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Chapter Eleven

Niall

N iall texted Ronan and Teal the moment he realized he and the boys were being followed. Hopefully, the couple would arrive quickly. The duplex was only a few minutes away.

He’d had a gut feeling the little alpha’s father wouldn’t let the incident rest. The pool attendant had seemed satisfied once the twins apologized, but the burly, goggle-eyed man currently stalking them down the hallway of the community center clearly wanted something more.

The water drying on his back made Niall shiver. He’d guided Garin, Kino, and Zayne straight through the locker room in their still-soaked suits, intending to get them out of there as quickly as possible. He clutched his towel over his shoulders with one hand and held onto Zayne with the other.

Drawing attention to himself by walking through a public space with no shirt on wasn’t something he enjoyed doing, but with three boys to keep safe, Niall didn’t have a choice. The phone in his hand chirped.

RONAN: On our way

Thank the stars. He only needed to make it through the next few minutes.

The hostile alpha followed at a distance, far enough to appear benign.

He did nothing that would merit Niall asking the community center staff to call security.

But Niall still sensed the threat. He didn’t know if the boys realized, though, so he kept a smile in place as they headed from the pool area into the main atrium.

“Niiiiii-ley,” Zayne whined. “Why do we gotta go home in our wet suits? I feel yucky.”

“Yeah,” Garin complained, pulling his trunks away from his thighs, looking disgusted when they slopped back against his leg. “You could have at least let us rinse the pool smell off.”

“We should have rinsed off,” Kino agreed. “It’s a rule.”

“Sorry, boys,” Niall said, keeping his tone light. “But we’re running late. I figured we could save time and shower at home.”

“We’ve never done that any other time after the pool,” Garin grumbled.

Zayne squeezed Niall’s hand and used his tiny strength to pull them to a stop. “Is this cuz of that mean little alpha boy? My brudders said they was sorry.”

Niall glanced back. The man following them had also stopped short, and his murderous expression sent chills down Niall’s spine. Niall doubted the big alpha was thinking straight. He’d been livid earlier.

“Zayne, we just need to go home, okay? Can you please do as I ask?”

“Yeah, Niley. Sorry.”

The boys quieted, obviously sensing their nanny’s agitation, and followed him to the lobby without argument. The alpha trailed behind them, glaring daggers at the twins.

Niall contemplated whether they’d be safer in his car before dismissing the idea. The community center had been busy, so he’d parked far away in a more isolated section of the lot. It didn’t seem wise to leave the building, especially with Ronan and Teal on their way.

Niall paused in front of one of the pleather couches near the entrance. “How about we sit down right here and rest for a minute?”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Kino said, pulling his towel around his torso. “You just said we were in such a hurry we couldn’t put our real clothes on, but now we’re stopping to rest?”

Garin stepped next to his brother, finally noticing the alpha. “Is this because of him? Landry’s father?”

Niall looked pointedly at Garin. “Did you know Landry before today? I thought you just met him at the pool.”

“Nah. Landry is in my class. He’s always been a jerk. And I’ve seen his dad before. He came in once and yelled at the teacher about Landry’s reading or something. Right in front of everyone.”

Niall wondered if Ronan and Teal would approve of their six-year-old using the term “jerk.” He decided they’d be okay with it.

Especially since it was a mild descriptor of the horrid little boy who’d pushed Zayne off the diving board.

He sympathized with Garin’s beta teacher, having to go toe-to-toe with the man.

“Papa!” Zayne’s happy cry echoed in the cavernous atrium.

Niall had never been more grateful to see Ronan and Teal.

“Hey sweet pea,” Ronan said, lifting his son onto his hip.

The twins burrowed their noses into Teal’s legs, and he pet their heads soothingly. Ronan and Teal gave Niall a what’s going on? look.

Niall leaned close to Ronan. “See that alpha over there,” he whispered, making a subtle gesture toward Landry’s father.

“The twins messed with his son at the pool, and he’s pissed.

Garin and Kino apologized, and the pool manager seemed okay with it, but I got this weird feeling like he wanted more justice for his kid.

He followed us from the other side of the building all the way here, and I didn’t feel safe going in the parking lot alone with the boys. ”

Ronan kept his voice equally muted. “What do you mean ‘messed with’ his son?”

Zayne squeezed his arms around his alpha father’s neck. “Papa, it wasn’t my brudders’ fault. Landwy pushed me into the pool after I got in line for the dive board. He twied to cut in fwont of me and said omegas should always step aside for alphas. When I wouldn’t move, he pushed me.”

Niall’s heart stuttered, recalling his fear as he watched it happen. “It’s a good thing Zayne fell into the water. If he’d fallen on the cement, it could have been much worse.”

Ronan narrowed his eyes at the alpha across the room, who glared back in equal measure.

“If his son instigated the incident, what does this have to do with the twins?” Teal asked.

“Cuz when he pushed me, my brudder came up and punched Landwy in the stomach.”

Teal looked at Garin. “You did that?”

Garin’s cheek lifted. “Not me. Kino hit him first.”

“Kino?” Teal glanced down at his usually-docile twin. Kino shrugged, not looking terribly sorry.

“But I came up after and did a second punch,” Garin added. “It made him cry. Little baby, picking on omegas.”

Ronan and Teal sighed in unison.

“Boys,” Teal said, “How many times have we talked about how violence isn’t the answer?”

“But he pushed Zayne—”

“I understand that. And I know you were standing up for him. But in those situations, I don’t want you to resort to using your fists. You could have called for a lifeguard, or Niall, or—”

“But he hurt my little brother!” Garin tried again. He looked toward Ronan. “Papa, you said it’s an alpha’s job to stand up for omegas, right?”

“Of course,” Ronan answered seriously. “But Daddy’s right. When you respond to bad behavior with more bad behavior, it makes things worse.”

Garin didn’t look convinced, and even though Kino kept a neutral expression, Niall had a hunch he sided with his twin on this.

Deep down, Niall was glad little Landry had received the comeuppance he deserved.

He was twice Zayne’s size, for stars’ sake!

When the beta pool attendant had come over, having seen the whole thing, he’d made the twins apologize.

Niall got the impression he also wanted to make Landry say sorry for pushing Zayne in the pool, but by that time, Landry’s father had entered the scene, and Niall could hardly blame the attendant for being too intimidated by the surly alpha to insist on it.

Since neither Zayne nor Landry had suffered serious injuries, Niall assumed the matter was settled.

But then he’d clocked Landry’s father staring at the boys, and it seemed prudent to be cautious. Especially once the alpha began following them out of the locker room. Now that Niall knew Landry was in Garin’s class, he wondered if there wasn’t more behind the man’s hostility.

The boys didn’t question why their parents had shown up at the pool. Not after noticing Landry’s father. As the alpha continued watching them, Ronan, Teal, and Niall exited the building with the kids, heading to where the couple had parked next to their nanny's car.

Landry’s father followed.

The irate man waited until they reached the far side of the parking lot to shout, “Hey!”

Ronan whipped around and a low growl emanated from him. Niall swallowed at the throaty sound, instinctively gravitating toward the protective heat of the alpha.

“Can I help you?” Ronan’s voice was pure ice.

“You’re their alpha father,” the man stated harshly, waving a finger in the twins’ direction as Teal buckled them into their car seats in Ronan’s truck.

“I am.”

“Then you’re the AINO who taught them their omega-loving ways, you and their fancy-pants omega lawyer daddy.” He spat the last word.

Ronan growled louder and stepped closer to the other alpha, who curled his fingers.

“Benso…” Niall turned to see a weary-eyed omega exiting the community center, tugging a sullen Landry behind him. “Let’s just go home, okay?”

“Shut up.” Landry’s father—Benso—said to the omega, who Niall assumed to be Landry’s other father. He hadn’t noticed him before.

The omega shrunk back, pulling Landry into his side.

“Your boy Garin is in my son’s class,” Benso said to Ronan. “And he’s always talking about omega rights and putting my son down for being pro-alpha. Telling him he’s stupid. And just now, he sucker-punched him!”

“Did he sucker-punch him?” Ronan asked menacingly. “Or was he defending his four-year-old brother, the one your son shoved into the pool?”

“Landry had every right to put the omega in his place. The little runt had no business being at that end of the pool. Everyone knows alphas don’t get in line behind omegas.”

“That is neither morally nor legally true,” Teal said forcefully from beside the truck, where he’d successfully buckled in the boys and shut the door. “There aren’t different rules for alphas, betas, and omegas at public pools. Next time, your kid can wait.”

Benso moved to advance on Teal. Niall blinked as Ronan darted his arm out to grab the other alpha by the throat.

“You listen to me,” Ronan snarled. “Go get in your car. Drive away. And never, ever talk to any of my sons again. I’ll tell my twins to steer clear of Landry at school, and you tell your boy the same. And if you threaten my family again, I promise it will be the last thing you do.”