Killian Hayes absently dragged his forefinger through the wet ring left behind on the bar from his bottle of beer. Tilting his head back, he let the amber liquid slide down his throat before setting the now empty bottle at the edge of the bar for the bartender to dispose of. When the burly Beta behind the bar grabbed the bottle and pointed the neck of it towards him, Killian nodded slightly for another.
A large body sliding onto the stool next was his only warning before a broad hand clapped between his shoulder blades with a solid thud.
"Killian." Malcolm's deep voice acknowledged him even as he dipped his head towards the bartender to order the same beer as Killian. The two men sat in companionable silence until the bartender delivered two full bottles and set one in front of each of them.
"How's Selah doing? Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you'd ventured out. Last time I saw you, you wouldn't let her more than two inches from your side." Killian half-teased with a smirk remembering the last time he'd been to the couples' home.
Breeding Omegas didn't tolerate others well in their personal space. His presence inside their home had made Selah uncomfortable so Malcolm had suggested eating on the back patio. That had served to calm Selah, but when she'd gone inside to get something for the table, Malcolm had turned into a nervous wreck. Finally, with a chagrined, humor-filled look at Killian, Malcolm had given in and followed Selah into the house. Two more times and Killian couldn't stop his laughter. Big scary Alphas turned into anxious beasts when their mate was expecting.
Just another reason he planned to stay far away from all forms of mating and Omegas. He'd never been to an Omega Ball, and he didn't plan to start now. Of course, he didn't feel a twinge or two when Selah looked at Malcolm like he'd hung the stars and moon. It was just heartburn from the red sauce. That's all.
"I'd like to pretend that I'm over that stage, but the only times I can leave her when we're not at work are when I drop her off at Telia and Ashlyn's house or when she's at Sanctuary visiting a client." Malcolm chuckled at Killian's snort, "I know. It's ridiculous. The only way I function during the workday is that I know she's safe in her office. Selah thought it was sweet... for about three days. I swear she's about to finish me off. I went to pick her up yesterday, and I found her on a step stool trying to water her hanging plants."
Killian turned his head in time to see his friend shake his head, "Did the plants survive the fallout?"
"The hanging plants are now sitting on the floor," Mal said, "and despite her protests, her backside was only slightly pink."
Eyes widening in question, Killian just stared at Malcolm with surprise. How do you discipline a pregnant Omega like Selah and keep your hands? Not asking the question his mind was trying to formulate, he tapped his finger against his bottle remembering the aftermath of Selah's rage against her kidnapper. The two Alphas sat quietly for a moment before Malcolm broke the silence.
"Selah could tell you all the psychology behind it, but I absolutely have a fear that if she's out of my sight - out of my control - that something awful is going to happen to her or the babies. At the same time, her Omega side is much more 'present' now than ever before. It's making me need to push for her submission at the same time I'm trying to wrap her in cotton wool."
Killian nodded in response to the tone in Malcolm's voice although he didn't fully understand what the other male was going through.
Killian and Malcolm met several years after Killian joined the Alpha Corps. Malcolm had just become an officer in the Omega Security Force. They'd been on a joint venture, and after spending weeks chasing down leads and finally ending a drug cartel that used unmated Omegas as mules, the two men had formed a close bond despite their differences.
And their differences were significant.
The son of two Beta parents, as far back as they could trace, Malcolm's family had never produced an Alpha. Malcolm's family were so stereotypically Beta, they could have been the example in the dynamic textbook at school so Malcolm's Alpha presentation had shocked his entire clan. Malcolm had fallen in love with his future mate and bonded her straight out of secondary school. With amazing control of his predatory instincts and Alpha drive, Malcolm entered the OSF as one of the youngest officers in decades.
Killian was Malcolm's opposite in almost every way.
Born from a long line of Alpha and Omega pairings, Killian's designation had never been in question. In school, he'd been the first to present among his classmates. Taller, stronger, and more aggressive than his friends, Killian found himself watching the Omegas in his year group with a quiet intensity. One of his fellow Alphas joked that Killian was like a lion stalking a herd of gazelles waiting for one to become prey. Killian had laughed along with his friends to cover up the burning he'd felt in his chest.
Young Alphas were idiots.
Dangerous idiots.
Too many hormones, too much power, and too little restraint made a bad combination.
His father was the stereotypical Alpha asshole. Serving on the ruling council, his father kept his Omega mate under tight lock and key at home. While he might give lip support to Omega rights and freedoms,Killian's mother rarely left the estate and only then under heavy guard.
His father paraded unmated Omegas in front of Killian before he'd even graduated from secondary school trying to tempt him into choosing a mate to continue the family line, but Killian's decision was already made.
He'd never take a mate.
With the delicate and sweet-smelling Omegas, Killian's Alpha inside roared with lust and rage. The comparison to a lion stalking its prey was an apt one. While Killian seemed calm and controlled on the outside, on the inside, his Alpha demanded that one of them bare her neck and submit.
His needs were too primal. To rough for a delicate Omega. He refused to be like his father, but his need to possess his Omega in all ways was barely contained so he'd joined the Alpha Corps as soon as he'd graduated.
He was on leave now due to a minor injury from an explosion. It was mostly healed, but he still had some light physical therapy he'd been ordered to undergo, and his unit had been deployed undercover while he recuperated so he was left cooling his heels waiting for their return.
"So, how long do you have left on your leave?" Malcolm asked.
"At least a month."
"Hmm..." the response came with an air of speculation that had Killian turning his head to look at Malcolm.
"What can I do for you?" he asked the younger Alpha.
"Selah's concerned about an Omega she's been helping. Her name's Abby. She was the one that was forced to help Christoph and Tobias."
"I remember reading about that," Killian replied. "Those two assholes really did a number on her."
"They did. So did her parents. She's been sent to Sanctuary for rehabilitation, and Selah has been going there to see her at least once a week. Selah's concerned about Abby's safety because some recent attempts have been made to breach Sanctuary's security."
Killian paused with the bottle halfway to his mouth to stare at Malcolm, "Breached? What does the Omega Security Force have to say about that?"
"They don't believe Sanctuary is under any danger. The attempts have been small. More like testing the boundaries than any physical threat. We've intercepted some notes to Abby that made their way through the system. They were only caught at the last minute by the Alpha security at Sanctuary."
"But you don't agree," Killian stated, finally taking a sip of his beer. The smooth liquid slid down his throat, and he set the bottle back on the scarred bar with a soft thud.
"No. I don't. I don't have any real evidence to take to my team. James thinks I'm just being paranoid with Selah being there so much. Hell, maybe that's some of it, but something's off. You know, ever since that day at the warehouse, Selah and I have been a little more than we were before - a little more in touch with our feral sides." Malcolm took a sip of his own drink before setting it down and meeting Killian's keen stare. "Every instinct I have is screaming at me that Selah's in danger while she's there. I don't feel it anywhere else, but every time she steps foot in that building, it's all I can do to let her away from my side."
"James could be right. I know he's a bureaucratic asshole, but he's smart." Killian played with the label on his beer watching surreptitiously as Malcolm's hands clenched around his own drink.
"I know. I know, but it's not just that. It's Abby. Selah feels it too. Abby's in some kind of danger, and it's making Selah's Omega want to wrap her up, take her home, and tuck her into the nursery. She even spoke to the director about it, but they won't release Abby into our custody." Malcolm said.
Killian took another sip of his drink while he considered his friend. He could easily believe that Malcolm's instincts were off when it came to his pregnant Omega, but for Selah to want to bring an unrelated, unmated Omega into their home while she was breeding was unheard of.
"So, you think the feeling that Selah is in danger revolves around Abby?" he questioned thinking out loud.
"Maybe. Selah is in danger while she's there. Abby is there. If Abby's in danger then that puts Selah in danger while she visits."
"What do you need me to do?" Killian asked cutting to the heart of what he felt coming from Malcolm.
"Carrying triplets is already risky. Selah adding extra stress because she's worried about Abby has to stop. The OSF doesn't believe there's any danger to Sanctuary, but we do." Malcolm paused before continuing, "I know you're still recuperating..."
"I can't get in Sanctuary, Malcolm. I'm an unmated Alpha. There's no way they'd let me past the threshold let alone provide any kind of security inside the building." Killian snorted at the thought. He was the furthest thing that any of those Omegas needed.
"No, but you could stand post outside."
"Outside? You don't think Sanctuary will notice a seven foot Alpha loitering outside their gates every day?" He laughed at the image.
"There's a hotel across the street that a lot of visitors to Sanctuary use when they're waiting for visitation. I can get you a room there facing Sanctuary. The Omegas will never know you're there. The director is on board with the idea as long as you stay under the radar."
"And if there is a breach? What then? I politely call it in and wait for the cavalry to arrive? You know that's not my style, Malcolm."
"If there's a problem, you solve it. No repercussions. Something about this is making the director uneasy. She's not sharing everything, but she's rattled." Malcolm continued, "I know you're still in recovery and babysitting an Omega is the last thing you want to do, but Selah and I would both be very grateful. The doctor has already told her that she needs to reduce her stress. She trusts you, and as her delivery gets closer, she worries about Abby being left unprotected."
"I'll have to report back to my unit. I won't be able to sit Omega-watch for too long. They're supposed to be back in the next two months." Killian warned his friend.
"If you're willing, I'll take it. It will give me time to either find evidence to present to James or find another outside solution." Malcolm's piercing gaze conveyed how serious he was taking the possible threat to Abby.
"Alright, mate. I'll watch over Sanctuary for you for as long as I can, but it'll cost you one of Selah's pies and a pint of this." Tipping the neck of the bottle towards Malcolm, Killian noted how the big man's shoulders dropped as tension left him.
Babysitting some Omegas from a distance gave him an excuse to leave the family estate, and it shouldn't prove a challenge to a combat veteran Alpha. How hard could it be?