River scrabbled across the bed for the phone.

“Front desk, this is Lark speaking, how can I help?”

“H-hello, my mate just left our room and I was hoping you could catch him before he leaves the hotel?”

“I can try my best, sir.”

“He’s an alpha - dark brown hair and a cream sweater.”

The voice at the other end made a soft ‘uuuh’ sound, and River could imagine them scanning the room. “Oh, yes! I think I see him!”

“Can you please just pass on the message that his mate hopes his meetings go well?”

“Of course, sir.”

The line went quiet, so River dropped the phone to the receiver.

A moment later, it rang.

Before he could say a word, Elliott’s voice reached him. “You’re going to make me late, petal.”

“I’m just playing my part,” River retorted.

He hummed and it crackled down the line with a vibrato that tingled along River’s skin. “There is something I forgot to ask, actually.”

“Oh?”

“Am I picking you up for our morning lecture from here or from home?”

River looked around the grand suite. Why waste the opportunity? “Here.”

He could practically hear his smirk on the other end of the call. “I’ll see you in the morning, petal.”

“See you later.”

River dropped the phone, ending the call, and smushed his face into a pristine perky pillow with a squeal.

The kiss. Calm, cool and collected Elliott had kissed him like it came naturally to him. The surprise in his face when he pulled away was so damn satisfying. Afraid, maybe, that River might realise that he held some power over him too?

River had learned more than he’d let on in his first ten days of being marked. If there was one demographic that people seemed to pity more than omegas, it was alphas mated to them. The general consensus was that he should have Elliott wrapped around his pinky. And until that kiss he’d had no confidence in these magical omega abilities. Okay, maybe it wasn’t magic.

“It’s biology.”

His own words.

All River knew was that under the playful pretending, there was at least a small part of Elliott that wanted him. Enough to kiss him for no good reason.

River took a deep breath into the crisp white pillowcase. Lavender, how lovely. Back to the topic at hand - he was getting ahead of himself. He had made peace with the idea of enjoying Elliott’s affections, fake or otherwise. But only for the duration of the scent. And then Elliott kissed him. So really, this was his own fault.

River rolled back and forth in the giant bed, each lap getting lazier and more lethargic as he ran out of steam. The energy buzzing inside of him forced to dissipate. Pulling a pillow from the headboard, he hugged it, struggling to get his arms all the way around. He didn’t want to guess at how expensive pillows this plump would be. He sighed into it.

What would have happened if he’d stayed? Would they have kissed again? If they were an alpha mate couple in public, what were they behind closed doors?

It had all seemed so clear, the boundary line crisp in the dirt between them and then he’d kissed him. It was so sudden, a snatch at his mouth. Not possessive, but desperate.

He giggled against the pillow. Maybe he was romanticising it just a little… but it was definitely gentle instead of forceful. A quick slip in his self-control. And if River hadn’t been so shocked he would have kissed him back and embarrassed himself. At least Elliott was good at feigning disinterest. River had already humped his leg like he was in heat. He squeezed the pillow closer, blushing at his own thoughts. Actually, he didn’t know what it felt like to be in heat. His first hadn’t arrived yet. It wasn’t unusual, some doctors called it the ‘final stage’ of puberty. There were even articles about omegas that didn’t get their first until they were twenty-five!

Considering the possibility of an impending heat brought his mind back to the little science lesson that Elliott had offered him in the café. There was so much that wasn’t taught in the standard sex education classes in school. Anything that was alpha or omega-specific wasn’t brought up for fear of singling anyone out. But now he felt… a little ignorant.

Elliott was so confident in his secondary gender. River… wasn’t. He scowled up at the ceiling, partly blocked by the pillow. It was hard to be a confident omega when people would pigeon-hole you anyway.

The phone rang again. River threw himself over the pillow, upending into a scorpion shape. Still, he stretched for the phone on the bedside table, slamming it to his face as soon as he caught it.

“Y-yes?” His throat was thick suddenly.

“Mrs Constance?”

“Uh-” River looked around for help, and was reminded again that he was all alone in the suite. “N-no. We’re not-”

“I do apologise, sir.” It wasn’t Lark. Some other employee. “And I hope I haven’t disturbed you.”

“Um. No, not at all.”

“I’m calling to offer you a complimentary treatment in our spa, a gift from our front of house manager.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Please attend the basement floor whenever suits your schedule and take a choice of any treatment on the menu.”

“Thank you. That’s very kind.”

“You’re most welcome. Is there anything else we can offer you to improve your stay?”

“Is- Is there any chance I could get a toothbrush and toothpaste? I wasn’t expecting to stay the night but-”

“Of course! A basket of essentials will be delivered to your door, sir.”

“Thank you.”

“And will you be taking dinner in our restaurant tonight? We guarantee the finest of dining experiences.”

“Um, no. Thank you. My mate had to leave for work and will be collecting me in the morning so I’m by myself and-” Oh god, he was rambling. “I don’t think he would want me to- well, actually I wouldn’t want to eat alone- without him. Sorry.”

“I understand completely, sir. The fine dining will be brought to your suite.”

River let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” For some reason, he had expected an irritated reaction, either to his refusal to visit the restaurant or to his rambling.

After asking after dietary requirements and reiterating that River could call for anything he might need, they said goodbye and River fell back to the bed.

It was barely the middle of the day, so with nothing else to do to kill time, he decided to visit the spa.

Putting clothes back on over his newly topped-up scent felt… uncomfortable? The material suddenly rough and scratchy. Or maybe his skin had become sensitive to any texture that wasn’t Elliott’s lips. He gave his body a shake like they’d done in the yoga society once, a full-body wobble to dispel any off-feelings.

It… didn’t really work. But he took the room key from the slot and left anyway. He had a complimentary spa treatment to enjoy!

Technically, he had everything complimentary to enjoy, courtesy of Elliott, he thought as he stepped into the lift. The lobby area was squashed out of sight by the closing doors, reminding him to come back and try the coffee machine later.

×

In tiny font alongside the treatment list were pound signs and numbers that were in the triple digits… River blinked. Two hundred and seventy-five pounds for a massage. What would he be massaged with, gold bars? These prices made the alpha perfumes seem cheap. They should try offering dominant services - glove-less - and watch the millions roll in.

All of the spa staff were submissive, as was expected unless you really were in search of a happy ending… not that River was in any position to judge. He was paying an alpha for his scent and had cum on his leg. A small group hovered behind a marble desk, eager to be given something to do by a customer. They awaited River’s decision with a close-to nervous disposition.

The description of the most expensive massage promised body and hair oils, and steam and background music of raindrops. It did sound nice. But also, he had steam and oils in his shower, and when it rained, there was his background music.

“We highly recommend the Raindrops on Roses treatment.” One of the staff members had sidled up to him.

I bet you do, it costs half my rent, River thought. He looked up at them and smiled politely.

They leant in to whisper conspiratorially, “Our front of house manager said you can have any treatment, or a combo if you want to try all the facilities we have.”

River whispered back, “That almost makes the choice harder. What would you go with?”

“I would do the Raindrops on Roses and combine it with the Empower Hour.” They ticked off on their fingers. “That way you get a massage, hair treatment, steam treatment, aromatherapy, body scrub, milk bath and facial.” They were buzzing with excitement as though they really were going to be on the receiving end.

River didn’t hesitate. For the rest of the day and night, he was the mate of a disgustingly rich alpha. It was his part to play. “Let’s do it.”

×

A dainty silicone wristband was tied to him with a tag that would allow access to the non-treatment areas of the spa. He had decided to explore for a bit before his ‘Empower Hour.’ Then he would take a break for some food before returning for the massage and hair treatment accompanied by rain. Technically, he was supposed to have both in one go if he was combining them, but no one gave him any push-back when he said he needed lunch. Everyone was… almost scarily agreeable to River. He was supposed to be the one that said ‘yes’ and ‘of course’ and ‘no problem.’

They had lent him a bathing suit and terry cloth top and shorts to wear, along with a pair of white flip flops and a robe. He asked for a locker to store his original clothes, but the staff insisted on laundering them and delivering them back to his suite. They didn’t need to ask which he was staying in, which might have explained the overzealous attempts to appease him.

He didn’t argue - how could you, with a team of submissives almost-whispering their dedication to make your day a little easier? Everything about the place was quiet, gentle, tranquil, and the staff attempted to upkeep that in their own manners, too. River couldn’t refuse in the same soft-spoken way, so he let them pander to him.

He raised the wristband to a frosted glass door and it slid open for him, revealing the relaxation zone. A central pool was surrounded by doors to themed rooms and River treated himself to a tour of every one. Fire held a sauna, Ice had chips in a giant bowl and cold baths to dip into, Flora was filled with steam scented like a botanical garden, Sand offered gritty scrubs to test, Salt had beds to lay inside salt-encrusted tunnels, and Sky had thick fog and simulated rain falling from the ceiling like a giant shower.

It was near-empty, the hotel guests probably packing up to leave at the end of the week. A submissive or two swanned past him with towels tied around them, and they smiled as though he were one of them. River smiled back every time.

In the pool, he bobbed about in the shallow end until his treatment was due. It wasn’t chlorine-stinking like the pools he’d been in before, and nothing gross floated past him. The tiles of the bottom made up a white and inky-blue geometric pattern. River hopped along it on his tip toes, amusing himself with an eye on the clock.

The time came and he returned to the front desk. A small lady with a soothing smile awaited him and led him to a private room. His back and limbs were scrubbed and washed and it tingled really nicely. He wondered, briefly, if it might have some effect on the intensity of Elliott’s scent, but after the scrub had been washed off there was no question it was still deeply ingrained into his skin.

He flipped to his back and let the nice lady prod at his face, lather foam, dollop syrupy oils, and smooth cool creams over his skin.

“Omegas always look youthful,” the lady cooed.

River wasn’t sure what to respond, so he tried to smile under the layer of serums.

“That’s how you bagged an alpha mate, I suppose.”

River’s smile fell.

The lady made a short, choked sound. “I didn’t mean to be inappropriate.”

River raised his hand from the sheet covering him and flapped it, batting the concern away. The treatment continued.

Clean of salt residue, and blackheads, River was offered a selection of special scented milks to fill a giant granite tub. He chose lavender and chamomile.

It was weirdly warm and silky as he sunk in. A twenty minute timer was set for him to soak and River let himself sink, eyes shut, twinkly music bouncing off the walls. He wondered, while trying to empty his thoughts, if it might turn to a cheese bath if he thrashed around too much. He smiled to himself and kicked his feet carefully, just enough to make gentle waves rather than cottage cheese.

All too soon the time was up and River was sluiced down with more warm water and oils to ensure he really didn’t end up cheesy. He dressed back in the top and shorts, assured he would be given a fresh swimsuit when he returned from lunch, and toddled back to the elevators.

“Oh, sir, only this one goes to the tenth floor,” a young man offered helpfully, pressing the button to the central doors.

River thanked him, feeling a little guilty that he had no cash to slip him for his efforts.

×

A trolley of covered silver dishes awaited River when he returned from the spa. It was resting outside the suite door, in the small lobby area, and a folded piece of card by the handle offered a service in which a staff member would walk the trolley into the room and serve the dishes on the table for him if he dialled a special code into the suite phone.

River hauled it in himself, bunching up all the muscles he had just soothed.

It was a buffet of cold food options with small bottles of fruit juice and a pitcher of ice cold water. Two menus were tucked in amongst the plates, informing him of all the dishes and additionally advising on the dinner selection that would be arriving later.

He picked at the plates from all over the suite, testing out all the seats. The view wasn’t great, mostly other buildings and roads. The beauty was contained to inside the hotel, it seemed. When he had pushed his stomach a little way past full, he waddled back out, clutching it, to brew a coffee.

There was a professional machine and a pod machine. River decided to stick with what he knew, and probably couldn’t fuck up, and used a pod. A mini fridge of milks offered him all kinds of flavours, he chose hazelnut and sprinkled some chocolate powder over the top.

Clean. Fed. Caffeinated. River headed back for round two.

×

The head and body massage felt incredible, especially when they ran their fingers over his scalp, filling his curls with rosemary oil.

Of course, Elliott’s hands felt better. But he tried not to think of that, his body would betray him with an aroused scent… or worse, slick sliding from between his legs and onto the fluffy towels between him and the table.

After an hour of bliss, he was left to snooze in the room for as long as he liked with water droplets running down a feature wall and rose-scented steam billowing around him. River took a nap. How long for? Who knows! He felt good, he smelt good, he slept good.