And now Hades looked thunderous, his eyes flashing, his jaw clenched. “Heinsultsyou?”
Aaren backed away, his heart thumping. This right here, this was probably why Hades had gone to prison.
Hades noticed. He stepped back, breathing deeply to calm down. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten angry around you. I’m not mad at you. Just your alpha. Alphas shouldn’t do that to their omegas.”
“He’s an asshole. And a mistake,” Aaren admitted.
Hades’ brow furrowed. “Then why are you still with him? You can just leave—”
“No, I can’t,” Aaren growled. “You say it like it’seasy,everyone keeps telling me it’seasy—”
“Isn’t it?”
“No!” Aaren shouldn’t be yelling at an alpha who had paid him $200 for a meal; he shouldn’t be yelling at an alpha who might have anger issues. But everyone kept telling him to leave Ballus as though it were that simple, and he was sick of hearing it. “It’s complicated! I fucked up!”
Hades stared. Then he glanced at Aaren’s belly. “Did he knock you up?”
Aaren shuddered. “No. Thank heavens.”
But his heat was coming soon, and he needed to start his BC pills before he forgot about them.
“So help me understand. Why is it so difficult to leave?” Hades pulled out a chair—Ballus’ chair—and sat down. He looked expectant, so different from his angry self that it eased Aaren’s wariness.
Aaren deflated. “I signed a contract. In my Gran’s will, she said I have to be with an alpha for a year before I’d get my inheritance. I had to put Ballus’ name in the contract, and... it’s only been six months.”
Hades narrowed his eyes. “If he’s mistreating you, you can get a lawyer to help with that.”
Aaren sighed heavily. “He doesn’t hit me. There’s no proof. It’s just... all these little things he says that sound horrible.”
And depending on the judge or police officer, Ballus’ words might not even count as abusive.
From the look on Hades’ face, he was thinking the same thing. “I could beat him up a little. Make him more polite.”
Aaren shook his head quickly. “No! Then he’ll come back and take it out on me.” Before Hades could offer another solution, Aaren turned away. “It’s fine. It’s just another six months. Then I’ll leave.”
Hades pursed his lips. “Tell you what. If you need any help at all, if you need to yell at someone, or vent, or if you need tofeel safe,you can call me.”
Aaren swallowed. He had been whining to his friends about Ballus, but... they were omegas. They couldn’t really help him feel safe.
Hades could.
Hades was willing to beat up Ballus, and he had done things that had sent him to prison.
“You have to promise not to beat him up or yell at him,” Aaren said slowly.
Hades didn’t look happy about it. “I promise.”
Aaren let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. “Thanks.”
“Tell you what. Would you like to have some hot chocolate?” Hades straightened his shoulders.
“What?”
“I’ll make you hot chocolate. As an apology for...” Hades waved vaguely. “Getting you worked up. That was not my intention when I came here.”
That’s right—he wanted food. He hadpaidfor food. And Aaren had yelled at him instead.
Aaren’s face burned. “I’m sorry for yelling at you.”
