Chapter Text
Harvey Dent was back at their store.
The bell above the door had barely jingled before Willis’s senses went on high alert. A lump of worry formed in his throat, thick and tight, but he didn’t let it fester. He forced his shoulders to relax, lifted his head, and met the man’s gaze, those sharp, mismatched eyes, one visible and burning with a lustful intensity that made Willis’s skin crawl. He pasted on a polite smile, keeping his voice steady even as his heart hammered against his ribs.
“Good morning, Mr. Dent. Miss Johnson is back in her office right now. Would you mind waiting for a little bit? I'll fetch her—”
He made to move past Harvey toward the back, but a large hand shot out, catching him gently but firmly by the arm. Willis froze, his breath catching in his throat, as Harvey Dent stepped closer, invading his personal space with the easy confidence of a man who was used to taking what he wanted.
“Now, now, sweetheart,” Harvey murmured, his voice low and smooth, silk stretched over steel. “I didn’t come here to see Miss Johnson. I came here to see you.”
Willis’s stomach twisted. He pulled his arm back slowly, carefully, keeping his expression calm even as panic fluttered in his chest. “Mr. Dent, I’m at work. I really should get my boss—”
“Nonsense.” Harvey waved a hand dismissively, leaning against the counter as if he owned the place. His gaze raked over Willis, slow and deliberate, before settling on his lower face. Particularly, on his mouth. “I think what I’d rather do is take you out to dinner. Nice place downtown. Fancy, quiet. Just the two of us. What do you say?”
The question left unanswered. Willis’s mind raced. He needed to shut this down and fast. He needed to tell Harvey of the boundaries he’d already set, of the life he’d built to keep himself and Jason safe.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Dent, but I can’t,” he said, his voice maliciously polite. Willis meet one single blue eye, resolute to have this be done with. With one deep breath, he said. “I have an Alpha.” The proclamation made the Alpha freeze. “And, I already have a pup with her.” That, made Harvey Dent's one visible eye widen. “We are planning to build our family and settle down once she's home from her long work abroad as a doctor.”
The Alpha was quirtbfor a moment before Harvey’s lips quirked up in a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He took another step forward, closing the distance again, and his gaze dropped back to Willis’s neck. So obviously bare, unmarked, save for the faint scar from a childhood accident.
“Is that so?” Harvey drawled, reaching out a finger to brush lightly against the side of Willis’s throat. Willis flinched, stepping back quickly, and Harvey’s smile widened, sharp and knowing. “Funny. I don’t see a mating bite there, sweetheart. No mark. No claim. And from what I’ve heard, Alphas who truly care about their Omegas don’t leave them unmarked especially if they have a pup with them, no matter how far away they are.”
Willis’s heart skipped a beat. He’d been waiting for this question, for this challenge, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. He forced himself to meet Harvey’s eyes, keeping his voice steady, even as his hands shook slightly at his sides.
“It was a conscious decision,” he said, repeating the lie he’d practiced so many times. “Sheila, my Alpha — she’s gone for long stretches, working in remote places. We decided it wouldn’t be fair to mark me when she’s not here to tend to me, or to be with us. It’s a bond we want to share properly, when she’s home for good. We’re waiting until we can settle down together, as a family. That’s how we want it.”
Harvey studied him for a long, tense moment, his visible eye narrowing as if trying to find a crack in the story. Willis held his breath, praying that his voice hadn’t wavered, that his expression hadn’t betrayed his fear.
Finally, Harvey let out a low chuckle, stepping back just enough to give Willis a little breathing room, though his gaze still lingered on Willis’s neck.
“Cute story,” he said, his tone dripping with disbelief. “But I don’t buy it. A pretty little Omega like you? Waiting all alone for some Alpha who’s never around? Doesn’t sound right to me.” He leaned in again, his voice dropping to a whisper that sent a chill down Willis’s spine. “But I’m a patient man. I’ll wait. And when you realize that your ‘Alpha’ isn’t coming back, or that you deserve better than being left alone to raise a pup by yourself… I’ll be right here. Ready to take care of you. The way a real Alpha should.”
Willis’s blood ran cold. He knew Harvey didn’t believe him. He knew the lie was thin, fraying at the edges under the weight of Harvey’s interest. And he knew that this wasn’t over, not by a long shot.
Before Harvey could say another word, the sound of heels clicking against the wooden floor cut through the heavy silence. Catherine stepped out from the back office, her expression smooth and professional. Though Willis could see the faint tightness around her eyes that told him she’d been watching, or at least sensing, what was going on.
“Mr. Dent,” she said, her voice warm but firm as she walked over to stand beside Willis, placing a gentle but protective hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry I kept you waiting. I heard you’d come by to follow up on the order details. Why don’t we step into my office? We can go over everything there, privately.”
Harvey’s gaze flicked from Catherine to Willis, his half-smile never faltering, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that made Willis’s skin prickle. He clearly knew Catherine had stepped in to rescue Willis, and he didn’t seem pleased about it. But he also wasn’t about to make a scene in the middle of the boutique, not when he had a business deal going.
“Of course, Miss Catherine,” Harvey said, his voice smooth as silk. He took a step back from Willis, though his eyes lingered on him for a beat longer, a silent promise that this wasn’t over. “Lead the way. I’m sure we have plenty to discuss.”
He followed Catherine toward her office, casting one last look over his shoulder at Willis — one that was equal parts hungry and challenging — before the door clicked shut behind them.
Willis let out a shaky breath, his knees nearly giving out as he leaned against the counter. His heart was hammering so hard he could feel it in his ears, and his hand went instinctively to his neck, where Harvey’s gaze had burned so intensely.