Page 117 of Bully for Sale

Ezer pointed toward the corner of the room, near the back, behind the table. He didn’t know why, but he felt it was the safest place. Yissan piled blankets there and helped Ezer reach them.

Ezer squatted in the pile, unable to get comfortable in any other position, rocking away the lengthening stretches of agony.

At first, the time between each was longer than the time of pain, but quickly, that shortened, and pain came faster and faster. Yissan sat beside him, holding his hand, but he didn’t have the experience to relieve Ezer’s mind or reassure him other than to say, “You just have to hold on, Ezer. They’ll be here soon.”

Ezer didn’t know who “they” were—the ambulance, his da, his Ned. But no one came fast enough for him.

Ezer was naked and still squatting with his eyes shut when the ambulance arrived. No longer embarrassed at his nakedness, Ezer didn’t mind that these men were checking him over and trying to gage what to do. Ezer heard bits and pieces of their conversation:

“His alpha needs to be here.”

“We need permission to take him.”

“He’s too close now. He’s dilated. He’s open and near to pushing.”

“We could sedate him, cut them free—yes—but there’s no guarantee he’ll live through it.”

“No, you’re right, no guarantee he’ll live either way.”

The situation must be dire if they were talking about such a bad potential outcome in front of him.

Yissan was the only one to touch him, the crew holding back, waiting for the alpha permission they sought.

“If anything goes wrong, he could blame us. We need his permission to continue.”

Ezer panted, his mind drifting. He visited the heat house in his head, remembered the shells Ned had offered by the shore. He wished he had them in his hand now. Talismans of his alpha’s love and hope.

At the time, he’d treated both Ned and his gifts as if they were useless when all he wanted now was to have them close. Ezer’s eyes filled with tears. He wasn’t going to make it. He couldn’t endure this. No one could. His brother whispered to him to stay strong.

“Ned is coming,” Yissan said. “Ned and Da both.”

The pain consumed Ezer again, this time accompanied by an intense urge to push. He didn’t resist. The men in room tensed as he did.

Yissan held him upright, but the suffering was all too much.

Dots obscured his vision. Darkness came and went.

Ezer needed Ned. He needed his da. He needed help.

He passed out.

Chapter Thirty-Five

“Idid, sir,”Ned said, his eyes on the attorney questioning him. “I put my foot on Ezer’s shoulder as Braden asked.”

“So you were a participant in the brutalization of your future omega?”

“As humiliated as I am by my past cowardice, yes, I was.”

“Is it possible that your guilt over this matter, and jealousy that your omega prefers Braden Tenmeter as an alpha, is what has led you to testify against him today.”

“No.”

“That’s all? Just no.”

“Just no, sir.”

“That’s all the questions I have for now,” Braden’s attorney said. They’d already covered the accusations around the final attack, with Heath having been the main witness. Though the court had seen fit to allow Adrien and Ezer’s sworn, written testimonies to be presented to the judge.