Page 131 of His Reluctant Omega

“Wilder appeared on the news the night before last a—”

“Yes, I'm aware. I saw it on the TV in the common room.”

Rohan grinned.

“That news seems to have sparked an outcry from the public,” Tensen said, with the first smile Avery could remember seeing on the man’s face appearing.

Avery paused, unsure for a moment. Walking swiftly, hehadto see what the commotion was. As he peered out the barred window, all he saw was a sea of people. The street wasn’t visible. Protestors lined the courthouse steps and then across the street to the executive buildings and up their steps, too. People hung on lampposts. They hung from windows in adjoining buildings. Most held signs aloft, demanding “Omega Rights”, but others proclaimed “Free Avery!” Others, he couldn’t read from the distance.

A familiar voice above the din, speaking on what was likely a bullhorn. He turned to Rohan. “Uncle Gray?”

“And your brothers,” Rohan mentioned.

“But… he’s in no condition to be out there!” Avery said, worry filling him.

“I tried to talk him out of it,” Rohan said. “But his argument…” Rohan paused as he scrubbed at his jaw a moment. He lifted his gaze and met Avery’s. “Him… you… your brothers… maybe even the child he now carries… and Jamie…” Rohan winced. “You all deserve better. I worry about him out there right now, but the boys are with him. I begged him to stay near Wilder, which he has.”

That put Avery at ease, if only a little. Wilder wouldn’t allow anything bad to happen to his family.

“Our driver’s also nearby, in case Gray needs medical attention. He’ll whisk them out of the crowd.” Rohan stepped closer, peering outside. “Though I had no idea it would become this. Yesterday, it was perhaps a thousand. Now, it’s doubled, at least. Far greater than they’d planned.”

“Whoplanned?”

“Gray and a group of omegas he’s been chatting with for a couple of years now. Those books you’d been giving him—well, he started sharing some of them with some of the other papas in the neighborhood and it… snowballed into more. They have regular meetings at the house. Gray reached out to his network, and the news spread. Yesterday was huge. Today, it’s massive. They’ve shut down all the roads leading to the courthouse. Hell, they’ve shut down most of the city.”

“Gray never told me about any of that—the group. I could’ve taken part in whatever he was doing.”

“Youwerepretending to be a beta, so perhaps you weren’t invited,” Rohan answered. “Between school and work, he likely didn’t want to burden you with anything else.”

Avery scoffed. “Well, Iwassharing the books and info I found, so…” He turned to look at the crowd. “I can’t believe they did all this.”

A smile that couldn’t be contained spread across his lips.

Suddenly, he saw Wilder on the courthouse steps. He knocked on the glass, but the noise outside was too great. He saw his brothers, too, and his heart warmed.

“I have to admit, I didn’t think this idea of Wilder’s was smart, but he’s proven he knows what he’s doing. This just might make an impact. The province might buckle to public demand. I can’t wait until the boycott has gone on for a few more days. I’ve already heard complaints.”

“Boycott?” Avery asked, eyes wide.

“Your uncle announced a boycott yesterday, instructing omegas to stop doing their familial duties.” Tensen chuckled. “There’s going to be a whole lot of unfed, poorly groomed, horny alphas in the near future. No way are they going to like that.”

“Good thing I’m on Gray’s side,” Rohan said, chuckling. “I’m exempt, so he told me last night.”

Avery rolled his eyes, not wanting to explore that any further. He didn’t need to know what they’d done last night.

“Are they staying outside during my trial? My family?”

“You’re not on the docket until after lunch,” Tensen said. “Wilder messaged me earlier that he plans to come up around then.”

“As will Gray and your brothers,” Rohan added.

“Thank you,” Avery whispered. “I’ll feel better seeing them in here and safe.” He scanned the amazing image outside once more before spinning to face his attorneys. “Will this have any impact on my trial?”

Tensen shrugged. “As I said—public opinion matters. It’ll likely hinge on how well this boycott works. Or more to the point—how badly alphas want it to end. If they turn up the heat hot enough, things could work out well. Either way, we’re proving there’s support for you in the community. It’s definitely going to impress the judges.”

“That’s good,” Avery said. He spun to look out again. A smile spread across his face as he spied Wilder’s head above the others in the crowd.

Look what he did.

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