Hired for Heat (The Hired Series)

3. Sandra

Ms. Burrie led her through another doorway into a new hall. While it appeared the same as the previous one, the cells were vastly different. These were plain white with little to no decorations or 'extras' like the other Alphas had all been allowed. No rugs to soften hard tile floors or things to distract from the hours spent waiting to be chosen.

"Why are these cells so bare?"

"Like I said, all of these Alphas are either new, or on probation. They have to prove themselves and earn being able to move into the other halls where they can personalize their space. It's just an extra incentive for them," Ms. Burrie said as she stopped outside of the first cell.

The Alpha in this cell was lounging on his bed appearing to simply stare at the wall. Sandra was a bit disappointed at how much like the others he seemed. For some reason, she had gotten the idea in her head that these Alphas would somehow be different. That she would feel that spark she was searching for that told her this was a good decision.

Sighing, she walked on to the next, and then the next. She was approaching the end of the hall when one of the Alphas caught her attention.

The Alpha was massive. He was doing pushups on the floor next to his bed and Sandra wondered how he could get any rest since he appeared far too big for it. The rippling of the muscles across his back and arms held her gaze as his piercing blue eyes stared straight ahead at the glass wall. She had to remind herself that she couldn't be seen by him as her heartrate increased imagining him focusing that gaze on her.

Checking his file, she confirmed he was the largest stud in the facility. His golden skin glistened with sweat and Sandra couldn't stop herself from licking her lips wondering what it tasted like. He had close-cropped dark hair and she could see the beginning of a beard growing in along his firm jaw.

Dragging her eyes away from the Alpha, she attempted to calm her racing heart. Turning back to Ms. Burrie who was trailing behind her, she took a deep breath and asked, "Is he one of the new ones or is he in trouble?"

"Both actually. He hasn't been here long, and he already has a mark against him," she responded, turning her nose up slightly when she glanced at the Alpha.

Once again Sandra's curiosity reared its head. Trying to keep her voice from betraying her, she asked, "What did he do to earn the mark?"

"He was instigating fights with the other Alphas in the common areas. We understand it's normal for them to scuffle a little to determine the pecking order, but he was taking it beyond simple posturing and almost caused damage to another stud. He is aware of the rules and will be removed from the program if he shows any other signs of aggression."

"But he is still considered safe enough to tend clients?"

"Oh, yes," Ms. Burrie quickly reassured her. "We don't think he will have any aggression towards an omega. We think he was just trying to show off a bit to establish himself here."

Nodding, Sandra went back to studying the Alpha as he continued his workout on the floor. She was interested in him but wasn't sure if this would be the right choice for her. Having never been with an Alpha before, she wasn't sure she would notice the signs of true aggression instead of the possessive dominance they showed when in rut. Debating with herself, she walked past the last two cells before turning back to Ms. Burrie.

"I would like some time to consider the options. If you could send me the files for," she glanced down at the tablet in her hands, "five, thirteen, seventeen, and twenty-eight, as well as the contract, I will go over them and get back to you by the end of the week."

Handing the tablet back to Ms. Burrie, she nodded and said, "Certainly."

Following her back through the hallways to the lobby of the building, Sandra's thoughts kept returning to the last Alpha she had listed. Imagining the rippling muscles of his chest and shoulders over her body sent a shiver down her spine and caused her core to clench. Although she had always chosen to lock herself in her saferoom instead of being tended through her heats, she had taken a couple of partners in her life. The men had all been betas of course, and no where near the size of any of the Alphas in the Haven. She had always been left feeling a bit disappointed and had finally decided it wasn't worth the time.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts to give a polite goodbye, Sandra left the building and hailed an AutoCab. Staring out of the window as the car navigated through the traffic towards her building, Sandra thought about what she was doing. She still wasn't sure she should even use The Haven for her heat. Approaching her thirtieth birthday, she had always locked herself in her safe room during her heat and road it out alone. It was miserable, but it was what was familiar to her.

Using an Alpha to tend her through her heat had never even crossed her mind until she heard some coworkers talking about it in their breakroom during lunch. The excitement with which the women had talked about it had sparked her interest and she had looked into the different companies that offered the service.

Her research had shown that the Haven and the Omega Den were the top two in the city, but The Haven had appeared to have better facilities and a larger selection of studs. Since it was the one her coworker had used, Sandra had scheduled her appointment there. Reading through their brochures, both companies had offered boarding for the duration of the cycle in private rooms monitored for safety. The studs were given monthly injections to stop sperm production so that there would be no pregnancy risk, and they were also fitted with teeth guards to prevent them from biting and bonding an omega without her permission. They were trained to resist the urge to bite, but the guard was an added protection since some omegas liked the feel of being bitten in the moment.

Heaving a sigh, Sandra had to admit that until she had seen Alpha twenty-eight, she had been considering giving up the whole idea and sticking with her safe room. While the thought of having an Alpha for the first time was exciting, it was also a bit scary. Betas didn't have knots, so all she had to go off of were stories from others and what she could find online. While she was willing to admit that during her heat, even the larger toys she had seemed inadequate, the information she had found about an Alpha's knot was almost unbelievable and certainly intimidating.

The car pulled up in front of her building, the AI's pleasant voice telling her the total as she opened the door to step out. Accepting the total, Sandra turned and admired the outline of the building. She had designed it herself and the sight of it never ceased to fill her with pride.

Striding through the glass doors, she nodded to the guard and receptionist as she passed them to her private elevator. Pressing her thumb against the scanner, it began to rise towards her office floor. She still had business to tend to before she could review the contract and make her decision.