Anonymous Alpha (Bangers & Mash Book 7), page 1
Anonymous Alpha
BANGERS & MASH
MM FARMER
ANONYMOUS ALPHA
Copyright ©2023 by Merry Farmer
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your digital retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill (who is completely fabulous)
ASIN: B0BVC1G75P
Paperback: 9798392818426
Click here for a complete list of other works by Merry Farmer.
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Created with Vellum
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Sable
The Barrington Science and Robotics Convention wasn’t exactly my jam. Robots, like the kind my twin brother had entered in the battle robot competition attached to the convention, were Ray’s thing. And by the sound of things, he and his new omega friend were about to go far in the team battle robot competition.
And hey, good for them. Ray and this new omega of his, Cooper, looked like they were in heaven as they tinkered and puttered with all the gears and circuits, or whatever it is that went into a top-quality battle robot.
Me? I would rather have been out in the glorious, summer afternoon, taking my motorcycle through the tight turns of the Blue Knob Mountains, or jogging along the beach, checking out omegas in their skimpy swimsuits, all oiled up and baking in the sun, like popcorn kernels just about to burst.
As I walked down the crowded hallway of the hotel where the convention was being held, my mind conjured up an image of a pretty, pert omega actually bursting into a giant piece of popcorn. Yeah, my imagination had a sense of humor and kept me honest sometimes instead of letting me turn into a typically raunchy and aggressive alpha. But my sudden laugh, seemingly out of nowhere, startled a beta as he walked past me.
The beta’s eyes widened as he peered up at me, taking in my height and sculpted body. I worked out, and I wasn’t too proud to admit that, if not for that goofy sense of humor of mine and the solid upbringing my and Ray’s dad and papa had given us, I probably would have been completely insufferable.
Although if you asked Ray, I was insufferable.
“What are you laughing about in the middle of a science convention, with no reason whatsoever?”
I turned, brows lifting, to find Cooper’s beta friend, Freya, who had won the individual battle robot competition the other day, striding toward me, and smiled.
“Just thinking about popcorn omegas,” I told her, pausing so she could catch up and walk with me.
Freya paused before she reached me and gave me a mock suspicious look, like I might have huffed a few too many fumes from the robot adhesive or something. I didn’t mind at all. I’d only met Freya the other day, but I liked her. With her blue-streaked, ginger hair, blue lipstick, and matching, shiny blue fingernails, she was exactly the sort of person no one ever expected an alpha who looked like me to hang out with, but whom I would rather have spent time with than just about anyone else.
“Popcorn omegas?” she asked as we walked on toward one of the main exhibit halls. “Is that some sort of new slang you ESAs are using these days?”
Ah. So Ray must have told Freya I sometimes worked as an Emergency Support Alpha for Bangers & Mash. Not that I minded people knowing. It wasn’t a secret or anything, and I personally didn’t think there was any shame in hiring out my services to distressed omegas in heat. I mean, there were some conservative people out there who thought servicing omegas was shameful, but that attitude had never made any sense to me. Heat was a natural and inevitable part of life, and companies like Bangers & Mash provided a crucial service that allowed omegas to get through it quickly and enjoyably, and without the consequences of a baby once it was over.
Which, I suppose, was why the “omegas should be barefoot and pregnant” crowd disliked what B&M did so much.
“It’s not slang,” I laughed. “It’s me being a dork.”
Freya eyed me again as we neared the bank of elevators next to the exhibition hall. “I would have guessed that Ray was the dork in your set of twins,” she said, “and you were the jock.”
I laughed again. “Another common mistake people make when they meet the two of us.” I leaned closer to her. “I’m secretly every bit as much of a doofus as my brother.”
Freya stopped pretending to be suspicious or shocked by me and smiled widely. “I knew there was a reason we got along so well from the start.” She punched by arm lightly, then said, “You wanna go check out the van conversion exhibit with me? It’s not exactly science, but that young guy from Linkletter RVs has designed some awesome, high-tech vans stuffed full of big tech squeezed into small packages.”
It actually sounded interesting, but I had to shake my head and say, “I wish I could, but I’m on my way upstairs to meet with a VIP client.”
Freya went back to looking at me weirdly. “What, like, you’re going upstairs to bang some famous omega right now?”
I chuckled. “No, it’s just a meeting. Contrary to what people think about B&M, we alphas do not just ride in on white horses, rip off our break-away leather pants, and go at writhing and moaning omegas in heat until they’re dripping and done.” Although I would be lying if I said my alpha biology hadn’t conjured up images of hot, anonymous sex like that in some of my more desperate dreams. “We have meetings with clients long before their heat sometimes to make certain we’re a good match and to iron out any specific requests or requirements before their heat actually starts.”
“Hmm.” Freya made a considering face and nodded. “Not a bad way to do things, I guess. Stops things from getting awkward in the moment.”
“Exactly,” I said. “Heat with a virtual stranger is awkward enough for most omegas. The entire purpose of B&M is to take the stress and anxiety away so omegas can just enjoy themselves, then get on with their lives as usual.”
Freya let out a sudden, wistful sigh. “Sometimes I wish I were an alpha. I could totally see myself doing that.”
I grinned at her. “I could see that too.” I punched her arm the way she had punched mine, then pivoted toward the bank of elevators as one of them dinged its arrival. “I’ll catch up with you later,” I said. “There might still be time to look at vans after this.”
“Sure. Have fun,” Freya said with a cheeky wink.
I waved to her as I stepped toward the elevator and got in before the doors slid shut. Somehow, against the usual odds, my brother had managed to make some pretty great friends. I had a good feeling about him and Cooper too.
My brother and his omega left my thoughts as the elevator whooshed up to the penthouse level. I rolled my shoulders and cleared my throat to get my game face on. Despite what a lot of people tried to say about it, being an ESA was a serious business. Like nearly all of the ESAs B&M employed, it was a side hustle for me—I was a financial advisor to an elite group of clients in my day job—but I took it as seriously as the nature of the job demanded.
Which was probably part of the reason Sal and Nick, the owners of B&M, trusted me to work with high-level clients that demanded absolute discretion. Most of the time, that meant young entrepreneurs with public-facing roles, or the sons of some of Barrington’s wealthiest members of high society. I’d serviced a few sons of politicians, including the former mayor’s son as well. All of my former clients had been satisfied with my skill and my confidentiality.
And that was why I found myself knocking on the door of the Pinnacle Suite, where the convention’s entertainment headliner, pop mega-star Evan Mercer, was staying.
I saw a shadow behind the peephole in the door as someone checked me out. A moment later, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged beta with a mop of unruly, greying hair and a suit that looked more expensive than his posture deserved.
“Are you the ESA?” the beta asked.
It wasn’t often that I disliked someone on sight, but whoever this guy was, he sent out all the wrong vibes.
“Yes, I’m Sable Jessup,” I said with a professional smile, pretending to be completely at ease. “I was sent from Bangers & Mash to meet Mr. Mercer.”
The middle-aged beta looked me over again before nodding and stepping back to open the door for me.
He didn’t open it all the way, though, which I thought was interesting. Like he didn’t really want me there, or didn’t want any phantom lurkers in the hallway to get any sort of a look into the room.
“I’m Dirk Greely,” he said once he’d shut the door behind me, then marched in front of me down the short corridor that opened into the vast suite. “I’m Evan’s manager. All of your interactions will go through and be sanctioned by me.”
I cringed. God, I hoped that didn’t mean he’d be there for the heat itself.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Greely,” I lied with a smile as we stepped into the central room of the suite.
Greely made some sort of noise of acknowledgement, then crossed to where a pretty young omega in a soft, pink shirt and light blue jeans sat on a settee by the window, picking out a tune on an acoustic guitar.
“Evan, your ESA is here to meet you,” Greely said as we got closer.
The young omega glanced up, and the moment his blue eyes met mine, I smiled despite myself. Pretty? That word didn’t even begin to cover it. Evan Mercer was luminescent. He was small, like most omegas were, and had stunning, large eyes and sleek, blond hair. Something about him radiated wholesomeness, which was even more pronounced when he smiled.
“Hi,” he said, setting aside his guitar and standing. “I’m Evan. You must be Sable Jessup. It’s nice to meet you.”
My eyes were glued to him, and my smile turned downright dopey as he moved effortlessly across the room to us, like he was a dancer as well as just a singer. I mean, he was that too. I’d watched a few of his music videos and performances online once I’d been given the assignment. Evan was an amazing dancer in those videos. His singing voice wasn’t half bad either. He might have been one of those slightly manufactured pop stars that had been cultivated to drive teenagers—and horny older alphas—crazy, but he had genuine talent too.
He extended a hand to me as we met in the center of the room, and I was surprised by how firm his handshake was.
“It’s nice to meet you in person at last,” I said, having a hard time prying my eyes away from his. He smelled amazing on top of looking gorgeous, like some sort of high-end caramel apple.
Which surprised me a little. I would have expected his omega scent to be closer to cheap bubblegum, like his public persona was supposed to be.
And come to think of it, now that I was standing right next to him, still clasping his hand, I could tell he was older than he first appeared too, probably in his mid-twenties instead of his teens.
Of course, I knew he was twenty-five and that this was far from his first heat. That had been in his profile when Sal had briefed me about the call. But the aura Evan exuded hadn’t matched his paperwork when I’d watched those videos, and it didn’t really do him justice now either.
“I have that effect on people,” Evan said, jolting me out of my thoughts.
I flinched a little and pulled my hand away. “So do I,” I said before thinking better of it.
Instead of grimacing at my touch of alpha arrogance, Evan laughed, thank God. The sound was as musical as his playing earlier. “I guess this is a good match, then,” he said, still smiling as he took me in.
“B&M is really good at matching people up,” I said.
I felt stupid as soon as the words were out of my mouth. That was new. I was usually the one in control, with omegas getting tongue-tied around me. I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not.
Whatever moment Evan and I were having was interrupted by Greely clearing his throat and stepping in, almost stepping between us, like he had to break us up. “Now that you’ve met, let’s go over the details,” he said.
“Have a seat,” Evan added in a much more congenial tone.
I moved with him, almost sitting on the soft, white leather sofa with him, but Greely stepped in and directed me toward a matching armchair instead.
“Evan’s heat is due to start in about two weeks,” Greely said, his tone cold. It was like he was discussing an upcoming concert date. “As you know, his persona is one of nonthreatening innocence and sweetness, so his heat will be an absolute secret to the public.”
That had my eyebrows going up a little. Were they trying to pretend Evan wasn’t a typical omega who went into heat twice a year?
Of course they were. All those videos should have confirmed that for me. That and the fact I thought Evan was younger, even though I’d seen his age in his file. I guessed that was what having a public persona was all about, though.
“We’re hiring you because of Bangers & Mash’s reputation for deep discretion,” Greely went on. “As such, you will be signing a nondisclosure agreement today that covers every aspect of your meetings with Evan. You will not speak of this, ever, and if any details about Evan find their way into the public, we will sue you to within an inch of your life.”
It wasn’t the first time terms like that had been hurled at me, nor the first time they’d been laid out with such raw force. What was different was the slight frown I caught Evan sending Greely, as if he didn’t approve of what his manager was saying.
Interesting.
“I understand completely,” I said with a nod. “I’ve serviced some of B&M’s highest profile clients in the past, so I know the drill. I’d offer you references, but that would go against the confidentiality agreements I have with those omegas.”
I intended the comment to be lighthearted. Evan laughed gently, sending my heart into an excited flutter. That was a good sign for our compatibility during heat.
Greely scowled at me. “This isn’t something to joke about,” he snapped, though I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or Evan. Evan certainly seemed put in his place by the comment, as he lost his smile. I didn’t like that at all. “We have a brand to protect here, a billion-dollar brand.”
“It’s not a billion-dollar brand,” Evan said, frowning himself now. “It’s a couple million at most.”
Greely stared at Evan to silence him, his eyes fierce with scolding. Yeah, I really didn’t like the guy.
“We have yet to settle on where the heat call will take place,” Greely went on.
Evan interrupted with, “I’ve told you, I want to be at home for my heat. I don’t want to hole up in some hotel somewhere. I’m more comfortable in familiar surroundings when I’m in heat.”
So were most omegas. I didn’t blame Evan at all for wanting to be home.
Greely sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, as though this were an argument they’d had before. “Your home address is known, Evan. The ESA could be seen entering your building.”
The ESA had a name and did not appreciate being talked about like he was a sex toy.
“Again,” I said, “I have experience with high-profile clients. This wouldn’t be the first time I entered a building through the service entrance, dressed discreetly.” I glanced to Evan. “You leave the details to me. I guarantee to you that no one will know I’m there, no one will see me enter, and no one will see me leave.”
Evan smiled at me and relaxed a little. “I have complete confidence in you, Mr. Jessup.”
“Sable, please,” I smiled right back. I really did like him. Sometimes people just clicked.
Greely made another gruff sound. “I still think it’s too dangerous for strangers to visit your apartment,” he said. “The hotel suite I’ve picked out will be more than sufficient.”
“I’m going through heat in my home,” Evan said with a sudden, sharp edge to his voice. Even I wouldn’t have argued with him when he spoke like that.
He stared Greely down for a moment before the beta let out a breath and said, “Alright.”
That was it. Evan had won the argument with a firm sort of grace I admired. He had an air of maturity about him as he waited for Greely to add a nod to his agreement, as if to confirm it, then shifted to face me. There was clearly so much more to Evan Mercer than pink shirts and the glittery hearts I could now see were painted on his nails.
