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I looked down, my stomach twisting into a pretzel. “He’s all I had for a year. He’s the closest thing I have to a brother.”
“We know that.” Rhett met my gaze across the island, his gray eyes fierce. “We’ll find him for you, love, but it may take some time.”
“I thought OS and the government didn’t care about male omegas,” I said.
Crew exchanged a long look with Rhett before speaking to me. “Another change that’s happened over the last few years. With the lack of bonded packs, and an increase in feral alphas as a result, they’ve offered male omegas a choice of employment.”
The sour note in his tone made me sit up straight. “Employment?”
Kellan scoffed, his jaw tight. “Rut rooms.”
I blinked. “What?”
“They’re places where alphas who have been deemed a high risk can knot an omega,” Rhett said slowly, carefully selecting his words.
“No,” I whispered, a hand flying to my mouth. “They’ll force Logan to do exactly what you saved him from?”
Rhett’s hands balled into fists. “Technically it’s a voluntary program. Omegas are given a choice, but it’s damn hard to turn down their offer. Free room and board, free meals catered by an onsite chef, and a monthly allowance. Alphas are forced to wear mouth guards to keep them from biting an omega.”
“And that makes it better?” My voice hitched up several hysterical octaves.
“No, it doesn’t.” Crew exhaled a long breath. “But it does give omegas that were usually left to fend for themselves in the streets a chance to have a semblance of a life.”
“But they’ll never have a pack?” Tears blurred my vision.
Crew hesitated. “Technically an alpha or pack could offer them to be part of their pack. Some have.”
“Could you offer that to Logan?” Hope bubbled in my chest. “He’s so sweet and kind. He wouldn’t be a bother?—”
“I wish it were that simple,” Crew murmured with a shake of his head. “Packs are only legally allowed one omega. If our pack made an offer to Logan, we’d have to let you go.”
“And we’re not letting you go,” Kellan informed me with a scowl. “We’ll find another way.”
“So that’s it? I’ll never see Logan again?” I looked at each of them, my heart breaking into pieces.
“We didn’t say that,” Crew refuted. “We’ll find a way for you to see Logan, but it’ll take time. Right now we have to play by every single rule they throw at us, or they could take you away, Hazel.”
Ice formed in the pit of my stomach.
With a rumbling hiss, Crew plucked me from my own barstool and arranged me on his lap. “That’s not happening.” He cupped the back of my head, and I turned my face into his neck. His scent saturated my senses. Warm leather with a bite of bright citrus became my entire world.
I lost track of how long I clung to Crew. Long enough that I was dimly aware of a timer going off and the sounds of the ovens opening. The tantalizing aroma of pizza was almost enough to drag me away from Crew.
Almost, but not quite.
It wasn’t until Kellan pressed a hand to my back that I lifted my head.
“You need to eat, sugar,” Kellan murmured, his chest warm at my back.
I was exhausted and overwhelmed, but knew he was right, even if the walk across the kitchen to the table seemed like trekking up Everest. I was about to push myself up, when Crew’s hands tightened on my waist and locked me in place.
“If you could have anything right now, what would it be?” Crew’s breath fanned across my cheek.
My brows crinkled. “I’d want Logan to be free and to be a beta again. I want the last four years of my life back.”
A sad smile ghosted over his full lips. “Let me rephrase that, little omega: what do your instincts want right this minute?”
I paused, glancing between him and Kellan. By the table, Rhett and Jude had stopped to look at us. It felt like a test I needed to pass.
