The gates swung open when he got there—Valen had loaned Sam his remote key. Sam drove slowly through the rain, the windshield wipers swiping back and forth, raindrops pattering on his roof.
He urged his beat-up car forward until he found Harris’ mansion, the driveway lights on, two alphas jogging out from under the porch.
Sam breathed in deep, then exhaled. Parked next to the curb, stepped out of the car. His legs shook.
Someone held an umbrella over his head, and the rain stopped. He leaned into a strong chest—sandalwood, Valen—and closed his eyes. He was safe now. The baby would be fine. Maybe.
“You okay?” Valen growled, sliding his arm possessively around Sam’s waist.
“Just—just tired,” Sam mumbled. “I lost Harris’ card.”
“The card doesn’t matter,” Harris said. “Are you hurt?”
Sam touched his belly. Didn’t mean to—the baby wasn’t hurt. But he couldn’t help feeling protective of it.
Against him, Valen froze. “He hurt the baby?”
Sam shook his head. “No. But his knife came close.”
“Fuck,” Valen hissed.
“C’mon, let’s get him out of the rain,” Harris said, his voice tight. “Shit, it’s been a month, too, hasn’t it?”
“A month?” Valen asked.
Another pair of arms circled Sam. Swept him off his feet. “Pregnancy fatigue. Let’s get you warmed up.”
“I should’ve been there,” Valen growled, holding the umbrella over them as Harris carried Sam up the driveway.
“But the card.” Sam squirmed against Harris’ chest. “Did you cancel it? He took it—I don’t know if he’s tried using it, it’s been twenty minutes—”
“It’s not important,” Harris said, holding him tighter. “Forget about the card.”
Sam groaned, pressing his face into Harris’ shoulder. Harris smelled like oak and warm soap. “I haven’t used the card at all. I’m sorry this happened—”
“Don’t apologize for it,” Harris said. “It’s not your fault.”
Sam bit his lip, sighing when they passed beneath the porch into the warmth of the house. Valen shut the door behind them.
“I’ve got a hot bath going upstairs,” Valen said, holding Sam’s hand. “Shit, you’re so cold.”
Shoes thudded on the floor. Sam watched as the walls flew by, Harris’ arms strong around his body. Harris felt safe, too.
Sam remembered the robber in the rain, the glint of metal, and shivered. If anything happened to his baby...
They stopped in the warmth of the bathroom, golden light pouring around them. Harris set Sam on his feet. Valen wrapped a heavy towel around Sam’s shoulders, crouching. “I’m getting your shoes off. Help me, here.”
Sam lifted his foot. Watched as Valen pulled off first his shoes, then his socks. Harris stood behind Sam, toweling his hair.
“What did he look like?” Harris growled. “We’ll make a police report.”
“I don’t know. He was—was looking through my wallet. I got my driver’s license back. And—and I lost my lunch money for the week.”
His heart sank. He’d needed that money for gas, too.
Harris pulled Sam back against his chest, pressing his lips against Sam’s ear, his breath puffing warm. “Don’t worry about the money.”
“I would’ve beat the hell out of him,” Valen said. “Damn it!”
“He had a knife,” Sam said. “Wasn’t sure if he was gonna use it.”
Harris’ arms tightened. Valen looked up, his teeth bared. “A knife?”
“Gods, we should pick you up from work,” Harris said in Sam’s hair. “Get you home safe. Sounds like that bastard is going around preying on omegas.”
Valen narrowed his eyes, his jaw tight.
“You have to work,” Sam mumbled. “‘Sides, I can get home by myself.”
“Can you really?” Harris scrutinized Sam’s face. “You look like you’re gonna fall over.”
“I just need to get back to my room.”
Valen undid Sam’s pants, and Sam sucked in a sharp breath. “Warm you up first,” Valen said. “Bath’ll help.”
Sam hadn’t peeked in the en-suite of the master bedroom before. And it had to be the one in the master bedroom, with the high ceiling, the sprawling windows, the steps leading up to a large square tub. He’d been using the bathroom upstairs, and it was clean and pretty. This? This bathroom was gorgeous.
Harris dropped the towel on the floor beside them, tugging Sam’s shirt up his chest. “You warm enough at work? This is thin.”
Sam nodded. “Yeah. It’s warm in the kitchen. We have the heat on, and pots of soup.”
Harris sniffed at Sam’s hair, then pulled the shirt over his head. Valen tugged Sam’s pants down his legs.
Just like that, he was naked, water evaporating off his damp skin. Sam squirmed, tempted to cover himself up. But Valen and Harris had seen all of him, and there wasn’t any point to worrying.
“C’mon,” Valen said. He shrugged out of his shirt and shorts, scooping Sam into his arms. Then he stepped over to the bath, and Sam froze. Valen frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“I—I don’t like tubs,” Sam mumbled. Remembered slipping and falling, and all the blood. “I fell in one.”
Valen looked around the bathroom—there was only the tub, and the shower head attached to it. “I’ll be very careful,” Valen said. He sat on the edge of the tub, and lowered Sam slowly into the water.
Heat flooded through Sam’s feet, and Sam groaned. Then the water swallowed the rest of his body—his belly, his arms, his chest—and Sam stopped shivering.
“Okay now?” Valen murmured, climbing in. The water level crept up Sam’s shoulders. Then Valen rubbed Sam’s arms and chest, and his feet.
Sam leaned into him. “Yeah. Feels good.”
The cuts on his hands stung, but the water was so very warm, and he didn’t want to get out. Valen pulled Sam’s back against his chest.
“I’ll go check on things,” Harris said.
Valen turned. “Get back here, Big H. The bath’s really warm.”
Harris hesitated. Sam turned to look, his heart pattering. Was he intruding on Valen’s relationship with Harris? He leaned away from Valen then, so Harris would join them. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys.”
Valen slipped his arm around Sam’s waist, pulling Sam back against his chest. Then he
