Chapter 8

Campus was beginning to buzz as the new semester was about to begin. Freshmen were wandering around looking for their classes as the sophomores did their best to help. The junior athletes were running laps around the quad and garnering much attention. It was a typical welcome week.

Jak scouted all the cute girls from his spot on the humanities building second floor balcony. He'd randomly returned despite the noise going on around him. Tay and Damian hadn't been too surprised since they were used to him disappearing. All they had to do was offer him food, and he'd come running.

A week before welcome week, Reaux had showed up at the house. He'd needed to ask a few more questions since a lead hadcome up. Damian had answered what he could remember. Those three days or had had a lot happen, and he could only remember bits and pieces.

With the DNA they'd received from the samples and Tay's jacket, they'd gotten a hit. The man who had attacked Damian was Evan Dorlane, a student at their university. They'd tried to find him, but he'd disappeared since he had been videoed.

Reaux had also advised him that the news outlets were about to be able to release the full story since they were releasing Evan's name and picture. He hadn't wanted Damian caught off guard when it happened.

While Damian had called his mother with the news since they were still gone, Tay had talked more in depth with Reaux. He'd made sure Reaux had known that Tay was to be kept in the loop. The detective hadn't argued since he knew Tay's feelings and had for a while.

Damian had been in a stupor that first day, but once they'd started helping with welcome week, he'd come a little out of his shell. Their other friends had known something was wrong, but they wisely kept out of it.

Pestering Damian was one thing, but pissing off Tay was something different completely.

The press had shown up, but the university administration had sent them on their way with a warning. They were not allowed to discuss the case on school grounds. If they did, they'd be slapped with hefty fines. Meaning David Marquette was starting to crack down on those who came after his son.

They knew they weren't going to be able to protect him from everything, but they could keep his school life as stress free as possible.

Tay was doing his own research. He didn't personally know Evan Dorlane, but he knew people who did. He had been asking around to see who was close to him and who had gone out with him that night. So far nothing had come up, but was certain it would soon. Between the police, Tay and David someone would find something.

The biggest downside to the story coming out was all the Alphas were now looking at Damian. They'd done a good job keeping his classification a secret all this time. Now that everyone knew, he was getting unwanted attention.

Jak turned to his friends and sat down to eat lunch. He glanced between the two of them as they sat knee to knee and sighed.

"Why do you two look like someone shot your puppy?" he asked.

Damian glanced up then finished unwrapping his sandwich. "He's been looking for people who know Evan. he's hit a brick wall," he replied.

Despite everything, he was still close to Jak. He was the only other Alpha allowed to touch him outside his family and Tay. He didn't do it often because Jak wasn't a very touchy person, but he did toss his arm over his shoulder every so often. Damian didn't freak out about it.

"Are you still living together?" Jak continued. He'd been over several times before school started, and he knew bits and pieces of what had happened.

"Hmm," Tay hummed. He was taking a bite of his sandwich. "His parents are still out of town and I don't want him alone."

Jak looked between them again. This time he was frowning deeply. "Guys, I don't care if you kiss, suck, or fuck, but decide what you are. Damian can't walk around half claimed. It's dangerous. It means anyone can try to claim it and undo everything you've done."

Tay flicked his gaze up to the third member of their group. "Watch your mouth."

Unfortunately the blond headed man was stubborn. He rarely backed down from Tay especially when it was something serious.

"No, you listen to me. You've pined over him for years. Since you first smelled him after your first rut in high school, you've played this smart. But now things have become serious and you're walking a thin line. I can smell him from here, and it's confusing. Imagine how others are taking it."

Damian held his hand out to keep Tay from biting Jak's head off. The man remained quiet, and the other Alpha took note.

"What do you mean my smell is confusing?" he asked. Tay made a noise, more like a growl, but Damian shot him a look. "Shut up. I need to know this."

Tay looked at him then shrank back against the wall. If anyone else saw it, they would think Damian had himunder control. It was far from the truth.

Jak rubbed his face in agitation. "When Evan assaulted you, his scent mingled with yours. Because he either had no intention to claim you or didn't finish, he didn't infuse it in your body. What he failed to realize is that unlike sleeping with an Alpha or Beta, it takes months for the scent to fade from an Omega. So anyone who sleeps with one, the smell is imprinted on the Omega along with the rest of them. It makes it one confusing mess."

"What about Tay's?"

The blond headed man looked at his silent, brooding friend. Tay was staring daggers through him, but he made no moves to go against Damian.

"Tay has made it perfectly clear to everyone but you how he feels. He runs off prospective Alphas because he's more dominant and no one wants to fight him." He saw the look Damian cast at Tay, and it wasn't pretty. "I have no doubt the two of you have fooled around a bit, and since you're living with Tay, you smell like him."

Damian fidgeted, picking at his fingernails. "What about the rest?"

"Everyone knows you're an Omega, Dame. An unclaimed one at that. No one is going to heed Tay, especially if they think they have a chance."

Jak continued. "You need to make a choice. Are you going to find an Alpha, or are you going to let Tay claim you? It will save you a lot of heartache."

Damian stared at his half-eaten sandwich, picking at his fingers the entire time. He didn't bother confirming anything with Tay. Jak wouldn't lie about something as important as this. If he said it, he thought it was true.

"Excuse me," he muttered. He got up and went into the building, leaving the two alone.

Tay sat still for a long moment. He stared at Damian's lunch, licking his lips frequently. When he looked up, he met Jak's defiant gaze. He wanted to rip it off.

"Do you feel better?" he asked. His voice was hot. "You could have just sent him backwards ten steps."

"You're a jackass," Jak said.

Tay's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Damian has liked you for years whether he knows it or not. He trusts you. He looks for you when he's in trouble. You've been too wrapped up in your own head to see it."

Jak pointed his finger at the vacant spot. "He's been able to control his heats because he knows we can protect him."

"We failed the other night."

"I know!" It was a hard pill to swallow, even for Jak. "We failed him. We should have known what was going on, but we missed it."

Jak looked into Tay's face again. "However, if you don't get your shit together, I'll claim him. There will be nothing you can do then."

Tay's face was nasty as he sat up quickly. "You don't even like him like that."

"You're right; I don't. But I'll be damned if I watch him suffer because you're indecisive. After that night, he needs some stability to keep from reliving it. And he still doesn't know why he was attacked."

Jak gathered his trash and stood. He cast Tay one last, long look before leaving him on the balcony.

Tay punched the wall in anger. He wasn't made at Jak. In fact, it was the exact opposite. He was mad at himself. Jak was right; they failed Damian. They'd lost him that night, and it resulted in their current situation.

If he'd been honest, maybe things wouldn't have happened. Maybe Damian wouldn't feel so alone right now.

He stared at his bloody fist wondering if it was the same pain. It couldn't be, but was he close? Was he feeling a semblance of what his Omega went through?

Wiping his hand on his black denim, Tay stood up and gathered the remaining trash. He may not understand what Damian felt, but he was going to make damn sure it never happened again.

Tossing his trash, he went in search of the bruised man in hopes of saving a little face.