Chapter 23
Vincent
Charles managed to finish the entire cup of pudding.
I could’ve offered him a choice—vanilla, banana, something lighter. But I knew better. Too many options would’ve overwhelmed him, shut him down before we even got started.
Chocolate was the safest bet. Familiar. Easy. And perfect for hiding the crushed pain pill he needed. I didn’t want to keep pumping him full of liquid meds if we could avoid it.
I fed him bite after bite. Not just because he still couldn’t see what he was doing, but because I wanted to. I wanted to show my Omega that he mattered in small ways like this. Tender moments that would leave no doubt of my loyalty and care.
The swelling around his eyes had gone down, but not enough for him to open more than slits.
Once Charles was comfortable on his side, facing me where I sat leaning against the headboard, I pulled out the leather bound book. I waited as Adrian whispered something in the other Omega’s ear before backing away. He shot me a look, a warning, to keep the boy settled.
“Go on, Adrian. We’ll be here after you take some time with your Alpha.”
Adrian wasn’t a fan of the idea, but Moore needed time to rest; time to not be on alert if Charles needed something. He needed a good nap, as did I. But my needs could wait.
When the door was shut almost all the way, leaving me alone with Charles, I opened the book and began to read where I assumed he left off, or as close to it as I could.
My voice stayed low, steady, as I read each word aloud. The story filled the room, soft and slow, and as I turned the page to begin the next chapter, Charles shifted closer. It was subtle—tentative. Like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to move. Or maybe he was waiting for me to tell him not to.
I let him come closer. Let him choose.
Halfway through the second chapter, his hand settled on my leg. Light. Barely there. Then an arm curled around my waist, holding me in place.
Not tight. Just enough to say, don’t go.
So I stayed. And kept reading. Because right then, that was the only thing that made sense. I kept reading, voice low and steady, letting the rhythm of the words fill the room.
Charles stayed close, curled against me, his breathing slow but uneven. He hadn’t said anything, hadn’t moved much, just rested his hand on my leg and held on like I was the only thing keeping him grounded.
Then the door creaked. Soft. Barely there.
I didn’t stop reading. Didn’t look up. But I felt Charles tense against me, just slightly. Footsteps followed—quiet, careful.
Adrian.
I didn’t need to see him to know. He had a way of entering a room without disturbing it, like he understood how fragile everything was.
He didn’t speak. Just settled nearby, close enough that Charles would feel him. And I saw it—how Charles’s shoulders eased, just a little. How the grip around my waist softened, not in fear, but in comfort.
Adrian didn’t have to say a word. His presence was enough. And for the first time in hours, I felt like maybe Charles wasn’t entirely lost
By the time I finished the third chapter, both boys were asleep. Adrian had a slight snore passing his lips, one arm wrapped around Charles, holding him gently.
I sat there, just watching them.
The last couple of days had been full of all sorts of emotion. Not just me, but for everyone.
Adrian bounced between being next to Charles every possible second, to wanting to threaten me about his friends' care and how I wasn’t doing something right. It took Moore more than once to put a stop to it, but I didn’t blame Adrian.
The bruises along Charles’s back would take weeks to fade. Some of the cuts had scabbed over, but the dried blood still clung to his skin like a reminder.
The mark on his shoulder was what haunted me most. That V—red, inflamed, carved deep like someone wanted it to last.
Moore said it was healing. I didn’t believe him. It looked like something a monster would leave behind.
Deliberate.
Personal.
I didn’t know if it was a client who did it, or the owner of Lockswell himself. But whoever it was, they meant to brand him. And none of it was okay.
Not the pain.
Not the silence.
Not the way Charles still flinched when I got too close
I slowly pulled myself away from Charles, his hold loose. He didn’t stir, didn’t move, as I made my way off the bed.
I pulled a blanket up over both Omegas, letting them rest as long as they could. Then, I went in search of Moore.
I found him in the kitchen, looking through my cupboards.
“I’m making chicken noodle soup.” He glanced at me over his shoulder before returning to looking for whatever he was after.
I leaned my elbows on a countertop close by, hands rubbing down my face. I was tired. It was a bone deep type of tiredness that wouldn’t be leaving any time soon.
“Where’s the boys?”
“Both asleep.”
“You need sleep, too, Vincent.”
I brushed his worry off. I’d survive. My cat naps were working for the most part.
“I wanna say Charlie’s on his way to healing, He seemed more aware of his surroundings.”
That was saying a lot, too.
“Why do you call him that?” I had to elaborate when he shot me a questioning look. “Charlie?”
“That’s what Aid calls him.”
I noticed, but…
“Do you think that’s what he wants to be called?”
“You’ll have to ask him, Vincent. Some people don’t mind nicknames, you know.”
Time to change the subject, I thought. “How long till that’s done?”
“Half an hour or so. Why?”
“Just wondering.” I had work that needed my attention, but my lack of sleep wouldn’t mix well with that.
Wait…” Don’t you have that fundraiser thing to go to?”
“It was last night. No big deal. They survived without me. Or I assume so anyhow.”
“Sorry. You didn’t have to skip it.” Well, maybe he did. I may have gone crazy in worry about the nonresponsive Omega who followed commands just because he was trained to do so.
“It’s not a problem. The hospital is big on family, and my leave of absence is taken care of for a few more days. You know if Charlie wasn’t improving physically, I’d have him admitted. But he is getting better. Slowly, but he is.”
Moore paused, stirring a pot after adding whatever he found into it.
“I’m not as good of a cook as Aid is, but this is something I’ve made a few times with my boy’s been under the weather.
” Another pause before he put a lid over the top.
“Silas called earlier, when you were upstairs. I told him you’d call him back. ”
Geeze, couldn’t he have told me sooner?
My annoyance simmered away just as quickly as it appeared. I muttered a thanks before grabbing my cell off the counter and going to my office.
Earlier, Moore had taken my phone to contact some of the clients that had pressing matters that needed to be done this week. I had to postpone some work, due to the circumstances at the moment.
After making sure the door was closed, just in case Adrian ventured down for whatever reason, I took a seat in my chair while dialing Silas back.
He answered on the second ring.
“I have news.” No greetings, just straight to the point.
“I got the price discounted more, and the refund for that should be in your account by now. According to the fine print, no Alpha, no matter if they are the owner of the compound or not, is allowed to leave a permanent mark on an Omega without first purchasing the rights to that Omega.”
“Did you find out who it was?” Did I want to know?
“Alpha Vale. Which makes sense on why he wasn’t pleased to learn about his prized possession off of his property.
I’m going after him for careless manners and cruelty to an Omega without cause.
If all goes well, he’ll be forced to step down as owner.
He'll, of course, appoint a new owner, but he won’t be allowed to visit any Omegas there again. ”
“Good. But what about the other Alphas that have harmed Omegas there?”
“Not much I can do, unfortunately at this point in time. All I can do is make an example of this Vale guy and hope more Alphas will treat the Omegas better.”
Well, it was at least a start, and that’s all I could ask for.
After that news, Silas wanted to know how Charles was doing, and I obliged in telling him.