Chapter 15Gavin
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
GAVIN
By the time Jules has cleaned me up, applied ointment and wrapped my knuckles, and I finish making tea, Thane has joined us in the kitchen with damp hair, hunched shoulders and a limp in his step. His face isn’t pleasant to look at and seeing the damage Finnick did pisses me off all over again.
I should’ve killed him and dragged his body into the woods for whatever scavenger wanted to feast on it. A return to nature is better than he deserves. I hope one day he bumps up against someone who won’t let him off as easily as I did.
“Anything I can’t see that I need to see?” I ask as I set a cup of Thane’s favorite tea in front of him and take hold of his shoulder. He’s my best friend; if there’s something I need to know, he knows he can tell me. We’ve had a lot of hard talks that broke both of our hearts over the years.
He lifts the side of his shirt, exposing a mottle of bruises along his side. Some of them look fresh, but not all of them. A couple have to be at least a week old. As much as I want to say what the fuck and ask him why the fuck he didn’t tell me more was going on than I suspected, now isn’t the time.
“Not too bad,” I tell him as he wraps his fingers around his cup and peers into the steaming liquid. I know my best friend well enough to know he isn’t just physically hurt. So is his pride. And he’s embarrassed that he had to call me.
I’m ashamed of the fact I spent the last four days locked away with Jules, all the while knowing Thane was dealing with shit at home. At the same time, I can’t regret the four days Jules and I spent together. They ended with him being my mate, most likely carrying my child. In the end, Finnick has been dealt with and Thane isn’t badly hurt. Nothing that won’t heal. The bruising will help the divorce be finalized without too much pushback from the court system.
Thane shoves his fingers into his hair and tugs on the damp strands. “Thanks for rushing over, Gavin. I’m sorry I had to call.”
I squat beside him and grasp his hand to free it from his hair. “Always, sunshine. It’s not even a question.”
He calls and I come; that’s what I do. Not just for him but for lots of people in town who are having issues. My diner is a gathering place, the center of Pine Glen, and that means I’m at the center of it. It makes me feel responsible for everyone who calls Pine Glen home, even if I’m not responsible for any of them. Not really.
“I’ve been so stupid.” A tear spills from the corner of his eye. I glance at Jules, who is sitting across the table, before I slip my arm around Thane. Jules doesn’t seem to mind me being close to another omega, but if he has a problem I want to be mindful of his feelings. Thane may be my best friend, and I love him like a brother, but Jules is my mate. If he doesn’t want me to be physically affectionate with another omega, he’s well within his rights to say something.
Jules doesn’t say anything, though, and I turn my attention back to Thane. “It’s not that simple. You know it. I know it.”
At the end of the day Thane is an omega, and a lot of how he moves through society depends on his status as married, unmarried, divorced or even widowed. His very livelihood depends on how society views him, and as a single parent that view is... less than reputable. “Let’s just focus on what we can fix, and work on fixing it.”
I glance at Jules and tip my chin towards the first aid kit. He’s a soft touch; I figure even if Thane trusts me to look after him, it won’t hurt to have another omega do it instead. There will be no hindbrain activity if it’s Jules who patches Thane up, but there might be if I do, simply because I’m an alpha and it’s an alpha who brutalized him.
Jules stands and comes around the table, pulling the first aid kit closer. I step back, giving him room to work. There isn’t much damage. Or, I suppose there’s plenty of damage but it isn’t as bad as it could be. Thane’s lip is split; Jules cleans it before carefully applying ointment. There isn’t anything he can do for the eye but I grab a bag of frozen vegetables out of the fridge and wrap it in a towel to help with the swelling.
“I’ll pack you a bag so you can come home with Jules and me.” He can’t stay here.
Thane shakes his head. “Far be it from me to impose on the newly mated.”
Jules turns pink and shifts from foot to foot as he repacks the first aid kit.
I slip my arm around Jules and wave Thane’s concern away. “It’s okay—really.”
He’s coming home with us. He can crash in Baz’s room since Jules will be sleeping in mine from here on out. “I kind of wanted rabbit stew for dinner anyway. How about you, Juju?”
He grins and leans into me as he shuts the first aid kit. “Anything you make is delicious.”
I laugh and kiss the corner of his mouth. “It’s not just your mouth that’s sweet.”
“Are you two going to keep verbally sucking each other off in front of me? Is that what I have to look forward to if I come home with you?” There’s no heat or reprimand in Thane’s voice.
“Probably.” We could be physically sucking each other off in front of him. Newly mated shifters aren’t always known for their discretion.
“You sure can pick ‘em, kid.” Thane touches his bruised cheek and winces.
Jules wraps his arms around me and leans into my chest. “I know.”
It isn’t a compliment, not from my friend, but the fact Jules takes it that way makes me happy.
“Do you want to pack your bags?” I ask, keeping my hands out from under Jules’ shirt. It takes more effort than it should. “Or should I do it? Might be awkward if I grab the wrong boyfriend.”
“I’ll do it.” Thane glares as he stands after draining his tea. “You two can just wait out here. No fucking in the kitchen either.”
Jules turns pink and hides his face in my throat. I laugh before I call after Thane. He pauses in the doorway. “I love you.”
There are a million other things I can say. I can tell him today’s events aren’t his fault any more than the events sixteen years ago that resulted in Silo were his fault. Or that he’s going to be okay, and one day his perfect alpha is going to sweep him off his feet, and he’ll have a happy ever after of his own. But none of that would hit the same as reminding him that I love him.
“Yeah. Yeah.” Even though I can’t see his face, there’s a smile in his voice. “Love you too.”
He leaves the kitchen. I sink down on the edge of the table with a sigh and look at Jules as he steps between my thighs. “You don’t mind him coming home with us, do you? I should’ve asked before if you’re okay with another adult omega in the house.”
It’s his home now too; he has a say in who stays and who doesn’t.
“I’m okay.” He laces our fingers together. “Plus, Thane’s been through a lot. He needs to be around people who love him.”
I tug my mate against my chest and he leans into me before I wrap an arm around him. “You’re a good omega, Jules. I’m glad you’re mine.”
His blonde hair catches in my beard as he shakes his head. “Not really. I would just want someone to give me the same grace if I needed it. Plus, Thane’s your best friend. I know you want to be there for him. I’d never get in the way of that.”
I nose at his temple and breathe in his soft scent. “A good omega, and a good mate. I got lucky with you.”
We’re still figuring shit out, and have a lot more to figure out, but Jules and I go together pretty well. For whatever reason, the universe dropped my perfect omega on my doorstep and I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
He runs his hand up my chest and loops his arms around my neck. “I’m the lucky one. But we can split the difference and say we’re both lucky.”
“Smart too,” I tease as I nip at his bottom lip.
If not for the fact we need to wait on Thane, I’d already be halfway home with plans to have my mate moaning and begging under my mouth and hands.
Jules tucks his face into my shoulder. “Is Thane going to be okay?”
I run my hand up and down his spine. “Eventually. I’ll help him move into the rooms over the diner in a few days, and he’ll start working at Strange Brew again. Pine Glen doesn’t have a lot of job opportunities for anyone outside of the tourist season.”
Once things warm up and people flood into town to enjoy all we have to offer, businesses will open again and be looking for seasonal workers but without a husband to provide for him and Silo, Thane needs something year-round.
Jules’ hands slip into my hair. “They can’t stay in this house?”
I shake my head. “No. Finnick bought it when he came to town. Everything belongs to him. Thane won’t be entitled to anything—even with the abuse.”
It’s bullshit but it’s just one more way the system is rigged against omegas. No matter what they bring into a marriage, they leave with nothing. Not even their children, since by law even those belong to the alpha parent. At least Finnick has no claim to Silo. He isn’t the boy’s father.
Jules sighs. “Omegas really are just objects to be owned then.”
“It’s not fair, and I don’t like it any more than you do, but the world is slow to change. For now, we do the best we can, and help however we can.”
We all have to be the change we want to see in the world.
For my small part, I’ll never treat Jules like an object, never give him reason to regret us, and do my best to give him the ability to stand on his own, even if he’s standing with me. But if the worst happens and he wants out for whatever reason, he won’t be walking away empty handed, forced to survive on the streets again or accept the kindness of some stranger who might not have the best of intentions.