Page 11 of His Surrogate Omega

“Yourhouse.”

Avery paused at the correction. He turned and looked at Gray.

“It’s now your house. Not mine. I’ve been a leech on your family for many years. I don’t contribute anything. You three would be in better shape financially if it wasn’t for all your parents gave me over the years.”

Avery walked closer and placed his hands on Gray’s shoulders. “Listen to me and listen well. You belong here, with your family.Period. I can’t do this without you. I want you to stay. I need you.”

Gray held Avery’s stare a moment before looking away. “Okay.”

Avery took a step back. “Who’s going to watch the boys while I attend classes and work?”

Of course. He was to be a glorified babysitter. “College isn’t free. How do you plan on paying for that?” Gray asked.

“Loans… grants… a part-time job… whatever I can do,” Avery answered.

Gray shook his head. “So you’ll go into debt in an attempt to pay foreverything?”

“I’ll do what I have to,” Avery said. He rose, stretching. “I’m tired, and my neck is itching like crazy. I’m going to grab a shower and go to bed.”

“You don’t want some dinner?”

“Not hungry.” Avery smiled before pulling a bag from his hoodie and heading for the kitchen.

“What’s that?”

His nephew turned and showed him the vials and syringes inside. “I might need your help with the injections.”

The illegal drugs inside that bag would supposedly hide Avery’s scent—and keep the alphas away. Gray hoped like hell they worked as they claimed because alphas were free to be in all quads except the omega one. “And truly make me your accomplice?”

Avery’s face fell.

Gray sighed. “You know I’ll help.”

Avery turned to hide the vials and syringes inside a container within the refrigerator. “We’ll have to think of something to hide these from the boys.”

“Mark the container vegetables. They’ll avoid it like the plague.”

Avery chuckled as he closed the fridge. “Night, uncle.”

“Goodnight.”

After cleaning a few dishes in the sink, Gray snuck over to the refrigerator and opened it up. He opened the container and looked at the series of vials inside. Lifting one, he released a sigh, knowing how much danger Avery could be in.

Omegas were born to reproduce. It was their sole purpose. At least, in the minds of those in charge. Most of whom were alphas. Omegas had few rights, and those they had only appeared once they were claimed by their alpha.

Those without an alpha lived in a limbo in the Omega Quadrant, usingHeat Repressto survive the violence of an omega’s heat. It kept an omega from climbing the walls and begging to be bred when the time came.

Only, it wasn’t meant to be used for decades without end.

Like Gray had been using it.

He replaced the vial and covered it again before he shut off all the lights downstairs and wandered up. He paused at Lake’s bedroom door and watched his nephews playing a video game a moment. They were oblivious to his watchful stare.

Lake instructed Auggie in the game, a softer side to the teenager slipping out. Gray smiled, thankful to be reminded Lake wasn’t all anger and vitriol.

Maybe there’s hope for him yet.

“Time for bed.”

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