Page 8 of Free Me

Isa Higgs had spent too many hours, days, and possibly months of his life worrying over the health and safety of his loved ones. His first mate Herris had died twenty-five years ago, leaving Isa and their three beta sons, Aven, Tarius, and Demir, alone and grieving. Then he’d met Liam, his second mate and the holder of his heart, who’d been pregnant with their little omega Layne. Then Liam and infant Layne had been briefly kidnapped, and Isa had been as terrified as he’d ever expected to be.

If only he’d known.

After Linus was born, he’d had a serious ear infection that seemed to last for months, and Isa had worried. But Linus had grown out of the infections with no lasting problems. Their lives had progressed, all five of his boys growing, some marrying, others simply becoming the men they were supposed to be. More illnesses, another kidnapping, and finally Isa hoped that his life would settle after his retirement. No more bad men coming for his family.

This time there were no bad men, not really; only a bad driver who made a horrible mistake for a good(ish) reason. Sure, Isa was furious and wanted to find the driver, and pull his spine out through his mouth for all the heartache he was causing his family, but Isa wouldn’t. His family needed him here, at the hospital, not in lockup for aggravated murder. He’d let the courts deal with the taxi driver.

They’d overtaken a corner of the ICU waiting room, since only two family members could be in Linus’s room at a time. Isaabhorred this rule, even though he intellectually understood it. The doctors and nurses needed to see to their patients without too many distractions or outsiders getting in their way.

Liam had spent the better part of the last two days planted in a chair beside Linus’s bed, leaving only twice to sleep in a nearby hotel. Even going home was too far away for him, and the hotel had been a compromise thought up by Demir. It was popular for residents of far-flung parts of Sansbury who also needed to be close to the hospital. The hotel room had also, in some ways, become a home base for their extended family, who lived scattered across the province. They kept food, drinks, toiletries, and games there for distraction.

Isa had never loved his friends more than this weekend. He himself, as a sixty-two-year-old alpha, was entering his twilight years, as few alphas lived past seventy. His old, formidable strength was waning with each passing year, and he couldn’t be as strong and supportive as he used to be. He hated having to leave for power naps. He hated not being able to simply pick Liam up and carry him to the car, like used to twenty years ago.

He hated being physically weak. But where his body was slowing down, his heart was only growing bigger. Their boy would be okay. They’d all get him through this crisis.

Liam and Tarius were in Linus’s room right now, so Isa was trying to rest in the waiting room, along with Mikel and Peyton Tovey. Neither alpha was allowed to be on the other side of the hospital complex with Miko. Mikel was as angry and on-edge as Isa had ever seen the younger sire, being separated from his own injured son and his distressed mate.

Their trio was trying to watch a news program on one of the waiting room’s three TV’s, but it wasn’t holding Isa’s attention. For all the distractions around him in the forms of novels, magazines, and puzzle books, he could not concentrate on anything.

Mikel’s phone dinged, and he glanced at the screen. Smiled. “Miko’s heat is over. Brogan and Emory are with him. He knows about Linus.”

“I’m glad for you,” Isa said through gritted teeth.

“Hell of a way to spend his first heat,” Peyton said. “At least he was comfortable. Kind of.”

Being kept mostly sedated wasn’t exactly what Isa would call comfortable, but it was better than stressing out Miko’s already battered body with the rigors of a full heat. An omega’s body went through physical changes, became a slave to their hormones, and burned calories at an accelerated rate. Miko must be exhausted and disoriented from everything he’d endured these last few days.

“Hopefully he’ll get out of that ward soon and into a regular room,” Mikel said. “I want to hug my son.”

“I know the feeling,” Isa replied. “We never stop worrying about our children or wanting to keep them safe.” Or failing to keep them safe, something with which Isa was intimately familiar. Too many times, his mates and sons had been hurt, scared, or traumatized, and Isa wasn’t sure how to get them all through this latest catastrophe.

He’d never forget the late-night phone call that had most recently shattered his world. He and Liam had been settled in bed, watching a talk show while they fell asleep, and Isa had just nodded off during a boring interview. Tarius was home and in his room. Linus was due home around two, which was the curfew they’d negotiated for his final university year.

The house line had started ringing, and since they all had mobiles and only kept that line for emergencies, it was ringing in the living room. Liam had rolled out of bed quickly. “I’ve got it.”

Isa had half-watched through the bedroom door, curious who was calling at this hour, as Liam and Tarius half-collided in the hallway. Liam had shooed Tarius back into his room andanswered the phone. Isa hadn’t been able to hear much. Many, many years ago, Liam had lost the full use of his voice, so he spoke just above a whisper. All Isa had registered was the clatter of the phone’s handset missing the receiver.

Liam had walked into the room, scarily pale for his golden complexion, his dark eyes already spilling tears, his slender body shaking. “Linus was in a bad car accident. He’s critical.”

“He’s what?” Isa’s thundering reply had drawn Tarius back out of his room.

Their trio had somehow managed to dress and get to Emergency. Brogan and Mikel were already there for Miko, and that’s when Isa learned the boys had been together. The why’s came later, when Miko’s parents were allowed to see him, before he was sedated and whisked away to the private obstetrics wing for his heat.

Liam had collapsed in Isa’s arms when Dr. Stevens told them about Linus being trapped, the serious damage to his leg, the concussion, and that they had to make a choice: operate now to try and save his leg, or wait and monitor his concussion symptoms first. Lose his leg or brain damage. No parent should ever have to make that choice for their child.

Now, Isa wasn’t sure if they’d made the right call. Linus’s leg had been amputated, he’d developed an infection, and he was in a medically-induced coma, fighting for his life.

Will my boy ever walk again? Will he ever forgive me?

“Did Omi text Liam the news about Miko?” Peyton asked.

Mikel typed. Waited. “He just did. He asked you to spread the news to your friends.”

“On it.”

Isa watched the way Peyton’s thumbs flew across the keyboard of his latest-model mobile, which was all touch-screen, instead of raised keys. Those phones made Isa’s brain hurt alittle. He wasn’t fond of texting overall, but he’d learned in order to keep up with his kids and grandkids.

Mikel stood and walked to the far side of the room. Dug into his pocket and used a tissue to wipe his eyes. Isa looked away, giving his friend privacy. He and Mikel hadn’t gotten terribly close until their boys, Layne and Peyton, began dating and then officially mated three years ago. For Isa, it had been a combination of their twenty-year age difference and Mikel’s destructive past, which he’d overcome before mating with Brogan. But now Isa considered Mikel one of his dearest friends.

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