Except now Ottis had made Doc a target, and if Sevrian hurt Doc instead, it would be Ottis’ fault.
His body must’ve betrayed him again. Doc tightened his arms around Ottis, nuzzling his ear. “You weren’t just running from your pack, though, were you? What else are you running from, sweetheart?”
13
OTTIS’ PAST
Ottis stopped breathing.Crap.He knew he was supposed to tell Doc the truth, but he didn’t want to do it with everyone else listening in.
Especially if Doc had a bad reaction to it.
Doc seemed to understand. He rubbed Ottis’ back and bumped their cheeks together, his medical mask rustling against Ottis’ skin. “Hey,” he said to Bruiser and Zenith. “I have to take Ottis home. Thanks for your help with the phone.”
Bruiser was watching them with an unreadable look. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll send along whatever I find. Get outta here.”
Zenith stood too, tucking his notebook under his arm. “Thanks for today. This has been very inspiring.”
He looked from Doc to Ottis, something wistful flitting across his face.
Ottis cleared his throat. “Did you get through your writer’s block?”
“Oh yes.” Zenith brightened. “I haveso muchnew material now.”
What if he wrote a book about Ottis and Doc? Would they get a happy ending? Ottis’ stomach flipped.
Doc ushered Ottis and Marcie back to the car, glancing around discreetly. To Ottis’ relief, no one bothered them on the way to the parking lot, and on the drive back to Doc’s lair.
The real bothering came when Doc pulled up in front of his mansion.
A banner stretched above the front door, huge words painted across it in fresh black paint.
Welcome Home, Butt-Cart Probe Master & Consort!
Doc took one look at it and cringed. Ottis giggled.
“What the hell, Jinks?” Doc growled.
Hijinks swung around the mansion, riding on the back of their shopping cart like an overexcited child. “Butt-Cart Probe Master! You’re back to probe more deep dark depths!”
Doc glowered. “One of these days, I’m going to fire you.”
Hijinks gave Ottis a significant look. “He’s been saying that for a few centuries. Once, he really did fire me, but he hired me back three hours later.”
Doc groaned. “Don’t make me sound like a spineless—”
“You don’t sound bad,” Ottis said. “You’re amazing.”
Doc perked up. “You think so?”
“Yeah. And I’ve known a few alphas,” Ottis said. “Ones that are not my brothers.”
At that, Doc narrowed his eyes. “Are those alphas giving you trouble?”
Ottis sighed. “Let me get Marcie settled in? Then I’ll tell you.”
“Of course,” Doc said, following Ottis into the mansion. He was still scowling through, looking uneasy.
There wasn’ta good time to break the news, Ottis decided halfway through feeding Marcie some boiled pumpkin. “When I was seventeen, I met an alpha named Sevrian. You have to bear in mind that I grew up around eight alpha brothers, all of whom are extremely overprotective, because I’m the only omega sibling they have. Every alpha who even tries to hit on me—my brothers intimidate them.”
