he had nearly as little regard for his predecessor’s “by any means” mentality.

This was a new chapter, and while stubbornness and pride might’ve stuck the pages together so firmly they were nearly impossible to turn, Charles was finally on the other side. He could feel it. He’d always had a sense for this sort of thing, a vision that had taken him from the brink of obscurity and poverty as an orphaned young Alpha living among humans to a position as the CEO of the most illustrious if controversial corporation in the shifter world. Granted, his reputation would have been tanked the moment the others realized what an unconventional Alpha he was, not the least of all for being unable to shift. Despite his uniqueness, he possessed all the instincts his kind were known for. No matter how bizarre the impulse seemed, Charles had learned a long time ago to trust his gut, and that was exactly what he’d done when it came to the omega Nicholas Myer had recommended in place of his mate.

Avery would be impossible to replace. Not only because of his knack for getting through to stubborn Alphas who were opposed to any artificial measures to improve their dire population projections, but because he had become something of a folk hero among the Federation wolves and remained the one positive association most people had with the Futurus name.

If Myron did turn out to be a dead end, Charles supposed he could always think about rebranding, but it seemed an awful waste. They’d already spent a ridiculous amount of money on promotional materials and signage.

The door opened and Shay ushered his visitor into the office. Charles was used to taking everything in about a person at first glance, and his unusual upbringing provided the distance he needed from his own kind to come up with a more objective assessment than most. Myron was unusually tall and sturdy for an omega, and at the age of thirty-four, he was certainly on the upper end of the age range for a spokesman. Nonetheless, he was attractive. His reddish-brown hair was long enough that it would have to be styled in a more sensible way if not cut off entirely, and his piercing green eyes were no less striking for the fact that they were rimmed with dark circles. He had a decidedly feral look to him and his posture didn’t help, but it was nothing a makeover couldn’t fix. His energy more than made up for everything Charles felt he could nitpick. The aura surrounding the omega was immediately appealing—in a purely professional sense, of course—and Charles knew that Myron had the precise kind of indefinable quality he wanted in a spokesman. It confirmed the instinct Charles had felt that Myron was the one from the moment he’d heard the unusual omega’s name on Nicholas’ lips.

What was not beyond definition, however, was the Alpha’s reaction to the omega standing in front of his desk. There was a word that defined all of it. The chaotic rhythm of his heart that couldn’t seem to decide if it was a sweeping ballad or a frantic waltz, the tightness in his chest that made it impossible to breathe, the way his hands seemed to go numb at the same time as his mouth went dry. There was a word, and Charles now understood its meaning better than he ever had, but the word was entirely unacceptable.

If there was any time for Charles to imprint on an omega, this was certainly not it. He desperately needed Myron in a professional context before all else.

As he found himself torn between lamenting the inconvenience of it all and marveling at the way the omega’s once-broken nose complemented his full lips so perfectly, the door fell shut behind Shay and Charles realized they were alone. He also realized he’d been staring like an idiot and forced himself to look away from Myron before he ruined everything.

Absolutely everything.

“Hello,” Charles said, standing to offer his hand. “You must be Myron. It’s a pleasure to meet you, and I can’t thank you enough for traveling all this way.”

“Sure,” Myron said, returning his handshake. For a split second, Charles forgot how to let go or why he had to. “The plane did most of the work.”

A laugh escaped the Alpha’s throat, and he was so unaccustomed to the sensation that it took him a moment to recognize it for what it was. Myron was giving him a look he recognized all too well, so he sat down and motioned for the omega to do the same. “Please, make yourself comfortable. Oh,” he said, standing back up as soon as he’d sat down. “Can I get you something to drink? Wine, perhaps?”

“Sure, if you don’t have beer.”

Charles hesitated. “Beer? No, I don’t… well, hang on a second,” he said, peeking into the small refrigerator he kept in the office for the days when he didn’t have time to leave it. “Does this count?” he asked, pulling out a large amber bottle.

Myron cocked an eyebrow. “That’s bourbon, but…sure, that’ll do fine.”

“Forgive me, I’m not much of a drinker,” Charles admitted, pleasantly surprised by how steady his hands were as he poured the omega a glass.

“You religious or something?” Myron asked, only to wince after the words had already come out. “Sorry. That’s the kind of question you’re not supposed to ask at these things, isn’t it?”

Charles laughed and sat back down. “I come from a background in the sciences, so I don’t really believe there is such a thing as the wrong question.”

“Science? How did you end up doing this?”

“I got hired on as a researcher and rose through the ranks,” Charles replied. “When they needed a replacement for Anton, I was on the short list.”

“Huh. And now you’re cleaning house.”

Charles couldn’t help but smile. “You’re direct, like your brother-in-law.”

“Sorry,” Myron muttered. “Force of habit.”

“Don’t be. Direct is exactly what I’m looking for,” he said, pressing his fingertips together as he leaned back to study the omega. For professional reasons, he told himself. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to know a bit more about you. Where you went to school, what you’ve done for work, that kind of thing.”

“Right. I went to Mountain Ridge University like just about everyone else. I studied applied mathematics for undergrad before I went on to get my master’s while I was student teaching. From there, I ended up teaching school back home.”

“School?” Charles echoed, unable to hide his disbelief. “You taught children? Willingly?”

Myron smirked. “High schoolers, who weren’t a whole lot younger than me, but yeah. When I graduated, there still weren’t too many places actively looking to hire an omega with a STEM degree.”

“That’s quite impressive. By that I mean it will reflect well on the program,” he clarified. “As I’m sure you’re aware, there’s a bit of a misconception that all the omegas who come to Futurus are all kept barefoot and pregnant.”

“Yeah, so I’ve heard. Avery said you basically need an anti-stereotype to parade around.”

Charles laughed awkwardly. “I wouldn’t put it exactly like that, but yes, that is the gist of the position. Of course, there is some public speaking involved, but if you managed to keep the attention of a room full of rowdy teenagers, I don’t imagine regional Alpha councils will prove any more of a challenge.”

Myron shrugged. “Just put whatever you want me to say down on paper, and I’ll say it.”

“Well… good.” This was easier than he’d expected, which usually meant something was about to go horribly awry. “In that case, you can move into the complex immediately and we’ll get you in training.”

“The complex?” Myron echoed.

“Yes, this building is both the corporate headquarters and a place of residence for upper-level staff. The work we do is intensive, and I feel that it helps morale to have everyone working together under the same roof.”

“Wait, I’d be living here? In England?”

Charles blinked. “Avery didn’t mention that?”

“No, and he’s not really the type to forget something like that.”

“No, that’s true,” Charles mused. His skin prickled with anxiety that this of all things would be what drove the omega away. Most would be thrilled by the idea of getting to see an exciting new place on their company’s dime, but Charles was positive his waning luck had just run out with this one. Of course it’d be the one he feared he’d… no. He could not let himself entertain that idea. “Perhaps I was the one who forgot to mention it to him. Will the relocation be a problem? We’d be more than happy to sweeten the deal with plenty of vacation time. You could use this as an opportunity to see our part of the world.”

Myron hesitated for the longest moment in Charles’ life, then nodded, and Charles felt his shoulders sag with relief. “It’s fine,” said the omega. “It’ll be a nice change of pace.”

“It’s settled, then. Of course, you’ll have all-expense paid travel to visit your family, or bring them here, if you like.”

“Thanks. That’s generous of you, but I’m kind of looking forward to being away for a while.”

“Oh?” Charles scolded himself for failing to rein in his curiosity about the omega’s life. Nothing good would come of it. The more distance he put between them, the better. Especially since he needed to get through the first week of training when they would be constantly together.

“Yeah. You know how small-town packs are,” he said with a guarded smile. “So… is there anything I need to sign?”

“Plenty, but I’ll send them home with you tonight so you can look them over,” Charles replied, sliding a stack of papers across the desk. He couldn’t help but be amused by the look of dread on the omega’s face. “A one-time evil, I assure you. Due to the nature of the research you’ll have access to here, our non-disclosure agreements are a bit more extensive than usual.”

“This is thicker than the Bible,” Myron said, taking the papers and giving them a quick glance. “Thanks. And uh, where is home for the night? Somewhere close, I hope?”

“Shay will show you to the apartment. It’s on the executive floor.”

And unfortunately, right across the hall from his. So much for getting anything done.