Teal
By Thursday morning, the cramping in Teal’s belly was so bad he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get dressed. Ronan had already left for work. Teal had been able to sleep in a little due to a bomb threat which had pushed the morning’s court proceedings back a few hours. But the extra rest didn’t seem to have helped much, accompanied as it was by so much pain.
Teal hobbled out of bed and into the bathroom, chewing six antacids in quick succession. After a few minutes, he could breathe again and drink half a glass of water. Moving gingerly about the room, he dressed, doing his best not to alert Niall, Sorcha, or Jax to how much trouble he was having.
Deep breathing helped a little, but not always. His symptoms frustrated him, since they appeared to have no pattern or consistent effect. Sometimes he felt like he needed to throw up or use the bathroom. But most of the time it was just pain. Usually stabbing, occasionally more of a debilitating dull ache.
On Monday, he’d woken up feeling better, and Tuesday had been okay, but yesterday he’d gone downhill.
Sorcha sleeping in the bed with them helped. They were too exhausted to do anything remotely sexy, but being surrounded by his partners made him feel better. It also made him feel better knowing Niall and Jax were downstairs, and he admitted to himself he wished they were closer. The strength he drew from his family was the only thing that soothed him.
Other than the fact that the tribunal was going exceedingly well.
Teal had presented more witnesses than the state, and the testimony had gone great, even though Teal had to use a lot of his energy to keep from keeling over.
If needed, he knew he could have Schulman or Carson lead the day’s proceedings. But after a year of preparation, Teal really wanted to see it through.
After his opening prose, he’d questioned witness after witness. Omegas telling horror stories about unscrupulous alphas running heat services. Omegas who’d been roughed up, those who’d had their heats mismanaged, and most disturbingly, several who’d been forced into breeding and pregnancy.
But High Court wasn’t deciding whether these terrible things had happened or would continue to happen. The question before them was whether giving omegas the right to own and operate heat service facilities was part of the solution to the problem.
Based on the judges’ empathetic responses to the witnesses, along with the state’s lackluster cross-examination and seeming reluctance to provide a vigorous defense of the status quo, it appeared the initial signs that this tribunal would go Teal’s way were correct.
Dayson would testify today, outlining how he would run a heat service differently. He was a compelling person, and Teal looked forward to helping him make the case for himself.
Teal also hoped those ignorant alphaholes shouting outside the courthouse would be able to accept the decision when it came, assuming they ruled in the omegas’ favor as Teal suspected they would.
As the antacids kicked in, he felt much better. He mustered smiles and kisses for the boys and Sorcha, along with goodbye hugs for Niall and Jax, before meeting Barden and his guard at the curb.
Even with his stomach pains, Teal still had an appetite, so he kept up the ritual of stopping at Fontaine’s.
Brinn was there, as he’d been every day of High Court. Teal smiled fondly at the bubbly omega barista, asking, “How was your weekend?”
“Great. Mostly on shift here.”
Brinn motioned to his co-worker to grab Teal’s bagel while he started making his latte.
From speaking with Brinn, Teal knew the other barista—a gruff alpha—was the owners’ son, Percy. Apparently, there was a bit of rivalry between Brinn and Percy since Percy’s family adored Brinn, their best employee. Brinn also hinted that Percy once made a pass at him and got upset when the omega turned him down.
Percy shoved Teal’s bagel in front of him, making a derisive grunting noise. Without a word, he disappeared back into the kitchen.
“I see Percy is his usual charming self,” Teal said.
Brinn shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t mind him. He’s mad because his parents are talking about making me the day manager.”
“Day manager. Impressive.” Teal grinned.
“Hopefully, you win the tribunal,” Brinn said wistfully. “I can see myself building a career here, carving out a life for myself on my own terms. I’m grateful my parents emancipated me whenI graduated high school, but knowing I could also manage my heats, that I had more options than asking an alpha friend for help, would really ease my mind.”
***
Brinn’s earnest hope that Tealwould prevail fueled him through the rest of his day. The tense knots grinding in his stomach seemed to ease, and Teal didn’t rush past the protesters in front of the courthouse. Sandwiched between two security officers, he ignored their taunts as he walked up the steps in a dignified manner.
Dayson would be his only witness for the day. When Teal arrived in the courtroom, his bosses and Dayson were already seated behind the table. Mikel sat at a smaller console table behind them. Teal caught the young alpha’s eyes narrowing at Dayson, something that had happened several times the previous week. He wondered again if Mikel was involved with the threats to Dayson or the brick-throwing incident at the McGinn house.
Teal conceded that Mikel had been diligent about cataloging their evidence and witness statements, certainly appearing to do his part to help the firm win the case. And he’d been solicitous in his dealings with Dayson, especially since Dayson’s attack. Teal just didn’t know if it was genuine or an elaborate ruse.
As Dayson walked to stand behind the witness podium, Teal took a deep breath, steadying his nerves and willing the crunching pains in his stomach to remain light enough for him to function.
