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Jason skimmed his fingers over the slight bumps of scar tissue and shuddered. He could barely feel any individual toothmark, but as long as the mating bites ringing his neck were there, Sionis had claim over him. If he was caught alone, the police would take him and run the bitemarks on his neck against the mating registry.
Three weeks. Three weeks, he’d managed to hide his neck in the shadows and under the thick red hoodie he’d stolen from a thrift store. Three weeks, and then he’d made one dumb decision and gone after this alpha’s tires.
Jason took a deep breath and finally raised his eyes to meet Bruce’s for a second before he cut his gaze over to the to the fake plant in the corner. The sanitary paper crinkled under him as he shifted uncomfortably on the table.
"No one will know?" Jason whispered at last, his voice hoarse with disuse and fear.
Bruce hummed a note of agreement. "No one will be able to tell, Jason. Your alpha won't be able to prove anything."
Jason swallowed hard. There were so many bites, so many little wounds for the plastic surgeon to cover up. It was going to hurt so much, but he couldn’t even imagine taking painkillers after what happened to his mom.
And that was even if Bruce was planning to give him painkillers, or even letting him have a few days to recover after the surgery. Bruce didn’t need to. Free plastic surgery to remove his bites was—it—it was so much more kindness than he could have ever hoped for, especially after he’d stolen three of the man’s tires. His only other option to remove the bites would have been to burn them off himself, but that would have clearly marked him as a runaway omega if it didn’t kill him.
If he was just going to be tossed out as soon as the surgery was done, though, then Jason had to say no. The bright lure of freedom paled at the thought of a slow, miserable death by infection on the streets.
“A—after…?” Jason tried to keep the tears from his eyes. He didn’t want Bruce thinking Jason was trying to emotionally manipulate him. Jason wasn’t that kind of omega, and he didn’t need help—except he did. He really, really needed help.
Bruce reached toward him, and Jason fought back his instinctive flinch. Even if the big alpha wanted Jason's body for himself, it would be worth it as long as he did what he said and made sure that Jason never had to see Sionis again. He could do this. He could be brave.
The rough pad of Bruce’s thumb brushed over Jason’s cheekbone, wiping away a single tear that had managed to escape. Bruce rumbled so low it was almost inaudible, soothing Jason’s instincts. A big, strong alpha was happy with him. No one else was here to hurt him.
“I have a son at home,” Bruce started.
Did he want Jason to be his son’s nanny? His son’s…stepmother? Did Bruce want to keep Jason? That would explain why Bruce was offering to give a worthless runaway omega free plastic surgery to remove his mating bites.
It would still be worth it if Bruce was any better than Roman, and it would be so hard to be worse than Roman.
Bruce brushed away the next tear too. “He’s an omega too, a bit older than you. I’m sure you’d get along if you would be okay living with us for a few weeks while you recover.”
Jason inhaled sharply and perked up. “A few weeks?”
A few weeks meant he had time to recover from his surgery before he was back on the street, but a few weeks was also not forever. He couldn’t just be Bruce’s mate for a few weeks.
And not only would he be protected for a few weeks, but he could be around another omega. He hadn't been around another omega since his mom died. All the betas and alphas at Roman’s place or on the street were dangerous, and all the other omegas were too good at hiding. Jason was so lonely. It could all be a trick, but he wanted to be able to cuddle up against someone in a nest without feeling dirty or terrified for his life.
“You can stay with us as long as you want, puppy,” Bruce promised.
He wanted that. He wanted to be safe, and warm, and fed, and he wanted another omega to curl around him and pet him and tell him everything would be okay.
Jason’s eyes watered, and he couldn’t even a little bit hold back the tears this time. They slipped down his dirty cheeks, hot and sticky.
Bruce took an aborted step forward, then stopped himself and laid his hand on Jason’s and gave it a brief squeeze. The position left Bruce’s hand very close to his thigh.
Jason twitched his hand, and Bruce drew his hand back immediately. Something tight unwound in his chest.
“I’m sorry, Jason,” Bruce said. “I should have asked before I touched you.”
Jason took a shaky deep breath. “It’s fine.”
Bruce shook his head, looking at Jason with sad, guilty blue eyes. “No, sweetheart. You deserve to have your comfort and boundaries respected. I won’t touch you again without your permission.”
“I—” Jason didn’t have words.
There was no way that was real, but he couldn’t see the lie in Bruce’s face. Bruce was wearing scent blockers, though, so he could be lying.
Or Bruce could just be as good as he was saying.
Jason couldn’t stop crying, but, true to his word, Bruce didn’t touch him. Instead, the alpha actually stepped away.
Jason buried his face behind his hands and curled his knees to his chest as sobs racked his body. His throat and lungs were raw and burning. He wanted it all to be true, he did, but it had to be a lie because alphas always hurt omegas. His dad hurt his mom, Roman and the other alphas hurt him, and the cops would hurt him if they ever got the chance.
Something crinkled on the paper next to him, and Jason jumped with a high pitched yelp. He pulled his hands away fast and found that Bruce had set a box of tissues beside his leg.
“You’re safe now, Jason,” Bruce promised. “I promise, sweetheart. No one will hurt you anymore.”
That just made Jason cry harder. He snatched up a tissue and used it to hide his face as the tears kept coming.
Jason heard soft footsteps back away from him, then the door opened and closed, and, for a moment, he was alone.
By the time Bruce came back with a paper cup of water, Jason had more or less composed himself, or at least fallen into a state of numb shock in which he could possibly accept that the giant alpha who’d found Jason stealing his tires really did only want to perform extensive surgery that would free Jason from his abuser and then to take Jason home later so Jason could cuddle with another omega near his age.
Bruce held out the water. Jason watched the surface ripple and reflect back the bright fluorescent light, unable to break himself from the stupor until Bruce moved the cup a bit closer.
Jason blew his nose and set the tissue on his leg so he could take the cup.
The water was room temperature and tasted heavily like the cup it was in, but it was cleaner and fresher than anything he’d had in weeks. Jason gulped it down, and wished he could have more.
“I don’t want to risk more than that, but you’re very dehydrated, so it should be fine,” Bruce told him as he took back the cup.
Bruce paused with the cup only a few inches from Jason and looked meaningfully at the used tissue. Jason got the message and tucked the tissue inside. Bruce tossed the cup into the trashcan next to him.
Jason bit his lip. “R—risk?”
Was he not going to be allowed to have water with Bruce? He didn’t think he was going to like that.
“If you have food or liquid in your stomach while you’re under anesthesia, you could vomit and choke to death,” Bruce explained. “I’m sure you don’t want that?”
Jason nodded, something giddy and brave breaking his numb shell. “No, alpha.”
Bruce smiled indulgently at Jason. “My name is just Bruce, Jay. Now—“ Bruce stood up. “—I’m going to go get the operating room set up. We can’t risk waiting on your surgery, so it’s going to have to happen in the next couple hours. If anyone were to see you and find out what I did, I could be arrested, and then I can’t help anyone.”
It was happening tonight. Jason wasn’t sure a response was needed, but he nodded enthusiastically anyway.
Bruce’s smile crinkled his eyes just a bit more. “I need call my pack to let them know you’re coming. After I put you under for the surgery, you’re not going to wake up until we’re back at my house. When you wake up, do you want to be in a nest alone, or would you like my son to keep you company?”
Jason nearly excitedly agreed to having the other omega in the nest with him…but what if Bruce had more than one son? And he meant a different one? Better safe than sorry.
“The omega?” Jason hoped he didn’t get in trouble for asking.
Bruce nodded, and his smile didn’t slip. “I only have one son, puppy.”
Jason nodded. “I—if he wouldn’t mind, then…yes.”
“Then he’ll be there,” Bruce promised. “He’ll keep you safe.”
With that, Bruce left the room. Jason’s whole body was buzzing with excitement and hope. It could all be wrong, this could all come crashing down on his head in the next few days, but maybe, just maybe, for the first time in his life, Jason could be free.