Chapter 2

TWO

…acrid stench of fire…

….screams….

Why does it hurt so much?

My belly is on fire.

Stop holding me down!

Where am I?

"Sleep, baby, just sleep."

The first thing Miko Tovey understood was how much his entire freaking body hurt. From the top of his scalp down to his toes, he ached in some places, throbbed in others, and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. But the pain kept him away from that comfortable, dark place. So he pushed forward, doing his best to wake up from…what? A hangover?

No, he hadn't drunk enough at Alton's party to be hungover. He'd left with Linus because…heat. Heat?

Heat!

"Mghfack?" was all his mouth could manage.

"Hey, there you are, baby." Omi's comfortable, loving voice soothed some of Miko's hurt but not his confusion. He was obviously safe but why was he so uncomfortable? Everything smelled weird, medicinal even. And this was not his bed at home; his mattress didn't crinkle when he moved.

"Omi?" He blinked the world into focus. Okay, so less the world and more Omi's concerned face. Someone else lurked behind him, but Miko didn't care who right now. Omi always made him feel safe. "Happened?"

"A lot, I'm afraid. But you're safe and you're okay now. You just need to rest."

The person behind Omi finally coalesced into a nondescript face wearing light green scrubs. Stranger. The room had plain white walls, a single window, and a few pieces of generic decorations. It reminded him of a hospital room. "Where am I?"

"You're in a private nursing wing of the hospital. We had to move you here for the duration of your heat. Do you remember any of it?"

He'd gone through his first heat already? "No. I was…with Linus in the taxi." He backtracked to the house, to their near-kiss and Linus realizing what was happening. Forward to the taxi. Then nothing. "Did I get sick?"

"No, baby. You were in an accident. You and Linus."

"The taxi?"

"Yes." Omi cleared his throat, and only then did Miko realized Omi was holding his right hand in a tight, almost painful grip. "Your driver ran a red light. He was going pretty fast. The oncoming car hit the rear passenger side door."

Every single throb in Miko's body disappeared beneath the bolt of complete agony that shot through his heart. "Linus was sitting on that side. Is he okay?"

"He's alive. He's in Intensive Care."

"Why?" Miko tried to sit up on the slightly inclined bed, but his body was so heavy, like he'd spent the last two weeks asleep with no food and was still weighed down by a wet blanket. "Why can't I move? I need to see him."

"You can't see him right now. Only immediate family can go in." Omi's eyes glittered. "You're so tired because the staff had to medicate you through most of your heat. We made the mistake of telling you about Linus before the heat actually began, and you became hysterical. I'd never seen you like that before, and we were scared you'd hurt yourself. Or that you'd run out of the ward and be attacked." A single tear slipped down his cheek, and for some reason that angered Miko. "I made that choice to protect you."

"You told me what's wrong with Linus? How could I forget that?"

"You've been through a trauma. You got pretty banged up in the accident, too, and you witnessed some of the aftermath. I'm not surprised you can't remember."

Frustration burned in Miko's chest and sent hot bile into his throat. "If you won't tell me what's going on, I want Dad. He'll tell me."

"The only alphas allowed in this ward are doctors who are on pheromone suppressants. Your Dad can't come in, but Emory's here. I called him when they said your heat cycle was over and we just had to wait for you to come out of the sedation."

"I want Emory, then. I need someone to tell me what's going on!" Miko didn't regret the scream. It also didn't make him feel better. Something deep down, an instinct he didn't understand, was screaming at him to get to Linus. The same part that had been drawn to Linus on the dance floor, who'd wanted to go upstairs with him, and who'd been desperate for…something.

Mine.

"Okay, let me text Emory to come in," Omi said. Miko glared at his profile while he typed, furious at his silence and terrified of what no one was telling him about Linus. He shot one glare at the young beta in scrubs, who he assumed was a nurse, but who hadn't said a word so far. Miko wasn't attached to any sort of monitors or an IV, so the nurse seemed like overkill.

"Can you tell me anything?" Miko snapped at the nurse.

"Barry isn't involved in Linus's care," Omi replied. "He's an orderly we asked to be here in case you did something that might hurt yourself."

"Like get out of bed and demand to know what's wrong with my best friend?"

"Pretty much. You've already got a bunch of bruises from the crash, plus all the energy you expended during heat. You're in no condition to race to anyone else's bedside."

"You're not a doctor."

"Your doctor agrees with me, and so does your father. Even Jaysan agreed with me."

Uncle Jaysan was Morgyn's omegin and one of Omi's best friends, along with Liam. Linus's omegin Liam, who was probably a mess right now, and Miko's own omega instincts to comfort his loved ones hurt for Liam. But he hurt for himself more.

Someone knocked and then Emory Cross slipped inside. A year older than Miko and an omegin to three young sons, Emory looked perpetually exhausted, but he managed a bright smile for Miko. "I'm so glad to see you awake," Emory said. "Unconscious isn't how anyone wants to spend their first heat. Trust me, I should know."

"That was your second heat," Miko replied.

"Close enough." He leaned past Omi and hugged him gently. The movements reminded Miko of the bruises Omi had mentioned, and he let out a soft grunt. Emory pulled back. "Sorry."

"It's fine, I need someone to stop treating me like glass. Omi won't tell me why Linus is in Intensive Care."

"Because he's in a medically-induced coma." Emory immediately teared up, his empathic streak overcome by delivering that sort of news, especially about a good friend.

Miko's breath caught and his chest went cold. When Emory didn't add anything else, he stared at Omi. "Why? From the crash?"

"Indirectly," Omi replied. "The way the cars collided caused the door and part of the front passenger seat to crush and trap Linus's right leg. You were apparently trying to comfort him while you waited for help, but when emergency workers arrived on-scene they pulled you out. They wouldn't let you stay with him, even though you were screaming at them to let you back in the car."

Miko couldn't picture himself acting like that, but he had no reason to doubt Omi's words. Everything had been off-kilter that night, his emotions already running at top speed even before the accident. "But they got Linus out of the car."

"Yes, but it took a while because the EMT's were afraid of arterial damage. They had to be careful so he didn't bleed out once he was free. They got Linus to the emergency room, but there had already been severe damage to his leg and foot. He also had a concussion, so they had to be very careful about surgery and anesthesia. His parents had some impossible decisions to make."

The careful explanation made intellectual sense but a cold blanket of dread settled around Miko. His heart tore in two as he asked, "How's his leg?"

"They couldn't save it, baby." Omi choked. "They had to amputate just below the right knee."

"But…" Miko's brain filled with static and he looked between Omi and Emory's tear-streaked faces. "That's not right. He can't play soccer without his leg."

"There are all kinds of prosthetics out there now," Emory said. "He'll walk again. He'll just have to relearn some things, like how to run and play soccer."

"Not in time for his professional offers. He's supposed to…oh fuck." Miko swallowed hard, afraid the acid in his throat was about to surge out of his mouth. "This is my fault. He's going to hate me."

"Hey, no," Omi snapped. "This accident is all the fault of the taxi driver. He ran the red light."

"We wouldn't have been in the tax if I hadn't gone into heat. I wouldn't have needed to rush home if I'd just stayed home after the game, instead of going to that fucking party! Linus would be home safe right now!"

"Stop, baby, please. You did not cause this. You both survived a horrible accident. The doctors did their best to save Linus's leg, and he still almost died from a post-op infection."

"He what?"

Omi stood to fetch a box of tissues off a side table. When he paused to blow his nose, Emory took over the information dump. "He spiked a very high fever and they had a hard time getting it under control. He was having bad reactions to the antibiotics, so they chose to induce a coma to, um, prevent possible brain damage."

Miko listed forward and covered his face with both hands, shivering uncontrollably. Two pairs of arms wrapped around him, one from each side, and he let himself be selfish. He soaked in the love and support of his omegin and his best friend, absolutely sick to his stomach and so full of grief he wanted to vomit. All he could do was sit there and shake and rage over the unfairness of it all.

This past weekend should have been a celebration, not only of Linus's big soccer win, but also of Miko's first heat. Now, their lives were irreparably broken and nothing would ever be the same.

And it's all my fault.

Isa Higgs had spent too many hours, days, and possibly months of his life worrying over the health and safety of his loved ones. His first mate Herris had died twenty-five years ago, leaving Isa and their three beta sons, Aven, Tarius, and Demir, alone and grieving. Then he'd met Liam, his second mate and the holder of his heart, who'd been pregnant with their little omega Layne. Then Liam and infant Layne had been briefly kidnapped, and Isa had been as terrified as he'd ever expected to be.

If only he'd known.

After Linus was born, he'd had a serious ear infection that seemed to last for months, and Isa had worried. But Linus had grown out of the infections with no lasting problems. Their lives had progressed, all five of his boys growing, some marrying, others simply becoming the men they were supposed to be. More illnesses, another kidnapping, and finally Isa hoped that his life would settle after his retirement. No more bad men coming for his family.

This time there were no bad men, not really; only a bad driver who made a horrible mistake for a good(ish) reason. Sure, Isa was furious and wanted to find the driver, and pull his spine out through his mouth for all the heartache he was causing his family, but Isa wouldn't. His family needed him here, at the hospital, not in lockup for aggravated murder. He'd let the courts deal with the taxi driver.

They'd overtaken a corner of the ICU waiting room, since only two family members could be in Linus's room at a time. Isa abhorred this rule, even though he intellectually understood it. The doctors and nurses needed to see to their patients without too many distractions or outsiders getting in their way.

Liam had spent the better part of the last two days planted in a chair beside Linus's bed, leaving only twice to sleep in a nearby hotel. Even going home was too far away for him, and the hotel had been a compromise thought up by Demir. It was popular for residents of far-flung parts of Sansbury who also needed to be close to the hospital. The hotel room had also, in some ways, become a home base for their extended family, who lived scattered across the province. They kept food, drinks, toiletries, and games there for distraction.

Isa had never loved his friends more than this weekend. He himself, as a sixty-two-year-old alpha, was entering his twilight years, as few alphas lived past seventy. His old, formidable strength was waning with each passing year, and he couldn't be as strong and supportive as he used to be. He hated having to leave for power naps. He hated not being able to simply pick Liam up and carry him to the car, like used to twenty years ago.

He hated being physically weak. But where his body was slowing down, his heart was only growing bigger. Their boy would be okay. They'd all get him through this crisis.

Liam and Tarius were in Linus's room right now, so Isa was trying to rest in the waiting room, along with Mikel and Peyton Tovey. Neither alpha was allowed to be on the other side of the hospital complex with Miko. Mikel was as angry and on-edge as Isa had ever seen the younger sire, being separated from his own injured son and his distressed mate.

Their trio was trying to watch a news program on one of the waiting room's three TV's, but it wasn't holding Isa's attention. For all the distractions around him in the forms of novels, magazines, and puzzle books, he could not concentrate on anything.

Mikel's phone dinged, and he glanced at the screen. Smiled. "Miko's heat is over. Brogan and Emory are with him. He knows about Linus."

"I'm glad for you," Isa said through gritted teeth.

"Hell of a way to spend his first heat," Peyton said. "At least he was comfortable. Kind of."

Being kept mostly sedated wasn't exactly what Isa would call comfortable, but it was better than stressing out Miko's already battered body with the rigors of a full heat. An omega's body went through physical changes, became a slave to their hormones, and burned calories at an accelerated rate. Miko must be exhausted and disoriented from everything he'd endured these last few days.

"Hopefully he'll get out of that ward soon and into a regular room," Mikel said. "I want to hug my son."

"I know the feeling," Isa replied. "We never stop worrying about our children or wanting to keep them safe." Or failing to keep them safe, something with which Isa was intimately familiar. Too many times, his mates and sons had been hurt, scared, or traumatized, and Isa wasn't sure how to get them all through this latest catastrophe.

He'd never forget the late-night phone call that had most recently shattered his world. He and Liam had been settled in bed, watching a talk show while they fell asleep, and Isa had just nodded off during a boring interview. Tarius was home and in his room. Linus was due home around two, which was the curfew they'd negotiated for his final university year.

The house line had started ringing, and since they all had mobiles and only kept that line for emergencies, it was ringing in the living room. Liam had rolled out of bed quickly. "I've got it."

Isa had half-watched through the bedroom door, curious who was calling at this hour, as Liam and Tarius half-collided in the hallway. Liam had shooed Tarius back into his room and answered the phone. Isa hadn't been able to hear much. Many, many years ago, Liam had lost the full use of his voice, so he spoke just above a whisper. All Isa had registered was the clatter of the phone's handset missing the receiver.

Liam had walked into the room, scarily pale for his golden complexion, his dark eyes already spilling tears, his slender body shaking. "Linus was in a bad car accident. He's critical."

"He's what?" Isa's thundering reply had drawn Tarius back out of his room.

Their trio had somehow managed to dress and get to Emergency. Brogan and Mikel were already there for Miko, and that's when Isa learned the boys had been together. The why's came later, when Miko's parents were allowed to see him, before he was sedated and whisked away to the private obstetrics wing for his heat.

Liam had collapsed in Isa's arms when Dr. Stevens told them about Linus being trapped, the serious damage to his leg, the concussion, and that they had to make a choice: operate now to try and save his leg, or wait and monitor his concussion symptoms first. Lose his leg or brain damage. No parent should ever have to make that choice for their child.

Now, Isa wasn't sure if they'd made the right call. Linus's leg had been amputated, he'd developed an infection, and he was in a medically-induced coma, fighting for his life.

Will my boy ever walk again? Will he ever forgive me?

"Did Omi text Liam the news about Miko?" Peyton asked.

Mikel typed. Waited. "He just did. He asked you to spread the news to your friends."

"On it."

Isa watched the way Peyton's thumbs flew across the keyboard of his latest-model mobile, which was all touch-screen, instead of raised keys. Those phones made Isa's brain hurt a little. He wasn't fond of texting overall, but he'd learned in order to keep up with his kids and grandkids.

Mikel stood and walked to the far side of the room. Dug into his pocket and used a tissue to wipe his eyes. Isa looked away, giving his friend privacy. He and Mikel hadn't gotten terribly close until their boys, Layne and Peyton, began dating and then officially mated three years ago. For Isa, it had been a combination of their twenty-year age difference and Mikel's destructive past, which he'd overcome before mating with Brogan. But now Isa considered Mikel one of his dearest friends.

Still, no alpha liked to cry in front of others, even if they were tears of relief. Despite Mikel having raised Peyton from two years old and being his father in every way, Miko was Mikel's only biological offspring. And Miko was finally out of danger.

For now. Protect him with everything you have, Mikel.

Footsteps squeaked in the hallway. Isa glanced up out of habit, to see if it was another visitor, a friend, or a doctor heading for the ICU door. It gave him something to watch besides the wall. Eriq Lars-Higgs entered the waiting room with a large paper takeout bag and a cardboard tray of drinks, dressed in civvies for a change, instead of his constable uniform.

"I just dropped food off in the OB wing for Emory and Brogan," Eriq said. "When Em picked it up, he told me Miko's heat was finally over and that he's aware of what's happening. Miko's pretty upset about Linus."

"We all are," Isa said, snapping without meaning to. He loved and had great respect for Eriq, who was his step-grandson, but they'd only developed a strong relationship after Eriq graduated secondary school. Most of it was because it had taken Isa years to fully embrace the fact that his own middle son Demir was in a poly relationship with Eriq's parents, Brandt and Oliver Lars-Higgs. When Eriq decided he wanted to be a constable like his sire, Isa had seen a new side of the somewhat rebellious boy. Eriq had further impressed him last year when he claimed Emory Cross as his bondmate, despite Emory having three children by another sire. That entire situation had been beyond complicated, but Eriq had stepped up and was a wonderful father and mate.

Eriq's expression remained calm, despite Isa's temper. "Of course, you are, sir. I brought cold sandwiches, in case you didn't feel like eating right away."

"I appreciate it, thank you, son," Isa said. "Who has the babies?"

"Em's parents, plus Uncles Caden and Zaq were over when I left. Plenty of help."

"Good to hear it." The words Always wonderful to have family around stayed in his head. They'd all said them hundreds, if not thousands of times over the years, so they were inferred. Some of them came from large, extended families; some of them were orphans who had nothing when they met. Now, they were all family in unique and varied ways.

"Do you want to see Linus while you're here?" Isa asked. "I can text Tarius and see if he needs a break for lunch."

"No, I don't want to intrude. I love your sons, especially Demir, but your immediate family needs to be together right now. Just pass along my love for all of them. Emory's too."

"Of course. Thank you for the food."

"You're welcome, sir. Peyton. Mikel."

Peyton investigated the food first. He was a lifelong snacker, but had nothing on the bottomless pit of a stomach possessed by his Uncle Hyatt. Isa took one of the diet sodas and sipped, mostly for something to do with his hands. Peyton offered Mikel half his hoagie, which he ate in silence. Two young betas came out of the ICU and huddled together in a far corner of the waiting room, whispering to each other. Isa had seen them here yesterday, too.

As the afternoon waned and dinnertime approached, Isa got antsy to see his boy again. Before he could text anyone, Tarius left the ICU and wandered into the waiting room, nose in his phone, texting someone. He nearly walked into a chair before looking up. "Hey, Dad, I think Liam could use you for a while. I need to take a walk, anyway."

"Absolutely. Eriq dropped off some food, so help yourself."

"Fantastic." Tarius hugged him briefly, grabbed a container of some hoagie and chips combination, and left. He wasn't usually so abrupt when around family, but they were all stressed out right now and not quite themselves. He couldn't fault Tarius for wanting some time alone to process things.

It was one of the two main reasons Layne wasn't at the hospital today. After what happened with Peyton medically, Layne absolutely abhorred this hospital. He had an almost visceral negative reaction and did his best to overcome his own lifelong anxieties to be here as often as he could. The other main reason was he had a toddler at home, and while Layne had plenty of friends who'd agree to babysit, he found comfort in little Caleb when super-stressed.

Isa knew his omega son well enough to guess Layne was also trying his hardest not to lean on his parents right now. Isa often said his chest was broad enough, his arms strong enough, to support his entire family during any crisis. But he couldn't force his support on them if they chose to find it elsewhere.

They weren't supposed to take food into the ICU, but Isa rummaged around in the cooler they kept for their group, found a bottle of water and a protein bar, and tucked them into his coat pockets. The hospital was always too cold for him to take it off, and it made the perfect hiding spot for contraband sustenance during visiting hours.

Even if Isa hadn't spent the better part of the last two days in and out of this department, he had a pretty recognizable face from having once been Chief Constable, which was the highest rank attainable in a provincial constabulary. His family had also been in the news multiple times in the last twenty years. The nurse attending the central station simply nodded without asking for ID or which room.

Isa followed the circular corridor to the third cubicle on the right. His beloved mate Liam sat in an upholstered, reclining chair that had been placed as close as possible to Linus's bed, without impeding the machines or frequent vitals checks by his nurse. Liam was reading out loud from one of Linus's favorite childhood books. He and Isa both had committed various passages to memory after reading them so many times to both Layne and Linus as they grew.

Liam paused to crack a long, loud yawn, and startled when he spotted Isa at the room's entrance. "Hey, love."

"Eriq brought some sandwiches, if you want to go out and eat one. I can sit with our boy."

"Maybe in a little while."

"In that case." Isa handed over the water and protein bar. "You need to keep your strength up, little one."

Liam eyeballed him. "I will if you will. What did you eat? You need to keep your strength up more than me."

"I drank a diet soda."

With a huff, Liam opened the protein bar, ripped off half and handed it to Isa. "We'll both eat this. In a little while, we'll take turns eating a real sandwich, because we both know Linus will be pissed if he finds out you, especially, aren't taking care of yourself."

Isa grumped but ate the sweet protein bar that vaguely tasted like chocolate. He hated how much his family henned him, while also acknowledging they did it out of love. His energy and strength weren't what he pretended they were, and over-exerting himself wouldn't help anyone. Didn't mean he had to like it. They needed to focus their energy on Linus right now, not him. So he swallowed the food and washed it down with some of the water Liam offered.

"I hate seeing him so still," Liam said, as much to Isa as to himself. "Linus was always such a hyperactive kid. Always on the move. Even asleep, you could tell he was dreaming about doing something ."

"I hate it too, but we're giving his body a chance to heal. He needs his rest right now, because when he wakes up, he's going to need every ounce of energy he has to recover."

"You don't recover a lost limb, Isa."

The bitterness in Liam's voice didn't cow him. "No, but you do learn to live without it. You learn to adapt to your new mobility devices. He will walk again, little one. Believe in that with me."

"What if he hates us for the choice we made?"

"He probably will. For a little while. But we will love him regardless of the vitriol or blame he hurls at us, because he's our son. He knows he can be furious at us and we'll still love him. We can be his punching bags if he needs us to be."

"I'll be his punching bag. You don't?—"

"No." Isa knelt in front of Liam, his knees protesting with sharp pangs, but he didn't care. He clasped his beloved's hands and held them tight on Liam's lap. Gazed into Liam's dark, soulful eyes. "We are his parents. We made the decision together. I will take the full brunt of my responsibility for this. I am not a decrepit old man, so please do not shield me from this."

Liam's eyes went liquid. "I know you aren't. Your health has been incredible this past year, and I don't want to jeopardize that with extra stress. Not if I can take it off your shoulders."

"I'm his sire. When my kid is hurting, I'm going to feel it, whether I'm in the same room or a thousand miles away. Right now, I'd rather be in the same room, especially if you're there hurting too."

A long, tense moment passed before Liam smiled. A single tear spilled down his cheek, but Isa couldn't release his mate's hands long enough to wipe it away. "This is why I love you so much. I'm sorry. We are absolutely in this together. A team."

"A great team with five great kids."

"And four amazing grandsons."

"And some pretty spectacular friends. Friends we both need to let help us through this. You need to lean on Jaysan and Oliver. Kell and Jax, too."

"Do you promise to lean on Tarek, Karter and Brandt?"

"As much as I can, considering I was all of their boss at one point."

Liam chuckled then kissed Isa's knuckles. "Once a constable, always a constable. But the only person I need right now is Isa the alpha and father to our kids. Be that man for me?"

"Always, little one. No matter what."