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“You were good with the omegas today,” Bruiser said quietly. “We should... actually be doing that more on rescues. The ready supply of food and everything. I don’t know why we haven’t.”

“Because you’re all—” Uriel bit off his answer just in time. Because you’re all alphas. Because you haven’t been captured and starved for months.

“Because we...?”

Uriel shrugged. “Nothing.”

“No, say what you were going to say.”

“It’s not important.”

Bruiser narrowed his eyes. “If it’s not important, then you would’ve said it already. This concerns the well-being of rescued omegas. Why won’t you share your thoughts?”

“Because it’s personal,” Uriel snapped.

The next moment, he regretted it, because he’d said too much. Fuck.

Bruiser’s attention grew suffocatingly heavy. Uriel tugged his shirt over Cassie and tried to keep his feelings off his face. As quickly as he could, he climbed out of the playpen and skirted around Bruiser, stepping out of the cabin and slipping into the night.

The banners were still up; good. Uriel ducked behind the largest one and kept on walking, dirt and rocks pressing against his bare feet. He couldn’t afford to walk fast because he was carrying Cassie, and he didn’t want to conjure a light; that would only lead Bruiser straight to him.

But his heartbeat was thunderous, and so was his breathing.

Bruiser found him anyway, walking so quietly that when he spoke, Uriel jumped because of how close he was.

“Sorry,” Bruiser said. “I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

Uriel whirled around, teeth bared, needing to protect himself.

“You’ve been kidnapped,” Bruiser said quietly, his gaze roving over Uriel’s scars.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Uriel backed away. Was Bruiser being... nice? “I don’t need your pity.”

Bruiser watched him for far too long. Finally, he said, “You don’t behave like an alpha. Not exactly. But it’s been enough to fool me and everyone else.”

Uriel’s stomach clenched. “I’m an alpha.”

But his pulse was racing, and he couldn’t control it. Fuck, Bruiser could hear his anxiety. What do I do?

Bruiser waited for another long moment. Then he said, “You’re an omega, aren’t you?”

8

THIS NEW FEELING

Uriel knew he had given himself away, the moment his breath hitched. But he tried anyway, tried to keep everything the same, because none of it was supposed to change. His omega friends knew, but the alphas... Uriel didn’t want them to know; he didn’t want them to think there was something wrong with him, because he didn’t look right.

He especially didn’t want Bruiser to know, because this was his sorest, most tender spot.

And Bruiser had an unfortunate history of getting under Uriel’s skin.

“I’m an alpha,” Uriel said shakily, taking a step back.

Bruiser’s face twitched. He opened his mouth, seemed to think better of it, then tried to speak again. “Look, I wouldn’t have said half the things I’d said to you if I’d known you’re an omega.”

“I’m not!” Uriel’s voice cracked.

“I’ll—I’ll give it a rest, okay?” Bruiser said, his forehead creased. “But I need to know one thing for sure, because it’s going to affect the way I treat you from this point forward.”