Setting up a meeting with Ronin Cross without tipping off his friends—thanks to Jaysan’s mate Morris working for the guy—wasn’t easy, but Brogan managed a lunch date at a place known for their wide variety of tacos. Their server arrived, and Brogan ordered the first thing he spotted on the menu, not really caring. Everything at Petrova’s was amazing, anyway, and Ronin ordered their tamale special.

They made small talk until the food arrived. Peyton was a big fan of nacho chips and tomato slices, so he ate those while Brogan picked Ronin’s brain.

“By bloodline, Peyton is a Hamilton,” Brogan said. “We have a DNA test to prove it.”

“Correct,” Ronin replied as he snared a chip from the table’s shared basket. Peyton’s face said he did not approve of the chip thievery, even though he had his own small paper boat to snack from. “That’s common knowledge at this point.”

“And with Francis dead, Peyton is the only living heir to the Hamilton estate, right?”

“If Senior Hamilton were to die, he’d be the heir, yes. Brogan, what’s this about?”

“Peyton’s future. Mikel told me that when his sire went to prison, Mikel was given financial control of what few assets the family had. If Senior Hamilton goes to prison, who takes control of his estate?”

Ronin stared at him with an even, assessing gaze for several beats. “Legally, you were mated to another name and have no official claim to the Hamilton estate. Even if Francis had managed to file the mating paperwork, you’re an omega, so you wouldn’t gain control of the estate.”

“But Peyton is alpha, and he’s a direct descendant of Freya Hamilton. If he goes to prison, is there precedent to gain control of his assets in Peyton’s name?”

“I didn’t take you for someone interested in obtaining wealth.”

“I’m not.” He looked at Peyton, who was perfectly content with his tomatoes. “If I can get control of his wealth, I want to funnel that money into finding a cure for Donal Syndrome. I want to give my son every possible chance for a safe, happy life.”

“I completely understand that impulse. And to be honest, I can’t think of a precedent for an omega obtaining financial control of an estate on behalf of an alpha child, but I’m also no stranger to setting my own precedents. May I ask where this idea came from?”

Brogan didn’t want to let on about his meeting with Hamilton yet, not until he told a constable first. “I just want to give Peyton every possible chance, and this seemed like a good route to explore. I don’t want Senior Hamilton’s money for myself, I swear. This is all about my son.”

“I believe you. As I said, I’ve never heard of a case like this, but it’s possible one has occurred in another province, or even another territory. Despite the legal paperwork, your DNA test proves you were”—he made air quotes—“mated to Francis Hamilton, so that is an argument I can absolutely make in front of a judge. Connecting Peyton to Senior Hamilton isn’t the issue. My challenge will be putting an omega in charge of an estate in the event Senior Hamilton goes to prison. Which we absolutely want to happen, I’m just used to speaking in maybes.”

“So there’s no guarantee I’ll get the money.”

“No, there are few guarantees in life or in law.” Ronin tilted his head in a keen, assessing way, his sharp eyes seeming to look right through him. “Is something else going on?”

“No.” Brogan couldn’t tell him about Hamilton’s deal. That if Hamilton went to trial and was convicted, using the money for medical research was out of the question. And Ronin couldn’t promise Brogan would be granted access to the money in the event Hamilton went to prison. He couldn’t promise, but Ronin was an amazing, trailblazing lawyer. Maybe…

“Nothing’s going on,” Brogan lied. “It just seems like Peyton’s best chance. Money dedicated to Donal Syndrome research.”

Ronin’s curious expression softened. “Kell told me about Demir’s decision to become a doctor. I can’t think of a more selfless action. You have people fighting for you both, Brogan, I promise.”

“I know. And I’d like to hire you to look in to the inheritance issue. I need to explore this and soon.”

“You’re family, so I’ll take the case pro bono.”

“No way. I’m paying you something. I love that you’ve helped so many of us these last few years, but you need to feed your family, too.”

Ronin’s eyes sparkled with understanding and humor. “Then how about you buy lunch?”

“Deal. And I’ll credit you any expenses.”

“I can live with that.”

“Please don’t tell anyone else about this, not even Kell.”

“Of course. I don’t take my work home, and Kell knows better than to ask. Your business will be kept private, I promise.”

“Thank you.”

“Where’s Dada?” Peyton asked, tomato juice running down his chin.

“He’s probably at his place, waiting for me to call him,” Brogan replied. “We’ll see him in a little while.”

Peyton scowled.

“It’s amazing how quickly he’s latched onto Mikel,” Ronin said.

“Kids know things,” Brogan replied.

“They do. Branson took to me fairly quickly, for which I was grateful. I think Kell resented it a little, but we had to remind each other Branson had spent months away from his omegin, in an unknown environment, before we were reunited.”

“To look at Branson today, you’d never know he went through any sort of trauma.”

“He’s a great kid.” Ronin pretended to steal a chip from Peyton’s paper bowl. “Just like this little troublemaker. You’ve got dozens of people rooting for you, little guy. Don’t ever forget that.”

Forever grateful for the extended family he’d been accepted into, Brogan turned his attention to his cooling food and considered his next move.

Mikel’s curiosity was slowly beaten back by anxiety as morning passed into afternoon, and he still hadn’t heard from Brogan. Brogan had cited an early lunch with a friend, then he’d be free to hang out, but it was pushing three o’clock and nothing. Okay, so they’d spent quite a lot of time together yesterday, and a few hours apart wasn’t a bad thing.

But after having non-heat sex with Brogan? Mikel missed the man his body knew as his mate, and he was climbing the walls of his apartment when Brogan finally called and said he was on his way over with Peyton. His rolling anxiety didn’t lessen until Brogan knocked on his door, Mikel opened it, and he finally saw his mate and child.

Mine.

“Dada!” Peyton reached for him, a huge smile on his face. “Missed you.”

“I missed you, too, little dude.” Mikel accepted the boy and hugged him close. Inhaled his unique alpha scent. “Missed your omegin too.” Brogan leaned in for a quick kiss. “Long lunch.”

Brogan came inside and shut the door. “Not really, but it turned into another meeting that took a while, and I want to tell you all about it.”

“Of course. Are you thirsty?”

“No, thank you.” He put the diaper bag on the floor and led Mikel to the futon. Brogan’s clear-eyed look and gentle smile kept Mikel’s anxiety on a low simmer. His mate wasn’t upset, so Mikel didn’t have to hunt anyone down for punishment.

Peyton wanted to get down, and he walked to the small basket of toys that had accumulated here over the last few months.

“So something happened, I take it?” Mikel asked.

“It did, and you’re not going to like part of it, but I promise it has a potentially fantastic ending.”

He wasn’t sure how he felt about that statement, but he trusted Brogan. “Okay.”

“So the morning of the day I went into heat last week? I don’t know if the stress of the meeting is what pushed me into heat, but Hamilton’s lawyer tricked me into going to division and speaking directly to Senior Hamilton.”

Rage coursed through Mikel so hot and fast he grabbed his own knees to stay still and seated. Brogan flinched, probably able to sense Mikel’s anger, and Mikel tried hard to pull it back. He didn’t want to scare his mate, not ever, but what the actual fuck? “How did the lawyer trick you?”

“He pretended to be a constable who needed clarification about the case, and he made it sound like me or Tarek or someone else involved was in serious trouble, so I went over, but he’d lied, and I was so confused by everything that I agreed to hear Hamilton out because he offered me Peyton’s future.”

“Meaning what?” If Senior Hamilton had threatened that precious child, Mikel would rejoice in ripping his ribs out through his ass one at a time.

Brogan pulled both of his hands into his lap and squeezed them tight. “He knows Peyton has the Donal Syndrome gene, and he offered to sell his company and invest the credit into finding a cure. To save Peyton’s life.”

“And you believed him? That creature would say anything to avoid going to prison.”

“I know, and believe me, I was extremely skeptical at first. But he talked to me about Francis. Loving his son and losing him, and I could relate to that side of the man. The parent whose only child had died of a horrible illness. The same illness Peyton is facing.”

Mikel scowled over the earnest way Brogan spoke, as if he truly had believed Hamilton capable of emotions like grief and regret. He hated that his mate had been snowed by Hamilton, and he hated even more that he was hearing about it now, days after the fact. “Why didn’t you tell me all this when it happened?” The words came out sharper, angrier than he’d intended.

Brogan flinched again. “I wanted to, but Hamilton said if I told anyone, the offer was off the table, and then I couldn’t because I went into heat so quickly. It wasn’t something we could discuss during the craze of heat, so I put it off, and then I wanted to ask questions on my own.”

“Questions about what? You aren’t seriously considering the offer, are you? Not after all the pain Hamilton caused your family and others.”

“I don’t know. No, that’s a lie. Yes, I was considering it. I’m an omegin, Mikel, and my son is facing an uncertain future. Of course, I’d consider someone handing me millions of credits to find a cure.”

“Oh Brogan, I thought you were smarter than that.”

Brogan reared back as if he’d been slapped, and Mikel regretted the comment instantly. “I’m not stupid. I never would have blindly taken any action, but I listened to what he had to say, and I even got confirmation that he punished my parents and got me sent to the fight ring to punish me. He admitted it.”

“All the more reason to make sure he’s locked up for life and never able to come near you or Peyton ever again.”

“I know!” Brogan’s irritation and frustration rippled around him and soured his scent. His fractured voice tried to shout but couldn’t, and he could thank the fight ring for that. “For fuck’s sake, I know what he’s done!”

“Then why would you listen to Hamilton?”

“Because of my son! My son could die young, and I can’t allow that to happen.”

My son. Mikel loved the passion with which Brogan talked about Peyton, but being left out hurt. A lot, because he’d thought Brogan considered Mikel to be Peyton’s father. Their child. Together.

Apparently not.

Across the room, Peyton started to cry, his upset feeding off the tension between the two adults arguing. Before Mikel could move, Brogan flew to the boy and scooped him into a hug. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said over and over.

“I’m sorry,” Mikel said, too. “I don’t want to fight, I just don’t understand.” Hamilton was a threat, period, and every alpha instinct in his body said to keep that threat locked up and as far away from his mate and child as possible. And yet Brogan had entertained setting the enemy free and Mikel didn’t understand. He was upset and scaring his family, and he never wanted to be that man. That angry alpha.

He never wanted to be his sire.

“I need to take a walk,” Mikel said as he stood. “I can’t…I need space.”

“No, we’ll go,” Brogan replied. He stalked across the small space and scooped up the diaper bag. “Call me when you’re able to have a reasonable discussion about this.” He yanked open the door, and over his shoulder, snapped, “I might have found another way to get my hands on Hamilton’s fortune. Goodbye, Mikel.”

The apartment door slammed shut hard enough that Mikel jumped. He wasn’t used to such anger from Brogan, and it scared him a little. Had Mikel been unreasonable in his need to keep his family safe? He didn’t think so. But he had allowed his temper to show, and he’d scared Peyton—two things he’d regret for the rest of his life.

And he still needed that walk.

Brogan was still fuming when he rang the bell at Jaysan’s house. Peyton had calmed on the bus ride over, but nothing had touched Brogan’s temper. He’d gone to Mikel’s apartment with hope and excitement, and now he couldn’t calm the fuck down. After his chat with Ronin, Brogan had gone directly to division to tell Isa Higgs about his conversation with Hamilton, how the lawyer tricked him, and what Ronin had said about inheritance. It had incensed Higgs, and he’d promised to look in to the incident.

Maybe it would be Brogan’s word against Hamilton’s, but Brogan was proud of himself for what he’d done today—until Mikel went and ruined it.

Jaysan opened the door with little Morgyn in his arms, and his surprised smile disappeared. “What’s wrong?”

“Mikel is what’s wrong.” Brogan stormed inside and let Peyton down so he could join Aeron in the play area. “He is such an alpha. Ugh.”

“Well…yeah.” Jaysan followed him into the kitchen, because Brogan wanted to keep his negative energy away from the toddlers. Morgyn was dozing and unable to process their words, anyway. “What did he do?”

“He was so unreasonable, and yes, it was a lot to drop into his lap all at once, but I thought he’d at least be able to see my side of things.”

“Okay, pal, you’re going to have to back up a little here.” Jaysan filled a kettle with water for tea. “What exactly did you drop into Mikel’s lap?”

Brogan gave Jaysan a more detailed version of his past couple of days, because Jaysan was listening without comment, and even managed to tell him about his conversation with Ronin that morning. The one thing Mikel hadn’t given Brogan a chance to do before announcing he needed a walk.

“Holy shit, Ronin could do that?” Jaysan asked, his dark eyes going wide.

“It’s possible, he just doesn’t know if it’s ever been done before. If I can get that money put into a trust, or directly into a research grant…” Brogan blinked hard as his eyes stung. “My boy could have a long, happy life.”

Jaysan hugged him hard. “What did Mikel think about the money?”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell him that part. He was so stuck on my even considering Hamilton’s offer. It was like he thought I was a fucking idiot who couldn’t make good decisions, or that I was already planning to help Hamilton, and I wasn’t. I never actually considered doing anything to help him, but Mikel couldn’t understand that. I’m just so mad at him!”

“I don’t blame you. If Morris ever acted like that, I’d probably deck him.”

“Yeah, well, I might have if we’d kept arguing, so I left. Stupid, stubborn alpha.”

They made tea and watched the boys play. Morgyn woke and wanted to nurse, so Jaysan fed the newborn while Brogan played hide and seek with Aeron and Peyton. They weren’t very good at it yet, but being discovered always made the boys squeal in delight. As the time closed in on dinner, Brogan helped his friend throw together a quick meal.

Morris was surprised to see Brogan at the house when he got home, especially without Mikel.

“They had a fight,” Jaysan said after greeting his mate with a kiss.

“What did Mikel do?” Morris asked. Since Brogan was tired of talking about it, Jaysan gave him a condensed version of everything. “So that’s why Ronin had me researching inheritance cases this afternoon.”

“He’s already working on it?” Brogan asked.

“Of course. He didn’t mention you by name, but now it makes more sense considering Peyton’s sire.”

“Yeah.”

“So wait, why did you and Mikel fight? I thought he’d be excited by the money news.”

“I couldn’t manage to tell him that, because he got stuck on my not turning Hamilton down flat. Apparently, even taking time to find an alternative solution makes me some kind of idiot.”

Morris frowned, then bent down to pick up Aeron when he tugged on Morris’s slacks. “You know, how Mikel acted doesn’t completely surprise me.”

“Well, it surprised the hell out of me.”

“Yes, but you’re also omega. You have somewhat different instincts when it comes to protecting your family. Not worse, simply different.”

Brogan crossed his arms. “I’m listening.”

“For an alpha, if we sense someone is a threat to our loved ones, we want that threat removed or contained. In Mikel’s mind, Hamilton is a threat, period. A threat who belongs in prison. It doesn’t compute to him that anyone would consider setting him free, much less one of his victims. All he understands is keeping you and Peyton safe.”

He turned that explanation over in his head a bit. “Huh. That makes sense. I mean, I’m still pissed at how he acted, but it makes more sense.”

“You see? Alphas can be incredibly unreasonable sometimes, especially when it comes to our families, but Mikel had the best of intentions. He would never have insulted you on purpose.”

Jaysan gaped at Morris. “Did you seriously just stand up for Mikel?”

Morris pinched Jaysan’s hip. “Watch it, you. I can be reasonable about his behavior without wanting to be his best friend.”

“I know, it just proves what an amazing man you are.”

Morgyn wailed over the baby monitor, and Brogan volunteered to go up, so he could stop watching Jaysan and Morris give each other goopy looks. Plus, he loved being around newborns, and he treasured each and every new life his group of friends brought into the world. After changing Morgyn’s diaper, he cuddled the baby close on his trip downstairs.

He found his friends in the kitchen, Morris staring at his palmed mobile while holding a stricken Jaysan around the waist. “What’s wrong?” Brogan asked.

“Kell’s in labor,” Morris replied. “And he’s early.”

Oh, goddess, no.