“It’s been coming for a while,” Olivier said tiredly. “Total Sounds has really been pushing its ads lately.”
Brad grimaced. “Not that I’m a fan of their recent ads. They’re kind of tasteless—did you see the one with the creepy alpha? And the one that tried to be smart but just offends everyone? Who even thinks those up?”
Olivier shrugged uneasily. The ads were still working, though. “They changed their regional manager recently.”
“Yeah, well, they should get the old one back. At least those were good ads.” Brad paused and winced. “But yours are the best, Ollie.”
“I loved the one you had with the baby’s picture,” Ian added with a warm smile. “That was really nice.”
Olivier bit his lip. “That was his work, too. The previous Total Sounds manager. He—he helped me.”
Brad glanced around the store. “You should get him to help you more, you know. Olivier’s Strings will get famous.”
That gave Ollie a small chuckle. He hadn’t the heart to tell Brad that he and Eric had broken up.
Brad sniffed. Then his forehead wrinkled. “I thought you had an alpha the last time I was here. Where’d he go?”
Ollie froze. Thought of a million things he could say. “He was Total Sounds’ previous manager,” he finally mumbled. “We broke up.”
Brad looked horrified. “Oh, shucks. I didn’t know. So sorry to hear that.”
“If you need any help at all,” Ian added, “just tell us.”
But they didn’t owe Olivier anything. They had their own lives and children to care for, too.
“I’m fine,” Olivier said with a strained smile. “Don’t worry about me.”
“We’ll have a look around,” Brad said. “See if we can help.”
He walked hand-in-hand with his omega down the aisles, murmuring quietly to his toddler. Ollie watched them, wishing there was a chance he could have that future. Where he could be happy, where Eric could hold his hand and smile at Ollie like he mattered.
Then Brad leaned in, pressing a kiss to Ian’s temple. Ollie’s heart ached.
He missed Eric so very much. If he hadn’t turned Eric away, if he’d just been a little more selfish and accepted Eric when Eric had asked... He would have an alpha now, wouldn’t he?
What would he tell their child? I let your other dad go because there were better omegas out there for him. Then his baby would ask, What’s wrong with you, Papa? and Ollie wouldn’t know what to say.
Should you tell your child everything you’d ever done wrong? If you didn’t, would you be lying?
His chest too tight, Olivier slipped out through the backdoor.
This was for the best. He would close his shop, move somewhere else, start anew. Where his presence wouldn’t bother the rest of the family, and Eric could create a new home in peace.
He tried not to think about Eric’s mom, the way she had whispered, I always knew you were a worthless thing. Always depending on someone else like a parasite.
Ollie would have a baby soon. He would depend on himself. Be someone his child could look up to.
Past the backdoor, the parking lot was deserted. Few people ever circled around to the mall’s back entrances—only the shop workers parked their cars here. Ollie picked his way down the row of backdoors, turning the corner.
He bumped into a hard chest. Wobbled, and sucked in a lungful of that fishy, dreadful Callery-pear scent.
Olivier’s heart lodged in his throat. Zan.
“What do we have here?” Zan smirked, grabbing Olivier’s arm so he couldn’t run.
Ollie yanked himself out of Zan’s grasp, alarm whispering through his body. “What’re you doing here?”
Zan glanced at the cars in the deserted lot, a slow smile spreading through his face. “I thought I’d drop by for a visit. Who knew? You came looking for me.”
“I wasn’t looking for you,” Olivier spat.
Zan had largely been absent ever since that fight at Pigeon’s parking lot. Eric’s presence seemed to have kept him away. But now...
“Where’s your alpha?” Zan sniffed, smirking. “Looks like those pictures got him fired, didn’t they?”
Ollie’s stomach shrank into a tight, hard lump. “What pictures?”
“The ones of you and him.” Zan shrugged, leaning against the building. “That was scandalous, you fucking the Total Sounds manager. I forwarded a few things to their corporate office some time ago. What kind of deals did he offer you? Or were you exchanging fluids and inventory goods at the same time?”
The pictures Eric had mentioned. The ones that had gotten Eric into trouble with his boss. Zan was the reason why Eric had been fired.
Olivier stared, his heart sinking. “That was you?”
“Of course it was me.” Zan ran thick fingers through his greasy hair, pushing himself off the wall. “That fucker had the nerve to hit me.” Zan rubbed his nose. “Healed right, at least.”
His nose had healed crooked, and he was missing a tooth. But the rest of him was brawny, taller and heavier than Olivier. Zan stalked forward, towering over Olivier like an ogre.
Ollie couldn’t run. Not fast enough, not without risking a fall. He wrapped a protective arm around his abdomen, backing away.
It was Zan’s fault. Zan got Eric fired. But if Eric never came to help Olivier at Pigeon’s... Zan wouldn’t have known about Eric.
It was my fault Eric lost his job.
Zan grabbed a fistful of Olivier’s hair, yanking him forward.
His scalp burning, Olivier shoved at him. “Don’t you have another omega?”
“A few. None quite as responsive as you.” Zan smirked, hauling Ollie closer. “They aren’t as much fun to play with.”
Then he lowered his lips to Ollie’s, and Ollie’s skin crawled.
He heaved himself out of Zan’s grasp, his stomach turning. The shop was too far away. Ollie couldn’t get there without Zan catching up. What if he yelled?
“No?” Zan chuckled. “Where’s the alpha you’re saving yourself for? Or is he only showing up for sloppy seconds?”
Olivier shuddered with revulsion. “Get away from me,” he breathed, his heart smashing against his ribs. “You can’t touch me here.”
“Oh? Then where can I touch you?”
Before Ollie could run, Zan grabbed his arm, twisting Ollie around to face the wall. Then he shoved Ollie against the brick.
Ollie barely had time to throw his hands out, taking the impact to keep his belly safe. Pain jolted up his palms.
“He should’ve known better,” Zan drawled, sweeping his heavy hand down Olivier’s back. “You’re business rivals. But maybe he just liked the control over you. All he had to do was pull some ads, and your shop would’ve gone belly-up. Of course you fell for it.”
Olivier edged away from him. That wasn’t true... Or was it? Eric did have the upper hand with Total Sounds. He could’ve sunken Olivier’s Strings at any time. Hell, he was the one who had brought Total Sounds to Meadowfall.
“You don’t know him,” Olivier said quietly.
Zan raised his eyebrows. “So you knew he was going to leave you. Did he give you this mark?”
He touched the bonding scar on Olivier’s neck, his fingers a vile pressure. Then Zan brushed his thumb over it, almost like a lover’s caress, and Ollie’s stomach turned. Had Ollie known that Eric would leave? Maybe.
But deep down, Ollie had hoped that Eric would stay. Eric just didn’t love him enough to.
Zan tapped on Olivier’s belly. “Ever thought about selling this one? I can fetch you a good price. But I want a fifty-percent cut.”
Olivier inched away, a bitter taste on his tongue. Unlike Eric’s touch, Zan’s finger felt like slime on his body. “Never.”
Zan’s eyebrows crawled up. Olivier held the wall for support, taking a slow step backward, then another. But Zan followed him down the building.
I need to get away. Need to run.
But what was the point, when Er
ic wouldn’t be waiting? Olivier wasn’t a good person. He’d lied to Eric. He’d said shit about Eric’s mom and his late wife, and Olivier deserved to be beaten up for that.
Maybe only then would he be worthy of Eric again.
His heart fluttered with hope. If he could be worthy of Eric, for once... Ollie had never looked forward to a beating so much in his life.
He stopped trying to run. Wrapped his arms across his belly, his pulse thundering in his ears.
“Oh?” Zan grinned, cupping Ollie’s cheek with a clammy hand. “What’s this? Decided to give yourself to me?”
“No,” Olivier said. “I’m not sleeping with you. But if you want revenge for the time Eric beat you up, you can take it out on me.”
His voice trembled. Zan’s eyes gleamed with malice.
“Ah,” Zan said. Then he grabbed Olivier’s hair and yanked him forward, and pain burst across his face.
It hurt more than he remembered. Zan hit him again and again. Ollie jerked away, his face throbbing, his body screaming at him to flee.
He’d spent so long trying to get away from Zan’s claws. And now Zan was back. Ollie remembered the pain and the screaming, the days of endlessly wondering why he’d done this to himself.
There were times when Olivier had cried, and Zan had smiled at him and said, Good boy. And his face had blurred into Wendy’s. Gods knew Wendy had said those exact same words, with that same cruel smile.
If I hurt, will Eric forgive me for everything?
Zan shoved him up against the wall, wrapping his cruel hand around Ollie’s throat. “Love it when you choke,” Zan murmured. “You make the most fantastic sounds.”
He squeezed painfully around Olivier’s neck. Ollie couldn’t breathe; his lungs burned.
Maybe he wouldn’t survive this. Maybe he wouldn’t get to see Eric again.
Maybe Eric would take one look at Olivier all beaten up, and he’d decide to search elsewhere for an omega.
Ollie’s face stung, his throat hurt, and in that moment, when Zan stared down with his crooked teeth, all Ollie wanted was to be held by Eric again.
Just once more, just so he could feel Eric’s arms around him.
Just once, so he could remember what Eric’s love felt like.
It didn’t matter what Ollie was or wasn’t, so long as he could have his alpha back again.
Except Eric wasn’t here.
Hot tears rolled down his face; he struggled weakly, his heart shredded to pieces. Zan shoved him harder against the wall.
“Stop,” Olivier gasped. “Please stop!”
“You said I could have my revenge.” Zan’s musty breath fell on Olivier’s face. “You don’t mean so much to that alpha, do you? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even have someone to return to.”
“I’d rather be dead,” Olivier hissed, choking when Zan’s fist closed painfully around his throat.
“Ah.” Zan eyed him smugly. Then he flung Olivier onto the ground.
With a panicked cry, Ollie threw his hands out to break the fall, pain shooting up his arms and legs. His baby was safe. That was most important. Ollie had to protect it.
Zan kicked him hard on the ass, forcing Olivier forward. Then he shoved his shoe up between Ollie’s legs, right against his balls, showing Ollie just how vulnerable he was.
Olivier scrambled away, his heart thumping when Zan followed behind like a predator toying with its food.
Ollie had never felt this helpless in his life.
Zan came to stand next to him. Olivier scrambled to his feet, only to be flung back onto the ground, landing hard on his ass. Need to get away. Need to hide. He couldn’t breathe.
“What if we get rid of this?” Zan pressed the rough sole of his shoe to Olivier’s belly, a cruel smile twisting his lips. “I’ll put a new one into you, no problem.”
Fear slid down Olivier’s spine like ice. Not Eric’s baby.
“Help,” he tried to yell.
“Try harder. No one can hear you.”
His face hurt, and so did his ass and his hands. Ollie glanced behind him. Just a few more yards to the backdoor of Olivier’s Strings. If Levi heard him, if Brad and Ian were still there...
Zan lunged at him, a sudden, sharp movement like he’d crush Olivier’s belly. Olivier screamed, lurching backward.
Zan stomped inches from Olivier’s groin. He raised his other foot, his smirk cold.
Olivier panted, his mind blank with terror. When he shuffled back, he left a wet, dark spot on the ground that reeked.
Zan laughed. “First time I’ve seen you piss yourself.”
Ollie swallowed hard, glancing at the backdoor again. It didn’t open. No one would help him.
He would die here, or lose his baby, and Eric would be none the wiser, would he? Eric would find another omega.
His heart breaking, Olivier sobbed. I shouldn’t have said those hurtful things.
He shouldn’t have let Eric go at all.
Zan stepped lightly on Olivier’s belly. “While we’re here,” he said, curling his fingers into Olivier’s hair. “What else shall we do with you?”
32
Eric
Eric had a bad feeling. He didn’t know what it was, or why he felt it.
He just knew, as he watched Jenn totter from the table to the couch, waving her rattles in the air. Something was wrong.
It wasn’t Jenn. It wasn’t Cole in the kitchen, or Aaron somewhere in Meadowfall. His dad was fine. His mom was at home on bed rest.
But Ollie—where was he?
“Bad feeling,” Eric said, picking Jenn off the floor. He stopped in the kitchen, his heart thumping. “Hey, Cole.”
Cole turned at the stove, raising his eyebrows. Bacon and eggs sizzled in the pan. “Yeah?”
“Gotta go,” Eric said. “I have a bad feeling.”
Cole scrutinized him. “You’ve been having a bad feeling the whole week.”
“It’s worse now.”
Eric couldn’t explain the sinking dread in his gut. All week, ever since that night at Wy’s Drive-In, he’d been sleeping poorly. The dreams about Alice still occurred, but they’d been interspersed with Olivier, Ollie in the shower, Ollie in Eric’s arms, sleeping soundly.
Eric had woken up from those dreams, only to find his arms empty, subconsciously sniffing for a carnation scent that wasn’t there.
And now the feeling was a hundred times worse—because Eric didn’t know where Ollie was, because he needed to know that Ollie was safe.
“Watch Jenn,” Eric said. “Just for a bit. Please?”
Cole rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure. Good luck.”
He took Jenn from Eric. Eric all but ran out of the apartment, his heart thumping louder than his feet. For all he knew, Olivier was fine. Maybe he was just seeing another alpha. Maybe he was still doing okay at his shop.
Maybe Eric would crash into Ollie on a lunch date, and things would just be awkward.
But he couldn’t help worrying, because he hadn’t seen Olivier in days. The last time he’d glimpsed that omega, Ollie’s face had been tear-streaked. You’re not my alpha, Eric.
What if that had been a lie, like... like all the other times that idiot had lied?
Like when Olivier had said, I don’t love you. Like when he’d said, The baby isn’t yours.
What if Olivier had been pushing Eric away, despite whatever he felt?
Eric slipped into his car, driving out of the parking lot with screeching tires. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he’d been an idiot himself. Because of course Olivier would try to push him away. That was what Ollie did at the first sign of trouble.
After Eric lost his job and Mom disowned Eric... Olivier had decided he’d hung around long enough.
He’d said crap about Mom and Alice because he’d known how Eric would react. Olivier had always understood Eric better than Eric knew himself.
So he’d said the one thing he could, to drive Eric away from him. And he’d done i
t ruthlessly, without care for either of their feelings. Both at the shop, and in the parking lot of Wy’s Drive-In.
You idiot, Eric thought, his heart aching. I should’ve realized this earlier. Instead of assuming the worst of Olivier, instead of thinking Olivier was heartless.
Because that was the exact opposite of who Ollie was. Ollie was an idiot who had looked sappily at Jenn, he was an omega who had cried when Eric said, I love you.
Olivier was supposed to be Eric’s.
He still loved Eric, didn’t he?
Hope fluttering in his chest, Eric pulled the car to a stop outside Olivier’s Strings, his dread intensifying at the Closing Down Sale signs. The banners hung across the shopfront, fat black words against a crimson background. Was Ollie still there?
Eric parked, barreling into the shop. A couple looked up from browsing. Levi jumped.
“Where’s Ollie?” Eric asked, glancing into the backroom. The shop smelled like carnation, but his omega was gone.
Levi wrinkled his forehead. “I think he went out back.”
Eric stared at the backdoor. Wondered if he was just being paranoid with this bad feeling. Because it lingered at the back of his throat, urging him to do something.
Then someone screamed, the sound muffled. Eric’s stomach dropped. Ollie?
“Where’d that come from?” Levi looked through the shopfront windows.
Eric didn’t stop to answer. He brushed past Levi into the backroom, his anxiety setting his teeth on edge. If Olivier got hurt, if Eric somehow lost Ollie... If he was too late...
What if someone had threatened Olivier, and Eric wasn’t in time to save him? Like he’d failed to save Alice?
Because worse than breaking up with Ollie, worse than not seeing him, was the threat that Eric might never get to hold Olivier in his arms again, and tell that idiot how much Eric loved him.
He flung the backdoor open, freezing at the sight—the rows of cars, and just paces away, Olivier kneeling on the ground, Zan gripping his hair, Zan’s foot on his belly. Zan yanked Ollie’s head toward himself; Ollie’s face twisted in revulsion.
White-hot fury blazed through Eric. Don’t fuck with my omega!
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