Morris had just finished taping up three empty boxes for sorting upstairs when the doorbell rang. He’d left Aeron downstairs in the pack-and-play with some toys, so he put the tape roller on the master’s king-sized bed and trotted down to the small foyer between the front door, stairs, and living room.

Three faces were very expected—Jaysan, Kell and little Branson—but the fourth and fifth faces shouldn’t have surprised him as much as they did. Braun Bloom had joined the group today, and he was holding his little one, Rei. Six months old and the spitting image of his omegin, down to the bright green Etting eyes Braun and Kell both shared.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Braun said after polite greetings went around. “I usually spend the day with Kell and Jax if I’m not working, and Jax has a thing today, and I didn’t want to kick around the house alone.”

“It’s completely fine,” Morris replied, endeared by Braun’s earnest speech. “Please, everyone, come inside.”

Kell entered first, followed by Braun. Jaysan seemed to hang back a bit, hesitant to cross the threshold—and the moment Jaysan finally passed him, Morris knew why.

His omega smelled like another alpha.

Rage shot down his spine, and Morris forced his clenched hands to relax. All three omegas in the room were watching him now, wary, so he dialed it back. Jaysan was not his. Morris had no claim to the younger man, so if Jaysan wanted to fuck around, then as a previously mated omegin, he could.

It could not infuriate him that Jaysan had…friends. It did, however, disappoint him.

A lot.

“Please, make yourselves at home,” Morris said, maybe a bit too growly.

Jaysan ducked his head and went straight for the pack-and-play. A tiny part of Morris wanted to deny Jaysan contact with Aeron until he’d showered that other alpha’s scent off his body, but that was controlling and cruel—two things Morris promised himself he’d never be to anyone, much less an omega he cared for.

An omega who apparently didn’t care enough about Morris not to roll around with another man.

But the moment Jaysan picked Aeron up and Aeron squealed with delight, Morris calmed. The pair simply made sense together. Jaysan and Morris? They made no sense together, and Jaysan was making his feelings on that perfectly clear.

“It’s been ages since I’ve seen Rei,” Morris said. “I swear he’s doubled in size.”

“He is growing like a weed,” Braun replied with a big, relieved grin. Most likely, he and Kell had already commented on Jaysan’s scent and were worried over the fallout. “Do you want to hold him?”

“Yes, thank you.” He easily accepted the tiny boy from Braun and cradled him in the crook of his arm. “I remember when Aeron was this small. Goddess, it feels like just last week.”

Just last week when his entire life hadn’t been completely upended.

He glanced up in time to see a sad, wistful smile disappear from Jaysan’s face. Kell stood beside him, and Aeron and Branson were having a baby babble conversation that occasionally included real words. Branson had a quite a good vocabulary for his age, too. Ronin never missed an opportunity to brag about the boy’s milestones.

Milestones Jaysan had missed, but maybe Morris could help with that a little. He gave Rei back to Braun, and then walked to a big bookcase on the far wall. The bottom shelf was lined with photo albums and scrapbooks. Scrapbooking had been one of Brody’s favorite hobbies, and he’d started one for Aeron the day they brought the hours-old newborn home.

“Jaysan, I have something for you to see,” Morris said. He brought Aeron’s scrapbook to the couch, where Jaysan settled with the baby. Both baby and scrapbook wouldn’t fit on his lap, though, so Jaysan put Aeron on the floor to crawl around. “Brody made this.”

“Oh, wow.” Jaysan opened the first page and gasped. On it was a hospital photo of newborn Aeron with his little, green stocking cap. Eyes closed, face scrunched, he was clearly not having it with the photographer. Below the photo were measurements: 7lbs 12oz, 19 inches long. And then the time and date of birth.

Jaysan’s finger hovered over the photo, but he didn’t touch it. He simply stared at it for a long time.

“This is beautiful,” Kell said as he sat next to Jaysan. He released Branson to the floor to play and leaned over to look more closely. Braun closed in on the pair, too, so they could coo over the photos and milestones together.

“I’ve got some work to do upstairs,” Morris said. “As I said, make yourselves at home. Anything in the kitchen is fair game. Shout into the baby monitor if you need me.”

Kell and Braun nodded, but Jaysan flinched, and Morris saw the carelessness in his words. Jaysan couldn’t shout, because some slimy doctor cut his vocal chords. That doctor had been a person the constabulary had connected to the fight ring, but all the evidence was circumstantial, and a shady attorney had gotten all five omega identifications of the man tossed out.

But he was being watched, according to the various constable mates of Braun and their friends.

Annoyed with himself over the slip, Morris went back upstairs. He’d already marked the boxes Keep, Donate, Throw Away, and he imagined the middle one would multiply. Morris hated throwing things away unless they were broken or unusable, and he doubted he’d find much of that kind of clutter in Morgan’s home.

My home now.

The bathroom was the easiest thing to clear first. No one liked used toiletries, so he situated the boxes on the floor by the bed, then went inside the attached room.

Brody’s cologne bottle sat on the countertop, the little silver cap off and resting next to it, as if Brody had splashed some on, and then forgotten to cap it before racing out the door for their date. The sink basin had a smear of dried, cracked toothpaste and several strands of red hair. Morris picked up the strands, his throat closing tight with emotion.

Morgan’s body had been burned so badly he wasn’t allowed to see it before it was transferred to the crematorium. They’d used dental records to confirm his identity. These small pieces of his brother were all Morris had left. The only traces Morgan had existed in the world, other than photos.

He wasn’t aware of sitting down, or even crying. Everything got gray for a while, until Jaysan’s welcoming, comforting rose petal scent wrapped around him. Held him tight while Morris wept onto his shoulder. He hadn’t thought he had any tears left, that he’d wrung that well dry.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” Jaysan said, over and over, his broken voice right by Morris’s ear. “I’ve got you. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Thought I could do this,” Morris gasped between hiccupping sobs. “It’s just a bathroom.”

“This is your family’s life. You don’t have to do this today, you don’t.”

“Need to. It’s your room now.”

Jaysan stiffened slightly. “I don’t need a room right away. Do this when you’re ready, Morris, not a second sooner. Please. Process your grief. Don’t hurt yourself for me.”

His pleading tone stole Morris’s attention. He raised his head, shocked to see tears streaking Jaysan’s cheeks, his eyes red and still leaking. “Don’t cry, angel,” Morris said. He couldn’t stand seeing his omega cry, so he gently wiped those tears away with his thumbs, his body keenly aware of every place they touched.

“Can’t help it.” Jaysan seemed to struggle with his next words. “I didn’t get time to really grieve my papa, before I was ripped out of our apartment and sent to Lawry. I didn’t get to look through his things or remember the good times we had in each room. Take that time, Morris. This can wait.”

“Thank you.”

He clung to Jaysan a while longer, until he could sit up and breathe again. Jaysan handed him a wad of toilet paper that Morris didn’t take right away. He still had those red strands in his hand, and he silently showed them to Jaysan. Jaysan got it without words. He rummaged in the medicine cabinet before removing a prescription bottle. Tossed those pills in the trashcan and held out the bottle to Morris.

Morris’s heart gave a happy lurch as he put the strands into the bottle. Jaysan sealed the cap and put it on the counter, freeing Morris to blow his nose and wipe his face. He hated being so weak in front of his omega, but Jaysan understood this sort of grief. He’d never judge Morris for being human. Morris would keep the red strands in the same small box he’d put those game pieces, another keepsake of their lives.

With his emotions evening out, Morris once again became keenly aware of that strange alpha’s scent, and it tweaked his temper. Another man had recently touched his omega—except Jaysan had made it clear he wasn’t Morris’s, so he couldn’t be angry at Jaysan.

He was angry, though, and he needed space. “I need to take a walk around the block,” Morris said. “I won’t be gone long.” He grabbed the pill bottle with his brother’s hair and fled the bathroom without giving Jaysan a chance to respond.

Jaysan stared at the bathroom doorway, stunned by the abrupt exit but he really shouldn’t be. He had, after all, insulted Morris and he’d done it on purpose. Getting up early to find an alpha “friend” to blow him first thing and put his scent on Jaysan had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Until he got into Kell’s car thirty minutes ago, and he’d been instantly harangued by the older omega.

“Are you insane?” Kell had twisted around in the driver’s seat to gape at him, where Jaysan sat next to two carseats. “You smell like another alpha.”

“Yes, I know,” Jaysan had snapped back. “And before you pull an Orrin on me, I wasn’t attacked. I wanted it.”

“Can I smack him?” Braun asked his brother. “Please?”

“Not before I smack him,” Kell replied. “Seriously, Jaysan, you can’t go over there smelling like that. You’ll just piss Morris off.”

“That’s kind of the idea,” Jaysan said.

“Are you trying to sabotage this or something? Do you want to lose your job?”

“No! Look, we both feel the mating bond, but neither one of us is interested in mating, okay? I just…I need him to believe me when I say I don’t want a mate, and I thought…you know, this was a good idea. He’ll know I’m not pining for him, or sitting on my ass like some second-chance virgin waiting for an alpha prince to whisk me away.”

“I knew it,” Kell said. “Not the other stuff, but the mating bond stuff. The way you two acted around each other yesterday, especially in the afternoon. I don’t understand why you’re so resistant to a mate.”

“I have reasons.”

“Just like I had mine?” Braun asked. “When I first met Tarek, I was dead-set on never mating, because of how Kell suffered with his first mate. But Tarek was kind, funny, and so attentive. I never knew such an alpha existed, and now I can’t imagine my life without him.”

“And I’m happy for you, Braun. You, too, Kell, because of any person I’ve ever met, you should be terrified of alphas, but you still mated again. But I’m not you guys. Please respect that.”

“We do,” Kell said. “We aren’t judging you, we’re trying to understand. Morris is your bondmate, and he’s been nothing but generous and kind since you two met. I just don’t understand why you’d give up something some omegas never find.”

Jaysan wasn’t sure he could explain it to himself anymore, his reasoning beaten down by everything Kell said. Morris was an amazing man, a gentle alpha, and he had plenty of people vouching for his character. But what if this loss, this grief, changed him? What if his kind heart hardened and he became the exact alpha Jaysan feared?

He couldn’t chance it, so he refused to go shower, and Kell reluctantly drove them to Morris’s house.

Coming here smelling like a hookup had been a huge mistake, and he’d both seen and sensed Morris’s rage the moment Jaysan walked into the house. He’d tried to keep his distance, and he’d been enamored by the scrapbook and all those moments he’d missed with Aeron. But the sudden sound of Morris’s sobs from the baby monitor had him shoving the scrapbook at Kell and racing for the stairs.

All he could think was my alpha is in distress. He’d reacted.

And then he’d lied.

Yes, some of Jaysan’s tears and “I’m sorry’s” were grief-related, but not all. With Morris in his arms, his scent all around Jaysan, he’d truly hated himself for this morning’s blow job. For hurting Morris by coming here with that scent on his skin. He’d wanted to apologize and admit the truth, but he couldn’t. Because as much as he loved the heat of Morris’s big body close to his, Jaysan did. Not. Want. A. Mate.

A friend, maybe. A boss, sure. But not a mate.

His heart had broken even more for Morris when he discovered the source of the fit was a few stray hairs. So he’d helped Morris protect those fine, red strands—and then Morris ran away with his temper sparking again. Jaysan was scarily attuned to his moods already, but maybe that was a bondmate thing. It wasn’t as if he’d ever asked his mated friends how that all worked.

He went downstairs where Braun was bottle-feeding Rei, while Kell played with the other two on the carpet. “Are you okay?” Braun asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s too soon for Morris to go through stuff, so he went for a walk.”

“All right.”

Jaysan looked at the baby monitor nearby and groaned. “How much did you hear?”

“Mostly Morris, but only in bits and pieces. Angel, huh?”

“Huh?”

Braun wiggled his eyebrows. “Morris called you angel.”

Jaysan had tried to ignore that endearment, but it had rolled over his skin and left him warm inside—and warm inside was a bad thing. Yep. No tender feelings, no warmth. None. “He was upset. He didn’t mean it.”

Kell snorted. “He meant it. I don’t understand why you both are resisting what you obviously feel, but I do know he meant the endearment. The first time Ronin called me ‘little one’ I knew, too. I knew exactly how he felt about me. We didn’t act right away, because he was my lawyer and I was facing the gallows. What’s your excuse not to seize happiness?”

I don’t deserve it.

Instead of telling his fellow omegins that, Jaysan said nothing.

The walk wasn’t helping.

Morris had circled the block twice, at a pace closer to sprinting than walking, and despite the cool spring air, he had a good sweat going by the time he hit the next block and the small park there. Morgan and Brody had enjoyed bringing Aeron to this lot-sized patch of green, with a dozen large trees and several iron benches. No playground equipment, which Morris liked, so it often lacked screaming children.

He’d come here a few times with his family; he enjoyed the atmosphere, and today he was drawn to Morgan’s favorite bench. It faced a pretty elevated flower bed that was just beginning to turn green with new flowers. He parked himself on the cold metal and studied the pill bottle holding Morgan’s hair.

Falling apart over hair was embarrassing, but Jaysan hadn’t shamed him. He’d tried to help, to soothe Morris in his grief, and he’d appreciated that. But why had he done it? Why comfort a man he didn’t want to be with? The reminder of that other alpha had sent Morris fleeing the house, unwilling to scare Jaysan again with his temper.

“I don’t know what to do,” Morris said to the bottle. “I want him but I’m scared of becoming our sire. I’m scared of turning on my own mate and child. How did you know you were ready? How did you know you could be a good husband and a father?”

He wanted to believe it was different, because Morgan had been beta, not alpha, but he’d been a paralegal long enough to know betas were just as capable of violence as alphas. But beta violence was less likely to be excused because of their gender, as alphas often were. Forgiven and excused over and over, for years, until the alpha finally went overboard.

Until the alpha finally killed.

Then people paid attention, but by then the damage was done. The family irrevocably broken.

Lives forever changed.

No, that was his past, and it would not be his future. Hopefully, once he began the alpha suppressors, his reactions to Jaysan would lessen and they’d be able to work together to raise Aeron. He was mature enough to do that and see to Aeron’s needs first, and Morris genuinely believed Aeron needed his omegin.

Morris and Jaysan would have to find a way to co-exist, so he didn’t lose his temper every time Jaysan did something Morris disliked. If Jaysan wanted to take risks with other men, it wasn’t his business.

Yeah, right.

He sat a while longer, no epiphany about his next move striking him, before standing and pocketing the pill bottle. He walked home more slowly, no longer angry and now a bit thirsty. The three omegins were playing with all three kids on the floor when he returned, and they greeted him as if he hadn’t stormed out of the house an hour ago. Jaysan offered him a tentative smile, which he returned. Nodded. Jaysan held his gaze a beat, then reached out to grab a tottering Aeron before he tripped over Rei.

Morris helped himself to a cola, and it quenched his thirst. Probably a good thing he’d done so much grocery shopping yesterday, because he had three lunch guests today. He wasn’t ready to try cleaning another room, so he took sandwich orders and prepared them slowly. Kell tried to take over once, but Morris insisted he serve his guests. It was the least he could do for all their help this week, especially Kell.

He only had one highchair, and they put Branson in it first, so Kell could feed him while Braun, Morris and Jaysan ate their soup and sandwiches. Kell ate bites of sandwich between spooning Branson’s baby food into his mouth. Aeron didn’t seem to want a bottle, but he ate cereal bites from Jaysan’s lap.

Jaysan, Morris noticed, hadn’t touched his soup yet, and he realized why when Aeron squawked to be put down. Once Aeron was on the floor and crawling away, Jaysan picked up his spoon.

He didn’t want to risk dripping hot soup on the baby.

And no, that did not endear him to Morris even more. Nope. Not even a little bit.

Aeron used the legs of the highchair to drag himself up to his feet, and then he reached for Branson’s feet. They were out of range, but it made Morris grin. Aeron had a new friend and he wanted to play.

“I see many, many play dates in our future,” Kell said to Jaysan. “One of my favorite places to go, especially when the weather is bad, is the indoor botanical gardens. Have you been?”

“Yes.” The soft, sad response made Morris pay attention to his—to Jaysan. “I went with my papa a few times after dad died. The bright colors cheered us up.”

“Oh, I’m sorry if I brought up a sad memory.”

“You didn’t, not really. I still miss my parents, but it’s been so long that I can remember them more easily and recall the good feelings associated with those memories.” He looked across the table, right into Morris’s eyes. “One day, you’ll be able to do the same with Morgan and Brody.”

“I hope so,” Morris said. “I hate to think I’ll spend the next few months bursting into tears every time I see a lock of hair.”

Jaysan’s eyebrows shot up, and yes, Morris realized what he’d said in front of two other omegas. But Morris wasn’t ashamed of his emotions. He had to be aware of them and deal with them, so he never lost control. He had a child now, and if he had his say, Aeron would want for nothing. He would be safe, loved and happy.

And if that meant Morris putting his own needs last from here on out, so be it.

The tension between himself and Jaysan still lingered after lunch, and everyone seemed to sense it, so the three omegins excused themselves around two. Jaysan held Aeron for a long time, before putting him in the pack-and-play. As much as Morris knew Jaysan wanted time with his son, Morris needed space, so he didn’t invite them back tomorrow. It was almost the weekend, anyway.

Jaysan had survived a year without Aeron; he could survive the next three days. Besides, Morgan and Brody’s ashes were being interred tomorrow, and Morris needed to be there with Aeron. It was too private to share with anyone else.

“I’ll see you at the start of the week then?” Jaysan asked at the door.

“Yes,” Morris replied. “Can you be here by eight-thirty?”

“Absolutely. Uh, have a good weekend.”

“You, too, Jaysan. Stay out of trouble?”

Jaysan blushed and looked at the ground. Interesting. Morris hadn’t meant anything specific by the comment, but Jaysan reacted as if he’d been admonished. Whatever it was, Morris couldn’t fix it, because Jaysan beelined for Kell’s car, where Braun and Kell were strapping in their kids.

Confused, emotionally drained, and still facing a house full of belongings that needed to be sorted, Morris went inside and turned on the TV. Jaysan was right, he didn’t need to face it all today. Maybe he’d try again tomorrow after a good night’s sleep and distance from Jaysan and that strange alpha’s scent.

If Jaysan showed up like that again, Morris wasn’t sure what he’d do.