I scuffed the rough concrete with the ball of my work boot. Man, I wanted cigarette. The events from the night before played in my head on repeat; it was no mistake for me to be behind these bars.

The cold concrete bench I had slept on made my back ache, but at least the cuts on my knuckles had scabbed over. I ran a finger over the tops of my hands, assessing the damage, until I heard deep, gruff voice say my name.

My spine straightened instantly when I heard the familiar voice and I turned to see Dad approaching my cell. I didn’t know if I was ready to face him just yet. Even a hard night’s sleep in the cell wouldn’t compare to the disappointing head shake I expected from Dad.

I stood up to acknowledge him, still avoiding his fatherly stare.

“How are you feeling?” His tone was level, without judgement or emotion.

“Feeling like I belong here.” The truth of my words cut into me as they echoed against the bare surfaces in my cell.

“Well, you’re off the hook for now.”

My chin lifted, shocked, as a police officer began to twist the key in the lock of my cell.

“What?” This must be a mistake.

“It’s not over, son,” the officer said. “The alpha is still in the hospital. He’s attached to a machine at the moment, can’t speak a word.”

I stepped into the hallway, feeling uncomfortably free. Dad rested his hand on my shoulder and gave it a fatherly shake. It was a comforting gesture, one that I wasn’t expecting.

“The omega and his son are pressing charges, and they’re getting an order of protection as well.” Dad dropped his hand and started walking.

I was happy to hear the omega was pressing charges. Maybe my mother would have still been around if she had done the same. Then again, she died when I was nine, and my bio dad refused to talk about it. Had it been his fault? Had he been innocent for once in his life? I didn’t know.

“The alpha is too beat up to speak at this moment,” the officer continued, “so he can’t talk clearly enough to accuse you of battery. Yet.”

A queasy feeling began to fill my stomach. I was getting off because the guy couldn’t talk? That didn’t seem right. I should be locked up until the guy could talk and tell them exactly what I’d done. Just because he was a piece of shit didn’t excuse what I did.

But I was glad he couldn’t talk. That he couldn’t move. That meant the omega and the boy were safe. I had feared for them, just like I had feared for my own safety as a child.

“Where are they now?” I asked the officer.

“They’re giving their statements as we speak.”

We walked through the hallway to the booking desk where I could collect my belongings. A light flickered at the end of the hall, making me blink and squint uncomfortably.

Dad and I stood patiently while the clerk sorted through papers. I leaned against the desk wondering when Dad was going to let into me, but he said nothing, just stood behind me with his arms crossed.

The clerk handed over my belongings. As I turned away from the desk, I noticed the omega and his son exiting an office. Before I had a chance to introduce myself, Dad stepped ahead of me.

“How’d everything go?” Dad asked with a sense of familiarity. He seemed to know exactly what was going on.

“It was alright.” The omega was hardly able to look up from the ground.

“This is my son, Jeremy.” Dad touched my arm and I started, surprised he was still willing to claim me. “Jer, this is Alan and his boy Simon.”

“The hero!” The boy jumped up and down in excitement. “You saved us from Papa! Didn’t he, Dad?” He clutched his dad’s leg, still bouncing and smiling.

Hero? I was by no means a hero. I was the opposite—an unstable villain.

“Nice to meet you.” Alan looked up at me with a small smile, but I could see fear in his wide brown eyes. His body was so tiny and frail, I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to hurt this precious omega or his child. The thought made me sick. I felt an instinct to grab him and hide him away forever so no one could get him, somewhere he would always remain safe. If I could, I would wrap him in my arms and protect him myself, but he wouldn’t be safe there. He should fear me just the same as his nasty ex-alpha.

I nodded at them. “Yeah, nice to me you as well.” I tried to smile, to look less intimidating.

“Our hero! Our hero!” the boy chanted.

“Simon…” Alan ruffled the boy’s hair, but a small frown darkened his face.

I looked down at Simon, the boy who insisted I was his hero. His eyes beamed up at me like I had just rode in on horseback with a cape around my neck after slaughtering the village beast.

“My papa is bad and you saved us!”

My stomach turned. How could he think I was his hero? I caught a glance at his father, who still frowned. He probably didn’t like his kid thinking of me being a hero anymore than I did.

I knelt in front of Simon and his bouncing came to a stop, his full attention on me.

“Simon, I can’t be your hero. Do you know why?”

“No, you are!” he insisted. “You fought off the bad guy. The hero always fights the bad guy, that makes you the hero.” He tugged at his father’s arm for confirmation, but Alan said nothing.

I didn’t want to tell Simon the truth, to break this precious boy’s innocent understanding of the world, but I had to say something. “Yes, Simon, the man who hurt you is very bad.” I told him he was a bad man because I couldn’t tell him he’s a worthless piece of shit. “He’s a bad man because he hurt you, but you know what? I’m a bad man too, because I hurt him, and that’s what bad people do, they hurt others. Good people don’t hurt others.”

Simon’s face fell slowly, and I felt as if I were watching a piece of his innocence die, which made me feel even more like a monster. But better he learn now that there were no heroes. That was just a thing of fairy tales. There were good men and there were bad men, and I knew where I stood.

I couldn’t look at the boy any longer. I had to walk away. I had done my part for them, now I had to life with my consequences and hope that the police will do their part in keeping the two of the safe.

“Well,” Dad said as I reached for the door. “That’s going to make for a pleasant ride home.”

I turned to see him exchange a look with Alan as all three of them followed me out of the police station.