Chapter 15

"Damian!" Talya Marzano exclaimed. She pushed the door open and pulled him in for a hug. "My sweet boy, how are you?"

"I'm okay, Talya." Damian sank into her hug, tightening his arms around her and burying his face in her thick graying hair.

She let him go and pushed him back. She eyed him for a long time. Damian felt a little unnerved by her green gaze. Tay got it honestly from her. They had never been able to lie to her. She somehow knew without actually being there what they'd been up to.

"Mom, can we get in the door before you do your weird telepathy shit?" Tay groused. He was still out on the porch since his mom had swept Damian up first. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she liked him better.

Talya pulled Damian into the house and escorted him to the kitchen. Tay grumbled but he didn't argue with his mother. He'd lose anyway.

He carried the dessert Damian had made last night to his sister. She was helping their father prepare dinner. She smiled and looked past him, one eyebrow quirking up when she saw he was alone.

"Mom," he said.

She laughed knowingly. "She always confiscates the boyfriends."

"Your mother just likes to know how everything is going. She wants the best for you." Christoph's gray eyes gleamed. "Plus she has a soft spot for Damian."

Bella nodded. "We all do. He's a good man." Her look turned cunning, and Tay stopped popping cherry tomatoes in his mouth. "We'd all be lucky to claim him."

Tay's eyes narrowed dangerously. He didn't care if he looked like a chipmunk with food stuffed in his cheeks. His sister had said the worst thing possible.

"Watch it, sister. You may be older, but I'm stronger," he warned.

Out of the three of them, Tay took after his father. Christoph was tall, lean and very dominant. He didn't argue with people too much because he knew he'd win. It was how he became very good friends with David Marquette, and how he'd climbed up the corporate ladder as quickly as he did.

Tay had gotten all his features from his father; height, build, personality. Except his hair. The dark, thick hair came from Talya. Bella and their mother could be twins, and Tyren looked a good mixture of them both.

"Tay?" Damian came into the kitchen with Talya following close behind. "Are you okay?"

Tay wrapped his arm around Damian's neck and drew him into his side. "I'm fine. Bella tried to make a joke that wasn't funny." He threw a tomato at her.

She laughed again. "Run, Damian. Get away while you can, or else he won't let you go."

As the children bickered, Christoph and Talya looked at each other with knowing smiles. When they'd heard what had happened to Damian, they'd been certain Tay would have ended up in jail. But their youngest child had surprised them.

Tay had stayed with Damian the entire time. He hadn't acted a fool like they'd thought he would. Maybe he and Damian were truly meant to be together.

Watching them now, they were certain of it. Damian had always been a reserved child. He had watched and had only spoken when spoken to. Even when they'd all come to play as children, Damian had spent the entire time in the kitchen with Talya while Jak and Tay had roughhoused.

They had figured Damian was an Omega when he didn't react the same way Tyren, Tay, and Jak had. When it'd been confirmed, they'd slowly watched Tay become a dominant Alpha. He hadn't been an in-your-face type of Alpha, but he hadn't needed to. His body language and way of speaking had done it for him.

Christoph had taken his youngest son under his wing and had shown him how to balance his temper and desires. It had come in handy their senior year of high school when Damian had gone into his first heat.

Tay had instinctually brought Damian here but hadn't touched him. Talya had had to help the young Omega even though she herself was not one. It had only been her bond with her husband that had kept her from losing control. But Tay hadn't reacted at all.

Over the years, they'd seen the signs that Tay would eventually claim Damian. He'd gotten quiet, more mature in his everyday dealings. They'd known how strong he was becoming just by looking at him. Plus, he scared off everyone who even tried to hit on Damian.

Now, looking at them huddled together against the island, they knew they'd been correct. Even if they weren't ready to tell them, their noses didn't lie.

Tay had claimed Damian, and they were happy with it.

"Is it ready?" Tay asked. He didn't wait for an answer as he picked up a bowl and carried it to the table.

"We're waiting on Tyren. He had to work late tonight," Christoph said.

"I thought he was in the off season and only working out this month," Bella mused.

"He is, but he got an endorsement deal through a very lucrative entertainment company. He's been excited about it," Talya explained.

"Great," Tay groused. "Now he'll be even more impossible to live with. First he makes it into the NBA and now he has an endorsement deal. How will we ever survive?"

His mother pinched his back multiple times. "You can always go home. No one is stopping you."

Damian drew Tay to the table and sat down. The Alpha followed him, sitting to his right silently. He put a hand to his knee and rubbed it easily. Damian gripped his hand, squeezing it briefly.

As they were serving, Tyren came home. He was easy to hear because he wasn't a quiet person by any means. He came bounding in the room with an older gentleman following at a more sedate pace.

"Hey, fam!" He kissed his mom's cheek and ruffled his sister's hair. He couldn't do anything to Tay because he was at the other end of the table. "Sorry I'm late."

"Well, you certainly could have called to say we're having an extra guest," Talya scolded.

"I'll get it," Damian offered. He was out of his seat before anyone could say anything.

"It was a spur of the moment thing. By the way, this is Conrad Evers. He owns the clothing brand I'm going to be endorsed by."

Porcelain shattered on the tile. Every head turned to Damian. The Omega had dropped the plate, his hands still raised where he'd been carrying it.

His eyes were wide, terror permeating the room. Tay jumped up, knocking over his chair as he cleared the counter. He wrapped Damian up, pressing his face into his shoulder. Rage rippled through his body, but his main priority was Damian.

"Damian, are you okay?" Talya asked. She laid a calming hand to his arm. "It's okay, son. It's just a plate. We can replace it."

Damian pushed Tay away a bit, but his arms were still around him. "Sorry, I'm a little clumsy."

Talya smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. I've broken these things plenty of times. Sit down and eat. I'll clean it up."

Tay urged him to his chair and served him a small portion. He wasn't going to eat a lot right now.

He did his best not to look at the older man talking with his dad despite hatred filling his every cell. He wanted to kill this bastard, but he was in his parents' house. He wouldn't embarrass them or Damian anymore.

He couldn't tell his parents yet. Not in front of Tyren. He had to have a plan to do it. Spouting off at the mouth would lead someone to jail. Probably himself.

His main priority was Damian. He had to take care of him first. Everything came second to him.

But he was going to take down Conrad Evers.