Page 22 of Alpha Dragon’s Mating Contract (Babies For Broken Dads #3)

THE ATTACK

Someone had shattered one of the windows out front.

A small figure scrambled under the tables, crawling desperately through the restaurant.

A larger figure climbed through the window, making a beeline for them.

No staff in the vicinity; Raptor had taught them well.

He prowled toward the attacker, snapping his fingers to catch his attention. “Hey. You’re not welcome here.”

The man—an alpha, from his broad shoulders and muscular body—glanced over, then dismissed Raptor the next moment. Instead, he stalked after his target, who yelped and crashed into various chairs.

His target was a thin, disheveled man with three limbs on the floor, and one arm clutching a wriggling bundle against his chest. His face was smudged with dirt, orange eyes wide with panic. Torn clothes fluttered around his skinny body.

“Don’t you fucking run from me. You stole my wallet. Least you can do is give me that fucking baby,” the alpha snarled, eyes flashing.

That—That was disgusting. Raptor growled and drew closer. “Get out of here before I make you.”

“Yeah?” The alpha finally looked up. “We won’t be here long. He has my wallet; I want compensation. That baby will do.”

He lunged at the runaway omega.

Raptor surged forward, shouldering the alpha off-course and punching him in the face. “Omegas are safe here. If you threaten them, you bear full responsibility for what happens to you in this restaurant.”

“You harbor criminals? Fuck off!” The man threw a punch at Raptor.

With all his fighting experience, Raptor caught his fist easily, pummeling him in the jaw.

The omega yelped.

The man snarled. Then his eyes glowed green, and his fist struck out so quickly, Raptor almost didn’t dodge it in time.

Raptor shoved the alpha back by a few paces, glancing at the omega. “Return the wallet. If it’s money you need, I’ll give you some.”

He blocked more blows from the man.

Footsteps sounded behind Raptor, followed by a sharp breath.

“Raptor,” Walren squeaked. More quietly, “Oh fuck, it’s Larei.”

Raptor shoved Larei away, turning quickly. Walren was hovering in the office doorway, wide-eyed and pale, clutching Zebbie to his chest.

The alpha followed his gaze. “Huh, Walren. Didn’t think you were alive,” Larei said with an ugly sneer. “Are you a thief, too? Is this fucker collecting criminals and making you all suck his cock?”

Walren flinched.

Was Larei the man who had destroyed his leg?

From Walren’s hunched shoulders and wary eyes, Raptor thought it might be.

Rage swelled through his chest. He snarled and drew his fist back for a punch, intent on shattering bone.

Before he could, something moved in the corner of his vision.

A black wallet nailed Larei in the face.

Larei grunted.

“I’d rather suck his cock than look at your rotten dick,” the hiding omega hissed. “You horrible dirtbag!”

The intruding alpha bared his teeth.

Raptor caught the wallet before it could hit the floor. He wanted to shatter Larei’s cheekbones, wanted to roast him into a crisp.

But not right here in Nood’s Good.

He slapped the wallet against Larei’s chest, looking him in the eye. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave this city, and never show your face in these parts again.”

“He started it,” Larei spat. He took a step toward the cowering omega. At Raptor’s warning snarl, Larei shoved the wallet into his pants and backed off. Then he eyed Walren. “You must’ve been on your knees this whole time, for a crazy bastard to take you in.”

Raptor roared and lunged. Larei made an embarrassing sound, scuttling out of Nood’s Good.

It took everything Raptor had not to pick up a rock, and smash it into the back of Larei’s head.

“Raptor!” Walren cried.

Raptor snapped out of his rage-fueled haze. Then he remembered that there were two omegas in his restaurant, both of them with babies. He couldn’t leave them unprotected to go chasing after Larei.

Instead, he watched as Larei disappeared into the crowd. “Fucking damn it!”

Raptor stomped back into the restaurant, glancing at the disheveled omega under the table. The man was trembling, watching Raptor warily.

So Raptor crouched some distance away, raising both hands to show he didn’t mean any harm. “Hey. Are you okay?”

Bright orange eyes flickered around the restaurant and landed back on Raptor. “Did you mean what you said? You’re gonna give me money?”

“Yes,” Raptor said. “I can also provide a safe place for you to stay, if that’s what you need. Not my own home—a safe house for omegas.”

The young man chewed on his lip. He looked grimy, with multiple holes in his worn clothing.

“Walren, could you—” Raptor looked up.

Walren was pale, his eyes wide, rocking slightly on his feet. Crap.

“Be right back,” Raptor said to the omega under the table.

He hurried over to his office, gathering Walren into his arms.

“Sweetheart? Are you okay?”

Of course he wasn’t okay. He’d just seen the jerkwad who had broken his leg and left him to die.

And Raptor had been distracted trying to put out the fires—first Larei, then the new omega.

Raptor leaned back to study Walren’s face. Walren’s throat worked. He exhaled shakily and leaned into Raptor, sagging when Raptor hugged him and Zebbie.

“It’s—It’s awful,” Walren mumbled, his voice cracking. “I didn’t think I’d... ever have to see him again. My kn—My leg hurts.”

Raptor was filled with the sudden bitter regret that he had let Larei go. “Fuck! I should’ve killed him when I got the chance.”

Should’ve driven a hot poker into Larei’s eye. Should’ve shaken him until his neck snapped.

“No!” both Walren and the new omega yelped.

“Why the hell not?”

“Because you’ll get in trouble,” Walren said. “And nothing will happen to him while you’re stuck in jail.”

“You’re right.” Raptor released Walren and folded his arms. “I need a better excuse to kill him so the cops don’t come after me.”

Walren buried his face in his hands and groaned.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Raptor said, trying to gentle his tone. “He hurt you and left you to die. He doesn’t deserve better than death. I should’ve come to you immediately after and—”

Walren leaned into Raptor, resting his head on Raptor’s chest. He slid his own arm around Raptor’s waist and rubbed his back. Raptor’s heart stuttered. “No, I’m okay. I didn’t need your help urgently.”

Raptor frowned, stung.

“I mean, I’m not the one in a life-or-death situation,” Walren hurried to explain. “You did the right thing by going to the omega first. It’s what I would’ve done.”

“Glad to see I’m not your first priority,” Raptor grumbled. But he gave Walren a light squeeze to show that he was kidding, before glancing over at the omega.

The runaway omega cleared his throat awkwardly. “Sorry about the window. I didn’t mean to. I just... I was trying to escape from him.”

“Don’t worry about the window. It’s just some glass.” Raptor scowled in the direction Larei had gone. “But that crapbucket was a real piece of work.”

“I’m glad he didn’t touch you,” Walren said to the runaway omega, pulling away from Raptor to approach the other man. Raptor’s chest cooled with his absence.

When he was a short distance away, Walren gasped. “Wait. Are you—?”

He quickened his hobble and slid his bad leg sideways, awkwardly crouching in front of the other omega. Both their faces lit up in recognition.

“You’re the omega who helped me with my leg,” Walren said, choking up. “You stayed with me for hours. Then you left before I could thank you!”

The omega’s eyes widened. “It’s you.”

“What are you doing in Cartfalls?” Walren asked. “What’s your name?”

At that, the omega seemed to hesitate. He ran his hand over his wriggling bundle. “I... I hitched a ride here. To escape from my ex. My name is Mathlin.”

“Mathlin.” Walren narrowed his eyes and said fiercely, “You’ll be safe here.”

“Really?” Mathlin hugged his baby.

“Yes. I was a refugee too. Until...” Walren waved vaguely in Raptor’s direction, his cheeks turning pink. He cleared his throat. “What I meant to say is, Raptor and his friends let me and Zebbie stay in their safe house. My friends have been staying there, too. You’ll be safe there.”

Mathlin peered at Raptor uncertainly. “You seem sure about that.”

“Walren’s right,” Raptor said. “You’re welcome to stay at the apartment safe house for as long as you need. You’ll get food, baby supplies, and a small weekly allowance.”

The omega looked to Walren for confirmation, still disbelieving. When Walren nodded, Mathlin burst into tears.

Walren hugged him, the two of them rocking together for a while.

While they were distracted, Raptor pulled out his phone to text Uriel. He checked on his staff next, then began sweeping up the scattered glass shards.

Sometime later, Uriel showed up with his baby and a backpack. “Rap.”

Walren had disappeared into the back rooms with Mathlin and their babies. They didn’t seem too interested in the scarred mage’s presence, so Raptor focused on the first order of business. “I need this glass wall restored. Can you do that?”

Uriel studied the shattered window. “Yeah, I can. It’ll take a while though. There are a lot of pieces—this is a pretty big job.”

“Take your time. I won’t seat any patrons near you.”

“Thanks.”

Raptor went to the kitchen, eager to do the part of his job that he actually loved.

Halfway through preparing some savory egg custard, low, angry voices sounded from the front of the restaurant.

Candy, one of the early shift wait staff, popped her head into the kitchen.

“Boss,” she said worriedly. “Uhhh. Your friend showed up and he’s starting a fight with the guy working on the window.”

Raptor reached out with his hearing.

“What’re you doing here?” Uriel growled.

“Can’t I visit my buddy’s restaurant?” Bruiser sneered. “Did you come crashing through the window and you’re fixing it out of guilt?”

“Shut up, or I’ll knock out all your teeth and then some.”

“You think you can?”

Raptor tipped his head back with a groan. “What the hell, Bruiser? Go away!”

There was a pause in the argument. Raptor could almost hear Uriel’s smugness.

Then Bruiser asked, at the same volume since Raptor could hear him anyway, “Did he? Smash the window, I mean.”

“No!” Raptor growled. “Walren’s ex was chasing down an omega, who broke the window to escape into my restaurant. I called Uriel here to help fix the glass since it’s not like you can.”

Bruiser shut up. Uriel snorted but said nothing.

Raptor finished up his tray of egg custard cups, then washed his hands and stalked to the front of his restaurant. “What’s up, B? What’s gotten up your ass that you have to annoy everyone around you?”

Bruiser flipped him off. “Nothing! I was just bored.”

He glanced at Uriel though, surreptitiously.

Or rather, he was glancing at the baby strapped to Uriel’s back.

Raptor snorted.

“I still think he stole the kid,” Bruiser muttered.

Uriel’s gaze snapped up. Then he whispered something under his breath and blew.

What came out of his mouth wasn’t air. Globs of yellowish-green slime splattered onto Bruiser’s face, sealing up his eyes and mouth.

“Eurghh!” Bruiser clawed at his face. Uriel smirked.

Raptor sighed. “That’s what you get for slandering people who don’t deserve it.”

“You could’ve opened your mouth,” Uriel said mildly. “The slime would’ve gone down your throat.”

“Fffff,” Bruiser said behind the slime. He shifted his nails into talons and ripped the slime off his face, sucking down lungfuls of air. “What the fuck was that?”

“Eliminating distractions,” Uriel said. “I’m on a job right now and you’re making a lot of noise.”

Bruiser opened his mouth to speak. Raptor clamped his hand down on his friend’s shoulder, and shoved him out of the restaurant.

“He completely trounced you,” Raptor said kindly. “Best get out of here before he annihilates your dignity.”

Bruiser growled. Raptor shrugged, knowing it was the truth.

In the end, Bruiser stalked away, taking his cloud of grumpiness with him.

Raptor ducked back into Nood’s Good with a sigh. “Damn. You did not go easy on him.”

Uriel shrugged. “He was asking for it.”

“He was.” Raptor did not trust himself to say any more than that; he wasn’t going to get himself disqualified from the betting pool. More hopefully, he asked, “Do you have the fertility spells ready?”

An odd look flitted across Uriel’s face, gone so quickly that Raptor couldn’t read it.

“One thing at a time,” the mage sighed. “No, I haven’t had time to start on those yet.”

“No rush.” Raptor raised his hands as a gesture of peace, retreating into the kitchen.

The day he received those fertility spells... he was going to make so damn sure that Walren conceived. Would Walren give him twins?

Walren and Mathlin were chatting easily when they appeared at the kitchen doorway. Mathlin had showered and was now wearing a change of clothes, and so was the baby in his arms. Good.

Next to the new omega, Walren was all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, possibly the happiest that Raptor had seen him recently.

Raptor couldn’t help but watch his omega, the way Walren’s eyes crinkled when he smiled, the way his chapped lips stretched, a laugh burbling out of him.

“You’ll be going to the safe house with us, right?” Mathlin said.

Walren froze, his cheeks turning pink. “I, ah.” Walren glanced at Raptor, then back at Mathlin. “I’m on a contract with Raptor, actually. We just signed it yesterday, and I just moved into his place.”

Mathlin’s eyebrows jumped. He glanced at Raptor, his face full of questions.

Raptor was about to invite the questions when Candy poked her head back into the kitchen, frowning deeply.

“Boss?” she said. “Payment processors are down. Something’s up with the credit card companies and they don’t know when they’ll resolve it. We can only take cash payments right now.”

Raptor wanted to pull out his hair. First the window, and now this? “Seriously?”

“And, uh.” Candy shuffled on her feet, wincing. “Caitlin says she can’t make it for this evening’s shift. I’m having trouble finding a replacement.”

Raptor sighed deeply. “Fuck. Why is today sucking so hard?”

But it was only the beginning of his troubles.