Zeller murmured to his brother, low enough that only he and Antoni could hear. “Go. You can’t save me now. Just do whatever you can to help my baby.”
“Help your baby, how? What do you meansave you?”
Zeller supposed Asher could be forgiven for not grasping the situation. He did not see the menace in Father’s expression, nor the wretchedness in Daddy’s. As a beta, he had never experienced full parental control, so he did not comprehend the weight of Zeller’s disobedience.
“I don’t know what they’re gonna do to me…after this. Just help… Do what you can… Whatever that ends up meaning.”
Asher squeezed his hand. “I love you, little brother.”
Zeller couldn’t bring himself to say it back. Somewhere in his heart, he had love for Asher, but at that moment, all he could think about was how his brother could have assisted him in leaving months ago but chose not to. Asher had assumed it would work out in the end—it suited his purposes to believe so—but it was obvious they had underestimated the depths to which their alpha father would sink.
Fleetingly, Zeller wondered if Father might kill him, eliminate the omega son who’d been defiled by a working-class alpha. The omega son who had once been submissive but now challenged him at every turn. The omega son who could embarrass him andtarnish his reputation. The omega son who had gone from being a worthy bargaining chip to being wholly inconvenient.
Daddy shed silent tears as the men next to him loomed stoically.
Zeller huddled close to Antoni as Asher drove away.
“Why did you follow us?” Father asked Antoni.
“I heard Deveron crying from my room. I didn’t know what was happening, and I worried you might need me for something.”
His explanation was enough to appease Father. After all, the butler had been loyal to the family for decades.
“You have always had a soft heart for Zeller,” Father said. “And since you’re aware of everything else we’ve done for our ungrateful omega whelp and his regrettable spawn, I suppose it’s useful that you’re here.”
Zeller stared at Antoni. “What is he talking about?”
Antoni cast his gaze on the ground.
Father and Daddy moved closer.
“Are you okay?” Daddy asked timidly. He reached out, but Father yanked him back.
“He’s fine,” Father said. “Well enough to stumble away from the estate in the middle of the night and do exactly the opposite of what we instructed.”
“To protect my child,” Zeller said with little bite, laying a protective arm across his stomach. He knew he was beaten, but he was trying to remain calm. Yelling and arguing would not help.
“You keep forgetting.” Keyes tapped his lips. “That baby is not yours, is it? Not with you being underage. And having no husband. That baby is our responsibility.”
“I know, but—”
“No buts. We’ve been lenient so far, letting you sulk in your room and avoid meeting potential husbands, not to mentionyour refusal to accept that we will never allow you to be a single father.” Keyes hitched his neck and the betas walked over to stand next to Zeller. “But now that your stubbornness has resulted in this unfortunate escapade, I think it’s time we took our responsibility more seriously.”
The men prodded Zeller to move toward the SUV his parents had been driving.
“Be careful with him,” Daddy whimpered.
“He’s fine,” Father bellowed.
As the men hoisted him into the car, Antoni leaned in.
“I’ll do what I can,” he whispered.
Those were the last words Zeller heard before he felt the stab of a needle in his arm and the world went black.
***
Beep…beep…beep…beep…