“Sure,” Taylor said, squeezing Pember’s hip. “Lead the way.”
With that, Pember paid for the drinks and plucked them from the bar. As he ambled over to the table, Maya’s eyesdarkened when she saw him approach with the two alphas. “There you are. I was about to send out a search party.”
Pember gave her the biggest, toothiest smile he could muster. “Sorry, the bar’s rammed.” Then his eyes slid to Ru. “Can I borrow you for a sec? I need help carrying the drinks.”
The other omega looked up from his empty glass and nodded.
“Mayaaaa,” Taylor called, sliding his big body into the booth.
Maya snorted, reaching for Pember’s hand, but he only turned and let Johnny in behind him.
“Now it’s a party!” Leo said, standing to give the alphas more room. Maya looked like she was about to say something, but Johnny grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers.
With the distraction solidly in place, Pember grabbed Ru’s hand and tugged him out of the booth. When they were safely around the other side of the bar, Pember led him towards a side door.
“Do you want to get out of here?” he asked, only to be met with Ru’s downcast expression.
“I-I can’t,” he stuttered, voice so quiet it was hard to hear him above the beat of the music. “I’m sharing a lift home with Leo.” Ru’s eyes drifted to the side, his gaze unfocused. Pember noticed that he had a couple of small bald patches at the back of his head.Alopecia?
“I can give you a lift,” Pember said, gripping his shoulders. “Someone’s picking me up at the station in ten minutes. No offence, but you look like you’re having even less fun than me.”
Ru let out a breath and licked his bottom lip. “I said… I said I didn’t want to come, but they…” The words trailed off, and Pember squeezed his shoulders.
“Come on, I’ll get you home. Are you local?”
Ru nodded, his thin mouth twitching.
Pember gave him a lopsided smile. “Let’s go.”
Grabbing Ru’s hand, he guided him towards the door, and then out onto the busy street. University students poured onto the pavement, a few of the younger ones shouting slurs and trading shitty looks.
“Can I put my number in your phone?” Pember said, turning to the side and letting a group dressed in golfing gear slip past. “Text me in the morning?”
Ru looked at him with watery eyes before handing him his mobile.
They were only a few metres down the road when a sharp voice called out. “Hey! Oi, Ru. Where the fuck you going?”
They both whirled round, only to find Sal and Leo standing on the edge of the pavement. Ru flinched, his hand suddenly gripping Pember’s.
They stared at each other before Sal and Leo parted to let Maya through. She walked towards them, her movements so graceful she almost seemed to glide across the tarmac.
Pember’s wolf clenched its teeth and snarled.
“Where are you going, Ru?” she said, tipping her head as her dark eyes bored into the other omega. Ru’s hand began to tremble.
“N-nowhere, Maya. Just getting some air.”
“Really? Didn’t look like you werejust getting some air.It looked like you were leaving.”
Her gaze slid to Pember, cutting into him with that horribly hard expression. The ground felt like it was shifting beneath his feet, and a burning lump formed in his throat. He was about to drop his head and apologise when he realised where he’d seen that expression before.
His mum.
The realisation hit him like a tonne of bricks, bringing an unexpected bubble of laughter to his throat. He snorted, thencovered his mouth with his other hand. “You’re right, we’re leaving,” he said, entwining his fingers with Ru’s.
The gesture wasn’t lost on the others, and Maya’s eyes narrowed. “Come back inside, Ru. Everyone’s waiting.”
Ru whimpered and pulled his hand away. “I have to go,” he whispered. Pember went to grab him, but Ru turned his body. “I have to go with them.”
