Chapter Four
Michael could tell Eliot was going to present soon. The little one was increasingly fussy. Every time Michael did tummy time with him, Eliot’s face would scrunch up and his back would arch.
At lunchtime, in the playroom, he could tell it was time. Sarah ran off to get Claude while Michael stuck close to Eliot, comforting him with words and gentle touches. Ryan saw what was happening and shifted too, his wolf padding over to stand next to Michael. Eliot’s nose twitched as he caught Ryan’s scent and that was all the encouragement he needed to complete his shift. The kitten that stared back at them moments later looked startled, his eyes wide. Before Michael could reach for him, Claude rushed in, elbowing him aside.
“Oh, my little munchkin, look at you—”
Claude froze, his hand an inch from Eliot’s fur. He pulled back and got to his feet, staring down at Eliot with something akin to disgust before turning his gaze on Michael.
“This is your fault. An alpha, that’s all we asked for. Even a beta I could live with. But that—” He gestured to the cub on the floor, his scent now clearly omega. “I’ll never forgive you for that.”
He shoved past Michael and stalked out the door. On the floor, Eliot shivered, the cub rattled by the beta’s rejection. Ryan’s wolf was crouched on the ground too, his ears flat. Michael knelt down, leaning forward to tug Eliot into his arms. Ryan crept forward, pushing close, and Michael hugged them both.
“It’s okay,” he told them. “You did so well, Eliot. Such a good job with your first change. You are the most beautiful cub. And you’ve got your big brother here to look out for you.”
Ryan settled down on the nursery floor to keep watch over Eliot while Michael slipped outside. A moment later, the unmistakable sound of shouting was heard through the house.
“He’s gone up to Julian’s office,” Sarah told him when she caught Michael looking around for the beta.
Worried about what was being said, Michael crept toward the stairs and started up them. Halfway up, he spotted Max at the top and froze. The alpha was standing with his back to Michael, very still, his head cocked to one side, listening in on the argument. Afraid of being seen, Michael reluctantly went back down. The alpha’s shoulders hunched, the only sign that he might have heard Michael’s retreat. Knowing it was better not to risk being seen and having someone tell Claude what he was doing, he retreated to the nursery and knelt back down on the floor with the kids.
The tears came unwillingly, but he couldn’t push them back. He heard a noise at the door and glanced up. Max was standing there, the alpha staring down at the newly shifted cub, his expression unreadable. Eliot mewled, and Michael looked down, running a comforting hand through his fur. When he glanced up again, Max was gone.
Eliot fell asleep soon after, and Michael carried him to the nursery to rest, Ryan padding at his heels. There was no sign of Claude.
The rest of the afternoon passed at a snail’s pace. Claude came in during the kids’ dinner, giving Ryan a hug, and smiling at Eliot but just breezing by Michael like he wasn’t even there. The beta was almost cheerful when he spoke to Sarah, all the tension from earlier seemingly vanished. Michael didn’t know why but he was relieved. He didn’t want Eliot to suffer because of him. Max reappeared too, giving Michael a long, searching look before making himself scarce again. It seemed like Eliot’s presentation had been forgotten.
Julian arrived just as Michael was taking Eliot to bed. He stopped right in front of Michael and held out his arms. Surprised and a little scared, Michael handed the baby to him. The alpha bounced him in his arms, smiling softly. Over his shoulder, Michael caught sight of Claude, the beta’s face twisted with hatred at the sight. Michael could only hope it was all for him and not for the little omega who’d had no say in any of this.
The alpha pressed a kiss to Eliot’s forehead before handing him back to Michael. His expression was a little sad but there was none of the anger that his mate had displayed. Julian turned and Michael choked back a laugh at how quickly Claude schooled his face into a smile. The two of them headed upstairs together, and Michael settled Eliot down into his crib, singing a lullaby to send him to sleep. The little omega drifted off quickly, still tired from the busy day.
Then it was time for Ryan’s bath.
“Mikey,” Ryan asked, playing with a toy duck. “Why’s Eliot a cat and not a wolf like me?”
Michael would have corrected him if he knew what kind of big cat Eliot was going to be but, at that stage, a lot of cubs looked alike.
“Because you’re both very special,” Michael told him, washing the suds from his hair with a small cup of water. “Eliot needs you to be a good big brother and watch out for him. Can you do that?”
Ryan let go of the duck and it floated away.
“Uh-huh. Why was Daddy mad at you?”
Michael struggled with the question. “I guess because you’re a lot like your papa and your daddy would have liked Eliot to be more like him.”
“Is he like Papa too?”
“No, he isn’t.”
“Who’s he like then?”
Michael just smiled at him, running his hand through the little alpha’s unruly curls.
“Time to get out. And then it’s story time.”
Ryan jumped out eagerly, letting Michael wrap him in a fluffy towel. He got him dried and dressed before checking Claude was still upstairs. There were certain things that were sure to rise the beta’s anger, one of them Michael being close to Ryan without good reason. But Claude and Julian hadn’t left their bedroom so Michael cuddled up with Ryan in the rocking chair, the little alpha’s favorite book in his hand.
“Once upon a time,” he started, smiling down at his son as Ryan rested his head against Michael’s chest.
Not ten minutes later, Ryan was fast asleep in his arms. But Michael wasn’t ready to let him go. They stayed there for almost half an hour before he lifted Ryan into his arms and carried him to bed. He tucked him in and kissed his forehead.
“I love you, Ryan. Goodnight.”
He paused by Eliot’s crib, the baby twisting fretfully in his sleep. Michael leaned in, letting his hand rest against the baby’s chest so his warmth and scent could soothe the little one.
“I love you, too, my precious little boy. Just as you are.”
He crept to the door of the nursery and stepped out, shutting it behind him. He stood there for a long moment, waiting in case one of them didn’t settle. But all was quiet inside so he slipped into his bedroom, changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
He woke to a hand across his mouth, silencing him. Someone loomed over him in the dark. He flinched back as they leaned in, not relaxing when an alpha’s scent hit him and he recognized Max. The alpha’s eyes were narrowed, his gaze intense.
“You have to come with me, right now,” the alpha demanded, yanking Michael from the bed and to his feet.
Michael, too shocked to struggle, let the alpha pull him out the door and along the corridor. It was only after they’d passed the nursery that he tried to get free.
“Stop struggling and stay quiet,” the alpha growled, practically lifting Michael off his feet as he hustled him through the kitchen toward the back door.
Michael twisted in the alpha’s grasp.
“Wait, what are you doing? I can’t go out there, you have to let me go.”
“I have to get you out of here, tonight.”
“No,” he said, fighting harder, kicking Max in the shin. “I have to stay here, with my kids.”
The alpha pulled him closer, trapping him against his chest, Michael’s face pressed to his shoulder, silencing him.
“They’re selling you, Michael. First thing tomorrow your new owners are collecting you.”
No. He shook his head, frantic, yanking himself free of the alpha’s hands and running for the nursery. The alpha caught him again before he’d even reached the kitchen doorway, a hand covering his mouth as he was carried back toward the door.
“This is the only chance you have, Michael. If those alphas take you tomorrow, you’ll never see Ryan or Eliot again. If you come with me, there’s a chance.”
“No,” he sobbed, his voice muffled behind the alpha’s hand. “I can’t leave them, I can’t.”
The alpha didn’t answer him, reaching the door, throwing it open and getting them both outside. Michael tried to fight, but he was no match for the alpha’s strength succeeding only in freeing his mouth from Max’s hand.
“Max, please. I can’t leave.”
“You are leaving, one way or another.” The alpha spun him around, catching his chin and holding his gaze. “You can go with those alphas and live out your life as a slave or you can come with me, and I’ll bring you to Griffin and Andrew.”
The fight left Michael like someone had punched it out of him. He staggered under the weight of those names.
“Finn? Drew? How?”
The alpha just shook his head, letting out a low growl. He grabbed Michael’s arm and tugged. Michael moved, running with the alpha across the yard. They weren’t even halfway to the gate when lights flooded the area around them and a shout went up. Max didn’t slow down, pulling Michael along with him. He let go of Michael’s hand as he forced the gate partially open. And then the guards were on them.
Everything that happened after that was a blur: Max shifting into a bear and fighting the guards, hands grabbing him, trying to drag him back from the gate before the alpha bear was on them, knocking one guard clear across the yard. Then Max was human again, blood dripping down his face. The alpha grabbed Michael, and they were running once more, shouts following them. He was shoved into a car, Max climbing in the other side, and then they were speeding off into the night.