is common sense or what you'd do anyway. You know, have patience, be kind, yada yada yada. You don't know what he's been through yet, but we both know it wasn't normal. And since you're not only a patient guy but have more experience than me with charming lovers, I'm pretty sure you've got this."
Wrinkling my nose, I grimaced as I shook my head. "Never say the word lovers to me again, Matt. That shit just ain't okay. Also, we might as well forget everyone I was with in the past since they ceased to exist the moment I found my mate."
Matt nodded with approval. "And your promise right there tells me everything I need to know. You and Thirteen will be fine."
Five
“Thirteen”
As we took our seats around the table, I prepared myself to tell my story over a breakfast of pancakes and bacon. So much bacon. If I could've, I would have stripped naked and rolled in the platter of bacon.
He must've caught me gaping because my new friend Eli grinned knowingly. "You're a bacon fan too, huh? The only thing I like better is a thick slab of ham, pan-fried and dripping with grease."
My hand automatically rubbed my stomach. "We get ham once a year, when Mistress delivers it on Christmas Day. But it's not greasy. It's actually thin shaved and kinda dry, if I'm being honest. Bacon was also a rare treat, but it's my favorite."
"A rare treat? What kind of meat did they feed you? Hot dogs and Spam?" Eli looked horrified on my behalf.
Shrugging, I shook my head. "We didn't eat a lot of meat. Master said meat is for alphas and regular wolves, not omegas. Our constitution is too delicate to enjoy it more often than as a rare treat."
Eli shuddered, holding a hand up as if begging me to stop. "I don't know who this Master person is, but he is a big fat liar. Omegas aren't too dang delicate for anything. Please, I'd love to see an alpha push a baby out like we can. Heck, most of them wouldn't last the pregnancy, let alone the delivery. So now I have to ask, who is Master anyway?"
Okay, I guess we were getting right into it. "I don't know, aside from the person who has always had complete control over my brothers and my lives. He is mated to Mistress, but she only visits for two hours on Christmas Day and for half an hour on one of our birthdays."
Lucian and Matt were paying attention now. Matt was taking notes while Lucian started asking questions. "What do you mean by your brothers? And where did they visit you?"
"They aren't really my brothers, except they are because we grew up together in an old barn in the hills near the highway where Lucian found me. None of us know how. We were just… always there."
"How many brothers? I'm guessing they're still trapped, yeah?" Lucian looked worried for them, which proved what I already knew in my heart—I could trust this alpha.
"I'm guessing there were originally fifteen of us, but nobody knows One, and we barely remember Two. He was removed when we were little. My brother Twelve was taken seven birthdays ago, so I think we were about thirteen. There's barely a dozen of us now. I was about to be removed, so I had no choice but to take my chance to escape. Luckily, I'd made a friend on the outside, and he helped me get away. I promised my brothers I would be back with help, though. I'm afraid what might be happening to them now I’m gone."
Lucian and Matt both growled, then immediately apologized as if they thought I was scared. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Knowing these alphas cared enough to be angry about the situation made me feel safe.
After a moment, Matt drew my attention. Lucian was busy shredding a paper napkin and obviously working to contain his wolf. "If I might ask a question, Thirteen. What is it you mean when you say removed? I have a feeling I know, but it's best to ask."
"We never knew. Like I said, Two is barely a blip in our memory, but Twelve was our brother. He was there one day and gone the next. Master came and took him away. When we asked Teacher where he was going, we were told to mind our business. But then a couple days ago, Teacher took me aside and told