Page 70 of The Price of Ice

“Mmm... well, but why would you do that?”

“What?”

“Ask me not to come back.” The other omega raised both eyebrows meaningfully.

“Are you...?”

Brad sighed. “You just got your legs back; I can give you a couple of days.”

“You can?” Kallen echoed.

“Yes, Kallen,” Brad said, the first time he’d said his full name. “It’s only two days. My agency won’t ask any questions andWednesday afternoon I’ll wait until after hours to text them that you have said not to come back. They’ll bill the team, and well, they might find out right away, but with any luck...”

Luck wasn’t something had ever had a lot of. But two days was better than nothing.

“Oh. Okay, that’s...” It seemed too easy, but maybe itwaseasy. Brad had made him open up in such a way that it seemed strange to realise they’d known each other for less than a week. “Thank you,” he said when he couldn’t think of anything else, and he found his throat tight with unexpected emotion. He didn’t know why, it was nice of Brad, of course. Maybe it was just that he wasn’t used to anyone simply being kind to him.

Other than Levy, everyone in his life did things for him in exchange for something else. And now he'd reached out to his mother, who’d reacted like she was ready to set the world on fire for his sake. Like maybe she’dalwaysbeen ready. And here was this stranger, who’d been paid to help him to the toilet but not to push him not to give up, much less to reach for a freedom that meant giving up hockey.

For so long, he’d kept a barrier between himself and the world, protection against caring too much and expecting anything but cruelty. And now it was crumbling, and he was terrified and heartsick all at once. He wanted this, the trust and the help and empathy.

He just wasn’t sure he believed it could be for him.

He couldn’t quite understand how it’d happened. Or why. Surely it would have been much easier for Levy to avoid him and not think about what he’d done. Certainly, simpler than building a bridge between them knowing that it could shatter at any moment under the weight of his own guilt or Kallen’s unbearable circumstances.

He didn’t get what made Brad offer to keep back information from his employers to give Kallen a chance to get away.

His mum made more sense, of course, but it still seemed impossible she’d been there all along if he’d only asked for help.

And yet, it’d happened. Not once, but thrice now.

“You okay, man?”

He cleared his throat. “Hungry.”

Brad made an affirmative sound that somehow managed to convey how little he bought it, but he stood up and went to the fridge.

Kallen would have felt bad about asking him to cook when he no longer needed it. Except the longer he sat there focusing on slowing down his breathing, the more obvious it became he did still need it. He could imagine his father scoffing at a grown man almost crying because someone had been nice to him off all things, but for the first time he could remember, the voice didn’t send him rushing into action to silence it.

Maybe it was a leftover of not being able to move for a few days and for the first time, he saw the blessing in it. He’d felt so helpless when his legs had stopped working, but would he have ever asked for help if that hadn’t happened? He’d been meaning to go back to work, back to working with McKinley and to a contract that said he’d have a child for him one day.

“Fuck.” He only realised he’d spoken aloud when Brad’s humming paused and he turned around. Kallen met his eyes—curious but patient. He shook his head, and the other omega went back to the frying pan. It smelled nice, he registered, almost as if his mind was seeking any way out of the path his thoughts were taking.

He’d been about to go back toMcKinley. He forced himself back on task, teeth clenching both in fear and anger. It wasn’t going to happen, but a part of him didn’t seem to know that yet. Or maybe it just didn’t trust him not to cover his eyes and run straight into the wolf’s mouth once more.

I’m never going to see McKinley again outside of a courtroom, he told himself, as gently as he could manage while still being firm.Courtroom?His heart skipped a beat at the word. He didn’t want any problems, he was going to quit, sure, but that would mean terminating his contract, not... Notjustice. Because for justice, he’d have to tell someone other than Levy what had been done to him.

What he’d allowed.

The plate clicking on the wooden counter startled him badly, and he found himself with both hands flat on it to keep from overbalancing. The stools were surprisingly comfortable, but they weren’t exactly suited to a man as big as him.

Brad’s eyes were fixed on him when he looked up.

“Um, just distracted. Thank you,” Kallen told him, reaching for the cutlery and discovering that for some reason they were having grilled salmon for breakfast. He dove into it, barely managing to slow himself down enough not to choke.

They ate in silence, but by the time Brad spoke up, it was almost a relief from his circling thoughts. “You freaking out again?”

“Again?” Kallen repeated.

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