Page 30 of Labor of Love

“Just Ronald.”

Zenith’s chest vibrated with a low growl; he tensed against Emre’s back. “He shouldn’t have done that to you. No worthy alpha would hurt their omega.”

Emre sighed. “I met him after the fire. He tried to separate me from my friends so no one would see how badly he was hurting me.”

“That fucker!” Zenith growled again.

Emre hesitated. “Also... you should probably know that he’s still out there somewhere. He might come after me. I only managed to leave him a month ago, after he almost broke my arm.”

Zenith swore. “You should move in with me.”

“But we don’t even know each other that well!”

“Then we’llgetto know each other,” Zenith growled. “I’m not letting you sleep in that apartment unprotected.”

“Sometimes I have nightmares. What if I kick you?”

“It’s fine. I’ll wake you up from them.”

Emre looked over his shoulder, meeting Zenith’s eyes. “You know this all sounds too good to be true, right?”

Zenith’s gaze grew shadowed. “It’s about time things became easier for you.”

Emre swallowed hard. He didn’t believe that things could get easier. But with one pup relying on him and another on the way, he didn’t have much choice at all.

5

BUTT-LERS MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER

Emre woke up feeling much cozier than he’d been in a month.

Maybe longer.

He wriggled to try and see what had changed, only to realize that there was a bare, muscular arm wrapped around him.

And... something in his body, further down.

He panicked a little. Then he sniffed, and realized he knew that scent—Zenith.

Last night’s events came back to him: After Zenith’s knot had gone down, he’d brought Emre back to the other apartment, grabbing all of Emre and Abbie’s meager belongings. Then they’d come back and gone straight to bed, where Zenith had filled Emre with a second load.

Emre had fallen asleep knotted on Zenith... until now.

“Mmm. Mine,” Zenith mumbled, wrapping his arm more tightly around Emre.

Emre’s heart fluttered.What have I gotten myself into?

Before he could decide, someone knocked on the front door.

Then the dooropened,and Emre panicked.

He clutched Zenith’s arm, his heart pounding. “Someone’s coming in!”

Zenith’s breathing sharpened.

“It’s me,” the intruder said, sounding like a man. “That’s so terrible of Scribbly Master. Hasn’t he told you about me?”

“Scribbly Master?” Emre repeated.

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