“But not Lucky?”
Ford laughed, releasing a cloud of smoke.“How do you arrest someone for looking up side effects of Mania when they follow it with videos of cats playing the piano, and a ten-thousand-word essay on the dangers of Mania to underage omegas?”
“Fucking Azrah.”Chase knew Lucky was brazen, but the unfazed look he shot Ford, more amused than angry, just showed he wasn’t ashamed of his curiosity.He would research anything in the name of justice and it was not only fucking terrifying, but it made him proud to call Lucky his omega.That same look was in Ford’s eyes, and he realised just how perfectly matched they were.
In a world where everything Lucky was had been rejected for more modern ideals, who else could love and appreciate Lucky for how selfless and reckless he was, and how effortlessly he broke all the rules, than they could?
Chapter Twelve
The next day: Tuesday
Ford
He pulled over outside a quaint house in a quiet street, his stomach churning.He got out of the car and tugged the collar of his jacket around his neck as Lucky stepped out with a yawn and Chase followed.
Walking up the path, he knocked on the red door and waited.Lucky slipped up beside him, slid his hand into Ford’s, then turned the handle on the front door, which opened.
“You don’t lock your door?”His ORT instincts told him to be horrified, while the man behind the badge, who had literally saved Lucky from the Market, marvelled at Lucky’s distinct lack of fear.
“We live on Rosenthal Cresent, which is listed as the nicest, safest street in all of Threnul Province.Every house on this street is run by a stay-at-home omega, with a security system on every doorway.”
Ford looked to Chase for help.
“Not for all the money in the world.”Chase raised his hands and stepped into the house.
He shook his head, leaving this argument for another day and followed Lucky inside, surprised to find that the house was empty.“Is this normal?”
Lucky laid his bag on the sofa before sinking into the cushions.“I only texted them two hours ago to say we were allowed to come home.Papa is probably at the library.My father is still at work.”
“Sit there while I make sure the house is clear,” Ford decided, unable to rest until he’d made the house safe.He couldn’t forget that those assholes who had worked with Lincoln were still on the loose.
“Fine.”
He raised an eyebrow at Lucky, who lay there with his eyes shut.Ford refocused on the job—he called out and checked the kitchen, satisfied everything was as it should be.He was surprised to find the back door locked.
Returning to the living room, he stopped halfway to Lucky and folded his arms.Lucky looked peaceful and calm, while Chase was texting on his phone, lounging on the armchair.“If you’re gonna live in a house without a locked door, you need to learn howta fight.”
Lucky groaned, opening his eyes to pout.“Why?”
Ford raked a hand through his hair, breathless and fucking turned on by the slow smile Lucky let slip.Grabbing the bag from the side of the sofa, Ford tossed it onto the empty armchair by Chase and stepped closer to Lucky.“You’re a gorgeous, feisty omega, but you should still know how to defend yourself.”
Lucky rolled his eyes but let Ford pull him to his feet and slip the jacket from Lucky’s shoulders.
Gods, he was a temptation.
“Ford, I love that you want to take care of me, but I’m an omega.”Lucky cocked his head at Ford, like he didn’t understand how to be more clear, though he wasn’t really getting the point.Being an omega just made him more likely to get hurt.“I learned a long time ago that the best way to beat an alpha was to use his massive ego against him.There are two extremely successful techniques.You win a physical fight, which my father has been training me for since I could walk, or you add a touch of lust, flirtation, and a whiff of slick.Do that and any alpha, young or old, will hand over their will as easily as any Liner jonesing for their next fix.”
Ford couldn’t have been more proud of his sweet but feisty omega for being brave enough to put him in his place.He might be an arrogant alpha ORTa, who thought he knew everything, but he drew Lucky in for a quick kiss, an apology on the tip of his tongue for forgetting that Lucky dealt with this shit every day.
As their lips slid apart, Lucky took a slow, soft breath.“I’m an omega.My entire life is about protecting myself from alphas who can’t keep their hands to themselves.”He gazed at Ford with such sincerity and vulnerability that his heart raced.“I know you want to protect me, but you can’t wrap me up in cotton forever.Alphas will always be a threat, long after I’m bonded and mated.”
Ford let his hand slide from Lucky’s hair to his neck and pressed his forehead to Lucky’s, breathing him in.“I can try,” he argued, not mad, but disappointed that Lucky knew the risks and had accepted his fate.The fate of all omegas.
“Right.”Chase stood and clasped his hands.“Since your parents aren’t home yet and you’ve been through a brutal week away from them, I’m pretty sure your papa will want to fuss over you, and your father will hate that you’ve found two mates he didn’t get to run background checks on first.”Chase brushed at the loose hair draped over Lucky’s shoulder.“Rest.When they come home, you can explain everything.”
Lucky laughed, probably objecting to the massive responsibility of calming his parents.
Chase didn’t give him a chance to interrupt.“Ford and I will organise dinner, see if we can buy ourselves some brownie points.”
