The next two days passed in a strange kind of blur for Braun. In between visiting Kell and working a shift at the television shop, Braun was showered with gifts from afar. More food deliveries, including fancy chocolates and sweets, and even a singing telegram in a heart-shaped suit who professed undying love. It was silly and adorable, and so damned sweet. Kind, like his alpha.

Slowly but surely, Tarek was chipping away at his anger and resistance. So much so that when Tarek called him directly on the third day, Braun answered. “Hi.”

“Oh Braun, thank goddess,” Tarek said. “I’ve so missed hearing your voice.”

He sounded genuine enough, but there was an edge of upset Braun didn’t miss. “What’s wrong? You sound odd.”

“I just got word, sweetheart, and I’m so sorry.” Braun’s heart seized even before Tarek said, “They’re officially charging Kell with murder.”

“No.” He clenched his phone so he didn’t drop it. The apartment swirled and swayed, and Braun found himself sitting on the floor. “Oh goddess, no.”

“I already have a lawyer, and he’ll be in town by morning. Kell won’t be alone, and neither will you, my omega, I promise.”

“But I am alone. I’m alone because you lied.”

“And I’ll never forgive myself for that decision. I’ll never forgive myself for hurting you like this. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, so I’ll offer my help freely, no expectations. No favors in return of any kind. Just let me help you both.”

Braun was in no position to say no, and he didn’t want to. He missed Tarek, and Kell needed every advantage possible. No omega had ever been tried for murder before. This trial would be important for so many reasons, and not simply Kell’s freedom. It could change the dialogue around omega rights and domestic discipline between alphas and their omegas.

“Okay, you can help us,” Braun said. “Kell can’t go to prison.”

“I know. We’ll do everything in our power to make sure he goes free, I promise. I love you.”

“Me too, you bastard.”

He could picture Tarek’s smile, because there had been no venom on those words. Only weariness and stress.

“Have you been eating well?” Tarek asked.

“As if you don’t know. Thank you for taking care of me, even from a distance. It means so much.”

“I’m more than happy to do it. I know I screwed up, Braun, and I’m so sorry.”

“I believe you.”

Tarek made a soft, distressed noise. “But you aren’t coming home.”

“Soon, but not tonight.” Braun wanted his alpha again, to be held and treasured by him, but he wasn’t ready to take that chance just yet. One more day. He needed to speak with this lawyer, see if he could be trusted to save Kell from the court, or if he was just another way Tarek was trying to buy his affections back.

Braun wasn’t ready to risk Kell’s life to save his own relationship, no matter how miserable he was this far from his alpha.

“Should I bring Ronin by your place tomorrow, or shall we meet at mine?” Tarek asked.

Ronin. Odd. I think I knew a Ronin once.

“Here is fine,” Braun replied. “Ten o’clock?”

“I’ll wait impatiently for the hours to pass until I can see you again.”

Me too. “See you tomorrow, Tarek.”

He ended the call and immediately wished for his alpha to be by his side, a solid presence to help balance the upset in Braun’s life. His finger hovered over the key to re-call Tarek, to ask him to come over and hold him until the world made sense again. Except the world didn’t make sense, and it never would until Kell was free.

Hopefully this Ronin character was the man to do it.

* * *

Braun was denied access to Kell that day, which left him more off-center than usual, and he slept for shit that night, tossing and turning. His body physically missed Tarek so badly he got up twice to take long showers that did nothing. It wasn’t the ache of approaching heat. It was the ache of a broken heart missing its other half.

Dex tried to cheer him up with a hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes and bacon, but nothing tasted right. Not even a mug of drinking chocolate to go along with it helped, but Braun thanked his friend for the effort. Serge was still asleep from his overnight shift when Dex left for work, so Braun busied himself with cleaning the already spotless apartment. Movement was better than sitting on the couch and driving himself crazy.

A few minutes before ten, someone knocked. Braun scented Tarek before he open the door, and he didn’t spare a glance at the second alpha with him. He threw himself at Tarek, grateful when his alpha lifted him off the ground in an all-encompassing hug. The exact sort of hug Braun needed to focus and center himself.

The hug made things better.

“I’ve missed you, firecracker,” Tarek whispered, his breath hot against Braun’s ear. “So much.”

“Me too.” Braun pressed his face into Tarek’s neck, inhaling his spicy scent. Imprinting it on his senses. “I’m still upset with you, but I need this. I need you.”

“So do I, my omega.”

Tarek eventually released him, because they were in the hall, and there was a stranger present. A stranger to Braun, at least, and—no. Braun looked at the alpha lawyer Tarek had brought with him, and a flash of recognition hit. Not only from his scent, which had strengthened as he matured, but also his face.

“We know each other,” Braun said.

A flash of confusion creased Tarek’s brow. “You do?”

“We do,” the man confirmed. “It’s why I agreed to represent Kell so quickly and at a very discounted rate.”

Braun studied the man, who was about Tarek’s age, but while Tarek had light brown hair and pale skin, this man had black hair and bronze skin, and a scar on his cheek…a knife wound from a long-ago fight Braun hadn’t seen, but he’d heard about.

“Ronin Cross,” Braun said. “Your family lived on our street when we were young. You and Kell were friends.”

“We were,” Ronin replied. “Briefly, until my father got a job offer in another city, and we moved.”

“I remember now. Kell was heartbroken when you left. He told me once you were the only kind alpha he’d ever met amongst the other teenage alphas.”

A kind alpha. Was Ronin really kind like Tarek? Or was he a nightmare like Krause?

“I can see you thinking,” Tarek said. “Ronin is a good man, unmated, and he’s here to help, not harm you or Kell in any way.”

“He speaks the truth,” Ronin added. “I’ve been apprised of your personal history, as well as your brother’s, and I can promise you that I’ve never once raised my hand in anger to an omega. The fight that left this mark?” He pointed to the scar on his cheek. “I was defending your brother against two teen alphas who were bullying him. It’s the only time I’ve been in a physical altercation.”

Braun believed him. Something about Ronin relaxed him—the same vibe he got from Tarek and had never gotten from Krause. They were also all still standing on the landing, so Braun invited them inside.

“Would you like coffee or tea?” Braun asked.

“Coffee would be nice,” Ronin replied. Tarek also nodded.

He went into the kitchen to brew a fresh pot, while Ronin and Tarek settled at the table. Ronin had a briefcase with him, and he snapped it open to produce a pile of papers.

“As you well know,” Ronin began, “no omega in modern history has ever been tried for the murder of his alpha, so this case is going to draw a lot of media attention. Your entire life will be under scrutiny, Braun. Not just Kell, but you as well, because of Krause Iverson’s complaint against you only weeks before his death.”

“It’s a false complaint,” Braun said. He gripped the coffee pot’s plastic handle tight enough for it to creak. “He lied about what happened that day. Well, everything except me biting him and kicking him in the junk. I definitely did that.”

“The problem is Mr. Kell confirmed Mr. Iverson’s version of events, and if Kell recants his statement, it could be seen as him being pressured by you to protect him. It could also be seen as him changing his statement to try and save himself.”

“So the complaint is a problem for us.”

“Yes. But, as it stands, the complaint can’t be used by the prosecutor to further his case against Kell, because it shows that Kell stood by his mate, so it’s best if we don’t contradict the complaint in public record.”

Braun squawked. “But it’s a lie! That asshole tried to rape me, and he would have if Tarek hadn’t gotten there in time.”

Ronin’s sympathetic look made Braun want to punch him. “And I believe you, Braun, I do. But right now, my strategy is to get Kell acquitted of the charges.”

“Okay.” He didn’t like it, but he also wasn’t a lawyer. Braun finished getting the coffeepot ready and set it to brew. Then he joined the alphas at the table. “So how do we get Kell acquitted?”

“With his medical records. I’ve spoken with the lead investigator at length already since yesterday, a Constable Jenks. The sliver of wood they recovered from your brother’s body was matched to a broom handle, which was recovered at the scene, covered in Kell’s blood.”

Braun’s stomach curled up tight and threatened to expel his breakfast.

“What I intend to prove is a pattern of negligence, abuse, and torture that sent your brother into a deep, instinctive sense of self-preservation so strong that he was not in control of his actions when he killed Krause.”

“If he killed Krause,” Tarek amended.

“Correct,” Ronin said. “According to Constable Jenks, Mr. Kell still doesn’t remember what happened that morning. Or anything afterward, until you visiting him in the hospital.”

“But won’t the prosecutor argue that Kell is faking it?” Braun asked.

“Yes, he will.” Ronin flashed Tarek a smile. “You’ve got a smart little omega there, Bloom.”

“Braun is amazing,” Tarek said.

Braun’s skin hummed from the praise of his alpha.

“This trial isn’t going to happen tomorrow,” Ronin said. “We have time to prepare, and I intend to call as many medical and mental health professionals as I can to reinforce Mr. Kell’s mental state that day. I’ve already requested copies of his health records from the hospital from both before and after his mating to Mr. Iverson.”

“Why from before?” Tarek asked.

“Patterns of abuse,” Braun replied, already seeing it from Ronin’s point of view. “Our father beat us, too. Occasionally sent us to the hospital from our injuries.”

Tarek growled.

“Braun’s correct,” Ronin said. “Any mind can only be pushed so far before it snaps.”

“So this is an insanity defense?” Braun asked. “That’s not been used in modern times.”

“No, it hasn’t, but if you’ve ever studied the ancient texts, it was once considered a viable defense. It was done away with more than a century ago, but there’s no direct ruling against using it. If we can prove Krause perpetuated his own death by pushing Kell too far, I think we can get him off.”

Braun’s heart beat faster with the first real stirrings of hope. He rose to pour coffee, so the two alphas didn’t see his emotions as they drew tears to his eyes. Kell could reasonably go free. They could be reunited as brothers and family.

H didn’t hear Tarek move, only sensed his heat before two strong hands clutched his shoulders from behind. “We’re going to save him, Braun,” Tarek whispered.

“I believe you.” Braun put a full mug down and turned to face his alpha. He looked up into warm, affectionate eyes that nearly undid him. “I’ve brought to your life nothing but trouble, and yet you continue to support me. To believe in me. To love me.”

“Because I do love you, support you, and believe in you. I love your passion and your need to change things for other omegas, and I completely support it. Whatever you want to do with your life, Braun, I will support you. You are my omega, but you are not mine to control or to diminish. You are mine to cherish and to lift up. To help you shine in any blot of darkness, for all of time.”

Braun’s resolve did break then, the last of his residual anger shattering at their feet, swept away by forgiveness. He yanked Tarek’s head down and kissed him, putting all his love and joy into that single action. Mouths moving, lips questing, until they were both panting and hard from the effort.

Both of their gazes slid to the kitchen table. Ronin, his papers, and his briefcase were gone.

Tarek slid to his knees in front of Braun and placed his hands on Braun’s thighs. Seeing Tarek down there, in the most submissive position possible, did funny things to his insides. Tarek was putting all his trust and power into Braun’s hands, giving Braun the control. The headiness of the experience hit Braun like a blast of alcohol, and he smiled.

“Anything, my love,” Tarek whispered.

Braun undid his belt and fly, showing Tarek what he wanted without words. Tarek took over, pushing Braun’s pants and underwear down to his knees, revealing his hard cock, eager for its alpha’s mouth. Braun cupped one hand under Tarek’s chin and pulled him forward. Tarek parted his lips eagerly, taking Braun’s length to the root. His wasn’t as long or fat as an alpha’s cock, but Tarek still struggled a bit as Braun began thrusting his hips. Gently fucking his alpha’s mouth, and Tarek took it.

He held still while Braun moved, his cockhead scraping across the roof of Tarek’s mouth, pressing into the back of his throat. Saliva pooled at the corners of his mouth, but Tarek didn’t move to wipe it away. He submitted wholly to his omega’s needs, and Braun burned with love and devotion for the trust his alpha was showing.

And for the new gift he was giving Braun with this submission.

With nothing to think of except his own needs, Braun closed his eyes and fucked his alpha’s mouth, reveling in Tarek’s soft gasps and gurgles. Keeping his grip on Tarek’s cheeks soft but firm, not wanting to accidentally hurt or bruise the man he loved.

I love him so much. I need him by my side.

The truth of those thoughts sent Braun’s release crashing through his body, and he cried out as he pumped his seed down his mate’s throat. “Tarek!”

Tarek’s hands squeezed his hips, keeping Braun’s cock in his mouth as he drank him down, and then licked him clean. He played long after Braun had gone soft, nuzzling at Braun’s balls and kissing the soft hair at his groin. Continually tending to him long after his climax had been achieved.

Braun slid to his own knees, still holding Tarek’s cheeks, putting them nose to nose. Tarek’s puffy, spit-slick lips were the most erotic thing Braun had ever seen. Eager to please his alpha in return, Braun groped at Tarek’s crotch, only to find a soft cock and a damp spot on his pants. He stared into Tarek’s blazing eyes with wonder.

“But you didn’t even touch yourself,” Braun said.

“Didn’t need to.” Tarek kissed the tip of his nose. “Doing that for you was more than enough to get me off. I loved it.”

“I loved it, too.”

Tarek’s eyes hooded, his expression almost bashful. “I’ve never gone to my knees like that before. Not for anyone.”

“Then you’ve given me a precious gift. One I will always treasure.”

“Having you angry with me these past few days, Braun, it tore at my soul. I’d have been a shell of my former self if you hadn’t taken me back. Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

“You’re welcome.”

Tarek shifted them so they were both sitting, Braun in Tarek’s lap, with their hands tangled against his bare belly. Tarek rested his chin on Braun’s shoulder. “I’ll do right by you in the future, my omega, I promise. No more secrets, no more lies, I swear on my life.”

“Good.” Despite the warm joy of the moment, old fears stole in on chilling feet. “Oh Tarek, do you really believe Ronin can save Kell.”

“I do. In his home province, Ronin has spoken passionately for omega rights, and he’s part of an active movement there to make changes. He’s the best person I know to help Kell.”

“Thank you for finding him. I can’t believe I used to know him, once upon a time.”

“He didn’t mention that when I first contacted him, but he also may not have immediately made the connection of Kell Iverson to the Kell Etting he once knew.”

“Probably not.”

Tarek turned their heads so their eyes met once again. “We’ll bring Kell home, Braun. I promise you, we will. Your brother will go free.”

“I truly hope you’re right.”

The trial likely wouldn’t start for weeks, which seemed like an eternity, and also not enough time for Ronin to build his case. But whatever happened next, Braun had to put his trust in an alpha he vaguely recalled from childhood to save his brother’s future. He had to trust that the system would have sympathy on Kell once they heard the full tale of his existence as Krause’s mate.

For now, though, Braun could safely exist inside the arms of his alpha, knowing he was safe, protected, and loved. And in this moment, that knowledge was everything.

* * *

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