“Yeah,” Abe whined. “And you can’t kick us out of our home without warning. We have a lease.”
“Technically, you’re right. Since Sorcha isn’t twenty-five, he can’t leave your household unless he marries or you emancipate him. That’s why Teal drew up some emancipation papers this morning.”
Teal disappeared for a moment before returning with the legal document that would make Sorcha responsible for himself.
“Sign it,” Ronan demanded, holding the thick cream-colored paper and a pen out to Dale. “Sign it and then go rent a truck, hire movers, or do whatever you need to do to get your stuff out of the unit by midnight.” To Abe he said, “Consider your lease terminated. And if you try to fight us, we meant what we said. We’ll see you in tribunal for attempted murder.”
“Just walk away,” Teal said with a sniff. “It’s the best deal you’re going to get. Frankly, you’re lucky Ronan isn’t introducing you to his fists right now. But your nephew asked him to be merciful.”
Dale snatched the papers from Ronan’s hands, muttering under his breath. “He’s a whipped alpha is what he is, under the spell of his omega husband.”
Ronan released a mirthless laugh. “That’s not the insult you think it is. Sign. Now.”
Dale pretended to look the document over, but all four men knew he didn’t have a choice. With a shrug, he signed, effectivelyfreeing Sorcha from the prison he’d been in since his parents died. When Teal and Ronan spoke with the little omega last night, he’d been clear. He never wanted to see his uncles again.
Dale shoved the paper back at Ronan. “You can have him,” he hissed. “And you can take this fucking duplex and shove it. We were getting tired of your all-night sex fests anyway. It’s disgusting. All those noises through the wall.” His nose tipped up prudishly. “No skin off my back. Besides, Sorcha’s always been a curse. It’s his fault my brother died.”
“That’s a foul thing to say about your nephew,” Teal rebuked him. “His parents and brothers died in a boating accident. That’s not his fault.”
Dale huffed. “The stars it isn’t. They wouldn’t have been on that boat except for Sorcha’s bellyaching.”
Ronan hesitated to allow the beta to elaborate, but to protect Sorcha, he needed to know what stories Dale might tell people. “What do you mean?”
Dale stretched a hand behind his head, running it along his neck. He flashed beady eyes at Ronan. “The ‘boating accident’ my brother died in, along with his omega and two alpha sons, was the ferryboat sinking on Wide Mile Lake eleven years ago.”
A ping of recognition went off in Ronan’s mind. “I remember that. It was a tragedy, a mechanical failure. Hundreds died. Sorcha would have been, what? Ten at the time? Pretty sure he didn’t cause it.”
“No. But if he would have just shut up and let his fathers and brothers go off in the morning without a fuss, they would have been on the earlier ferry that day. The one that didn’t sink. Then my brother would still be alive.” Dale’s eyes teared up, but Ronan had little sympathy.
Abe elaborated, “That weekend, we needed Sorcha’s help with a project. I’d been teaching him woodworking skills for a year by then. His fathers decided to drop Sorcha off with us, since shortvisits to beta neighborhoods are allowed, so they could take a mini vacation with their older sons—”
“Sorcha has always been a handful,” Dale interrupted bitterly. “Never known his place, always wanting to do things only alphas and betas should be doing.”
“Right,” Abe said, slightly more diplomatically. “He tried to swim and play sports like his brothers, though he’s clearly on the small side, even for an omega. When his family dropped him off on their way to the ferry dock, he cried and carried on. Sorcha’s alpha father tried to leave, let him cry it out, but of course his omega father had a softer heart and wanted to soothe him before they left. They ended up getting out the door later than planned.”
“Let me get this straight,” Teal said, barely controlling his anger. “A little boy was sad because his family decided to go on a fun vacation without him, while he was being forced to do manual labor for his uncles, and somehow, a ferryboat accident that occurred later that day is his fault? That’s insane. Did you ever stop to think that maybe if his parents had taken Sorcha with them in the first place, if they hadn’t treated him like a second-tier member of the family, like a fucking afterthought, they also wouldn’t have been on that ferry?”
“It’s absurd to blame Sorcha for a tragic accident,” Ronan seethed. “Have you been upset with him this whole time because of that? You truly are pieces of shit. He lost his family. Even if they hadn’t treated him very well, they were the only family he’d known. You could have been good to him, made him feel cared for and welcome. Instead, you’ve been treating him like the hired help. And fueling your misplaced resentment.”
Ronan thought about the docile omega he knew Sorcha to be. But it sounded like he hadn’t always been that way. Apparently, years of neglect at the hands of his family, and then his uncles, had made him quiet and unobtrusive. He pictured Zayne, whose brothers always included him in their activities. His heart brokefor little Sorcha, ignored and resented by the adults who should have cared for him.
Ronan planned to spend the rest of his life making sure Sorcha never felt unloved or unwanted again.
As though reading his mind, Teal whispered in Ronan’s ear. “Never again, my love. He’ll never be abandoned or made to feel less-than ever again. Sorcha is ours now, and we will be the family he’s always deserved.”
Ronan squeezed Teal’s hand as he glared at Dale and Abe with revulsion. “You don’t deserve him. You let your bitterness keep you from knowing your nephew, knowing his sweetness and his goodness, his resiliency and his big heart.” He rolled up the emancipation papers. “Get the fuck out of here. Be gone by midnight. And don’t you dare show your faces again.”
***
Sorcha slept the entire day and into the evening, rousing only long enough to drink some protein shakes and use the restroom. Ronan was grateful they’d been able to discuss his uncles before he fell asleep.
Niall brought the twins home from school and ordered pizza for dinner. Ronan asked the nanny to stay, since he and Teal planned to explain the situation with Sorcha to the boys that evening.
“Are you sure you want me here?” Niall asked, alone in the kitchen with the couple while the children played outside. “I don’t want to intrude on such an important family matter.”
Teal rolled his eyes. “Can you please stop being ridiculous? You’re part of our family too. You know that. And this is going to affect all of us. Having you here will make the adjustment easier for them. The boys love you so much. If they can see that you’reunderstanding of this huge change, it will help them come to terms with things as well.”
Niall twisted his hands together. “To be honest, I’m not entirely certain what the situation is with Sorcha. Only what you’ve told me. Obviously, I’ll do whatever you need to help the boys.”
