12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Shay

"Hey Alex," Bennett said into the phone, taking the call out of the room, where I couldn't hear his side of the conversation. Something ran up my spine and then flared in my chest.

Who was Alex? Why was he taking the call where we couldn't hear him? Was Alex his boyfriend? Was I jealous?

Not sure what the weird feeling was that was turning my blood to anger, I stirred my soup with my spoon, staring down at the yellow broth, and watched the carrots and celery bits swim around the rich noodles. My appetite had suddenly vanished.

"You want one of my crackers, Tristan?" Lucas's voice brought me out of the funk that had come over me. Glancing over, I saw him offering a cracker to his cousin with a smile. The baby reached out his chubby hand and snatched the proffered cracker, holding it against his chest like a treasure, but not eating it .

"Thank you, Lucas," Asher smiled at my son and my heart warmed, marveling over what a good person Lucas was growing into. "He's not feeling his best, so he might not eat it."

Lucas shrugged, "It's okay if he just wants to hold it. Sometimes when you don't feel good you just like to have something close to you. I have Mr. Rabbit. He always makes me feel better. But I didn't bring any other stuffies, or I would let him have one."

My nostrils flared at my child's innocent remark, reminding me that we had next to nothing and all he had left behind. A bedroom full of books, clothes and stuffed animals, and another entire room devoted to nothing but things for him to play with. It would be a long time, if ever, that I would be able to replace everything he had left behind.

Asher gave me a look, one full of understanding tinged with sympathy, and I couldn't hold his gaze for long. The lump that had clogged my throat earlier with too many emotions was back, making it hard to breathe. I hated seeing my brother look at me that way. It made me feel small, and ashamed, and like I had fucked my life up beyond repair. Deep down, I knew Asher didn't mean for it to hit me the way it did, but all of Edward's cruel words he had tossed so easily my way, knowing just how to hurt, were still embedded in my skin.

Changing the subject, I asked, "Does Bennett have a boyfriend?"

Subtle Shay , my tiger grumbled.

Flexing my shoulders, I tried to determine if I felt the need to shift, since my tiger had decided to finally come out of his self-imposed hibernation. But there was no telling tingle beneath my skin, no urge to shed my human side and shift into my powerful cat. I guess after six years of being dormant, I couldn't expect him to want to come out and play just like that. Just the fact that he was talking to me again made me happy enough.

Asher and Gabe exchanged a look, and it annoyed me and made me anxious at the same time. There were a fuck ton of secretive looks flying back and forth across the table. It felt like there were entire conversations being had around me, about me, without actual words being spoken and I didn't particularly like it.

"Not that I know of," Asher finally responded, looking over at Rafe with a fond expression. The baby had decided he'd had enough of being quiet and was happily banging his little fists against the tabletop. Gabe murmured in the baby's ear, and Rafe babbled happy nonsense to his alpha father.

I wanted to demand to know who Alex was but before I could, Bennett returned, placing a piece of paper on the counter before taking his seat. Instead of asking, my eyes gave him a sharp glare. To my surprise, he didn't take my look personally, just raised a dark brow at me, his lips pursed into a thin line.

Yeah, I was definitely annoyed knowing he'd been talking to another man. Which was stupid. We barely knew each other. And I didn't even know that he had been talking to a man, or even another alpha. Alex could very well be the name of a woman. Bennett might even be attracted to women. But we were fated, so that meant he at least liked men too. Ugh, all of this–my jealousy, possessiveness, whatever–was probably only caused by the fact that I knew he was my fated mate and nothing more.

"That was Alex," he addressed my brother and not me, and that irritated me even more for some reason.

"I'm surprised he called on a Sunday," Asher remarked, taking a bite of his soup, then dangled a noodle in front of Tristan. The baby shook his head vehemently, pushing the noodle away .

"Me too, but I'm glad he did." Bennett turned his attention to me, finally remembering I was sitting there.

Goddess, what the actual fuck was wrong with me? I didn't act like this. All…caveman, you belong to me. Did I? I never had before, but the only person I had ever been serious with was Edward. And I wasn't about to compare anything to that relationship.

"Alex Ortega is a family law lawyer." Bennett told me, ignoring my looks and surly tone. "I've worked with him on a few cases over the years. He's very good. He has agreed to see you this Friday at ten."

Swallowing around the lump that apparently was going to live in my throat forever, I stared at him dumbfounded. "I…I can't afford a lawyer."

Feeling all eyes, including my son's, on me, I stared down into my soup bowl. Who knew chicken noodle soup could be so fascinating, but it held all my attention. "I can't afford anything. I have maybe twenty bucks to my name."

That was embarrassing to admit, especially in front of my brother, who seemed to have his life together. Asher had always been like that though. Always put together, always knew what he wanted, and he went after it. And he always, always got what he wanted. When what Dad had saved wasn't going to cover the costs of college and med school, my gorgeous omega brother found a way to pay for it. His face and lithe body had graced the covers of more than one fashion magazine. He had even walked the runway in Milan once. Modeling had paid for what Dad couldn't.

Not once in my life had I ever been able to compare myself to Asher and come out ahead. But at least I had been proud of who I was, and what I wanted for my future. Until Edward .

Now I was just…ashamed and embarrassed of what I had done, and where and how I had ended up on my brother's doorstep.

Glancing at Lucas, he was giving me a sweet smile, his blue eyes full of adoration. "I don't need anything, Daddy. I have enough with what I brought."

Blinking rapidly at the heat burning my eyes, I couldn't look away from my sweet boy. He had never wanted for anything since the day he had been born. Not material things anyway. He'd always had the best clothes–more than he could ever wear–toys, and all the food he could ever want.

Now we were literally relying on the kindness of strangers. An omega who had taken us in, who might be my destiny if my life wasn't one giant mess, and a brother I hadn't seen in twelve years. We were both men now, and knew nothing about each other, and I had shut him out of my life. To have to ask him for anything more than a place to stay was just…I couldn't do it. It was too much. I didn't deserve anything from Asher.

Looking across the table at Asher, we stared at each other, two strangers who had once known everything there was to know about one another. How had we gotten to this place? How had I let us get here? My brother had no reason to forgive and forget, and I wasn't about to ask him to. I didn't deserve to be forgiven.

Gabe gave Asher a pointed look, pushing back from the table with Rafe in his arms. Bending down, he scooped up Tristan, ignoring the boys' loud squawk of protest.

Quietly, he told my brother, "Remember what I said. You need to go easy. None of your usual, everything my way or the highway BS."

Standing to his full height, Gabe tilted his head towards the glass slider doors. "Lucas, you want to come outside with us? Bennett has a big backyard, and I'll shift into my bear form and you guys can climb on me, if you want."

"Yeah!" Lucas jumped up so fast he nearly toppled his chair, and I gave Gabe a grateful, thin-lipped smile.

"Be good," I told Lucas, "and mind your Uncle. He's in charge just like if I was out there. I can see you if you need me, okay?"

I still wasn't great with having him away from me for very long, even with Asher's mate. I would need to get over it, because Lucas was going to have to be away from me at some point. I needed a job, and he would need to start school in the fall.

"I know, Daddy." Lucas told me, his tone just this side of being annoyed at me for reminding him.

When they were safely outside, the door shut against the hot June air, I reiterated, "I can't afford a lawyer. I don't even know where we are going to live."

Unsaid were the words of me asking Asher if we could stay with him, until we got on our feet. Who knew how long that would take. Months, at the very least. It was a lot to ask of anyone, but especially someone you had been estranged from for so long. And Asher had a mate now, and children of his own.

"Alex has agreed to take your case pro bono," Bennett told me quietly, none of us even pretending to eat any longer. "He's very good at what he does, and after looking over the hospital report–what he was allowed to see without breaking patient confidentiality–and the police report, he's willing to take you on as a client. You still will need to give a full statement to the sheriff, preferably before you meet with Alex on Friday, if you're up to it."

Taking as deep a breath as I could muster to try to steady myself, I nodded absently. It wasn't that I hadn't thought it would come down to a court fight with Edward, even with me declaring Alpha Law. But I really wished my body hadn't betrayed me the way it had, and in the hospital of all places.

The pictures Albert had taken were for me to have as a security blanket, to be used on an as needed basis. I never planned on anyone seeing the extent of what Edward had done. I'd planned to flat out lie to my brother about why my face looked the way it did. Making up a bar fight, or a mugging, or a car wreck.

Anything but the truth.

You know you are going to have to talk about it, Shay , my tiger whispered. You know that, right?

I don't want to talk about it. I want to forget it ever happened.

Never gonna have a future that way, he lamented.

"I…I don't want to take Lucas to a lawyer's office," I whispered, running a finger over the top of the table in a mindless circle. "There are some things that he doesn't need to know. Edward is still his omega father."

As much as I hated Edward, he had given me Lucas. And I would do everything I had inside me to not bad mouth him in front of Lucas. Na?ve? Yes, probably. Because Lucas had clearly heard and seen more than I had wanted him to, even with me trying my best to shield him from the ugliness that was Edward.

Someday, Lucas would be old enough to make his own decisions and conclusions where Edward was concerned. Until then, I would do my best to not badmouth his father in front of him.

"I'm more than happy to watch him," Bennett offered. "He knows me, and I'm on vacation until after the fourth of July anyway."

My eyes widened at that. "That's weeks away."

He nodded, looking sheepish. "It's kind of mandatory. I haven't really taken time off since I started working at the hospital, and my boss put the hammer down. I'm not to show my face for a month. My vacation technically started Saturday, so the night I was called in when you passed out doesn't count." Asher looked at him dubiously but didn't contradict his logic.

"And I don't want you to worry about a place to live," my brother told me. "Gabe and I have talked about it and–"

"I'm sorry we have to impose on you," I cut him off, but I needed him to know I understood what he was probably feeling. "I promise you won't even know we're there. And I'll find a job, I swear I will, and we'll find a place. You and I have a lot of stuff to work through, and me being there won't be easy. I get it, if you don't want us there."

Asher frowned, his dark eyes troubled. "Shay, none of that stuff matters." When I tilted my head at him, giving him a bullshit look, he nodded his blond head. "Okay, it does matter. And we do need to talk, yes. But that is minor. It's nothing, a blip. You're my brother. My family. You are not, and never will be, a burden, problem, or whatever other words you have running around that head of yours. I don't know what has happened–I mean, I can piece together some things–and we will talk about the stuff with Dad and you cutting us out. But the rest–" he waved a hand over his soup bowl, "just know if, and when, you want to tell me, whatever you want to tell me, I'll be here. And it won't change how I feel about you. Am I angry about some stuff? Fuck, yes, I am. Does it mean I stopped loving you? Never. I would never, I could never, not love you."

From my peripheral vision I saw Bennett rub at his eyes, and I doubled down my blinking because I did not want to cry again. Not in front of Bennett.

"What I was going to tell you," Asher continued, "is that Gabe and I talked about it, and we want to offer you his house to stay in. Indefinitely. It's right next door to Bennett's, and across the street from us. It's a three-bedroom ranch, and it's completely furnished. We haven't gotten around to figuring out if we wanted to sell it or rent it out. Honestly, we've been using it when his family comes to town to see the grandbabies. He has two teenage twin sisters, and it's a lot when they all descend. It's nice not having to share space with them all, and they don't have to get a hotel. We just need to get it cleaned and aired out for you. Stock it with some groceries. But you still have a few days of meds to get through, and your body still needs plenty of rest. You can do that here, with Bennett watching over Lucas. We figured we'd have the house ready for you by next weekend, if you want it. Rent free until you get things sorted, and then if you want to keep living there, we'll work something out."

Had I heard my brother correctly? He was offering me an entire house, for nothing, at least for a little while? Part of me, the part that had always balked at the way Asher had a tendency to just take over and tell someone what they were going to do, wanted to be irritated. I didn't particularly like having people make decisions for me. It made me feel like I had no control over my life, a feeling I had lived with for way too long. But everything he had just laid out was for the benefit of Lucas and me. It would give us more of a start than I had planned on, and there was no way I could turn it down.

"I…I don't know what to say."

Asher shrugged, "Say yes, dork."

Bennett laughed, but there was a slightly odd, strained sound to the high-pitched tone. Was it in response to Asher teasingly calling me a name from our childhood? Or because we would be leaving in less than a week's time?

"Yes," I whispered, "thank you. I don't know what to say, honestly. "

It was a massive relief, and I felt it physically in my body, knowing we had a place to stay for the long-term. It was near Asher and his family, and Bennett. Though the thought of leaving him and his cozy little house in a few days made me feel… something .

Unsettled, maybe? At least he would be right next door. Even if I was nowhere in a place to do anything about our fated mate status, knowing he was that close did make me feel better.

Asher reached behind him and rested a folded envelope he had pulled from his back pocket, on the table. Pushing it towards me, he nodded his head at me to take it.

"What's this?" I questioned, taking the envelope but not opening it.

"It's your inheritance."

My eyes flew to his face, searching.

"Take it, Shay," he ordered, in his bossy, demanding way, that I had sorely missed. "It's yours. Dad would want you to have it. He meant for us both to have it. I kept it for you in an account. I can give you the bank information if you want to put it in your own account. It took a few phone calls, and a friend sitting in the bank manager's office yesterday. to get the check cut. But I wanted you to know you have a small nest egg for you and Lucas."

With trembling fingers I tore open the envelope, peeling back the layers to look at the cashier's check with my name on it. Inhaling sharply at the figure, I shook my head vehemently. "Asher, it's…no, I don't…you deserve this, not me."

Sliding the envelope back across the table, I tried to get my brother to take it. Why, I didn't know. I sure as shit needed the money that envelope held. It was a fresh start for Lucas and me, enough to get us back on our feet, with plenty to spare .

That envelope held our future, and security from Edward, but I couldn't take it. That money was our dad's hard work, and I didn't deserve it. I had lost my right to it a long time ago.

"Take the fucking money, Shay," Asher barked, shoving the paper back at me. "It's your half of the sale of the shop and the house, minus the inheritance taxes and the funeral expenses. Don't fucking argue with me, and don't be a brat about it."

"You're not the boss of me, Asher," I retorted automatically, and it was like I was sixteen again, and he was home for the summer from college. When he'd told me something I didn't want to hear, or I had felt he had overstepped his older brother duties and gone into trying-to-parent-me territory. And it felt damn good.

He grinned at me, and I grinned back, and I was pretty sure I heard Bennett exhale a breath he had probably been holding for way too long.

"Am too," Asher retorted smugly, "always will be, big little brother."

Staring at the envelope, I held it lightly between my fingers. Two hundred thousand dollars was beyond me even comprehending. The relief I felt at knowing Lucas and I weren't going to have to fight, grovel, beg, plead, and swallow every ounce of my pride to survive, was almost a physical thing.

"Thank you," I whispered hoarsely, the lump in my throat finally vanishing. "Thank you."