Page 119 of Omega's Secret Guardian

His brother opened and closed his mouth. “Fuck. You didn’t get better. In fact, you got worse, and you moved your crazy elsewhere.”

“Yup.”

“Fuck,” Tripp said again. He rubbed his face. Then he drew a deep breath, and exhaled. “All these years, I was mad at you for not being around. Not gonna lie, I’m still mad because I still need help these days. But I don’t need secretly-living-in-my-house levels of help.”

“I really am sorry for not being around for you. I should have been. Even just to hear you yell and vent, whatever you needed.” Storm clenched his fists, feeling guilty. “I figured you wouldn’t want to talk to me again after I disappeared on you like that. I should’ve just kicked down my pride and reached out. I’ve been a shitty brother.”

Tripp watched him thoughtfully, his expression mixed. “My number is the same. You can reach me with that. As long as you don’t secretly live under my bed.”

Storm laughed, surprise and relief lifting the weight off his shoulders. “Yeah, I... I don’t have time to secretly live intwoplaces. Besides, I’m guarding Linus full-time. There’s someone after him.”

Tripp’s forehead scrunched with worry. “Are you and him gonna be okay?”

“As much as we can. Worry about yourself, kiddo.”

“I’m not a kid anymore.”

Storm sighed heavily. “I know. Gods, I missed so much of you growing up. What—” he took a deep breath and gestured at the wheelchair, bracing himself “—What happened?”

Tripp hesitated, different emotions flickering across his face too quickly for Storm to read. “I was... kidnapped. For a week.”

Storm’s stomach sank like a rock. “Fuck.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You can’t be everywhere. I told you not to crowd me.” Tripp’s gaze grew shadowed. “They beat me and took videos for ransom. The beatings... It damaged my spine. I can still walk, but my legs are really weak now. These days, it’s just easier to get around in a wheelchair.”

It felt very much like Storm’s fault. If he had been there, if he had the chance to find Tripp somehow, maybe things wouldn’t have gotten this bad. He growled low in his throat. “Who hurt you?”

Tripp shook his head. “They’re in prison now. I don’t want you to get arrested just to hurt them. You need to stay out here.”

“Fuck.” Storm gritted his teeth. Was there something else he could do? He had friends in the high-security prison, but that place held killers, not kidnappers. “I’ll think of something.”

“You don’t have to. Let’s just put it behind us,” Tripp said, his tone turning the slightest bit pleading. “I want to move on with my life.”

As much as Storm hated to let the matter rest, he complied. Because he hadn’t been a good brother to Tripp in years, and this was the first request Tripp had of him. “Fine.”

They watched the street together, cars driving by every so often.

Storm rocked back and forth on his heels, sneaking a glance at Tripp. “Is it okay if I hug you?”

Tripp nodded tightly. Storm leaned in and carefully gathered him into his arms, feeling the strength in Tripp’s shoulders that hadn’t been there before. Tripp sucked in a shuddering breath and hugged him back.

It felt like a broken piece of their past finally mending.

“Are you coming back to live here?” Tripp asked against his shoulder.

Storm sighed. “Just visits. Linus has a steady job at the college, and my Danger Alpha Brothers—friends from prison—they’re living in Meadowfall too. It’s a college town. Large enough that not everyone is in your business, small enough that lots of people know each other. I’m really liking it there.”

“Bet it’s because your omega is there,” Tripp muttered.

“Come visit and see for yourself. It’s not a bad place to live. Besides, the weather is nicer in SoCal.”

Tripp hummed vaguely into his shoulder. “Maybe.”

Storm rocked him back and forth just like he used to. Tripp made a small sound in his throat.

“You know,” Tripp began a while later. “Even though you’re crazier now, you’re also... less intense. More gentle.”

He was right. “Huh. Never thought about it that way. Maybe it’s because the crazy is no longer focused on you.”

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