She swung around, the light flush on her cheeks, the sheer joy in her expression making him feel like a jerk. But when she opened her mouth, he raised his palm to stop her.

“No unnecessary conversation, though. And no sneaking into my bed uninvited.”

She nodded the gratitude in her eyes so transparent he wasn’t quite able to tell her a cute jabber mouth had no business working for a man like him. A man whose bite was a heck of a lot worse than his bark.

Not your problem. She wants this job, she can have it. Then, when she runs screaming, Jonathan can pick up the pieces.

“I’m going to sleep,” he said, his throat scratchy from all the unnecessary talking. “Don’t wake me up. When I want to eat again, I’ll let you know.”

She bobbed her head, and the escaped tendrils bounced on her shoulders.

A new jolt of unwanted arousal pierced the exhaustion. And he wondered what the hell he was thinking, letting anyone invade his sanctuary. Especially a woman who made him ache.

But he refused to dwell on the decision as he trudged up the stairs, the anxiety that had tied his stomach into knots blissfully absent for the first time in over ten years.

***

Tatum watched his new boss make his way up the wide staircase, the nerves finally releasing their stranglehold on his ribs. His gaze roamed over Mr Pearce’s muscular shoulders, drifted down past the crisscross of scars on his back and tattoos scrawled across his shoulders and arms.

How had he survived the trauma? And what could he do to make things better for him?

Because surely that was all this was—this deep well of compassion, which felt like so much more than a desire not to mess up his new job?

Even if this desire I have needs to be pushed down hard.

Tatum set out to clean the house, trying to avoid Mr Pearce as much as possible.

He made a delicious lunch of grilled cheese and chicken sandwiches, then snuck upstairs while Mr Pearce was in the gym.

He left the lunch on Mr Pearce's bedside table, then aired out the room and quickly changed his bedding.

He suddenly smelled a burst of Mr Pearce's pheromones in the air he whipped around to find intense eyes staring at him.

Oh!

Sweat glistened on Andrew's skin and his breath was ragged as he had pushed himself hard in the home gym.

He had been trying to exhaust himself physically, to dull his emotional and physical response to Tatum.

It didn't work.

Huffing he had come out of the gym to find her bent over his bed, with that perfect bottom stuck up in the air.

She was fixing his bed. All the effort he had just put in to get rid of his arousal and erection had been for nothing.

Finding her leaning over his bed with her bottom in the air was just too much, his manhood had thickened immediately.

His shorts tenting and his arousal palpable, on instinct he released his pheromones.

He was watching her so intently that he saw the moment she sensed his scent.

Hierarchy exists in humans, which are divided into dominant "alphas", neutral "betas", and submissive "omegas".

This hierarchy determines how people interact with one another in romantic, erotic and sexual contexts.

It also affects each subspecies physically, emotionally and intellectually. Making Alphas and Omegas superior beings.

Betas are normal humans with no special traits, they have average intelligence and physical attributes.

They can't scent pheromones and they don't get affected by it at all either. Basically, they are regular human beings

Alphas: socially and biologically dominant, superior physically and intellectually.

They are short-tempered and natural leaders, and are also the only ones that can impregnate Omegas.

Omega: submissive and gentle, calm and a peacemaker. omegas have smaller and sometimes masculine frames in males.

Female omegas are softer in appearance than betas and male omegas. Males and female omegas are always beautiful.

Male omegas have very low testosterone levels so the chemical doesn't interfere with maternal instincts.

Pheromones are released by Alphas to calm omegas or to seduce them depending on the intensity of release.

Omega pheromones can also either seduce an alpha or in the case of a true mate, calm and comfort the alpha.

When male omegas get aroused or go into heat their temperature increases and they start excreting slick.

Slick is a sweet-smelling lubricant-like fluid that is semi-translucent, it also tastes sweet.

Omegas go into heat cycles once every 30 days; during this time they are irresistible to alphas unless they are bonded.

It is also the omega's most fertile time and they want to have sex constantly.

Bonding is also called marking, where alpha and omega bites each other on the juncture between the shoulder and neck.

Marking is like marriage for life as the two basically mix their scents.

Afterwards, they don't scent other alphas or omegas they only attract each other.

The rut is the alpha's version of heat, except during this time the alpha is highly aggressive and dominant.

It is brought on when an omega triggers it through their heat; a marked alpha will only go into rut from his omega.

During the rut an alpha can knot an omega, this happens most often when the alpha wants to impregnate the omega.

The knot is a bundle of muscles that expand when the alpha is close to climaxing.

And is pushed into the omega to lock themselves in to ensure the omega catches. (catching=falls pregnant)

The knot at the base of an alphas member.

Male omegas can thus bear children like any female beta and omega; their uterus can only be accessed via full knotting.

Dominant alphas and omegas exhibit strong traits of their alignment and recessive is weaker.

Did I not tell you to stay out of my room?  Andrew Pearce was standing there emitting Pheromones on a large scale and looking very angry.

He was angry at himself for getting turned on like this, so he lashed out at her.

T-technically y-you told me to stay out of your bed sir, b-but I'm done cleaning your room, so I'll leave.

Andrew was physically restraining himself from pouncing on her by holding onto the door frame for dear life.

But then a thought occurred to him. And he was even more pissed off.

Get out of here! Right now! He ground out

He was sure she was getting flustered by his pheromones, so he purposefully emitted more to test his theory.

If you don’t get out now I might bite.

Tatum could scent him clearly he was definitely a dominant alpha and he was sure Mr Pearce was testing him.

Tatum gulped at the threat of Mr Pearce biting him, it was turning him on, but he had to get out now.

Before Mr Pearce's scent triggered him to start releasing slick or forced him into heat.

E-excuse me!

Tatum tried to bolt from the room, but Mr Pearce grabbed him as he tried to go past him and slammed him into the wall.

Pressing Tatum flush against the wall he grabbed both of his arms and held them in his grip above Tatum's head.

Gasp!... M-mr P-pearce!

Tatum's deep brown eyes went round from shock and he stuttered trying to ask Andrew what he was doing.

W-w-what a-are you d-doing?

The moment Mr Pearce pressed him against the wall Tatum could see the intensity in his eyes, he could also feel it.

I did tell you not to come without permission, didn't I, you did not listen. You need to be punished.

Oh!

He had pushed himself against Tatum deliberately to scare her, his erection throbbing and hard against her stomach.

He wanted to know if she was an omega and he was going to find out one way or another.

Holding Tatum fast, he pressed his manhood into her abdomen as she was quite a bit shorter than him.

He put his knee between her legs and applied pressure.

I've got to get out of here right now, before I get turned on further the moment I get an erection the game is up.

Isn't this what you wanted Tatum?

N-no S-sir!

Isn't this why you disobeyed me, you want to be punished?

You want me to take you here and now?

Isn't this why you are here?

This is what Jonathan put you up to right?

You're here to seduce me with your sexy voice and even sexier ass, that's why your in my bedroom again?

Are you just some omega slut Jonathan paid top dollar to fuck this recluse back into society?

Tell Me!!! He screamed into Tatum’s face.

Noooo!!! Tatum cried out

I-i'm just the housekeeper, I-i don’t know why you're being like this.

B-but you're hurting me, P-please let me go.

Tatum had started to tear up the moment he started getting angry and throwing insults. Tears were already falling.

Tatum yanked his arms out of Mr Pearce's grip and pushed him away as forcefully as he could manage then stumbled out.

What! - Andrew was shocked

He realised his mistake the moment the tears started rolling down Tatum's cheeks.

She was bloody strong for a woman; she had yanked her hands out and pushed him so hard he had landed on the floor.

Sitting there he put his head in his hand gripping his hair, swearing loudly

FUCK!!! Andrew burst out