Vieno hummed along to Barbra Streisand as he emptied the kitchen cupboards. It had been months since he’d taken all the china and glassware out and had cleaned the shelves with the lemon-scented cleaner he preferred. Cleaning always calmed him, and considering how twisted his insides felt, like his stomach was corkscrewed, he could do with a little soothing. 

Ten days until his next heat. Ten days until he had to make a decision all over again, to use suppressants or not. To seek a caretaker or not. To find the courage to approach Lidon…or not. 

His mind was saying one thing, his heart another, and his body, oh, his body knew exactly what it wanted. How fucked up was that? It was a lose-lose-lose situation. 

If he asked a caretaker—that’s what his mind was urging him to do—he’d lose part of his dignity, maybe even part of himself. He wasn’t sure if he would ever recover from being treated like a whore again, which was undoubtedly what would happen. His mind might be okay with it, but his soul wasn’t.

If he took the suppressants—the option his heart was telling him—he’d reset the improvement of his health and once again start on that not-so-slow decline. Plus, they were weighing heavy on their budget, and even with both their jobs they cost too much money to afford long-term.

Yet if he asked Lidon—and his body was begging him to please, accept his knot again—it would chip away at Palani’s love for him all over again. How many times until there was nothing left but brokenness? 

Palani had been right that Vieno had connected with Lidon, way past mere sexual attraction. There had been plenty of that, but he could attribute that to biology. Hormones. Pheromones. How did he explain the fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about the alpha, though? That he dreamed about him sometimes, about the sex they’d shared but also about his eyes, his smile, and the way he called Vieno “sweetheart”…

He wasn't able to reason that away so easily, and the guilt toward Palani was killing him inside. How could he betray him like that, after everything Palani had done for him? Not that he had stopped loving Palani, because he didn’t think he was capable. It was more like his heart had somehow made room for Lidon, if that even made sense. Not love, of course. He’d only met the man once. But a connection beyond attraction, definitely. He really did like him, which made the choice for his coming heat all the more complicated.

Maybe Palani wouldn’t be mad, because he’d understand? Plus, Vieno had sensed some sparks between Palani and Enar. Was it too much to hope Palani would find happiness as well? His heart cringed at the thought of losing him, though.

No matter what he chose, someone would get hurt. How the hell could he make the right choice under these circumstances? There was no right choice, only wrong ones. 

The story of his life.

He put the dinner plates back in the cupboard after cleaning it, careful not to put them down to hard. He let the music settle him a little, distract him from his depressing thoughts. Barbra was just about to hit a perfect note when his phone rang.

He didn’t recognize the number, but he often got calls from strangers because of his PA work, so he always took them. He turned down the music. 

“Hello?”

“Vieno, it’s me. Tiva. You have to…”

“Hey, honey, how are you?” Vieno said, his face breaking open in a smile.

“Stop talking. I only have minutes, and this is important.”

Vieno’s stomach dropped. The stress in her voice was obvious. What the hell was going on? A dozen questions were at the tip of his tongue, but he bit them back, wanting her to spit it out.

“He’s coming for you again. Aloysius.”

He couldn’t prevent the gasp falling from his lips as his hand sought the kitchen counter for support. What did his former fiancé want?

“He wants to marry you after all, and Mom and Dad have agreed. They sold you to him. He paid them a shitload of money.”

“But…” He swallowed, his mouth too dry to speak. “But he didn’t want me anymore. And they disowned me.”

“Yeah, apparently both have changed. He needs an heir. His new omega died without giving him the son he wanted. He wants you and it needs to be fast, for some reason.”

“Tiva…” his heart skipped a few beats, then sped up into a wild race that had his gasping for air. 

“Call Palani. Tell him to get his ass home and find a solution.”

“I… I can’t think.”

“Vieno…” Her voice changed to pleading. “I overheard them talking about this, and Mom and Dad basically locked me up to prevent me from telling you. Dammit, I had to borrow a stranger’s phone right now to call you, told her it was a matter of life and death. I have to go… Call Palani, Vieno. He’ll know what to do.”

She hung up before he could say another word. Half-paralyzed with fear, he pressed the speed dial for Palani. 

“What’s up, baby?” his kind voice sounded.

“Palani…” He felt like he was choking, his throat cut off as if a strong hand was wrapped around it.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me, Vieno.”

Vieno sank against the counter, then his legs gave out under him and he half-collapsed to the floor. “Come home. Please, come home.”

Palani must have broken quite a few traffic laws to make it home in under fifteen minutes. When he stormed in, Vieno was still on the kitchen floor, too dazed to even get up. 

“Vieno! Are you okay?” Palani’s hands checked him everywhere. “What happened?”

“Tiva…” Vieno managed.

Palani kneeled before him, then cupped both his cheeks and forced eye contact. “Okay, baby, take a deep breath for me. That’s it… Another one.”

Vieno sucked in a shaky breath again.

“That’s better. Now, start at the beginning, okay? Whatever it is, we’ll fix it.”

Wasn’t that what Tiva had said, that Palani would know what to do? He’d always been there for Vieno, had always been able to help him with his problems. 

“Tiva called me. She says Aloysius has made a deal with my parents to marry me for a large sum of money. Fast. She said he needs an heir because his omega died.”

He forced the words out as fast as possible, relieved when he managed to make comprehensible sentences. Palani’s eyes widened and he let go of Vieno’s cheeks, to sink back on his butt on the floor as well. “He…what?”

Vieno nodded. “He wants me back.”

“But…but your parents disowned you. How can they accept a marriage for you if they disowned you?”

“Tiva said she overheard them talking about it and had to sneak away to warn me. She didn’t have time to explain more.”

For a second Palani looked as lost as Vieno felt, but then he sat up straight. “We’ll find a solution. Why don’t you make some of your favorite lavender tea and cuddle on the couch with a book, hmm? I’ll make some calls and see what I can find out.”

Vieno nodded, as always grateful when Palani took the lead. Palani scrambled to his feet, then gently helped Vieno rise. He kissed him on his lips, something he didn’t do often. “Don’t you worry, baby. You know I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Vieno exhaled, his chest relaxing and the twists in his stomach unfurling. “Thank you.”

Palani smiled softly. “I’ve got you, baby. I always do.”

Vieno did as Palani had told him and boiled water for tea in the kettle, then let his favorite earl grey with lavender steep for a few minutes. Palani had walked into his bedroom to make the calls, which Vieno appreciated. Overhearing one end of the conversation would more than likely only stress him out. 

He poured himself a cup of tea, then settled on the couch as Palani had suggested and started in the new gay romance he’d been dying to read. He appreciated the irony of him working for a horror writer when he couldn’t even stomach romances with too much angst in them. Nope, he preferred sweet, romantic reads. He didn’t mind them steamy—what idiot objected to some scorching sex scenes?—as long as they didn’t have too much angst and conflict. 

As hard as he tried, the book couldn’t fully distract him. His mind kept wandering off, contemplating all kinds of horror scenarios. So he sat, waiting anxiously, until Palani walked back into the living room. One look at his face, and the pretzels in his stomach were back, even tighter than before.

“Bad news?” he whispered. 

Palani lifted his feet from the couch and settled beside him, pulling him close. “Yeah. I’m so sorry, baby. I’ll find a solution, I promise.”

Vieno closed his eyes as he sank against Palani. “What happened?”

“They filed a petition with the court to overturn the legal document in which they disowned you. It’s being processed, and until it’s final, you can make your own decisions. Once the court approves it—and my sources say the court always sides with the parents unless the child can prove abuse or financial mistreatment—your parents have full legal say again.”

A single tear trickled down Vieno’s right cheek. “Why now? What changed for Aloysius?”

Palani sighed. “His omega died in childbirth. There’s rumor of an inheritance he stands to lose if he doesn’t produce an heir within two years.”

Palani didn’t need to explain more, because Vieno understood. Mortality during childbirth was high amongst male omegas, much higher than amongst their female counterparts. Yet those with the gene were not only more fertile, they also had a much lower mortality rate. Something in their system made them more suitable for bearing children. 

“How long?” he managed.

“How long till the court processes the petition? On average, a week. Could be more.”

“But also less.”

Palani pulled him even closer. “Yes.”

Vieno swallowed. “Now what? What options do I have left?”

Palani didn’t need to explain why it’d be useless for him, a beta, to try and marry Vieno before the court reversed the disownment. The court would annul their marriage as there was no way Vieno was pregnant, and he’d be forced to marry Aloysius after all. A beta marriage would have worked only if they’d gotten married right away, because then they could have claimed duration. That wouldn’t fly under these circumstances.

Palani’s voice was strong when he spoke. “You need an alpha to marry you.”

* * *

He’d waited as long as he could find reasons not to call, but Enar finally gave in and called Palani. Not Vieno directly, since he didn’t want to put any pressure on the omega. 

“Yeah?” Palani answered. 

Something in that one word made Enar’s alarm bells go off. “It’s Enar. The doctor who…” he supplied when Palani didn’t respond.

“I know who you are.”

“Okay. I wanted to check in, see how Vieno was doing.”

“Oh, he’s peachy. Absolutely fan-fucking-tastic.”

He heard a suppressed noise, then another one. Wait. Was Palani…crying? “Palani, what’s wrong?”

“We’re so fucked… I don’t know what to do.” His voice broke on the last words, and another sob was audible. “He’s counting on me and I…I can’t fix this.”

“What happened? Is Vieno okay?”

Palani inhaled. “He’s finally asleep. I’m…He’s okay physically. For now. It’s not that.”

“Then what is it? You can tell me.”

“It’s his parents. They’ve filed a petition to turn back the decision to disown him.”

“Okay…” Enar frowned. Sure, he imagined Vieno wasn't happy to be under his parents’ control again, but there had to be more. Palani didn’t seem like the type to panic over something inconsequential.

“They’re marrying him off.”

Ah. “They’re breaking you up.”

Palani scoffed. “We were never together. Not officially, anyway. I’m well aware I can never give him what he needs.”

“But in that case, why are you so upset they’ve found an alpha for him? Who did his parents pick for him to marry?”

“The guy who raped him and invited two of his friends to do the same.” 

Palani spat the words out, and every one stabbed Enar in his heart. Oh god, no. How could his parents do that to the sweet little omega? Did they have no sense of decency?

“He offered a big sum of money. He needs an heir to secure an inheritance from his grandfather who’s filthy rich. His omega died in childbirth and he’s looking for someone who will get pregnant fast. We have less than a week before the court will approve their petition.”

It all made sense now. Money would often override decency, even parental love. Though from the little snippets both Palani and Vieno had shared about Vieno’s parents, one could argue they had little parental love to begin with. 

“Does he know Vieno has the gene? Do his parents?”

“We never told them. I paid for Vieno’s testing after I read about the gene months later, and we never informed his parents. They’d kicked him out two weeks before we got the results, which take a little while.”

Enar was glad Palani was able to push down his strong emotions again to use his brain. His emotions were understandable, but they weren’t helpful right now. “So his ex wasn't aware?”

“No. But like me, he may have come across info later and recognized Vieno in the description. I’d never heard of the gene till months after Vieno’s first heat, but I’ve come across it much more now.”

Enar thought of the omega whose beta husband Lidon had arrested. It would take another four weeks at least till the results of his testing were in, but Enar had little doubt the kid had the gene. “Yeah, I’m seeing it more, too. If he researched the gene, he’ll have discovered Vieno is not only more fertile than other omegas, but also more likely to survive childbirth. That would make him a prime candidate for someone who wants an heir fast.”

“Vieno is counting on me to fix this, but how? What do I do?”

The despair dripped from Palani’s voice, and Enar couldn’t blame him. Forcing Vieno to marry his rapist was not only inhuman, but also something the little omega might not survive mentally. “Palani, you know what the solution is. Vieno has to marry another alpha before the court approves the petition.”

“And where do I find a decent alpha, willing to take on a mate on such short notice, hmm? Got any suggestions? Are you volunteering?”

Enar loved Palani’s sassy attitude. Not that he was planning on telling the beta that. It wasn’t like his attraction was going anywhere, so why embarrass himself?

“I don’t provide enough hormones to satisfy Vieno,” he said.

“That’s not a no,” Palani said. “You could marry him and have Lidon fuck him during heat?”

“It’s not that simple. Even my subdued alpha will not tolerate another alpha taking my mate during heat, especially not one as virile as Lidon. I’d attack him if he even tried, and I’d like to avoid that since he would kick my ass.”

He had the thought before Palani asked the question. 

“Would Lidon be willing?” the beta asked, insecurity lacing his voice. What a horrible spot he was in, trying to marry off the man he loved. Whatever compassion Enar had felt for Palani during Vieno’s heat, this was ten times worse. This wasn’t about sex. This was about losing his lover. Forever. No alpha would tolerate him being this close and intimate with their omega. 

“I’ll ask him,” Enar said. 

“But you don’t think he’ll do it.”

Enar figured Vieno had more chance of a positive answer than he realized. Lidon had connected with the little omega, and knowing he was in this predicament might trigger Lidon’s protective instincts. The man did have a tiny bit of a superhero complex. Not that he was sharing this with Palani. Better not to give them false hope. 

“I'm not speaking for him. He'll have to decide himself. But Palani, you do realize that if he says yes, it means you and Vieno are over, right?”

“We’d be over no matter who he marries, since it will never be me.”

The finality in his voice stabbed Enar in his heart all over again. “I’ll call Lidon right now. But I want to ask him in person, so give me an hour or two before you expect an answer, okay? Plus, he will need to think about it.”

“Yeah. I didn’t think he would jump at the opportunity. Okay. I’ll keep my phone close. And Enar…thank you. For listening. And for asking Lidon. I appreciate it more than I can express.”

“No thanks necessary. I’ll get back to you.”

Enar called Lidon as soon as he’d hung up with Palani. He got lucky since the cop had just come off duty and was happy to meet over a beer at an Irish pub. He was already nursing a pint at a corner booth when Enar walked in, freshly showered since he’d been working all day. Enar signaled the bartender he wanted what Lidon had, then lowered himself across from his friend. 

“How’s life?” he asked Lidon.

“Ugh, paperwork day. I hate those.”

“Don’t I know it.”

Lidon lifted a brow. “Dude, I’d be shocked if you filed the official paperwork for even half of what you do.”

Enar grinned, shrugging. “As little as I can get away with, anyway. Which reminds me, did anything come of that Excellon question you asked me three months ago?”

He made sure to keep his voice low, but Lidon leaned in even farther over the table when he asked, “Why are you asking?”

“Word on the street is that doctors are discouraged from prescribing it,” he said softly, knowing Lidon would be able to pick up his words with his excellent hearing.

“Word on the street…fucking hell, man, you sound like a mobster.”

“There are days when I feel like one. You have no idea. But this, sadly, is no joke.”

Lidon sighed. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. Someone is looking into it but it has to stay under the radar.”

“Why? I would expect cops to be all over this.”

Lidon didn’t say anything, but his mouth pulled tight, a surefire sign he was pissed off about something. What could it be about this case that made him angry? The answer came fast to Enar. “You suspect you have a dirty cop,” he said slowly.

Lidon acknowledged his words with the barest of nods.

“Fuck, wait till Palani hears.”

Lidon’s mouth tightened again.

Enar said, “Oh…your guess is he knows already. Did Vieno say anything to you about this?”

“He did have more names and cases, but his paper wouldn’t let him publish. Also, Vieno mentioned they’d gotten harassment, vandalism, shit like that.”

Enar’s eyes grew big. “You’re shitting me…from whom?”

Lidon’s silence spoke volumes.

“I hope you did some checking to see which of your esteemed coworkers is behind this?” Enar couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice.

“It’s not quite that easy,” Lidon said, his voice tight. 

“Don’t tell me you’re covering for them,” Enar said, then held up his hands before Lidon could explode on him. “Sorry, I know better. Gut reaction.”

“I’m not, but others are. It’s been tense at the precinct lately, not to mention the mood at headquarters.”

“Is there pressure to close ranks?”

Lidon cast his eyes down. “There always is. It’s hard to navigate.”

“You’ll do the right thing,” Enar said.

“You have more confidence in me than I do myself. It’s hard to distinguish between right and wrong sometimes.”

“No, it’s not,” Enar gently pushed back.

Lidon leaned back in the booth. “No, it’s not,” he said after a few seconds. “But it’s still easier said than done.”

“That, I believe.”

They sat nursing their beers for a bit. Enar wondered how he could bring up Palani again, but Lidon solved that problem when he asked, “Have you heard from Palani or Vieno?”

Enar simply nodded, knowing Lidon would ask the follow-up question.

His friend put his beer down and leaned forward. “How are they?”

They? Interesting. Enar had expected him to ask after Vieno alone. And what was up with the tone of Lidon’s voice when he spoke Vieno’s name? It felt…intimate. Loaded with meaning, somehow. “Actually, that’s why I wanted to talk to you tonight.”

Lidon’s face lit up. The man had it bad for the little omega, huh? What had happened that they had clicked on such a deep level? He’d never seen anything like this from Lidon, but not from other alphas either. The only slightly comparable reaction was that from an alpha toward his alpha-claimed partner. Enar frowned, trying to work out in his head what was happening. 

“Did they ask if I could…”

 “No.” He sighed. “Vieno’s in trouble.”

In a few sentences, he explained what Palani had told him. Lidon’s eyes narrowed and his jaw ticked, but he waited till Enar was finished before responding. “Damn,” he said. “His parents sound like real pieces of work.”

The silence hung comfortably between. “It’s another example of how lucky we were to be born alphas,” Enar said. 

Lidon nodded, his eyes blazing. “Shit like this, it shouldn’t happen. He’s twenty-three, for fuck’s sake. Old enough to make his own decisions. His parents should not be able to marry him off like this without his permission, least of all to the man who violated him.”

Enar leaned back in his bar stool, his fingers playing with the condensation on his beer glass. “As we said before, they are third-rate citizens. We don’t merely treat them that way; according to the law, they are. Alphas come first, betas come second, and omegas get the crumbs.”

“We can’t change the law,” Lidon said, ever the pragmatist. “Not just like that, anyway.”

Enar raised his eyes to meet those of his best friend. “No. But we can stand up and do the right thing when we see injustice.”

Lidon frowned. “What do you… Oh. You mean…?”

Enar’s eyes drilled into Lidon’s. “You have the opportunity to save him from this fate. You can rescue him from his parents and this…this brutal alpha who raped him once already and then gave his friends a go at him.”

Words were burning on Enar’s tongue, in his head. Words of reason, of passion, of pleading, but he held back. Lidon couldn’t be pushed. When you put too much pressure on him, he counteracted and dug his heels in. He was a man who needed to make his own decisions. 

Lidon held his look for a long time, then broke eye contact to study the drink in front of him. “You’re serious about this,” he said softly.

“Yes.”

“Why him? You must encounter stories like this weekly. Why did you choose him to be saved by me?”

It was a legitimate question. Enar sighed. “Because I like him. And Palani. He’s fighting valiantly for him and he has for years. It breaks my heart that these two belong together and yet they can’t be.”

“Me marrying Vieno won’t fix that,” Lidon said, the voice of reason as usual. 

“True,” he said. “But Palani would be content to see Vieno safe and sound with you at the cost of his own happiness.”

Lidon hmm'd noncommittally. “That’s the only reason, that you like them?”

“You like him, too,” Enar dared to point out. He was treading on dangerous ground here. “You guys connected.”

Lidon’s nostrils flared. “I fucked him. That’s something else.”

“We both know that’s not true. You don’t do casual sex. You never have, not since…” He took a deep breath, then dared say his name. “Not since Rodrick.”

The name hung between them, thickening the air and making it tense and breakable. Had he gone too far?

“Lidon, it’s been three years. Isn’t it time to move on?”

Lidon’s head snapped up. “Says who? You? What if I’m not ready?” The anger disappeared from his eyes as fast as it had flashed up. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to trust again. I can’t forget what he did to me, even if you can.”