Chapter 1: A Brisk Move

Castiel’s P.O.V 

“Pathetic. Just plain stupid. You terrible, terrible fool— and No- I do not want to hear an explanation!" Oliver, the manager of the restaurant and also my boss, screamed at me at the top of his lungs as I rose from the floor slowly, where I had been picking up shards of the broken plate.

The young lady standing beside him smirked wider, her expression and posture showing someone that had achieved a certain type of victory. And maybe she had.

“Sir…I swear I didn't do anything. I've been picking up the shards of this plate—” I started but was immediately cut short again. He was visibly angry, but then again, he was always angry. With me, anyways.

“And who exactly threw the plate on the floor, Castiel? You're acting like the shards suddenly appeared there on their own!” He barked, approaching me stealthily as I backed up against the wall.

I tried to think back to how I had landed in this position in the first place, and realized it all started with the woman and her friend, who had both seemed interested in me and had been giving me subtle hints all afternoon. She was an omega, one of the plenty that couldn't just stop hitting on me. And when I refused, the results hadn't been pretty!

They had taken offense to my rejection, big time.

“You're an idiot. You think you’re so high and mighty because you’re an Alpha?” She had asked and pushed me roughly, realizing her previous advances were not going to work. “Are you even aware of how valuable Omegas are? You should be grateful that we gave you attention, you pathetic loser!”

“I-I’m s-sorry, ma’am.” I had bowed and apologized. “I didn’t mean to sound rude or offend you. You are both wonderful ladies, but I really don’t-”

But that had landed the wrong way and only ended up making things worse as the woman had gotten up and dumped her drink on me, fuming angrily, before she had jammed her heels onto my shoes, making me trip and drop the plate onto the floor, which had immediately drawn the manager’s attention.

Everything had happened so fast and in such a manner that I was still left reeling from the incident, and to top it all off, Oliver now started up at me with his hands on his bulging hips, his face twisted in scorn.

“I'm talking to you! Do you even have ears, you pathetic loser? I told you if you made another mistake, you’re done for. This is it. I do not want to see you here anymore. Make sure your Apron and food card are submitted to my office this instant!” Oliver pointed at the door while the women kept on smirking.

He was the manager, I reminded myself. There wasn't much I could do! But there was a limit to my patience as well.

“You know…maybe if you apologize nicely…we will take back our complaint.” The woman told smugly, placing a hand on Oliver’s shoulder’s to tell him to back off.

“How about you kneel and place your head on our feet. That should make us forget this whole incident and we’ll even pay compensation.” Her friend shrugged, tossing her head to place her hair over her shoulders.

Oliver looked thoughtful for a second, and then he turned to me angrily. “Well? What are you waiting for? Do as they say and you might still get to keep your job.”

But this was it. I had reached my limit and there was no way I was going to kneel for a woman who had gotten offended for me not wanting to pleasure her.

I took off my apron and threw it at Oliver’s feet, making him jump back. The women too looked at me astonished as I gave them a small bow and spoke loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in fucking you. So please, find someone else to be your boy toy.”

With that, I turned and headed out the door, not caring about how the entire restaurant was looking at me as if I was the utter fool to have rejected two willing Omegas.

The cool evening air hit me like a slap to the face, and I stood there for a moment, sucking in a deep breath. I clenched my fists at my sides, anger bubbling under the surface. I was done being treated like a useless slave just because I didn’t have any powers.

"Cas! Hold up!"

I turned around to see Tanner jogging toward me, wiping his hands on the front of his chef’s coat. He smelled like garlic and rosemary, the kind of scents that usually made me smile. Tonight, though, it only reminded me of everything I’d lost in the last fifteen minutes.

"You just walked out?" Tanner asked, stopping a few feet away. "You can’t go like this, Cas. How can you just quit?"

“I can't go? I didn't have a choice, Tanner! I was never going to apologize and humiliate myself after what those Omegas put me through.” I responded angrily. I knew Tanner was aware that I was already tired of working here, but he also knew how much Oliver liked picking a bone with me for no reason.

“I know what happened, Castiel. I saw everything.” Tanner emphasized, coming closer to place a hand on my shoulder. “But if you had just apologized…then you could’ve still had this job. Don’t you remember the debt your family owes, think about your sister. You need this job! You know your family left you in a mess."

"Don’t remind me," I muttered, running a hand through my wet hair. The wine was sticky, and it clumped my hair together in an unpleasant tangle. "I get it, Tanner. But what do you want me to do? Those damn omegas wouldn’t leave me alone. Every shift, it’s the same thing. They flirt, they giggle, and when I tell them I’m not interested, they lose it. Tonight, they pushed it too far—and, of course, I’m the one who gets punished for it."

“But…what about the debt? It runs into millions, Castiel.” Tanner said, his voice steeped in desperation. “Just go to the manager, Castiel. Tell him the truth. He should know about the advances. I'm sure he'd definitely believe you or at any rate, he'd consider you anyway. Don't you think so?”

“He would believe me over his customers? No Tanner, that would never happen even in my dreams.”

"At least try—"

"It won’t matter!" I snapped, harsher than I intended. Tanner’s face softened, but I couldn’t stop the words now. "To people like him, I’m just a liability. One mistake, and I’m gone. It’s always been like that."

Tanner exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "So, what now?"

“I’m going to look for another job, somewhere that wouldn’t require me to get harassed like this every day. I'm not staying idle, and I'm sure I'll figure my debt out.” I assured him, although I knew he wanted me to be close to him. It wasn't about leaving the place. It was about leaving him.

Tanner stared at me, worry etched on his face. "Just... don’t do anything stupid, alright?"

I forced a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. "No promises, but I’ll survive. I always do." 

I gave him a quick nod and turned toward the street, leaving the restaurant behind. The night air felt sharp on my damp skin, but I ignored it. I had bigger things to deal with than the cold.

When I got to my apartment building, the cracked walls and flickering hallway lights were a familiar, depressing sight. But tonight, something was off. My pulse spiked when I heard a faint scream and immediately, my senses were on high alert.

My sister! Celia was in danger!

I ran up the stairs to my rundown apartment, and when I saw the men surrounding the entrance, I already knew what they're here for. The debt collectors. They were here for their money and I didn't have it. Shit!

“Stop that.” I shouted as I ran to stop them, when I saw one of them drag my sister out of the room.

A blow landed on my face before I could even fathom how I was going to get out of this situation.

I fell to the ground hard, but I tried to get up quickly, falling on my knees as I begged the debt collectors for mercy.

“I'll find the money, please. I promise. Just let her go,” I begged them on my hands and knees, but all I got in return was a kick to my gut as I doubled over in pain.

But their leader only smiles, as he held my sister’s hands behind her back, staring down at me menacingly.

No! Celia! She was all I had left. I couldn’t lose her!

“Please…” I whimpered to the leader who stood above me, grinning as if he had just won the lottery. 

“Stupid.” He spat at me. “You think we’re gonna just let you go after what we discovered? An omega? You’ve been hiding a fucking omega!”

The man took out a gun from his pocket and held it in my face, as he examined Celia with his filthy eyes. NO!

He could kill my sister for all I knew. I couldn't act on impulse, no. Not on Celia's life.

She struggled to break free, her arms and legs flailing as he raised her off the ground. He sniffed her, taking in her scent…and I couldn’t take it anymore.

"Leave her alone!" I shouted.

Something snapped inside me. A raw, primal rage surged through me, pushing past the pain and exhaustion. I wasn’t thinking anymore—just acting. 

The man above me shifted slightly, his grip loosening for a second. That was all the time I needed. I shot my hand up, wrapping my fingers around the cold metal of his gun. 

"Hey—" 

With a savage twist, I yanked the gun free and rolled onto my back, aiming before my brain even caught up with my body. 

The gang leader turned just as I squeezed the trigger. The deafening blast filled the room, and everything seemed to slow down. 

The bullet hit him square in the head. His expression froze in shock—mouth half-open, eyes wide—before his body crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut. Blood splattered the cracked walls as he hit the ground with a heavy thud.