Quinn was whisked out of the prep room with Mark by Noah. The man insisted that Quinn needed to get to know other areas of the mansion before the party started. They only had a half an hour before things started and he wanted to know the area well.
Mr. Winters simply shrugged, happy to oblige, a small smile on his lips as he showed them the rest of the mansion.
Bathrooms, bedrooms, and kink rooms where everything was available to use and sanitizing stations as well as clear boxes that employees would come and take away to properly clean toys that were fully used. Quinn was impressed at the level of professionalism that everything entailed.
There were also ’safe’ rooms. These were rooms where people could take breaks from everything. Nothing was allowed to happen in these rooms besides rest, relaxation, and they had timers on the doors.
The timers were for locks if people really needed a break from the others. You could also tell if someone was using the room through a simple lightbulb. Red meant it was occupied, green meant it was free. There were several across the bottom floor, and Mr. Winters told him that there were several upstairs as well.
Quinn was glad to hear it, feeling that he might flee to one of these rooms depending on how he felt throughout the experience.
One thing that Quinn was picking up on as they moved through the halls was the smell. A slow, permeating scent was filling his lungs. It was rather intense, feeling like a combination of a bunch of things. Flowers, food, other things that Quinn couldn’t put a finger on because everything was so meshed together. Quinn wanted to ask where it was coming from, but at the same time, he wasn’t certain how to ask. Was it rude to ask about the scent of the rooms?
"Are you...concerned about how everyone might smell?" Quinn asked as they were climbing the stairs to the upper floors. He wanted to kick himself at the callous way he’d said it, but Mr. Winters just chuckled.
"We have some candles burning that are supposed to suck the scents away. We’re aware that some scents just happen when bodies mingle, which is why there are lots of showers available if people want to take showers. There are also several body care stations so if you’re feeling a little ripe you can freshen up." Mr. Winters told him kindly and Quinn felt that answered his question a bit.
The blending of scents had to be the candles, then. That would make sense, plus they were going upstairs where Mr. Winters said that the food was. Maybe that was where he was getting this scent from?
Quinn shrugged, taking Mr. Winters’ answer for what it was.
The rooms upstairs were less normal than Quinn was hoping. There were a few larger rooms up here for, ehem, activities, along with more kink rooms, bathrooms, the food buffet that Mr. Winters had hinted at, and normal bedrooms for those that just wanted a quiet moment. Quinn made note of each safe room he came across for his own peace of mind and when they reached the buffet room, Mr. Winters lit up.
"Oh this is where you were!" He said excitedly and Noah groaned. Quinn had no idea what had the two men reacting so differently, but it was easily explained in a heartbeat.
Mr. Winters had spotted two men sitting at a small table. Both were in the same robe that everyone else was in, but they seemed to exude a different kind of aura compared to the others. One had brought a book with him, reading it while he waited, and the other sat next to him, his arms crossed, his legs wide and almost showing off the family goods.
The one reading the book had a darker skin shade compared to Quinn and Noah, and it didn’t feel like a tan so Quinn felt he was probably just born that way. He had darker hair as well, and brown eyes like Quinn. His raised his head up as Mr. Winters and the others approached and his expression softened at their sight. He looked about as out of place as Quinn felt, but he wore a dark blue wristband like Quinn, but on his other wrist.
He marked the edge of his book before closing it and smiling at Mr. Winters.
"Are these the new joiners?" He asked, his voice quiet, but deep. Noah scoffed.
"Don’t act like you haven’t met me before, Ezra. Quinn isn’t dumb and he went to the same university as we did." Noah said, while the other guy got to his feet and pointed a finger at Quinn.
"What is an omega doing here?" He demanded and everyone froze. Quinn especially felt shocked. An omega? Him?
"Pardn?" Quinn replied, shocked as he stared up at the giant of a man. Now that he was standing, Quinn realised he was huge. Bigger than Mr. Winters, bigger than Noah. He was just...big. He had shaggy brown hair, dark, serious blue eyes, and he was scowling down at Quinn. If Quinn was a lesser man, he might have been intimidated.
Instead, he was just confused.
"I’m not an omega." Quinn said calmly, noting his orange bracelet on the same wrist as Mr. Winters. The man scowled, sniffing.
"There’s no way you’re not. You’re on the national judo team. I’ve seen you at meets." He argued and Quinn blinked, shocked. This was the first time that something like this had ever happened, but him saying that made something clear. He was younger than them, and he was an athlete.
That would explain why he was so big and broad.
"I’m sorry, you have me confused with someone else." Quinn said, his lips twitching. "You’re thinking of my cousin, and while I agree we might look alike, we have completely different hair colours." Quinn explained quietly. The man, the athlete, narrowed his eyes, his nostrils flaring.
"I don’t believe you. You’re thin and small, like he is." Quinn felt his eyes widen. Him? Small? Sure, hearing that was exactly what he wanted to hear in this context, but he was a 6 foot man, not his tiny omega cousin. Quinn almost laughed, while Mr. Winters did.
"Dorian, I’ve seen them both in the same room together. This is not who you’re thinking of. This is Quinn Rivers, not his cousin, Patrick Rivers. Come on, big guy. Use that brain of yours. You haven’t had that much brain damage." Mr. Winters joked. Dorian’s face went red, but he was still scowling.
"I don’t buy it, but if Leo says it’s true, I guess it is." He muttered and Quinn just shrugged. He was free to believe whatever he wanted. He thrust a hand at Quinn, still scowling. "Name’s Dorian Foster. If what you say is true, your cousin and I train at the same facility." He said. He was really suspicious that Quinn was lying about not being his cousin, and despite everything, the man was tall, built, and...kind of Quinn’s type.
Quinn took his hand, smiling at him.
"It’s not often I’m called small, so I appreciate the compliment. I also don’t view it in a bad light that you think I’m like my adorable cousin." Quinn said. "But I’m partial. He’s like a little brother to me." Quinn said.
"Patty would love to hear you say that, too. If you tell him that you mixed him and Quinn up, he’d love that." Noah added. "They’re close to each other." Noah clarified and Dorian’s face flushed.
"If even Noah is saying I’m in the wrong, then I must be." Dorian mumbled. "Sorry for accusing you of being an omega. We don’t have omegas here because lots of the guys here are dominant alphas and worry that they might get baby trapped. It’s why Leo meets the new guys personally." He said and Quinn relaxed.
"Very understandable, honestly." Quinn said, and someone cleared their throat. It was the last member that Quinn hadn’t met and he stood, pushing his chair back and giving a small smile. He also offered a hand and Quinn took it. Dorian stepped back, allowing for the other man to come forward.
"I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Mr. Rivers. Noah doesn’t shut up about how wonderful you are, and after meeting Leo, he wouldn’t stop talking you up as well." Quinn blinked, feeling the other man’s voice wash over him as he scanned him from head to toe. When he met Quinn’s gaze again, it was warm. Too warm.
Quinn’s whole body warmed in response, his pulse thudding loudly in his ears. Damn, he hadn’t expected that kind of response.
"You can call me Quinn like everyone else." Quinn said softly. "And I hope Noah hasn’t been saying or behaving rudely." Quinn added. All three men laughed while Noah scoffed.
"You’re not my handler, Quinn." Noah grumbled and Quinn gave him a sharp look.
"I’m as good as. If Mr. Winters wasn’t taking care of your travels back and forth from your antics lately, I know I would be." Quinn said and Noah flinched. Mr. Winters laughed.
"Mr. Winters? Quinn, don’t be so distant. Call me Leo, like everyone else." He beamed as Quinn turned to look at him, flushed. The hand he was holding squeezed his and drew his attention back to him.
"Call me Ezra, Quinn. It’s a pleasure to put a name to the face." His voice was smooth and calm, changing up the energy in the room. Quinn swallowed.
He was surrounded on all sides by men taller than him who he feared could bend him like a pretzel. Maybe Noah had been right. This was feeling less and less like a shitty, stupid, not well thought out plan and instead feeling like something that he might not regret.
Quinn gulped, nodding quietly and Ezra smiled at him.
"Nervous?" He asked and Quinn let out a shaky laugh.
"Very. I’m not normally this bold." Quinn admitted. "Not that I can’t be, I just...tend to keep to myself." Quinn said.
"Also, be kind to Quinn. He just came out of a shitty, fucked up situation. Handle him with gentle hands. That’s the only reason I suggested he come to this kind of thing." Noah added loudly and Quinn blushed.
"Noah..." He hissed but Ezra squeezed his hand.
"No, don’t get mad. I appreciate that kind of information. It’ll help us tailor a kind of event that suits your tastes. Was your last partner a dominant alpha?" Ezra asked and it was Mr. Winters, er, Leo, who answered.
"Yeah, the worst kind. The kind that fools around with betas and then dumps them for omegas." He said, venom dripping off of his words. If that was how he really felt, he’d done a good job hiding it when Quinn had spoken to him about it originally. Ezra and Dorian looked pissed for Quinn’s sake, and Quinn felt his shoulders drop.
"It’s all over now. I’m better, recovered, and fully tested." Quinn said on a sigh.
"Waste of space, those kinds are." Dorian growled. "Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you forget that asshole. He won’t have space left in your head after today." He promised and Quinn blushed. After the rude introduction, he wasn’t expecting that kind of response from Dorian, but...he didn’t hate it. Quinn was going to get into trouble if he didn’t change the subject soon.