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tightening around him.
    Finally, when he came back to himself, he realized Laine had come too. “Jesus, you’re going to kill me.”
    Lainey giggled and pulled him down, wrapping him in a hug.
    “Uh, Lainey?”
    “Yeah?”
    “You are supposed to have your hands over your head.”
    “Oops.” He didn’t sound repentant in the least.
    “Lainey?” Dev brushed the dark rust-colored bangs off Laine’s forehead and kissed it.
    “Yes?” Laine sighed and snuggled in closer to Dev’s side, his fingers lightly tangling in Dev’s chest hair.
    “Why would the Alpha, uh, Victor, want to beat me up? I called to make an appointment with him two days ago and he ignored me. Then tonight I was at Ganymede’s Grotto enjoying a beer and watching the show when he called me out of the blue.”
    Laine’s yellow eyes fluttered as he looked up at Dev. “Because he’s a real dick. He always initiates new pack members that way. Says it keeps them in line and lets them know who’s boss. So far no one has fought back. But you’re going to aren’t you?”
    Dev didn’t want to fight, he always tried to make violence a last option, but he’d be damned if he sat by and watched that tyrant beat up innocent people. He was shocked that no one had ever challenged the asshole. How many people had Victor abused? What was it Laine had said about getting his ass kicked again? “Lainey, honey? Does he try to beat you up and rape you often?” What if he’d raped Laine before tonight? He’d obviously already beaten him up. The thought made Dev’s teeth grind together. But he wasn’t about to lose his temper. Not with Laine around. It wasn’t Laine’s fault and from the sounds of it he got enough anger and hostility already.
    Laine moved himself further on top of Dev, linked his fingers together on Dev’s chest and rested his chin on his entwined hands. “He’s never tried to rape me until tonight. Thank you for helping me, by the way.”
    Laine shuddered. “Ick, just the thought… Yeah, just, ick. He’s always tried to…” He dipped his head to the side in a sort of shrug. “I don’t know, flirt? Come on to me? But he’s never forced the issue. He’s not gay, but…” Again Laine shrugged, this time his overlong bangs fell into his eyes. “I don’t know really; he’s never done anything in public. Every other time it’s always been just me and him, except for tonight.”
    Dev nodded and brushed his mate’s hair back again. He liked seeing Laine’s face. Not that he didn’t like the red hair, but his mate’s face was spellbinding. Victor’s actions made perfect sense. Of course Dev didn’t agreed with them, but Laine was a beautiful man. And tonight had been about control. It had been a way for Victor to get two things at once. Laine’s sweet little body and the pleasure of punishing him, in front of others, for his disobedience. “What did you do to piss him off?”
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    Laine grinned really big, his eyes dancing. “Same thing I always do. I opened my big mouth and told him what an ass he is. I can’t seem to help myself.”
    Dev chuckled. Oh Lord, Laine was mischief incarnate. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that Omegas aren’t supposed to talk back? Your job is to quietly support your Alpha and make sure the pack is happy.
    You’re supposed to be an ambassador of sorts, a go-between for Alpha and pack.”
    Laine snorted and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, like a First Lady. I get it, but I can’t support what I don’t agree with. The man is a dick, plain and simple.”
    “I got that impression. Are you okay? I mean that was pretty scary tonight…”
    Laine blinked, looking surprised, then his face lit up in a big smile showing off straight, even, white teeth.
    “I’m fine. I’ll be even better if you tell me that you are going to stick around, I mean…” He ducked his head and started drawing circles in the hair on Dev’s chest with his finger, getting shy all of a sudden. “I know you’re moving here, but I mean…”
    A bashful Laine? Dev hadn’t thought that possible. He was actually surprised the spitfire could be shy.
    Laine was a bit on the submissive side in bed but the man was no introvert. In truth, he was just the opposite. Dev was pretty certain that anything Laine thought automatically flew out of those pretty lips. It was something Dev was going to have to watch. Something told him that