The young man indicated a chair for Raf and then seated himself behind a desk. Raf sat as well, trying his best to look professional and non-threatening as he took fuller stock of the man in front of him. The continued absence of any kind of scent still had Raf baffled, but judging based on appearances alone, the man was probably an Omega.  He appeared to be in his mid-20s, with longish wavy brown hair, delicate facial features, and a slender build. The dark glasses framing his face gave him an air of severity, but Raf noticed large dark circles under his eyes. Between that, his rumpled clothes, and his slightly frazzled demeanor, Raf had to wonder when this guy had last gotten a decent rest.

The man cleared his throat, startling Raf out of his musings. “So as I was saying,” he began, “it’s pretty unusual to have Alphas around here. Given the nature of the services we provide, I’m thinking it’s probably best that we try to have you help with behind-the-scenes type work where possible…”

“I’m sorry,” Raf cut in, earning himself a withering glare from the man in front of him. Clearly he did not like being interrupted. Raf tried again, “I’m not actually all that familiar with the operations of this facility. The clerk who gave me the assignment just said that it was a shelter for Omegas.”

“It’s much more than that!" the other man snapped, then sighed. “I guess I should start from the beginning. St. Margaret’s was founded about 15 years ago with the express goal of filling a number of gaps in the existing social services network for Omegas. It’s true that we do serve as a shelter for Omegas who have nowhere else to go, but we also provide legal aid, job training, reproductive health services, and counseling. Additionally, we’re recognized by the city as an Omega Safe Haven site.”

“Safe Haven site?” Raf asked, confused. “What does that mean?”

“In short, it means that Omegas who seek shelter from the Center are legally protected from Alphas trying to reclaim them. Well, as long as they remain on our premises, anyway.” He frowned. “It’s not an ideal system, but it’s better than nothing. Without that law in place, there is basically nothing to stop an angry Alpha from coming in and dragging their mate back home, thereby depriving them of access to our services and safety.”

Raf winced at the implication. While Omegas did have certain individual rights, it was well known that claimed Omegas became the legal wards of their Alphas upon the establishment of a claiming bond. From that point onwards, all decisions related to their finances, work status, health, and even living arrangements were subject to their Alpha’s approval. In theory, this arrangement was intended to ensure their safety and well-being. When an Omega submitted to an Alpha mate, that Alpha was then charged with caring and providing for them for the rest of their life. It was a sacred and venerated relationship. To abuse the trust inherent in that bond was to commit the gravest of offenses.

And yet… Raf was not so naive as to believe that such abuses did not exist, or even that they were all that rare. The truth, as he had so painfully learned from his own experiences, was that Alphas wrote the law, and Alphas enforced it. Social norms intended to discourage bad behavior didn't actually pose much of a deterrent if there were no legal consequences to give them weight. 

“What happens if an Alpha does try to come here and claim their mate?”

“Well, the building actually has a pretty decent security system, despite its appearance. The lack of doors and outer windows makes it hard to break into, and we upgraded the cameras and alarms last year. Usually, we can hold intruders off until the police get here.” 

“I see.”

“That said, one of the reasons we were open to having you work here is that the security system isn’t always enough. The building itself is fairly impervious, but that doesn’t stop the occasional Alpha from hanging around the outside, hoping to catch one of our residents off-guard. Incidents do happen from time to time, and having an Alpha on staff to help protect Center clients would be very useful. Unfortunately, we don’t have the budget to hire a full-time guard.”

“Ah,” Raf leaned back in his chair and gave a mirthless chuckle. “And then lo, a sacrificial lamb fell right into your laps, free of charge.”

The other man peered at him over his glasses, clearly a little surprised at Raf’s show of snark. “You’re hardly a lamb, Mr. Alvarez. As I recall, the whole reason you’re here is that you pled guilty to attacking another Alpha. Aggravated assault, wasn’t it? Honestly, I’m a little surprised you got off so easily. Assault is usually a felony charge; normally you would have gotten jail time instead of probation.”

Raf glared at him briefly, then looked away. “There were extenuating circumstances,” he muttered.

This actually seemed to perk the man’s interest, and he raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Do tell.”

“The Alpha...the guy I beat up was someone I know from school. We were at a party. I saw him and some of his buddies harassing an Omega. Things got ugly, so I intervened. It ended badly for him. And then it turned out that his dad was some kind of VIP, so that ended badly for me. My lawyer managed to talk it down to a misdemeanor on the basis that I was defending an Omega. So, here I am.”

“Interesting,” the man tapped his finger on his lips. “Though in my personal experience, claiming that you were protecting an Omega isn’t usually a very successful defense strategy, unless you had a significant personal connection to the Omega in question.” He looked at Raf shrewdly. “Were they someone close to you?”

“No. I’d never even met them before the party. Doesn’t mean I had to watch them get raped. Not when I could stop it.”

There was silence for a moment while the man gave Raf an appraising look. Raf stared back, folding his arms across his chest. He suspected the man had additional questions, but he wasn’t really in the mood to discuss the topic any further.

“...All right,” the man finally relented. “Well, I can appreciate that your instincts led you to protect an Omega in trouble, regardless of who they were. It shows integrity, and to be honest, we need someone like that here. Apart from security, your responsibilities will consist of helping with whatever needs to be done around the shelter. Running errands, minor repairs, food prep and cleanup, that sort of thing. Does that sound good to you?”

“Yes, sir. I’m particularly good at mechanical repairs, if that’s at all helpful. Not so great at cooking, but if you tell me what to do, I’ll learn.” 

“I can work with that." He paused. "There’s one other thing, though. Since you are an Alpha, the job will need to come with a couple of extra conditions. You do seem well-intentioned enough, but at the end of the day, you’re still a wolf in a den of sheep, and our clients’ comfort and safety comes before all other considerations.”

Raf raised an eyebrow. “Sure, I guess. What do you need me to do?”

“First off, you are to treat our residents with respect and professionalism at all times, even if they behave with hostility or aggression towards you. As a safety precaution, you are never to be alone in a room with a resident, and if there are any incidents that seem like they will require physical intervention, you are to come and get me or one of the other staff members immediately. Obviously, harassment will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Clear?”

Raf nodded. “Clear.”

“Secondly, you will agree to take regular preventative suppressants for as long as you work here. In the unlikely event that an Omega suddenly goes into heat, we can’t have it triggering a rut response in you.”

Raf grimaced. That would be annoying. Rut suppressants had to be administered via injection on a monthly basis, and he had always secretly hated anything to do with needles. Even so, he had to admit that it made a lot of sense under the circumstances, and he wasn’t about to risk getting in trouble with the courts over a stupid phobia. He’d just have to deal. “Okay,” he finally agreed.

“Excellent,” the man said. “You’re a college student, correct?”

“Yes, I’m a senior at Wilkersons University.”

“All right. Here’s the Center’s email address,” he scribbled it down on a slip of paper and handed it to Raf. “If you email us with your availability, we can set up your hours so that they don’t conflict with school. I’ll have to get the Director to approve everything before you can officially start, but I don’t anticipate any issues there. You can report back here on Monday--”

“Wait, hold on a second,” Raf interjected, confused. “Are you not the Director? I had assumed you were since you were the one interviewing me. Is that not the case?”

He was shocked when the man abruptly threw back his head and laughed. “The Director? Oh, good God, no! I’m just the in-house therapist.” He grinned wickedly as Raf’s jaw dropped open. “I told you we were short-staffed, Mr. Alvarez. Everyone does a little of everything here, including me.” 

He stood up and extended his hand. “Let me start again. My name is Dante Sullivan. I am a licensed therapist, staff supervisor, part-time janitor, and the de facto acting Director here at St. Margaret’s.” He smirked at Raf. “And before you complain about it, know that I am also the person who will be in charge of looking after you, making sure you faithfully discharge your duty to the state, and kicking your ass if you set one foot out of line.”

This last comment surprised a wolfish grin out of Raf. He stood and reached across the desk to grasp the outstretched fingers. “Well, you’re certainly welcome to try,” he said mockingly as he gave the other man a slow once over, noting the obvious difference between their respective heights and sizes. “But I’ll do my best not to give you a reason to.”

Dante narrowed his eyes and squeezed his hand firmly. Raf squeezed back, meeting the unspoken challenge head-on and refusing to break eye contact. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think this guy was an Alpha with all the posturing. 

“Glad we understand each other then.” Dante finally released his hand and pushed past him towards the exit. He threw a final glance at Raf over his shoulder. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Alvarez. Now, I unfortunately have another appointment, so I trust you can see yourself out.”

And with that, he strode out the door, leaving Raf alone.