Mine

Chapter Two: The Police Station

Cassian eyed the kid sitting on the blue plastic chair by the wall. He was swinging his legs, his eyes darting between all the police officers in the station; he could see Bay was fighting his instinct to run. Bay brought the candy bar Cassian gave him to his lips, chipping off a piece and eating it.

A hand clamped his shoulder and he turned to see Azriel lean down next to him. "I found some information on the boy, none of it's good."

Cassian ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Tell me."

Azriel pulled up a chair next to his and dropped a heavy file on his desk. Cassian's brows rose and he glanced between the file and Bay before going back to Azriel with raised brows. "He's ten years old and he has a thick-ass file."

Azriel nodded. "I know. According to our system, Baylor Perditus was born an omega to Caeli Perditus and David Odium on December thirty-first of oh-seven. Mother died in childbirth and the kid got placed with his father after her death. He's had run-ins with the cops for breaking curfew and theft." His lips curled up. "And resisting arrest."

Cassian snorted and opened the file. A picture of Bay clipped to the upper left had Cassian sighing. The boy had wide eyes and a bruise to his face, swelling his cheek; the kid looked like a deer struck in headlights and hunger was plain on his face. "Let me guess, the theft was food."

"You know it," Azriel nodded. "Fruit, vegetables, candy. Whatever he could grab and run with." He leaned in and tapped the file. "He's not in school, either. No record of attending. According to my sources, he's homeschooled by his father. I have a feeling it's because it's easier to carry on the abuse and this way, he didn't have to put him on suppressants."

Cassian looked back at Bay, to see the kid looking at him. Cassian grinned and Bay looked down, hands clasped in his lap, his ears turning a dark shade of red. Cassian chuckled under his breath and turned to Azriel. "We got to get him out of his house. The kid won't last long without suppressants, especially when he has his first heat. I'm willing to bet his house doesn't have scent-blockers." Which was illegal to not have in the first place. "What do we got on his father?"

A shadow past Azriel's eyes as he dropped a second file on top of Bay's. "Assault, B and E, resisting arrest, domestic violence, DUI, drugs. The list goes on and on." Azriel shook his head, his voice laced with darkness, "I want to know who the fuck let a child stay with that man." Cassian tipped his head back and ran his hand through his hair as Azriel looked at him. "You want him to come live with you, don't you?"

Cassian nodded. "We've been trying to have kids for the better part of the last ten years, and," he looked at Bay. "I think she'll like him. I know I do." Bay's eyes shot up, as if he were aware he was being talked about, but he trained them back on his lap seconds later; Cassian smiled.

"You talk to her yet?"

He bit the inside of his cheek and glanced at his watch. "Not yet. Her lunch break is in half an hour." He leaned closer to Azriel. "The kid is already itching to run and if I leave him alone, that's just what he'll do. He doesn't trust cops. I barely got him to agree to come with me."

Azriel rubbed his jaw and gave Bay an assessing look. "Pretty headstrong for an Omega." He flicked his hazel-gold eyes to him. "Think he'll agree to go to the hospital with me? I'd bring him to spend some time with the boys, but I don't think it would be safe for any of them without Bay's scent suppressed."

"Dunno," Cassian shut the file and leaned back, whistling at Bay. The boy's head shot up and Cassian jerked his head, motioning him to come. Bay looked between him and Azriel, his brows furrowed, and reluctantly got to his feet and came over to his desk.

Bay crossed his arms, his eyes flicking between him and his partner. "Are you going to call my dad now?" Cassian could smell the fear on Bay. He swallowed the growl in his throat and took a calming breath. "Please," Bay said with wide eyes. "Don't."

Cassian pushed out a seat. "Sit." Bay promptly did as told, folding his hands in his lap. "We will

need to talk to your father, Bay." Palpable fear rose in Bay's scent as the boy got up to run. Cassian caught the boy's arm and sat him back down. "You don't need to be afraid, okay? We've already started the process to get you out of your house. He won't be able to touch you."

Bay turned to him, his eyes unflinching and hard, although his scent betrayed him. "Do you promise?" The kid's voice came out even and low with suspicion.

He and Azriel exchanged glances; Azriel would move heaven and earth to get Bay out of that house, as would he. It was instinct for an Alpha to protect an omega; hardwired in their genes. "I need to go see my wife, tell her about you," he said, effectively avoiding the question. He didn't want to promise something he wasn't positive he could give. "But I'd like you to go with my partner here," he clasped Azriel's shoulder, "and get put on suppressants."

"I- I thought I'd be going with you," Bay stammered, his ears and cheeks turning an endearing shade of pink, his eyes wide. "Can't I wait until you get back?" He flicked his gaze to Azriel, his ears growing redder. "No offense, Officer Verrum."

Azriel gave him a reassuring smile as Cassian's heart melted. He liked the kid wanting him, needing him. Perhaps this is what being a father felt like. Cassian leaned forward on his elbows and ruffled Bay's hair. Cassian's smile widened at Bay's flat stare. "Az here, is a little sore on the eyes but he's a pretty decent guy." Azriel rolled his eyes as Cassian leaned forward and whispered, "Plus he has an in at Rita's." Bay's eyes lit up. "I bet if you ask nicely, he'll take you there afterwards."

Bay glared at him. "You don't need to talk to me as if I'm five. I know what you're doing." He hesitated and shuffled in his seat before turning his hazel-green eyes to Azriel. "You'll take me to Rita's? Really?"

Azriel nodded. "Whatever you want, my treat." He leaned forward, his badge glinting in the light. "And we should wrap up just in time for Cassian, here, to get done with talking to Nesta. So, what do you think? Gonna come with me?"