Chapter 4
Chapter Four
“ I t’s me.” Ronan waited a beat, then a second, before slipping his phone from his pocket after Emerson walked away. The number he dialed was as familiar as the omega who occupied his thoughts, turned the corner, disappearing from his line of sight. Emerson was worse off than what Callum first told him. He’d also left the parts out about the omega going into heat and neither he nor his son taking care of him. Or the fact Emerson took care of his younger siblings while suffering.
“Thank fuck,” Callum drawled, blowing out a steady stream of air. “How is he?”
Ronan snorted. “Did you seriously leave him to deal with heat cycles alone?”
That stuck in Ronan’s crawl. Alphas bred and protected omegas. How could an Alpha in his prime ignore the call of an omega in heat? Everything about Emerson made sense with that one sentence. He didn’t even trust himself, because he’d been spurned so often. It would’ve been so easy to take control from the boy and shown him the pleasure an Alpha could give him, but the vulnerable state he’d been in kept Ronan rooted in his spot.
“ Fuck... It’s not what you think, Ronan. The boy continuously kept information from us. Had we have known, we’d...”
“What? Helped him? Ignored him? Fucked some other omega to work out your aggression, because he drove you wild?” He guffawed. “Now it all makes sense.”
“It’s not that simple. He’s been my son since he was nine. I can’t magically change those feelings overnight.”
“You’re right,” Ronan agreed. “You can’t. However, you had six years to figure out the fresh path you’re on.” He ran his fingers through his raven hair. “I don’t know that I can fix this for you or if I want to. Truth be told, he smells like sin. My dick is in a bind while I try to figure out how to get him in my bed.”
Callum growled. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, but I am going to.” Ronan smirked. “You can’t dictate what Emerson does with his life anymore. It’s someone else’s time to care for a forgotten omega.”
“We didn’t forget about him!” Callum shouted. “He ran away.”
“He escaped you. You can keep saying he’s a runaway, but we both know that’s a cop out. You pushed him so far away; you can’t even tell me if he’s a virgin or not.”
“He can’t be,” Callum muttered.
“You sure about that? Care to make a little wager?” Ronan cocked a brow. Below, Emerson stepped out into the cloudy afternoon. Snow was in the forecast and if enough of the white stuff came down, classes would be canceled for the remainder of the week. As it was, getting up and down the mountain would be impossible. Being snowed in also meant spending more time with Emerson. “Before you answer that, just remember, toys don’t count. Neither do cock sleeves.”
Callum growled. The menacing sound had Ronan smirking. “He is mine.”
“Is he? Or are you only assuaging your guilt about how you treated him?” Ronan turned away from the window as Emerson crossed the campus without interruption. “Seems to me, the only reason you created this little intervention, is due to everyone jumping your ass about it. I should have known what you said was too easy to believe.”
“Don’t lecture me like I’m five,” Callum grumbled.
“Then stop acting like it,” Ronan snarled. “Did you know he watched you and Orion tag team omegas or not? Or that one of the times he watched, he’d been in heat? Please tell me you didn’t smell him and ignored his pain.”
“ I’m telling you; he can mask himself ,” Callum shouted. “We never smelled anything. I feared he’d started popping suppressors like his mother did. Had he not left like he did, I would have spoken to him.”
“Sure, just like you spoke to him before today? Do you even know when you lie or tell the truth anymore?” Ronan sat in his chair and stared off into space, knowing full well, if he didn’t stop his line of thinking, he’d leave the campus and go find Callum. Whatever came next, he’d be forced to accept the punishment. Which meant keeping his ass in the chair, waiting out Emerson.
“Look,” Callum started, “I appreciate you keeping an eye on Emerson, but you’re not his mate or a friend. You’re teacher or whatever they call you at the academy.”
“I’m the only person who cares about that boy’s safety and his mistreatment. Something you don’t give a damn about.”
“Fuck off,” he snapped. “I do care. However, I also understand my actions have consequences.”
“Oh really?” Ronan laughed. “You have no clue what’s about to go down.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He smelled so decadent.” Like thyme, sweet milk and chamomile. “He’s going into heat.”
“There’s no way,” Callum grumbled. “I’d have scented him the moment I stepped into his personal space.”
“Just like you knew he watched you fuck? Like you knew he went through three cycles without help and without having his needs satisfied?” Ronan chuckled in repulsion. “You don’t know shit.”
“I can’t come back. The academy is watching everything,” he said, defeat lacing his words. Ronan didn’t feel bad for him. He made the bed; he could sleep in it.
“Sounds like a you issue,” Ronan said.
He ended the call, unwilling to sit there much longer and listen to his friend. When Callum called him a couple of weeks ago, looking for a favor, the idea intrigued him. Talking to Emerson, seeing the fallout from Callum’s negligence, pissed Ronan off. The father-son duo broke an omega who’d only wanted someone to pay attention to him. To care about him. All it would have taken was five minutes out of their days.
Well, their loss was his gain.
For the next few days, Ronan held himself in check. He pushed Emerson as far as the omega had been comfortable with. With the heady scent of his heat still swirling through Ronan’s senses, he was concerned whatever came next, he’d do more harm than good. The academy was all about teaching Omega how to be proud of themselves. How to stand up for themselves. What did it say about Ronan if he ignored all of Emerson’s needs and took what he wanted instead?
He'd be no better than Callum or Orion.
Speaking of which...
The father and son duo had no choice but to return to Vermont where they lived. Callum had three small children to care for, and if they treated the sitter like they did Emerson, Ronan could only imagine what the conditions were like in that household at any given moment.
Which left him to pursue things with Emerson.
He glanced up from his laptop as the omega filed into his class. Their soft chatter and excitement always filled him with hope and excitement. Omega where he came from, were treated with kindness, protected and nurtured. Other places used omega for breeding practices. They didn’t have free will. They most certainly weren’t allowed to have jobs or an education. Because a smart omega didn’t fall for stupid traps arrogant and narcissistic Alphas put in front of them.
“Alpha Thomas...” A beautiful blonde omega with fae features and gorgeous cerulean eyes, stopped in front of his desk. She nibbled on her bottom lip as pink stained her preternatural pale skin. “I was told to inform you that Emerson James is in the infirmary at the moment and will be absent for the next few days.”
Mule kicked; he sat there while his dick thickened to the point of pain. He’d been right. Although, he’d planned on being there the minute Emerson’s heat kicked into high gear, Ronan couldn’t plan for everything. “Understood. Thank you for letting me know.”
The urge to excuse himself and run to Emerson’s side had tension filling his frame. Torture was the study of standing there, talking about sexual health and how all their sex organs worked. Torment was the idea Emerson would turn Ronan away, because all Emerson knew about Alphas was rejection. He exhaled a shaky breath as the last student entered the room and closed the door behind them.
Ronan had to control himself. He could do this.
Class started as it normally did, but three-quarters of the way through, a few of the omega students wrinkled their noses, asking each other if they smelled something. Ronan dropped his head forward, closing his eyes. As much as he told himself he was in control, it appeared just the thought of Emerson being in heat only a few hundred yards away tripped his rut. Already the classroom was too hot. The delicate sweetness of an omega in their prime assailed him, but none of them eased the yearning within him. He was slowly losing the battle.
All he could think about was Ronan.
“I think we’ll end there for today,” he said, closing his laptop. “We’ll pick this conversation back up on Thursday. Until then, I want you to identify the organs in the diagrams on your PowerPoint slides and make a list of questions you’d have for your potential Alpha mates. Class is dismissed.”
He counted to ten while his students exited the room, then counted to ten again when the stragglers continued to walk at a sedate pace, driving him insane. When they were gone, he stood, adjusting his erection, so he didn’t look like a human divination rod. He also needed to temper himself. If he found Emerson in the state he was in at the moment, he’d literally rip the poor omega apart.
Ronan’s hands shook. His heart beat out a rapid tattoo. His Alpha instincts slowly took over, reminding him of his baser needs. Fuck. Knot. Cum. Impregnate. Four things Emerson had witnessed, but never experienced. A steady growl vibrated from his chest, just thinking about what happened to Emerson and how he’d fix it the best he could. Mine. Claim him .
If only it was that easy.
No, the rules for the academy made it clear. If an instructor found themselves in the situation where a student was also their mate, they’d forfeit their job and forced to leave the school. Of course, he could always find work at another academy, but it was the idea of losing this omega that had him holding back the piece of him he’d wanted to give Emerson—his mark. Even now, as he zipped up his satchel, Ronan’s mouth watered in anticipation of biting down on the flesh of his nape, claiming him for all to see.
Mouth guard.
He pulled the top drawer out and grabbed the red plastic box. Dropping it in the front pocket of his satchel, he snatched his keys and strode toward the door while throwing the strap over his shoulder and head. He didn’t want to waste another minute second guessing everything he was about to do. As the resident training Alpha, he had a duty to perform. If anything, until he could make Emerson see he wasn’t anything like his stepfather or stepbrother, he’d play it off as a lesson omega needed to learn with Alphas. The time for bonding and marking would come later. Preferably, after Emerson’s heat abated, and Ronan’s rut had been satisfied.
On the walk to the infirmary, he thought of all the ways to start the conversation about sex and easing the pain Emerson was in. He hoped, the second the omega saw him, there would be less talking and more action. However, Emerson was a unique case. Holding out would hurt him beyond comprehension. Without knowing medically if Emerson’s self-imposed celibacy caused any internal damage, Ronan had to play everything by ear.
This one time, the omega had to take the lead. Not an Alpha.
“Alpha Thomas,” Sofia said, standing as he pushed through the double doors of their small hospital. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”
The scent of dark chocolate and sugar cookies wafted on the air, pungent and exotic. With each inhale, he tasted more of the combination on his tongue. A groan of satisfaction built in his chest, and he bit the inside of his cheek so not to raise red flags. Still, the longer he stood there, the more his knot throbbed. Maybe he should jerk off first before he saw his omega.
“Where is Emerson?” Later he would apologize for his rudeness. Right now, he needed to lay eyes on his mate— so much for jerking off to relieve the tension— then help him through his cycle.
“Bed two,” she said. “He’s asked not to be disturbed.”
Ronan snorted. “He’s only hurting himself.” He glanced at the beta attendant. “Has he made any requests for anything?”
She shook her head, pursing her lips. “Wouldn’t allow us to give him medication to ease the pain he’s in.”
No, he wouldn’t either. Not after watching his mother descend into a depraved world of drug use. Even if her intention was to never go into heat, she still used and in turn, caused Emerson to be all alone in their world. If Ronan ever saw her again, it would be too soon. “His family has a bad history of drug use. He won’t ask for any medication.”
Sofia hissed. “That’s messed up.”
“Tell me about it.” He started for Emerson’s room and glanced over his shoulder. “Do me a favor, yeah?”
“Anything,” she replied.
“If someone should ask if Emerson had any visitors, tell them nothing. I’d like to keep his privacy intact as much as possible.” Plus, he didn’t want to play twenty questions with the Administrators or the Board of Directors.
“Understood. I’ll check on you before I’m dismissed. Good luck.”
Ronan raised his hand in salute, his gaze focused on the hall in front of him. He was going to need all the luck he could get.