Liam didn’t know how Braun did it, but when he stopped by not long after lunch trays came around, he had the past week’s worth of newspapers for him, as well as a chocolate bar.

“My brother said he craved chocolate a lot when he was pregnant,” Braun said. “I figured you could use a treat.”

“Thank you, that’s very generous.” Liam blinked. “You have an omega brother?”

“Yes. He’s a few years older, but he’s a wonderful brother, and he has a five-month-old boy named Branson and a fantastic mate to raise him with.”

“He’s very lucky.”

Braun squeezed his shoulder, and Liam tried not to flinch from the contact. “A happy future is possible, Liam, I promise. No matter what you’ve been through in the past, you can find happiness. You just need the right alpha.”

“You make it sound easy.” Liam couldn’t help the bitterness in his words. “Not everyone gets a happy ending.”

“You’re right, but don’t close yourself off to the possibility. I grew up in a very hostile home, with a sire who hated having two omega sons. All I knew from alphas was violence and fear, and I told myself I’d never mate. I’d never allow myself to be controlled by an alpha. And then I met my bondmate, Tarek, and he was everything I never thought possible. A kind, loving alpha. I took a chance on loving him, and now we’re mated with a baby on the way.” Braun grinned as he put a hand over his flat stomach.

Liam stared at that hand, annoyed at Braun for being happy over his pregnancy, while Liam’s had been forced upon him. But he couldn’t begrudge Braun his happiness. Like Liam, he’d been orphaned young and with no other family to turn to, so he’d ended up at the halfway house. Their stories had played out very differently from that point, but Braun had fought back and won a happy life.

Maybe it was possible.

“Congratulations,” Liam said, and he meant it.

Two shadows filled the doorway a moment before someone knocked. The warm scent of cedar washed over Liam, and he knew one of his visitors before he looked up and locked eyes with Constable Higgs. Another constable stood next to him, an alpha Liam didn’t know, but whose scent was…familiar?

“Good afternoon, Liam,” Higgs said in that deep, but friendly voice. “Braun.”

“Hi, Constable Higgs,” Braun replied. He then surprised Liam by sauntering over to the other alpha and kissing his cheek. “Hey. Liam, this is Constable Tarek Bloom. My mate.”

Jealousy burned hot and hard inside Liam at the goopy way Braun and Tarek smiled at each other, so obviously in love it hurt. So Braun had not only found a good mate, but he’d mated a constable. Seemed like a good way to keep yourself safe from harm.

“Nice to meet you, Liam,” Tarek said. “Although I wish the circumstances were better.”

“Don’t we all,” Braun replied.

Liam nodded at the men, curious why they were here, but his throat hurt a bit from all the talking he’d done today, so he wanted to save his voice.

“This is, unfortunately, an official visit,” Higgs said. “May we come in?”

He nodded again, stomach squirming at the idea of an official visit. Braun stayed close to Tarek, but also to the side, deferring authority to the two alphas. While Tarek’s proximity made Liam nervous, it was balanced by the way Higgs made him feel safe and protected.

“We need you to give an on-the-record statement about your treatment at Lawry’s halfway house,” Higgs said, “as well as details about your captivity. I know this is going to be painful, and we can take as many breaks as necessary, but we need this for our case going forward.”

“I understand,” Liam said. This was really going to give him a sore throat.

But Higgs surprised him by bringing out not only a voice recorder, but also a stack of official-looking forms and two pencils. “Because you have limitations with your voice, we’ll have you write your answers to my questions on these forms, and then Constable Bloom will read it out loud for the recording.”

“Okay.” That was incredibly thoughtful of them, and he showed his gratitude to Higgs with his smile. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

Liam took the papers and pencils, and Braun pushed over the tray on wheels, so Liam had a stable surface to write on. Higgs hit record.

He said the date, and then, “This is Senior Constable Isa Higgs questioning victim Liam Haley. Also present is Constable Tarek Bloom and civilian Braun Etting Bloom. Liam’s voice is limited, so he will be writing down his answers, which will then be read out loud by Constable Bloom. Liam, can you tell us how you came to be under the care of Mr. Fynn Lawry?”

Liam picked up a pencil and started writing.

“About six months ago, my family was involved in a head-on collision, automobile accident. My parents and two brothers were killed, but I survived with serious injuries.”

Old grief bubbled up, and Liam had to stop a moment to deal with it. He still missed his family terribly, especially when he couldn’t sleep.

“After I healed sufficiently from my injuries, I was taken to Fynn’s house by a constable to live and continue recovering.”

“Do you remember the constable’s name?”

Liam pondered that. “I’m not sure. Neely? Heely? Something like that.”

Higgs and Tarek exchanged a look. Had he gotten the name right?

“I had just turned eighteen, and after a few weeks with Fynn, I started showing signs of my first heat. And Fynn used to do these weird gatherings where all the omegas stood in the living room, and he invited young alphas to stop by and see if they were interested in anyone, but that week he told me to stay in my room. Which I thought was weird, because it would be easier to feel a bonding pull edging into heat, but I didn’t question him.”

At the time, he’d thought maybe Fynn was afraid his rising pheromones would cause a fight among the visiting alphas. Now he knew better. Fynn had been saving him, intending to knock him up and sell him off, the rat bastard.

New anger bubbled up inside of Liam.

“Within hours of my heat officially starting, Fynn took me into the basement, which was usually off-limits. It had a mattress and a utility sink, and it was kind of chilly, and at first, he left me there. And it’s hard to remember, because I was caught up in the heat, but it wasn’t long into my first surge before an alpha I didn’t know showed up. He stripped, took my clothes off me, and he knotted me.”

Higgs let out a soft growl. “Liam, did you at any time give verbal consent to either Fynn Lawry or the alpha that you wanted him to have sex with you?”

“Not to Fynn for sure. I said I could get through it alone. But when I was in a surge, it’s impossible to know what I said to the alpha. Mentally, I didn’t know him and I didn’t want him, but I was a big ball of hormones, so it’s possible I begged him for relief.”

Liam shuddered at the idea of being so lust-drunk he’d asked a stranger to fuck him, but it was possible. It was why omegas were supposed to be safe and secure during heats, so they weren’t taken advantage of.

“Even so,” Higgs said with a hint of anger in his voice, “you did not consent to Lawry before the heat began, so what he did was illegal.”

He’d figured as much, but it helped hearing it from a constable.

“When my heat was over, I was so ashamed and angry, but who could I tell? We had no way to reach the outside world at all. After a few weeks, I took a home test, and I was pregnant. A week later, I woke up in a small room somewhere, with nothing but a cot and a bucket to piss in, and my throat was damaged. They’d tattooed my wrists. The first time the alphas came, they called themselves Red and Blue, and a beta doctor examined my throat. Said I was healing fine. Told me not to bother trying to escape, because they had people who’d see my tattoos and kill me on sight. I was so terrified I believed them.

“After that, days bled together. They fed me chalky shakes and healthy food, gave me supplements, had me work out on machines. And no one would tell me why. I didn’t understand any of it, not until the day I was rescued.”

“Your accounting of things aligns with the others we’ve interviewed,” Higgs said. “I’m so sorry all that happened to you.”

In an odd impulse to comfort the unhappy alpha, Liam reached out. Higgs was close enough for him to squeeze his wrist. “It’s not your fault,” Liam said.

“It happened in my province, and one of my constables was involved.”

“But you found us, and you saved us.”

Higgs’s darker emotions drained away, replaced by a gentle smile. It was enough that Liam released his hand, but his skin burned everywhere they’d touched.

Tarek reached into his uniform coat and produced several photos. “I need you to make some positive identifications for me, Liam.” He spread nine pictures out on the tray table. “Can you identify the men you call Red and Blue?”

Liam studied the photos, easily pointing each man out.

“That’s good, thank you,” Tarek said. “For the record, Liam identified Ness Udall as Red and Esom Dent as Blue.” He gathered those photos, and then spread out more, this time all of men in constable uniforms. “Do you recognize the constable who escorted you to Lawry’s house?”

It took longer, because it had been so long ago, and Liam had been on painkillers for his collarbone. But he picked out the only man who seemed familiar.

“Liam has selected the photo of Constable Fox Heely,” Tarek said. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Liam replied. He hadn’t enjoyed seeing their faces again, but he also knew he hadn’t suffered nearly as much by their hands as the other rescued omegas. He’d never had to put himself and his baby in danger by fighting another man. To Braun, he asked, “How’s your friend Jax?”

“Healing,” Braun replied. “He has some muscle injuries that will take time, but he’s safe and with his family.”

“I’m glad.” He didn’t know Jax at all, but he felt a kinship with his fellow omega simply for having lived some of the same experiences. Just like Braun knew what it had been like in that halfway house.

Higgs asked for more details of Liam’s treatment, as well as anything he remembered about the places he’d been held, and Liam wrote down what he remembered. He wrote until his hand cramped, and he asked for a break. Higgs turned off the recorder.

“You mentioned your family was killed in a car accident,” Tarek said. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

Liam shrugged so he didn’t fall into the rabbit hole of grief again.

“Do you have any family outside of Sansbury?”

“I think my father has a cousin out in Buckman Province, but he’s beta, and the hospital said they couldn’t release me to a beta, because Buckman doesn’t have the same law we do about betas fostering unmated omegas, as long as an alpha signs off as guardian.”

Braun frowned. “That sucks. I was able to live with beta friends after I escaped the house, because Tarek agreed to be my alpha guardian.”

“But aren’t you bondmates?”

“Yes, but I didn’t know Tarek and I didn’t trust him at first. We were able to get to know each other before I accepted him as my bondmate, and later, as my mate.”

Liam glanced at Higgs, who was watching him with an intent expression. His belly swooped in a funny way, because nothing in that look worried or unnerved him. It made him feel seen. Safe.

Wanted.

Which was stupid, because why would a successful, mature alpha with three children of his own want Liam?

“I’m glad you had that,” Liam said to Braun.

“You’ve got time to find it, too,” Braun replied with a smile.

Liam looked at his belly and grunted. “Maybe.”

“Definitely,” Higgs said in a firm tone that made Liam want to believe him. “We failed you once by sending you to Lawry. We won’t fail you again.”

“I won’t fail you again,” seemed to hang off his declaration.

Liam needed to get their attention off his future prospects before he depressed himself further. To Tarek, he said, “Braun mentioned earlier that you were expecting. Congratulations.”

Tarek beamed with alpha pride, but something else glinted in his eyes. Worry, maybe? “Thank you.”

Braun leaned more heavily against Tarek. Liam was missing some back story there, but now wasn’t the time. It wasn’t as if he and Braun were more than surface friends, anyway.

An alarm blared somewhere in the ward, and all three of his visitors turned. Through Liam’s door, they could all see the light above Brogan’s door blinking red. Higgs and Tarek went across the hall, while Braun stayed behind. Fear spiked in Liam’s chest, and he carefully climbed out of bed.

Before Liam made it to the door, two nurses rushed into the opposite room. Braun appeared next to him, and then Liam went cold all over when one of the nurses said, “He’s in labor.”

“It’s early,” Liam said. “He’s only eight months.”

“But it isn’t too early.” Braun slipped an arm around his waist, and Liam did the same. Going into the room wouldn’t help Brogan, but they could present a united front for their omega brother.

Higgs and Tarek backed out of the room, allowing the nurses to wheel Brogan’s bed out. His red face was contorted with pain, and he was panting hard. But he saw Liam and reached out.

“He shouldn’t be alone,” Liam said. “Please, let me go with him.” He ran as fast as he could to grab Brogan’s outstretched hand. “Please.”

“I’ll escort them,” Higgs said.

The nurses didn’t argue, so their little group headed out of the ward. Liam hadn’t paid much attention when he’d been brought up here yesterday, but they were already near Obstetrics and Delivery, so Brogan didn’t have far to go. He clutched at Liam’s hand hard enough to bruise, but Liam didn’t complain.

“It’s too soon,” Brogan gasped more than once.

Liam was panting himself, struggling to keep pace while six months pregnant, because he couldn’t let Brogan do this alone.

Isa admired the determination of his—no, not his—of Liam in supporting an omega he’d known less than twenty-four hours. But he imagined the young men had plenty to bond over, and Liam was showing a quiet strength right now, as Brogan was transferred to a new bed in a delivery room. Isa stood out of the medical staff’s way and kept his distance because he wasn’t a part of this. He was there to watch over his two charges until patrolmen could be assigned to stand guard.

Yes, keep telling yourself it’s why you volunteered.

He hadn’t given much thought to volunteering, until he accepted the fact that if Liam wasn’t in the safety of a guarded ward, then Isa would be by his side. Period.

He’d also been present for the births of all three of his boys, so he knew what to expect. Tarek was about to be a new parent, and Isa didn’t want him scared off the whole thing before his own child was born.

“Oh, it hurts,” Brogan said in a feather-soft voice that did little to convey the discomfort all over his face. “Should it feel like this?”

“Can you describe your pain?” a nurse asked. “Pain similar to cramping is normal during birth.”

“No, it’s really sharp. In my back, too. It’s—oh.” Brogan clasped his belly and started to cry.

Isa fought his instinctive alpha desire to protect an omega in pain, but he needed to stay out of the way. Liam crowded in closer and put his free hand on the back of Brogan’s neck. The nurse lifted the sheet draped over Brogan’s raised, spread legs, then frowned.

“Get Dr. Troi in here now,” the nurse said to his companion.

“He’s here,” a new voice boomed as the door swung open. Isa knew Dr. Troi from previous cases, and he trusted the man implicitly. “What’s going on?”

“Patient is in labor, but he’s complaining of sharp pains in his back and abdomen, and there is some bleeding.”

Brogan cried harder, and Isa wanted to roar in anger at the matching tears leaking from Liam’s eyes. Dr. Troi grabbed a low stool and scooted between Brogan’s legs to examine him. “I need a fetal heart rate right now,” he said.

The second nurse, who hadn’t spoken much because he’d been attaching different leads to Brogan’s abdomen, looked up at a beeping machine. “Bpm is 110,” he said.

“What does that mean?” Liam asked.

“The baby is in distress,” Dr. Troi said. The first nurse handed him a wand of some kind that disappeared between Brogan’s legs. On another monitor, gray, white and black images appeared. Dr. Troi stared at it, changing the angle to see whatever he was looking for. “There. The placenta is tearing from the uterine wall.”

The wand disappeared and Dr. Troi stood, his face serious. “Brogan, lad, you’ve got a placental abruption, and it’s causing your son to lose oxygen. Your body isn’t ready to give birth yet, so we can either induce labor and hope for the best, or we can do an emergency Cesarean.”

“Cesareans are really dangerous,” Liam said.

“So is allowing Brogan to give birth naturally. A lack of oxygen to the baby could lead to brain damage, or even death.”

Brogan thrashed his head back and forth, so distressed Isa’s heart broke for the young man and his impossible choice. “Do the Cesarean,” he finally said in a fractured voice. “Please, save him.”

“All right. Nurse Gray, call over to have them begin prepping the surgical suite.”

“Yes, doctor.”

“You can’t come with us, Liam, I’m sorry.”

“I know,” Liam replied. He leaned over to kiss Brogan’s sweaty cheek. “You’ll both be fine. I’ll be here when you’ve got your baby in your arms.”

Brogan only nodded as he was wheeled away.

In the now-empty room, Liam started trembling. Isa didn’t think. He walked over and pulled Liam into his arms, thankful Liam melted against him, his arms clutching Isa’s waist. Fingers tangled in the back of his uniform as Liam’s body shook with fear and adrenaline, Isa had no doubt.

“This is all their fault,” Liam said into his armpit. “Fucking Red and Blue. I hate them so much.”

It was possible that being forced to fight had been a factor in Brogan’s current condition, but only the doctors could say for sure. “He’s being treated by the best,” Isa said. “Have faith in that.”

“I do, but Cesareans are so rarely done, and they’re so dangerous.”

“Then it’s a good thing Dr. Troi is on the case.” Isa inhaled Liam’s sugary scent and silently cheered when Liam relaxed deeper into his arms. Isa reached up to ruffle Liam’s hair, enjoying the silky, black waves. “And don’t you dare start imagining the same thing will happen to you, Liam. You two aren’t remotely the same.”

Liam sighed. “How did you know I was thinking that?”

“Any other pregnant omega who’d witnessed what you just saw would be thinking it. It’s natural, but Brogan was in multiple fights and he’d been abused more than once. You were never forced to fight.”

Liam raised his head, his dark eyes wet with tears. “What do you mean abused more than once?”

Isa could have slapped himself for bringing this up, but Liam deserved the truth about what his captors had intended. “Incentive to participate in the fights wasn’t only from fear of physical retaliation by Udall and Dent. The loser of the fight was auctioned off to one of the audience members, for one night’s use as he saw fit.”

Liam’s eyes went wide and his chin trembled. “Oh, my goddess, tell me you’re lying.”

“I wish I was, little one. I truly wish I was.”

With a raspy cry, Liam buried his face in Isa’s chest and cried. Heavy sobs that made his body shake, but created little actual noise, and it dinged Isa’s instincts in a hard way. He gently picked Liam up, cradled him to his chest, and sat on the abandoned stool to hold him. Liam clung to him as he cried out his pain and fear, and Isa never wanted to let go.

He’s mine, but I can’t have him.

He’d had one omega mate already. Why had the goddess sent him another bondmate, when there were other alphas out there just as worthy of Liam’s heart? He had no answers today. Isa held Liam until he quieted, then helped him wipe his face.

An orderly stepped in and stopped short, probably surprised to find people still in the room.

“We’ll be out of your way in a moment,” Isa said.

After Liam pulled himself together, Isa hugged him once more, before they left the delivery room to wait on news about Brogan and his newborn son.