Relief flashed over Enar’s face. Had he really been worried about how Maz would react?
“Thank you. I knew it wouldn’t be an issue for you, but I wanted to, you know, tell you officially.”
Maz cocked his head as he studied Enar. “That’s not all you need to tell me, is it?”
“No. There’s more. But let me take you to Lidon and Palani, and I’ll explain.”
Enar kissed Vieno, then led Maz into the living room, where two men sprang apart as soon as they walked in. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Enar muttered. “Can’t leave you two alone for five minutes, can I?”
Palani grinned as he stepped toward Maz, his hand outstretched. “It’s good to see you again, Maz.”
Maz couldn’t help but smile at the beta’s blatant disregard of protocol. As a beta, he should’ve waited for Maz to make the first move. And he should’ve let his alpha go first, but Maz had always had a weakness for rebels. “Likewise.”
Lidon’s handshake was firm, but that wasn’t why Maz had a shock when he touched him. Lidon radiated power, a deep force Maz’s alpha responded to instantly. It wanted to…submit. To another alpha. Not sexually but in hierarchy. Somehow, his alpha recognized Lidon as his superior. What the fuck?
“Grab a seat,” Palani said, taking charge once again.
Enar found a spot next to Palani, who pulled him close, and Enar relaxed instantly. Palani’s love for Enar was so obvious that Maz liked him even more than he already did.
Maz had questions, a ton of them, but he kept quiet. Where would he even begin? By asking why the hell his alpha had wanted to bow down to Lidon? That would make an excellent impression for sure.
“There’s a reason you can’t alpha compel me anymore,” Enar said, and for a second, Maz was confused. Why would he say that? Oh, right, his joke in the kitchen.
“I never have.”
“Oh, I know. Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that you had. I worded that wrong. But even if you wanted to now, you couldn’t.”
Maz frowned. What reason could there possibly be for that? Wait. “You’re alpha claimed?”
“Yes. The four of us, we’re linked forever now.”
“Congratulations. That’s amazing, and you know I couldn’t be happier for you.”
“Thank you. I didn’t want to pretend anymore, especially not toward you. I consider us friends, and the idea of lying to you didn’t sit well with me.”
“I appreciate that, Doc, and I feel the same way. I wasn’t joking when I said I missed you.”
“I’m not coming back,” Enar said quietly. “It’s been hard for me to accept this, but I don’t have a choice. If I fight my medical suspension, they’ll demand records and investigate me with all they’ve got. I’d endanger the lives and livelihoods of patients I helped. They could be imprisoned, and I can’t have that on my conscience.”
Maz blew out a slow breath to calm the brewing anger inside him. Unfair was too mild a word for what had happened here. Enar was one of the best doctors Maz had ever met and certainly the most compassionate one, always dedicated to bettering the lives of omegas. To see him punished for that was a tough experience for Maz, so he couldn’t even imagine how furious Enar must be.
“I’m so sorry, Doc. It’s outrageous that you’re being punished for helping the oppressed and the hurting. It makes my blood boil. I completely understand your decision, but it’s a hard hit for the omega community, which needs you.”
Palani cast a sideways glance at Enar with pride on his face. “It is, and that’s why we’re building him a clinic here. The Hayes Clinic, dedicated to offering free health care to all omegas who need it, with a focus on pregnancy care. We’re hoping to open in two months.”
Maz’s mouth dropped open. That was the most insane and yet the most amazing idea he’d ever heard. How were they doing this legally, though? “That’s fantastic. How are you getting around needing permits?”
“We’re using an old law that says you don’t need to comply with certain standards if a clinic is on private land and privately funded, which it is. The only caveat is that he won’t be able to do surgeries. Minor procedures that don’t require a full OR, yes, but not full-on surgeries,” Palani explained.
Maz dragged a hand through his hair. “Wow. That’s absolutely amazing. Let me know when you officially open. I can jump in two days a week.”
Enar seemed stunned. “Maz, no. That’s not why I told you.”
“No? Then why am I here?”
“Because I wanted you to know I wasn’t coming back. And yes, I did want to tell you about the clinic, but for a different reason. You’re on the frontline, so now you can send any omegas without health insurance to the Hayes Clinic. Also, we’re doing more research into the gene, and we need as many gene carriers as we can find. So if you encounter any omegas who have the gene, please send them here. We can cover the fare for a taxi if needed.”
Maz’s head dazzled. “Research into the Melloni gene? Wow. A lot has changed since we last spoke. Okay, I’ll make sure of that. But, Doc, I’m serious. I want to help out. You know I share your vision for helping underprivileged omegas.”
Enar looked at Palani, then at Lidon, the three of them communicating wordlessly.
“Before you make that decision, there’s something you should know.” Palani took a deep breath and started talking.
When he was done, Maz sat still, stunned. Conspiracies about strange medical trials that had created the gene, dirty cops, election fraud, it seemed too preposterous to even take seriously, yet considering the three men in front of him, Maz knew it to be true. And that wasn’t even the craziest thing. Bringing shifters back. Wolf shifters were a thing of the past, a fantastic element of ancient lores and stories. To imagine it as a reality again? He couldn’t wrap his head around it.
But as the three men gave him time to process it all, something hummed in the air. Lidon’s power, quiet but strong, whispering to Maz, to his alpha. Bow. Submit to your alpha.
Maz wasn’t the strongest alpha, but his alpha powers were well developed. He’d never, ever had experienced anything similar, not even with his father, who had alpha compelled him on more than one occasion. He looked from Enar and Palani to Lidon, who was watching him, his brown eyes piercing, yet kind and fair.
And Maz answered the only way he could. “I’m in.”
“It looks amazing, Jawon,” Lucan said, taking in the finished construction of the clinic. The beta had given him a tour through the whole building.
Jawon beamed at him. “I’m pleased with how it turned out. And the best part is that we can easily add to it if we need to, since it’s all prefab material.”
Lucan followed Jawon back to what would become the reception area. Jawon’s men had poured the concrete and built the various rooms and only just gotten started on finishing the inside. It was still a mess, but Lucan could already picture what it would look like, and it sent a rush of adrenaline through him.
“Any feedback for me?” Jawon asked. “Anything you’d like to see different?”