Page 114 of Bully for Sale

Flo stayed on at their father’s home but visited from time to time over the final weeks of Ezer’s pregnancy. However, he was so depressed and despondent over the situation with Shan, Ned typically sent him home after only a few hours telling him that, while Ezer loved him dearly, his health was too fragile to be brought down by Flo’s stories of Shan’s sad phone calls, and the dissatisfaction Shan expressed with his new alpha.

Neddidput Heath’s lawyers on it for Shan’s sake, but after five days they came back saying the contracts were airtight, and, besides, Shan was likely pregnant. Like with Ezer, unless Shan decided to file a suit, there was nothing to be done about it now.

Rodan, as a beta, seemed safe with his father, but everyone agreed it was worth keeping an eye on him all the same. At least Pete had taken the boy under his wing and was bonding with him. So the House of Fersee seemed to be calming down, even though Shan was left suffering.

As far as Ned could tell, the only other person who needed to be more present in Ezer’s life was his da, and that was up to Ezer now. Amos had made it clear that he’d wait for his son to reach out to him. Amos knew he’d betrayed him, and until Ezer was at peace with the situation, and with him, then he’d bide his time.

That seemed selfish as hell to Ned, but he was learning that few people knew how to love unselfishly. It was something he was desperately trying to learn himself.

“Are you going to be okay?” Ned asked, kneeling beside Ezer who was on the sofa, struggling to get comfortable with his giant stomach. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“You don’t really have a choice. You’ve been subpoenaed, and you need to testify since I can’t.”

Braden Tenmeter’s trial had been fast-tracked thanks to his father’s money and influence, and the rumor was that unless there were airtight witnesses, he would get off. The Tenmeter legal team was counting on Ned being too embarrassed of his failure to protect his omega, and of his own prior behavior with Braden and Finch, to testify, leaving only Heath’s testimony. That was considered less than airtight since he hadn’t seen the beginning of the incident. Braden still claimed Ezer had sought his advances, both at school and that day, and he had Finch’s testimony backing him up.

There was no way Ned wasn’t going to testify. It would be his word and Heath’s against Braden’s and Finch’s. Since omegas weren’t allowed to give testimony in a court of law, unless they had brought suit against their own alpha or father for consent violations, their team had moved to allow a written, sworn statement from Ezer, but there was no guarantee the judge would allow it.

“I shouldn’t have allowed Earl to go visit with Simon. Or I should have insisted they both come here,” Ned fretted.

“He’ll be back in a few hours. Earl deserves time alone with his husband. They barely see each other because they’re so devoted to you and Heath.”

“And our omegas and children.”

“Yes, we’ve taken over their lives. Just let them have a romantic day on the beach. Besides, Yissan is here.”

Ned tried not to frown, but he must have failed.

“He’s not going to let anything bad happen.”

“He spends no time in the nest with you. How would he even know if you needed his help?”

“I would use my tablet and call his phone. He’s sure to be on it with John.”

“He’s obsessed with him.”

“Aren’t you obsessed with me?”

Ned shrugged. “Yes, but it’s different. We’re alpha and omega, and they’re…” He didn’t want to say an abomination, that was too loaded a word. But they were hopeless, weren’t they? John could never give Yissan what he needed.

“Don’t be gender-ist. It’s gross.”

“But what about his heat?”

“Leave it to them to settle that.”

“He can’t put off having a heat forever. The suppressants will stop working and then—”

“It’s not our business.”

“I know, but…” Ned tried to stop worrying about what mess Ezer’s brother—well brothers really—might get into with their Fersee stubbornness, and instead turned back to the worry at hand. “I shouldn’t leave you. I wish Adrien had come to town with Uncle Heath. He could stay with you.”

“With those babies? I mean, they’re cute and all, but they’re loud, and I’m tired, and they make me question my life choices even more when they’re running around screaming. The last time they came, Michael scribbled on the wall, and I can’t stop looking at it and seeing clown faces in the mess.” Ezer rubbed a hand over his eyes. “We need to paint over it.”

“I’ll have Earl do it. You should have told me.”

“One of the faces has teeth.”

“Baby…”