Chapter 1

Olivia's POV

Six years later

The loud beeping of the alarm jolted me from my sleep. Grumbling tiredly, I opened my eyes, reached for my phone, and realized it was already 5pm.

“Shit!” I blurted and jumped out of bed. “Damn it! I will be late again.” I grunted and rushed to the bathroom. After taking a quick bath, I dressed up, packed my hair in a bun, grabbed my things, and rushed out of my apartment. I was lucky to get a taxi, and in a few minutes, I was at the club. Hurriedly, I went into the locker room, changed into my uniform, and made my way to the bar.

“You are late,” Sonia murmured.

“I'm sorry, I had a class today, and after getting home, I decided to take a nap. I didn’t know I set my alarm wrongly.” I explained to Sonia, who nodded understandingly.

“Well, you are lucky Sir Linus hasn’t come yet.” I sighed in relief at her words and got on with work.

“A glass of my usual whiskey,” DOM Phillip requested as he sat on the long stool.

“Alright, sir.” I nodded and went for his drink. After serving him, he smiled his usual friendly smile at me. “My offer still stands, Olivia, be my personal submissive, and I will treat you like a princess.”

He has been making this mouthwatering offer that every lady will jump into, but my answer will always remain no.

“I can’t, DOM Phillip,” I rejected politely for the hundredth time. “And my reasons are the same.”

He scoffed and took a sip of his drink. “You never cease to amaze me, pretty Olivia.” He smirked, while I flashed a friendly smile at him before walking away to attend to other Doms.

In this club, Doms and members are allowed to wear masks if they want to. Some members are high-profile businessmen and celebrities, so they prefer to hide their faces in a mask. Some members, like Sir Phillip, don’t care; they are usually without a mask, which is why I could easily know him.

“A glass of champagne,” a masked DOM requested, and I went for it. After placing the glass before him, I turned to leave, but he held my hand on the counter and smirked at me.

“How much for a night?” he asked, while massaging my hand, which got me irritated. But as one of the rules in the club as a worker, we are never allowed to be rude to members, especially the masked ones.

Forcing a smile on my face, I released myself from his grip. “Sorry, sir, but I am not a submissive,” I said in the most polite manner that I could.

“Three thousand dollars,” he offered, and I scoffed inwardly. I have been offered more and yet didn’t do it. What makes him think I would agree for three thousand dollars?

“I’m sorry, sir, I will have to reject your offer.” I said politely and turned to walk away.

I met up with Sonia, who raised a brow at me. “Another man who wants to fuck you?” she asked while I sighed.

Sonia was silent for a moment before she spoke. “Olivia, you are in huge debts; your brother’s hospital bills are piling up. Don’t you…”

“No!” I cut her off abruptly. “I will not sell my body.”

“Then how will you pay off your debts?” she questioned, while I remained silent and just looked away. I have no means to pay my debts aside from this job, which was ridiculous.

“Anita is coming, ignore her,” Sonia announced to me.

Anita, a waitress, sauntered over, a smirk plastered on her face. “Well, well, who do we have here? Olivia, our little wolfless wonder,” she mocked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my composure. “What do you want, Anita?” I asked calmly.

“Just thought I’d remind you how pathetic it is to be working here without a wolf,” she sneered. “Everyone knows you’re just a little lost lamb, unclaimed and unwanted.”

“Anita, just back off,” Sonia interjected, her voice firm.

Anita’s smirk widened as she looked at me. “Oh, I will. I just hope you figure out how to pay those debts soon, Olivia. Wouldn’t want your brother’s condition to worsen because of your stubborn pride.”

With that, she sauntered off, leaving me feeling a mix of anger and pain. Anita never ceased to remind me of being wolfless. Despite turning twenty, I was still not able to get or shift into my wolf, although I have a few qualities of werewolves, like fangs, claws, and the ability to perceive smells from a far distance, but I never had my wolf or even heard her voice, all thanks to the event that happened on my fourteenth birthday.

Sonia placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Don’t let her get to you, Olivia. You’ll find a way. We’ll find a way.”

I nodded, trying to push Anita’s words out of my mind. “Yeah, we will. I just need to keep working and hope for the best.”

I went back to work and tried to take my mind off my worries and pain, but constantly my mind would drift to it. Still, I shrugged it off and focused on work.

“Olivia,” Sir Linus, the manager of the club, called me, and I looked his way. “Sira is unwell, and she can’t perform with the others tonight. Will you take her place?”

“Yes, sir.” I responded excitedly.

“Good, go change up and meet up with the other girls.” He instructed before walking away.

I went back to Sonia. “I will be dancing as a stripper tonight,” I said excitedly. This was my third time filling in for a sick stripper, and the two times I had had such opportunities, I made a lot of money.

“Great! A lot of money will be made then. You are buying dinner,” Sonia requested, and I nodded before bidding her goodbye. Being a substitute stripper is nothing to be excited about; I hated those hungry sex-driven men and how they got turned on whenever I gave them a lap dance, but my situation had made me do things I didn’t want to do.

Arriving at the locker room, I met three other professional strippers already dressed and waiting for me.

“You are the one taking Sira’s place?” Kate asked, and I nodded. “Good, get dressed. We are running late.”

I nodded and quickly changed into stripper clothes, sexy lingerie that barely covered anything. The outfit consisted of a black lace bra, matching thong, and sheer stockings held up by a garter belt. I slipped on the sky-high stilettos that made my legs look impossibly long and glamorous, though I knew they would be murdered on my feet by the end of the night.

As I stood before the mirror, adjusting the straps and making sure everything was in place, I couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety. Dancing in front of a crowd of strangers, most of whom were powerful and influential, was never easy. But the money was good, and I needed every dollar to pay off my debts and take care of my brother.

“You look great,” Kate said, giving me an encouraging smile. “Just remember to stay confident. The men love it when you look like you own the stage.”

“I heard that the king of Alphas is attending today,” Cara, one of the strippers, spoke.

“Really?” Kate asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Cara confirmed her words. “I heard he had been in France for the past five years and got back to the country yesterday. He is coming here. In fact, he will be seated among the men we will be entertaining tonight,” Cara announced excitedly. “I just hope I’m lucky to give him a lap dance. Whoever among us that will get his attention will be extremely lucky…” Cara paused and turned to me. “Do your best, okay?”

I nodded, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves. “Thanks, Cara. I'll do my best.”

With one last look in the mirror, I followed Kate and the other strippers out of the locker room and towards the stage. The thumping bass of the club's music grew louder with each step, and the sound of male voices cheering and whistling filled the air.