“Angus!” I called out, then said to Ben, “It’s the government. I need to do something to protect you.” God, this was awkward. “Did David tell you how Maddox put his claim on him so the government men knew he belonged to Maddox?”
Face going red, Ben nodded.
“I need your permission to do that to you.”
Angus hurried into the room. “What is it?”
“They’re here. The government.”
The pounding sounded again, and then Maddox appeared in the doorway to Angus’s wing.
“We saw. Hold them off as best you can,” I told him before turning back to Ben. “Okay, Ben?”
Ben looked like he was going to cry.Fuck.I couldn’t do this.
“I…” I looked to Angus, who took a deep breath and let it out.
“I don’t know of another way to put a claim on you that’s not even more invasive,” he told Ben.
Loud voices sounded from another part of the house and then a loud knock sounded on the door to Angus’ wing. Without waiting to be admitted, three beta men walked in, Maddox following behind them, arguing with them.
“You have no right to just bust your way into our home!”
“We have every right,” one of the men said, flashing his credentials and sneering as he looked at Ben. "I should have known he was here."
Stepping forward, I pushed Ben behind me.
Laura and David appeared behind him in the doorway.
“You have an unregistered, unmated omega here,” the bearded beta said.
“He’s ours,” Angus’s voice boomed out. “You can’t have him. Get out before I throw you out!”
The three men backed up a step, almost running into Maddox, then moved to the right. It was clear they were uncomfortable confronting three alphas.
“You’ll have to go through all of us to get to him,” Maddox said, stepping around the men to stand with me and Angus, completely blocking their eyes from Ben, who’d plastered himself to my back. I could feel him shaking.
“It’s the law! You people have been conspiring behind the government’s backs!” Another beta, who had a nose like a potato, accused.
“We’re not conspiring against anything,” Angus said. “The government wants omegas to have good alphas. We’re providing them that.”
“They’re unregistered! You’re supposed to turn them in!” the large-nosed beta said.
“What’s the point of doing that when we want to mate them? Seems to me we’re doing you a favor,” Angus said.
“Hand him over,” the third beta demanded, his round face red with ire.
“That’s not happening.”
The red-faced beta stepped forward but stopped when he got within a couple of feet of Angus, unsure what to do.
“Hand him over. It’s the law. We can have you arrested.”
“Don’t!” Ben said from behind me, and before I could do anything, he walked around me and stood in front of the men. “Don’t arrest anyone. I’ll go with you.”
With a smug look, the red-faced beta reached for Ben’s arm, but Angus’ low, feral growl stopped him.
“Don’t. Touch. My. Omega.”