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Chapter Twenty-Six

Teal

T eal sat in the back of the town car and went over some last-minute notes on his opening prose for High Court. After the brick incident last night, his bosses insisted he be driven into downtown every tribunal day by their security team. Teal hadn’t objected.

Ronan had offered to come to the courthouse to support him, but since the proceedings were being televised, Teal didn’t feel that was necessary.

He wanted Ronan to go to work, to give the boys some sense of normalcy.

Everything else was so topsy-turvy with them not being in school, and with Sorcha, Niall, and Jax living in the house.

Teal pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought about the half hour the police had spent in his home last night, taking photos and asking questions.

Even though the officers were very solicitous, it angered him that in addition to the upcoming tribunal and calming the fears of his boys, he also needed to be concerned about deadly projectiles crashing through his window.

Teal believed what he’d said to Dayson last night, that the brick was probably meant for him.

There was a slim possibility it was for Sorcha, one last fuck you from his uncles.

Dayson’s theory that he’d been followed also had merit.

The pro-alpha groups were getting more sophisticated every day.

Maybe they’d tailed Dayson’s security. Or tapped his phone or email.

Even though he knew Dayson’s guards were watching out for such things, there was always a chance.

Teal also had a dark thought about the phone call he’d taken from Mikel during dinner the previous evening.

Initially, the two lawyers had discussed tribunal matters, but then Mikel asked about Dayson’s safety.

Teal had told his co-worker that Dayson would be coming to the house with his guards later.

Teal hadn’t thought anything unusual about their conversation at the time.

But now he remembered how Mikel had acted strangely after Dayson’s earlier attack.

Was it possible he’d somehow tipped off a pro-alpha group about Dayson’s whereabouts last night?

Teal didn’t want to believe it, but he had to consider the idea.

The brick attack had also spooked Sorcha, re-enforcing his conviction that his presence in Ronan and Teal’s lives was a massive risk.

Although the younger omega didn’t insinuate that they shouldn’t be together—he seemed to have accepted the unbreakable nature of their bond the same way Ronan and Teal had—Sorcha insisted that they be diligent about keeping the true nature of their relationship secret.

He accepted Dayson knew the facts, and of course the kids, but he was adamant that the circle of trust needed to end there. At least for the time being.

Teal had mixed feelings about that, and he knew Ronan did as well.

Teal couldn’t change the fact that he and Ronan had history.

They knew which toothpaste the other used and what the children’s favorite toys and books were.

They’d shared a life and had a decade’s worth of memories.

So they already had their work cut out for them ensuring Sorcha understood that not having that history didn’t make him less important to their family.

Sorcha needed to know he had equal power and standing in their relationship.

That meant Teal claiming him in front of the world, no matter if he disappointed traditionalists.

It meant Ronan wrapping his arms around the young omega and proudly acknowledging his role as the father of Sorcha’s babies, whether now or in the future.

And it meant Sorcha feeling comfortable taking Ronan to task for coming home late from a job site or asking Teal to help him with his business on the weekends.

But keeping their relationship secret would make establishing that new normal much harder.

Fuck! Teal wanted them to start their lives together. Openly. Not hide away from ignorant onlookers or errant bricks. Sorcha deserved that. They all did.

“Did you want to stop at Fontaine’s?” Teal’s beta driver, Barden, asked from the front seat.

Teal smiled. “Yes, please.”

Barden had been Teal’s driver on previous High Court days and knew his habits. Fontaine’s was on the way to the courthouse. Teal always stopped there for a hazelnut latte and bagel with fruit spread on tribunal days.

Pulling up in front, Barden waited outside while Teal went in with his guard. As he entered the café and walked to the counter, several customers recognized him and offered friendly waves. Teal noted their kind, encouraging expressions, reminding him how many folks were rooting for him.

The omega behind the counter greeted him with a smile. “Hello, Mr. McGinn.”

“Hello,” Teal said warmly. “Have we met?”

“No. But I recognize you from TV and know you by reputation, of course. Someone on the afternoon shift told me you stopped here every day on the way to High Court during the divorce case tribunal, so I asked the manager if I could work early, in case you came in again. I wanted to meet you, to thank you for everything you’re doing for omegas.

” The barista cleared his throat. “And to wish you good luck.”

“I’m flattered,” Teal said sincerely. “I don’t consider myself especially superstitious, but since I came here every morning the last time, I figure it can’t hurt to repeat the process.”

“Well, I’m very happy you did.” He pulled out a clean bar rag to wipe the counter. “What can I get you?”

The earnest expression on the face of the other omega, who was perhaps eighteen, gave Teal a second wind toward his purpose.

Despite all the drama happening at home, the next week or two spent in High Court could produce a very necessary and positive outcome for their state.

That brick had been intended to divert his focus. He wouldn’t allow it to.

“A large hazelnut latte, and a plain bagel with Fontaine’s special fruit spread, please.”

“Coming right up.”

The barista put the bagel in the toaster before stepping behind the espresso machine to prepare Teal’s drink.

“I’m very glad I met you,” Teal said. “You’ve given me a bit of a boost. I needed it.”

“Well, I’m grateful you’re doing what you’re doing,” the omega replied, pulling the shots. “My first heat is coming up soon, and it’s looking like I’m going to need to use a service. Knowing there are good ones out there would do a lot to ease my mind.”

Teal’s heart lurched. It was terrible that there were so many omegas out there in this situation. “Thank you for telling me that. It’s always nice to be reminded why this fight is important.”

The barista handed Teal his order. “For sure. I hope you win. I’m Brinn, by the way.”

Teal startled. Brinn. The same name as Teal’s supportive alpha father. That seemed like a sign. “It’s nice to meet you, Brinn. And I hope I win, too. I’m certainly going to try.”

***

After months of preparation , the beginning of the tribunal felt almost anti-climactic.

High Court differed from Low Court in that there were very few people in the actual courtroom. Teal would argue his case and the state would defend the status quo in front of a panel of five judges who would make the final ruling.

Schulman and Carson believed the state would not argue its own position too vociferously.

Despite the loud and obnoxious voices of the pro-alpha groups, public sentiment sat on the side of omega rights.

That’s what Mikel’s call last night was about.

He’d given Teal the results of the latest polling by the state media agency.

Support for Dayson Bannon and his cause continued to grow.

It felt like Teal’s case to lose. Thankfully, he was confident in the witnesses he’d amassed and the arguments he’d built.

But that was inside the courtroom, where the ideals of reason and justice held sway. Outside the courtroom was a different matter.

Pro-alpha demonstrators yelled insults and profanities at Teal on the High Court steps as he walked in. Although none of the protestors did enough to warrant getting hauled away by the police, the vile words and veiled threats spiked Teal’s adrenaline.

“Omega scum!”

“Know your fucking place, omega!”

“You need a baby in your belly to remind you who’s in charge!”

“What’s wrong? Did your bitch of an alpha not fuck you hard enough!”

“Little omega prick!”

The short walk up the steps was horrendous. And Dayson endured the same when his car arrived two minutes later.

But once Teal was in the silent courtroom, with five dignified judges looking down at him with neutral visages, he felt at ease.

All he had to do today was deliver his opening prose and lay out the basics of the positions he would argue on Dayson’s behalf.

The state would do the same, outlining its defense of the current decrees.

Tomorrow, they’d start with witnesses. First Teal’s, and then the state’s.

The two lawyers sitting at the state’s table, both alphas, didn’t seem interested in intimidation.

They were very professional when greeting Teal, shaking his hand and exchanging pleasantries before the judges arrived.

Maybe his bosses were right, and the state wouldn’t fight too hard to maintain the current decree.

Teal sat with Schulman, Carson, and Mikel, but he would do most of the speaking.

The day passed quickly. Teal’s opening prose lasted almost two hours. The proceedings broke for lunch, and then the state presented an opening of half that length. Each judge spent a few minutes afterward stating which issues he’d like to see addressed during the tribunal.

Before Teal knew it, he was striding back down the steps, through the gauntlet of hateful alphas who apparently had nothing better to do with their time than hang out in front of High Court and be awful.

Thank stars, he reached the town car quickly, gratefully accepting a bottle of water from Barden before heading home to his family members.

He couldn’t wait to see all seven of them.