The deep, sturdy voice was familiar and safe, but it also lit up a warning deep in Xan. He put on a burst of speed, but the man he was trying to avoid didn’t give up so easily. He heard a car door slam and then the thud of footsteps, the distinctive tread of a strong alpha heading his way. Xan’s eyes filled with helpless tears. What could he say? How could he explain? Panic gripped him. Of all the people in the world to see him like this!
Urho’s hand gripped Xan’s arm and whirled him around. His baffled expression was almost comical, and Xan nearly laughed, but when his mouth opened only a peculiar sob escaped. Xan clapped his palm over his lips, holding in the rest.
Urho’s handsome face darkened. “Wolf-god, what’s happened?”
Xan jerked his arm away. “I’m fine. Leave me alone.”
He limped on, his asshole spasming painfully and his balls aching. He tried to swallow down a betraying whimper, but it wouldn’t be held back. It burst free as he tripped over an uneven bit of sidewalk.
“For wolf-god’s sake, man, let me help you,” Urho said, wrapping an arm around Xan’s lower back to hold him up. “Were you mugged? Was there more than one of them?” He gazed around, hunting for the attackers who’d left Xan in this state. Then he sniffed the air before leaning in and scenting Xan from chest to neck. A strangled noise exited his throat. “You’ve been…” He gasped, as though he struggled to even say the words. “One of them forced themselves on you?”
“No,” Xan denied, his voice rasping. “Just let me go. I need to get home.”
Urho frowned, his alpha nose clearly picking up the scent of semen. “Let me help you. You’re bleeding and—”
“This isn’t your business,” Xan said, drawing himself up as haughtily as he could manage given the pain he was in. “Thank you for your help, Dr. Chase, but my omega is waiting for me at home. He’ll be worried.”
Urho choked, frustration plain in his dark eyes. “Let me drive you.”
“My car isn’t far.” Xan pointed ahead. “Around the corner.”
Urho gripped his elbow to steady him and said, “Then I’ll walk you to it.”
Xan nearly protested again, but his twisted knee throbbed and his entire body shook as he tried to walk. He ignored Urho’s eyes all over him, no doubt cataloguing his wounds. His suspicion was confirmed with Urho’s next words.
“Whose handprints are around your neck? Your attacker’s? We should call the police. Immediately. And we should get you to a hospital.”
“No! No hospital.”
“At least allow me to examine you at my home. It’s just a street over. Come with me.”
“No. My omega is waiting for me. I need to get home to him.”
“Xan—”
“Look, I wasn’t mugged. Or attacked.”
“Of course you’re embarrassed to admit what happened,” Urho spoke gently, like Xan was a wild thing that was going to bite. If he tried to muscle him into going to the hospital, Xan just might prove him right. “What alpha wouldn’t be? But this is a crime. Xan, you must see that you can’t leave it unreported.”
Xan didn’t reply, concentrating on getting one foot in front of the other. Even with Urho’s steadying hand, it was hard to stay upright. Finally, he said, “It’s a crime, but it wasn’t rape.”
“So you know your attacker,” Urho said darkly. “You don’t want to name him.”
“I just want to go home.”
“I demand to know who did this.” Urho spoke with authority that rattled Xan deeply and made him want to obey. But he couldn’t. There was too much at stake. For Xan, especially, and for Caleb too. Urho’s idea of help would only make things infinitely worse for everyone.
Xan kept walking.
Urho followed on his heels. “I demand to know what alpha has put his hands on you in this abominable manner? Who forced you into a vile act of submission?”
“I’m unmanned,” Xan whispered furiously, spinning to face Urho in the street. He had to put a stop to this before Urho attempted to use his greater physical power and size to manhandle Xan into compliance.
“I can see—and smell—that you’ve been forced to submit,” Urho said, lowering his voice to a tender, calmness meant to soothe. “But that doesn’t make you unmanned. This is a violation, not a lasting condemnation of your character.”
“You don’t get it!” Xan cried. “It’s how I am. Ask Jason. Or Caleb.” His throat hurt from having been squeezed. He could barely force out the words. “As an unmanned alpha, I get what’s coming to me. Understand?”
Urho shook his head, eyes narrowing in confusion. The silver in his dark hair shimmered in the rising moonlight. “This is nonsense. You have an omega…”
