Chapter 2

When Damian woke up this time, he knew where he was. The smells were familiar as was the room set up. Once again, Tay had come through for him.

He vaguely remembered the events and what had happened afterwards. The pain in his body wasn't going to let him forget the beating he took even though he didn't remember much else.

He got up and stumbled to the bathroom. His body was riddled with bruises and bite marks, the most prominent ones on his wrists where he'd been bound.

But it wasn't the external wounds he was worried about. Every move he made sent blistering pain through his backside. He'd been used like someone's play thing. Like someone's whore. All because he was born an Omega.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror, at the circle on his shoulder and the marks peppering his skin. He felt used and worthless. His body was still sluggish and his limbs were like lead. He wanted to go back to bed but felt the need to clean up.

Panic coursed through him. If he cleaned up, what would the police use to find the man who did this? Damian had seen enough "Law & Order: SVU" to know not to wash away the evidence since his clothes had been taken. His body was the evidence.

But did he really want people seeing him like this? Could he hold his head up again? He already knew he was used so there was no need to feel bad about missing a marriage proposal. No one would marry him now anyway.

He was a victim. He knew that, but it didn't make it any less painful.

"Dame?"

He met Tay's eyes in the mirror. There was no pity or shame in them. Only concern in their gray depths. He wasn't treating him like a victim. He was concerned for his mental well-being.

"It's alright if you take a shower," he said. His voice was pitched low, his timber rolling around in Damian's chest. "I took pictures and everything the police would need so you'd feel less exposed when the police showed up."

The thought of pictures having to be taken sent another wash of despair over him. Damian's knees buckled and he sank slowly down the cabinet. He wrapped his arms around his legs and buried his face in them.

He didn't cry. He didn't have to. His body shook without the tears. He heard heavy footsteps before Tay pulled him up under the arms. He held him close as he reached for the knob to turn on the shower.

Damian didn't say anything as they waited for the water to warm up. He let Tay hold him even though he knew there was no need. He was lucky he had crashed into his friend instead of some other stranger. He wasn't sure where he'd be right now if it'd been anyone else.

"Tay, don't," he fussed. His friend was getting ready to sleep in the shower with his clothes on. "I'll be fine."

Tay pierced him with a challenging look. "Do you want me to be naked?"

Damian's throat dried out immediately. This was his friend Tay. He wasn't afraid of him, but right now he couldn't fathom being naked with another man.

Tay pulled him into the shower and stood against the wall as the water flowed over Damian. He didn't touch or speak to him. He knew he needed that moment to himself to reset his mind.

He surveyed the damage done to his friend. He could connect "play the dots" with wll the marks left on him. They littered his back and chest in random intervals anddidn't stop even at his backside. Whoever this guy was, he knew what he'd been doing.

His eyes trailed lower. Tay would never tell Damian, but his backside had been a bruised and bloody mess. There had been several tears in the small ring of muscles. He was glad he'd taken pictures and had cleaned him up before anyone else saw them. Tay was one person; the police were another story.

Damian would have realy shut down had the police seen him in that state. As an Omega, he was a well-built man and easy on the eyes. If he didn't speak, no one would know he was one. He held himself differently than the female Omegas around him.

But the second he spoke, it was clear what he was. He was eloquent with a gentle voice that was easy to listen to. His charms came out when he spoke passionately about something, and everyone swooned when he smiled.

Up until this point, no one had dared lay a hand on him. David Marquette was the most powerful man in the business world and a doting father. He could make or break someone.

And Tay had been the one to make the call that his son had been assaulted. In a way, he was glad it had been him. David wouldn't be as prone to rip his head off. He was definitely gunning for blood, but Tay's head wouldn't be on the chopping block.

"Tay?" He lifted his head at his friend's voice. "Where's Jak?"

"He went home with a couple of girls last night. I figure we'll hear from him by supper or when the news hits," he said. Damian's shoulders stiffened. "I can't control the media, Damian. It's going to be a shit storm because of who you are."

"I know." He reached up and turned off the water. Tay watched him as water slid down his back. "You called my parents?"

It wasn't a question. Damian knew Tay would call his parents due to the nature of the situation. If it had been a mere bar scuffle, he wouldn't have bothered. They'd been in plenty of those before, usually due to Jak, and neither one of their parents had really cared.

But this was far from a brawl. Damian had been drugged and raped for whatever reason. Tay's conscience wouldn't let him sit on it. It was too important for both prosecution and healing. Damian couldn't have children but STD's still existed. Not only that, but Alphas didn't tolerate brutal attacks on Omegas.

This Omega just happened to be the son of two very powerful Alphas. They weren't going to just let it go. It was better to get out in front of the news instead of letting it be reported by the media. It would get out of hand if it came from the police first.

Tay himself was from a wealthy family. His mother was Talya Marzano, a famous actress and screenwriter, and his father was Christoph Marzano, a real estate agent and shareholder in David Marquette's businesses. His older brother was basketball star Tyren Marzano and his sister was model Bella Marz. He had contacts just like Damian did but not as extensive. He wasn't a pushover either.

"Tay, will you get me some clothes? I'd rather not see the police naked." He didn't move at first, eyeing him warily. "I'm not going to melt."

"You'd have done that by now if you were."

Damian turned around and looked at him. His eyes were wet, tears threatening to finally fall. Tay could count on one hand how many times he'd seen him cry.

Sighing, he picked his friend up, ignoring the protests Damian gave him. He carried him into the bedroom, grabbing a towel on the way out. While Damian dried off, Tay pulled out some clothes to change into. They were both soaked and needed something clean and dry.

Damian sat on the bed and kicked his feet as Tay changed then put the dirty laundry in their respective baskets. His body felt looser than it had, but he knew once he went back to bed it would tense up again.

"Tay? Can I stay here with you?" he asked.

Tay poked his head out of the bathroom, eyebrows raised in concern. "Why? Aren't you supposed to go on vacation next week?"

"I don't know if I can." His voice was small and breathy, almost like he couldn't get the words out. "We were supposed to go because my mom had hopes I'd meet a nice Alpha, but I don't think I should."

The other man leaned against the door jam. "You've never mentioned this before."

"I never thought I'd need to. You of all people know how I feel about it. But now, no one will take me. We may live in the 21st Century, but sometimes we have 19th Century ideals. No woman will have an Omega who was taken by a man, and no man will want to deal with an Omega with trauma."

He wasn't wrong. Betas had it easy. They could marry an Alpha, Beta or Omega without any repercussions. Children were easy to have between Betas since they were the same classification, but it was harder between Betas and the other classifications though many had wonderful relationships with their partners.

Alphas were territorial. Whomever they claimed as theirs - Alpha, Beta or Omega - was very protected. No one was able to lay a hand on a claimed partner. If they did, retribution was swift.

Women Alphas were worse than their male counterparts. They were more frequent than Male Omegas and highly sought after. They could be with any male they wanted, but their male was scandalized, it was hard for them to save face. It was the reason Female Alphas usually claimed male Alphas and Betas.

Since male Omegas were usually outnumbered ten to one, if a female Alpha claimed him he must be pure. If something happened such as in this instance, the woman was shamed. Bisexuality didn't exist between a female Alpha and a male Omega.

Male Alphas didn't want the baggage that came with certain things so they shied away from it as much as possible. A male Alpha with a female Omega was more common because the Omega was more submissive than a male Omega. Plus females could have children. For a male Alpha to claim a male Omega, he had to be very secure with himself.

Damian knew the possibilities before him were slim. He also knew he'd never had the inclination to be claimed or married. It had been his mother's dream to see him happy, but now he feared it was ruined.

Tay watched Damian but didn't say what he was feeling. This wasn't the time for it. Damian wouldn't receive it well and would think it was a pity thing. They'd argue, and it would send the already traumatized man back five steps.

The doorbell rang. Tay left Damian to go answer it. He hoped Antonia arrived before the police. He had a sinking feeling Damian wouldn't talk without her.

He sighed when he opened the door. Antonia pushed him out of the way and made a beeline for his bedroom. They'd been here plenty of times so they knew the layout of his home.

"Excuse my wife," David apologized. "She's been beside herself since you called."

Tay looked at Damian's father, noting his ruddy cheeks and darkened eyes. He wasn't so sure Antonia was the only one who was beside herself.

"How is he?" his father asked.

They looked towards the bedroom but could only see the dresser from their vantage point. Antonia's voice was a soft murmur in the unusual silence of the apartment.

"Promise me you won't think less of him," Tay finally said.

David frowned deeply. "Is it that bad?"

"He hasn't really cried. He almost did in the shower, but it was mainly a tearful gaze. He might have now since his mother is there, but I haven't seen it yet."

"You're not saying anything I don't already know."

The doorbell rang once again. Tay looked at it for a long moment before he reached for the doorknob.

"Once you see and hear it, don't think less of him," he said. "It's not his fault."