Chapter Twelve

"He's lovely," Aziz said, coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with me. "You're a lucky man."

I let a bit of a growl come out, but he would never touch what didn't belong to him, or what was mine. Nor would any of my brothers here. We all had each other's backs—had to. But even if we weren't here, trying to fight off some invisible villain who only seemed to get stronger the harder we struggled, they would be my brothers in this life.

He chuckled. "Now, now. I'm only admiring. I'm happy for you."

I chuffed, never taking my eyes off Sloan. "He doesn't know who I am. What I've done. When he finds out…"

A grunt came from the hyena. I'd once mistakenly called him a scavenger, but he quickly corrected me. They were hunters, but only in times of starvation did they feast on the carcasses of animals others took down first. "When he finds out, he might be upset, and that's okay. A good omega like that forgives if the alpha deserves it. Besides, you're not so bad. You smell like a fucking bear, but I forgave you for that a long time ago."

I chuckled. We had all given each other our fair share of digs over our differences but learned over time that our similarities were greater.

Aziz didn't know what I was talking about exactly. No one knew.

My team didn't know about my side excursions because I made sure they didn't know. Even Hammer was in the dark.

I reeled my thoughts back to my mate. He seemed to flourish anywhere. Even in the direst of circumstances.

Sloan was sitting on the floor while the kids crowded around him. He showed them how to play some card game. They hung on every word that came from his mouth. Two little female cubs were in his lap, helping him give directions, while the others played a mock game, learning all the ins and outs. They looked to him as a cub would a father.

Gods. He would make a fantastic father.

"Just like we all forgave you for being a hyena. I can't wait to bust your nuts once you find your omega."

Aziz inhaled deeply. "I'm not an alpha who has an omega, Tyrus." Before I could respond, he pulled out his phone. "I've got to make a supply run. Call if you need anything that isn't on the list."

I watched Aziz march out of the warehouse. He'd been acting strange lately but, then again, he always kept his walls up and made sure there was intangible space between all of us and him. But, like me, if he wanted others to know his secrets, he would tell us.

As I was watching him, the hair on the back of my neck prickled. Someone was watching me. I scanned the room to find a young teenage male pretending to read a book but, every once in a while, his gaze would fall on me.

When I caught his attention, I crooked my finger at him, asking him to come over.

"Hello, I'm Tyrus. I don't think we've met," I said, extending my hand. He was an alpha. Probably didn't know it yet considering he'd been through hell and back. No time for paying attention to things like that when you are being held prisoner. He was thirteen, maybe fourteen. He would know soon. And, by the scent, he was a wolf, just like my omega.

"I'm Abel. I'm sorry if I was staring."

"Were you? I hadn't noticed," I said and winked at him. No reason to embarrass the guy.

"It's just that…there was once someone who looked exactly like you. He helped me at one of the other keeps. He would sneak bread and cake to me at night when we didn't get enough to eat from the bad men."

My skin broke out in goose bumps as I realized what he was saying. Of course. This was why he was staring. Anyone would if they'd seen a ghost.

"Tyrone?" I asked. He nodded. A smile rose on my face. It always did when I discovered my brother had made an impact on someone's life. He did that when we were little and continued in his adulthood. "He was my twin brother."

"Was?" The young man's face fell. "He died?"

I nodded. "He did. I'm sorry. I'm glad that you got to know him."

"They took me from that house about five years ago. I used to count the days. But no one wanted to adopt me. Now I'm too old. That's what one of the men said."

I hugged him around the shoulders. How could I not? His words were filled with sadness, and his scent had a desperation about it. I was sure Sloan did his best with every child he came into contact with, but this male was in great need of a friend and a mentor.

Parents who would love him and teach him how worthy he was.

Gods. I wanted to strangle every asshole ever involved in all of this.

Every. Single. One.

"I'm sure Tyrone loved you and, just because some random person didn't want to adopt you doesn't mean no one wants you. How about this afternoon you and I train in the gym? Learn a few fighting techniques? Now that you're eating properly, maybe get some weight on you."

He chuckled. "Are you sure? You would do that?"

"Absolutely. Tyrone wasn't the only one with the nice streak."

"Thank you, Tyrus." We'd corrected all of them when they first arrived. Calling us sir. Bullshit. Sir was my father, not me.

I turned, deciding to go back to researching some tips when Sloan broke from the group of kids and came over. Much better than looking at my laptop. He put a hand on my arm, and my body reacted like he'd fisted my cock. Tingles flooded my skin, starting at my head and not stopping their onslaught until they reached my toes.

"You okay?" I probably asked him that a million times a day. It was our thing.

"I am. That was sweet of you. Abel has been through hell and back."

I nodded. "I gathered that. He knew my brother. Had seen him at another holding place."

"That must've been weird."

I shook my head. "Not weird. It was good. Tyrone gave as much love as he could while he was on this earth, no matter what the circumstances. I have to do the same. Plus, kill all the fuckers who did this to you and Abel and Tyrone and the countless others."

Sloan snorted and got on his tiptoes so his mouth was near my ear. "Do you know how sexy it is when you threaten to take down all the bad guys?"

I would've answered, but the words were stuck in my throat. Sloan giggled, obviously knowing the effect he had on me, and walked away. And, damn it all, the omega knew how to walk away.