Page 20 of Bully for Sale

“George doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the money, son. He wants his child to stop embarrassing him. The boy is of legal age, I understand. Eighteen is the minimum.”

“That’s forcommonalphas and omegas, not people of our class.” Ned hoped that by appealing to his father’s snobbery, he could get through to him. “Or in the rare case where an omega goes into heat early due to a medical issue.”

Ned’s heart was racing. He didn’t know what he would do if George Fersee auctioned Ezer off. He didn’t have the money to buy him, and the idea of any other alpha having him made him feel sick. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized he’d always planned, hoped,believedhe’d find a way to have Ezer for himself.

“It’s also for situations where young men of ‘our class’, as you put it, aren’t able to behave and their fathers need to see them settled and safe.”

“And that’s the case with Ezer?” Ned’s ears rang.

“Yes. In fact, George has offered the boy to us, along with a lump sum settlementplusan annual stipend that more than makes up for what we’ve lost from my dear, asshole brother. God bless his infant son,” Lidell said.

Ned didn’t remind his father that the only person Heath had disinherited had been Lidell himself, and that Ned still stood to inherit a tidy sum, nor did he remind him that Heath still paid for Ned’s schooling and promised him a good income when or if he married or bred. All that truth would just send his father over the edge.

“Fersee is willing to pay a great deal to keep his son quiet, and there’s no reason we can’t be the ones to get that money. It’s easy. So long as we can keep this boy Ezer in line, which I have no doubt you can do, we win. Besides…” His father’s expression turned crafty. “Rumor has it you have some interest in him?”

Ned ignored that question, asking instead the most important one of all, “What does Ezer think of all this?”

His father waved his hand. “Ezer’s opinion isn’t important. It seems this decision has been a long time coming, but recently came to a head. George has reason to fear his son is attracting the wrong sort of attention from alphas at school, and he’d like to have Ezer heat-bred and out of school before the new term starts. He believes that will solve all his problems with the boy.”

“But Ezer has to consent.”

“Yes, and I’m sure he will. His father has legal power over him until he’s twenty-two. So what does his opinion matter?”

“If he doesn’t want it, then—”

Lidell laughed. “Oh, when his heat starts, he’ll want it.”

Ned squirmed.

“Consent in advance is required,” Hunter said from the opposite end of the table. Ned jerked, having forgotten the young man’s presence, bombarded as he had been by such a flood of information and feelings. Hunter flicked a blond lock from his eyes. “Legally, a contract must be signed.”

“I’m sure this boy, Ezer, will see the sense in it, or he’ll be made to,” Lidell said, waving his fork.

Hunter shrugged. “Maybe. But therearelaws to protect us. Not many, but a few. And prior consent, before heat starts is one of them. Unless you’d enjoy seeing Ned in jail for rape?”

“I told you! I’m sure Ezer will be brought around to seeing the sense of it.”

“I’m not sureIsee the sense of it,” Hunter went on, pushing his luck. “This omega is not even nineteen yet. Or so I’m assuming, since Ned is only eighteen, and they are in the same class.”

“Ned turned nineteen last month, and I didn’t ask your opinion.”

Hunter frowned, putting his fork down and crossing his arms over his chest.

“I think you’ll be on your way tomorrow,” Lidell said.

“I think I shall,” Hunter agreed with matching coldness.

“Why us?” Ned asked, shaking off the question of consent and the unwanted insertion of the stranger-at-the-table’s opinions. It was a pointless discussion anyway. He wouldn’t take Ezer without his consent, no matter what their fathers planned.

But what if Ezerdidconsent?

Ned’s cock rushed with blood. Those eyes, so beautiful and full of feeling, flashed in his mind. Still, they were both only nineteen, and not even at university yet. They were far too young.

Ned cleared his throat and tried to sharpen his mind. “There have to be other, older men who would want to take Ezer off Mr. Fersee’s hands.” Though the thought made Ned’s stomach turn, and he put his fork down, unable to take another bite.

“No doubt. But during my discussion with him, we agreed that you and Ezer would be well-suited.”

Ned coughed. In his fantasies they were, but that was just in his head. The real Ezer loathed him and thought he was a bully.