The Night Movers - Season 1 - Episode 18 (Patreon)

Unbeta'd/Unedited. More of Ridley dog-walking Titus with Linus's help.

The next two hours passed in a blur with every item of clothing he tried on being thrown onto one of two ever growing piles. Keep or reject. Linus had pushed hard for all of Ridley’s outfits to be revealing, even the daytime ones. Ridley had caved on the night time looks, trusting that Linus knew the night market better than anyone, but during the day he refused to give up comfort for fashion. 

Once he’d made the final decision on clothes, Linus pulled some pieces from the keep pile and pushed him back towards the dressing room. “Can’t have you walking around in that pile of rags you arrived in.” 

Ridley nodded. He shoved his legs into tight jeans with a ribbed design at the knees, then slid on what, at first glance, could have been just another oversized hoodie. But, as Linus said, the couture is in the details. The sweater was made of a soft, but expensive material and a collar structured enough to hide his bites. It also had two zippers that, when opened, left his shoulders bare, only covering his lower arms. Despite the cool temperature, Linus insisted Ridley open the zippers. He been tempted to protest, but then saw the hoodie had thumb holes. Who didn’t love thumb holes in a hoodie?

Ridley rejected the heavy black boots for a pair of snowy white high top sneakers and even allowed Linus to pull his hair up into a bun and add a little makeup to his cheeks and lids. When Ridley looked in the mirror, he looked like himself, but also…different. Richer. 

By the time Titus returned to pay, Ridley had ten bags filled with more than he could ever need. Underwear, sleepwear, day looks, night looks, jewelry, makeup and shoes. Ridley had never seen such excess in all his life. He refused to look at the prices, stomach churning at the thought of how much that money could have helped others who truly needed it. 

Still, all of the shopping was almost worth it just to see Titus stop short, looking him up and down with a stupefied expression. He looked less impressed than when he saw him naked a couple days ago, but Ridley gloated nonetheless. Titus had been making Ridley feel out of his element since the moment they’d met. It was nice to turn the tables for once.

Still, when Titus went to the register, Linus hesitated. “There is one more thing…something we didn’t discuss before you left.” 

“Which is?” Titus asked, voice devoid of emotion. 

Linus cleared his throat not-so-discreetly pointing at the glass case below. “His collar…I thought maybe you’d want to pick it yourself.” 

Ridley’s mouth dropped open, staring at Linus with betrayal before whipping his head around to glare at Titus. “I’m not wearing a collar.” 

Linus seemed genuinely startled by Ridley’s vehemence. “All omegas wear collars, lovey. An uncollared omega down here is a sitting duck.” 

“Well I’m not all omegas. I refuse to be treated like livestock, just fucking kill me if you have to,” Ridley shot back. He gestured to the case full of collars. “I’m not your fucking pet.” 

Titus shook his head like Ridley was overreacting. “Linus is right. Without a collar, there’s no way I can let you out of my sight. You’ll need a constant babysitter.” 

Ridley turned on him, crossing his arms over his chest, head tilted. “Collared omegas are permitted to wander around down here without their alphas?” he asked, knowing full well the answer was no. 

Titus’s nostrils flared. “Within reason,” he grunted. 

Ridley snorted. “Whose reason? Hmm?” 

“You’re being-” 

“I may have a compromise,” Linus said, breaking in before they could really start fighting. “A collar but…not.” 

Linus crooked his finger at Ridley, beckoning him closer, then disappearing from sight. Ridley huffed, but went to stand beside his mate, glowering up at him until Linus resurfaced with a necklace on a black velvet cloth. 

Linus gazed at the piece lovingly. “I’ve never shown this to anyone, but if you like it, I’ll let you have it for free. Provided you tell anyone who inquires about it that it was me who sold it to you, of course.” Ridley’s eyes went wide, leaning in close to get a better look. Linus ran a finger along the links. “It’s platinum. A slip chain.” 

Slip chains reminded Ridley of the choke collars they put on dangerous animals. The slip chains he’d seen in the past were often made of super thick stainless steel. One good yank and the collar became both a leash and a weapon. But this slip chain looked both delicate and masculine. 

The necklace itself resembled chain mail, the links interlocking to make it stronger while allowing it to keep its intricate and elegant design. On one end of the long chain was a ring encrusted with sparkling gems. White crystals maybe? On the other was a large teardrop shaped pearl, encased in a nest of more white stones. 

When the pearl dropped through the ring it would dangle, falling over Ridley’s breastbone. As much as he hated to admit it, the piece was beautiful. And didn’t look like any of the collars Ridley had seen that morning. Those had all been thick leather or sharp steel.

“Diamonds?” Titus asked, staring at it like it was a live snake that might bite him if he got too close.

“Mm,” Linus said. “If I was to sell it to you, it would be in the five figure range.” 

“But you want to give it to me for free?” Titus asked, brow arched.

Linus scoffed. “I’m not giving it to you. I’m giving it to him. I know a marketing opportunity when I see one.” 

Titus frowned, muttering, “What?” 

“Dressing your new queen is going to get me a lot of business. Whatever he wears will sell out by the end of the week. Hell, I might be able to retire by next Friday,” he cried dramatically. 

“Why would he want something everyone else will have by next week?” Titus asked.

“No two of my designs are alike. But you want your new mate to be a trendsetter, I promise,” Linus said, his amusement evident. 

“Why would anyone care what I’m wearing? I’m an omega,” Ridley said, his irritation evident. 

“You really don’t know how this world works, do you?” When Ridley shook his head, he said, “Titus is the boss of the most dangerous pack in the city. Everyone wants to beat him or be him. Whatever he does with you will set the tone for what all the others do for their pet omegas.” Ridley’s jaw tightened, but Linus held up a hand. “I’m just telling you how it is. Don’t shoot the messenger.”

“This is so disgusting,” Ridley fumed. “They treat us like animals.” 

Linus sighed, looking at Ridley. “You’re a smart boy, lovey.” He gave Titus a once over, mouth flattening. “You, not so much.” 

“Wow,” Titus muttered. “You do realize I haven’t paid you yet, right?” 

“You’re missing an opportunity here,” Linus said to Ridley, ignoring the alpha’s pouting entirely. 

“Meaning?” 

Linus chuckled. “Alphas are competitive. Titus wants you to do what the others do so that you won’t stand out.” When Titus opened his mouth to protest, Linus held up a hand. “Because he thinks he’s keeping you safe.” 

Titus deflated, looking somewhat mollified by Linus’s observation. 

Linus gave Ridley a sad smile. “But you and I both know that there’s no world in which any omega is safe.” 

Ridley nodded, bitterness flooding his mouth. 

“But this is an opportunity. You and I both know that, at their core, alphas are competitive and petty-” 

“Really?” Titus said, then snorted. 

“Yes, really. That means that the more you pamper and spoil Ridley, the more other alphas are going to do the same.” 

“They’re going to think our packs gone soft,” Titus said. 

Linus scoffed. “I’m sure you can easily disprove that notion with a little bloodshed. Besides, when have you ever tried to placate another alpha? Real alphas don’t care what others think. They don’t care how their behavior affects others. They just handle their shit, honey.” 

“You really think that Titus spoiling me will make life easier for the omegas trapped down here?” Ridley asked, pulse racing. 

“Mm,” Linus said. “Provided your alphas are willing to get their hands dirty.” 

“Don’t worry about us,” Titus snapped. 

“I am worried about you,” Linus shot back. “Of all the alphas in your pack, you’re the least likely to make someone swoon.” 

“What the hell did I do to you?” Titus muttered. “Why do I have to make…someone swoon?” 

His last words were a barely there mumble, the tips of his ears bright red. “Because you’re the leader, dumbass. You’ve all got to treat Ridley with respect but you’re in charge and you’re his mate. Don’t try to force him to blend in when he was born to stand out.” 

Ridley’s face grew hot. He knew he was probably bright pink like a naked mole rat. “I wasn’t born for that.” 

“You were. Even if we dressed you in rags and muzzled you like the others, you wouldn’t go unnoticed. The other alphas would still covet you and the other omegas would still want to be you. Use that to your advantage.” 

“Linus!” Titus snapped.

“What?” Linus asked. “You know I’m right.” 

“I know you’re going to start a goddamn war with talk like this,” Titus countered. 

“Good. Isn’t that the point?” Ridley shouted. “What you’re doing isn’t working. You’re using a fucking teaspoon to scoop water out of a sinking ship. Eventually we’re all gonna drown. My sister is out there…somewhere.” 

“If he’s wrong about this, then we lose every inch of progress we’ve made since we started the night movers,” Titus said. “We’re gambling everything on the fragile egos of a bunch of criminals.” 

“Look, you can’t tear down a system from the outside. That’s what you told me when I started working for you, right?” 

Titus blew out a breath. “Yeah. Probably. Sounds like some dumb shit old me would have said.” 

To Ridley, Linus said, “If you’re too submissive, you won’t stand out. If you’re too antagonistic, you’ll put the pack in a position where they have to decide whether they’re going to discipline you. You need to walk right on that line, but never fall on the wrong side of it.” 

“Oh, well, as long as its something easy,” Ridley muttered. 

Titus snorted. “You’ve seen him. He has zero control over his temper. He’s been with me less than a week and he’s lost his shit on me multiple times.” 

“Who wouldn’t?” Ridley asked. “Especially when you keep slapping me.” 

“You didn’t seem to mind when we were fucking,” Titus muttered under his breath. 

Linus gave him a smirk and a wink. “Good for you, lovey.” 

“I will do whatever it takes to find Ren. Besides, you seem to keep forgetting we have a secret weapon,” Ridley said. 

“Oh? Do tell,” Linus said, leaning over the counter. 

Ridley looked at Titus in askance. The alpha sighed like Ridley exhausted him. “He can see the future.” 

“No shit?” Linus asked, eyes going wide.

“It’s true,” Ridley said. “Not all the time. And I’m still trying to do it on command, but it has to be some help, right?” 

Linus nodded. “This is good. This is very good.” To Titus, he said, “I think you just need to trust Ridley’s instincts. He’s been right so far.” 

“What makes you say that?” Titus asked, his tone dripping with derision. 

“Because you thought Ridley was special enough to put a metaphorical ring on it.” 

“I did tell you that you were all going to bite me,” Ridley said, letting a bit of smugness seep into his voice. “That I was your pack’s omega.” 

Titus groaned. “Okay, I give up. You win. We’ll do things his way. You’re both relentless.” 

 “You,” Linus said, sticking a finger in Ridley’s face. “You cannot be too soft on the omegas passing through. You can’t rescue them all. You can’t interfere with business. We can’t save everyone. You also can’t interrogate people about your sister. You’re going to have to learn the art of discreetly inquiring about things and only from those you trust.” 

Ridley nodded. “Okay, yeah. Fine.” 

Titus sighed, then gave Ridley a weary sigh. “Well?” he asked, sarcasm dripping from his tongue as he gestured to the slip chain. “Is this good enough for my queen?”

“Fine,” Ridley said, haughtily. “I’ll wear the collar.” Titus’s shoulders sagged in relief. “If you do.” 

Titus’s head snapped up. “What?” 

Ridley shrugged. “You want me to wear your diamond encrusted shackles, then you can wear one too. We’re mates, after all. Right?” 

“You’re crazy.” To Linus, he pointed at Ridley. “Tell him he’s crazy.” 

“It would make a statement and get people talking,” Linus said, tapping a finger on his chin as he contemplated the idea. 

“Yeah, talking about how I’m letting an omega run me around by the fucking nose.” 

“Because a collar makes you weak?” Ridley asked. “Like an omega is weak?” 

Linus seemed to be biting back a smile as Titus performed a series of complicated facial gymnastics as he worked through the five stages of grief. The beta reached beneath the counter and brought out another velvet cloth. 

 At first, Ridley thought it was made of thick wire or maybe even cable. But when he touched it, it was cool like metal. “Titanium,” Linus answered like he could read Ridley’s mind. This little gold detail really makes the design. It’s simple and elegant.” 

Ridley ran his finger around the cool metal. The little bean shaped gold piece would fall right at the hollow of Titus’s throat. It would look incredible on him. 

Linus’s eyes glittered with excitement as he looked back and forth between them, clearly eagerly to see whether the king of the underworld would acquiesce to his new mate. 

“Fuck,” Titus growled. “Fine.” 

The beta’s eyes went comically wide, but he recovered quickly. “Excellent. Would you like me to put it on for you? It requires a special tool to put it on and to remove it.” He held up a small screwdriver-like object. 

Titus glowered at the shop attendant. “Of course, it does. Just put it in the bag and tell me how much I owe you.” 

“$12,398.20,” Linus said without so much as blinking. Ridley choked on his own saliva, chest burning as he stared at Titus like he was insane. “Oh, no wait. That’s not right. I forgot your coll-necklace,” he said to Titus, smirking. “$16,948.73.” 

Titus’s mouth fell open. “You’re charging for mine but not his?” 

Linus gave him a tight smile. “Omega privilege,” he said in a saccharine sweet voice. “Besides, no other alpha will be caught dead in a collar.” 

Titus rolled his eyes, then pulled a thick brown envelope from the small of his back, opening it to reveal a wad of cash. He ran his finger along the bills, then handed it to Linus. “That’s a little over $18k, just…keep it.” 

Linus beamed at Ridley. “Come back anytime. Always a pleasure to be dressing royalty.” 

Ridley reached for the bags, but Titus slapped his hand away, asking the beta, “You’ll have these delivered to the house, right? Before tonight?” 

“I’ll deliver them myself if I have to. Don’t worry,” Linus assured him. 

Titus nodded, gripping Ridley by the arm. They’d only made it a couple of feet when Titus turned around. “Actually. That’s not a bad idea. Maybe you should come to the house tonight. Get him ready? It is his first time. You said yourself that he needs to make an impression.” 

Linus rubbed his palms together. “I would love to. Leave him to me. I’ll handle everything.” 

Titus groaned, shaking his head. “I’m already regretting this.” 

Ridley patted his face, softly twice, then hard enough to cause it to jerk to the side. Titus grabbed his slightly reddened cheek. “What the hell?” 

Ridley stopped, putting his hands on his hips. “Payback’s a bitch, slappy. Don’t hit me again, unless you’re about to put your dick in me. Got it?” 

Titus closed his eyes looking very much like he was praying for some kind of divine intervention. After a long moment, he sighed, those sea glass eyes meeting Ridley’s blue. “Yeah, strawberry. I got it.” 

Ridley’s whole body went warm, resisting the urge to kiss the disgruntled alpha. “Good, now feed me. Real food. I’m starving.”