Page 18 of Bully for Sale

“That’s a story for another time,” Flo said, in that imperious way he had when he wanted Ezer to feel every bit of the four years between them. “Shan, tell him what you heard.”

“I only heard Father’s side, but he repeated enough of Da’s comments in that angry way of his that I kind of know what he said, too.”

“Spit it out then.” Ezer sat down at the edge of his desk chair, sweat popping up at his temples. If Shan overheard something important enough for Flo to insist on coming to Ezer’s room, when the last thing either middle brother usually did after Ezer had a run-in with their father was be seen around him for a few days, meant it was very bad news.

“Da told him you had been attacked by bullies, but that these bullies were the from the best families in town. He said one of the young men was obsessed with you and wasn’t going to give up on the idea of, well, completing the attack.”

“What?” Ezer couldn’t imagine that Braden found him anything other than an excellent source of opportunistic harassment. Same for Finch. And Ned was just a follower anyway.

“Like I said, I was just getting the information from Father’s responses, so maybe there is some subtlety lost, but that was the gist. And Father said you were driving him up the wall being disrespectful to Pete—”

“I’ve never been disrespectful to Pete!”

“You have to admit you ignore him most of the time.”

“Why shouldn’t I ignore him? It’s not like he’s my da. Besides, I acknowledge him when I’m addressed.”

“Father wants us tolikePete.”

“For heaven’s sake, I do like Pete,” Ezer said. “I just don’t like that he’s here instead of Da.”

“I feel the same,” Flo said, grimacing. “But for whatever reason Father thinks you target Pete, and he holds it against you.”

“He’s just mad that I won’t let him forget what he did to Da.”

“It’s true you have Da’s eyes,” Shan said. “The rest of you, not so much, but the eyes for sure.”

“And eyes are everything.Youreyes especially. Every time he looks at them, he must think of Da. How could he not?” Flo agreed.

Ezer was tempted to turn to the mirror. Would he see what his brothers saw? He knew he didn’t look like either his father or da, being made up of some weird mixture of recessive genes, apparently, but he hadn’t noticed that his eyes were so much like his da’s. Of course, he didn’t spend much time in front of the mirror, not liking what he found there. So perhaps they were.

“I think he’s planning to punish you in some way. For being a troublemaker and disobeying him too often. He says you take too many unnecessary risks and that’s just asking for alphas to harass you.”

Ezer gritted his teeth. “Punish me how?”

“Maybe sell your heat early? He said something about not wanting to risk you being, uh, soiled and lowering your first heat price and affecting the family’s reputation.”

“What nonsense!” Flo muttered, stroking a tender hand over Shan’s back. “Virginity is such a ridiculous double-standard. Alphas are encouraged to have experience, and omegas are devalued for wanting the same.”

“Wait,” Ezer said, derailing the omega rights direction of Flo’s thoughts. “He said he was going to sell my heat? I have to consent first. That’s the law. And I won’t.”

Shan nodded, his eyes dark and worried. “I know, but it’s Father. Please be careful, Ezer. He’ll find a way. You know he will. So suck up to him, be nice to Pete, and stop being so weird.”

“Next you’ll also tell me to learn to read.”

“No, because the doctors say that’s impossible for you.”

“And so are these other things. Except for being nice to Pete. I’m always nice to Pete.”

Shan and Flo shot each other skeptical glances, but they didn’t argue with him anymore. They rose as one from the bed, leaving the sheets and blankets rumpled, and started for the door. “Now you know the situation,” Flo said. “Don’t tell Father or Da or anyone else where you heard all this from, or I’ll slit your throat in your sleep.”

“Always full of threats,” Ezer said, rolling his eyes. “I’ve heard that one since I was able to walk.”

“This time I’m serious. I won’t have Shan getting into trouble for you.”

Then they were gone, the door closing behind them, leaving just a hint of their perfumes—lavender and bergamot—and a pit of dread at the bottom of Ezer’s stomach.

Chapter Six