O0o

"I"d just finished my first heat, and he went crazy that I was an omega," Jules said. "He drugged me, threw me into a sack, and took me to the capital to have me registered, then dumped me at Fong"s omega house."

Hal"s jaw clenched. "Heaven help your father if I ever encounter him," he said.

"He was just ignorant, Hal," Jules said, shrugging. "Didn"t know what to do. Horrified I was a breeder. Don"t waste your emotion on him."

"How can you be so forgiving?" Lucien asked, eyes wide. "That was awful, just awful!"

"I"ve had fourteen years to think about what he did," Jules said to him. "Fong kept me busy, fed, and sheltered. I was enough of a kid that I got over it, you know?"

"He took you from your home, poisoned you, stuffed you into a bag, and threw you away!" Lucien protested, waving an arm around. "I"m a bratty little f.u.c.ker, and my parents didn"t do that to me! Halian didn"t do that to me!"

Jules smiled. "You"re not a bratty little f.u.c.ker," he corrected. "Not anymore. You"re an alpha, Lucien. You"re more valuable than an omega, in the eyes of the law, and just about everyone else."

Lucien"s wild-eyed look of outrage softened into sadness as Jules watched. He swallowed hard, and gave Hal the reins before turning and looking dead at Jules. "Jules," he said firmly. "Your father shouldn"t have abandoned you. No child should be abandoned because of how he presents. It"s ?????. I"ve been s.h.i.tty to omega adults, but never to an omega child. It sickens me to know there are homes for people like you. There shouldn"t be a ???? for them."

Jules nodded. "Yeah, I know. But, this is so far into my past. If I"d held on to that anger and fear all these years, I"d be a mess right now. I had to let something go, so I dropped it, and just tried to be the best person I could be. Anything else would have done me in."

Lucien blinked three times. "Oh my G.o.d," he whispered. "You are ??????? what my brother needs. Why didn"t I see that?"

"Probably my stupid green eyes," Jules joked, winking at the smiling Halian.

Halian chuckled, and gave the reins back to Lucien. "?? stupid," he agreed, grinning.

-o-o-o-

When they reached the cathedral, Jules saw with satisfaction that many of the people were draped in the blankets given to them on the first trip. A cheer went through the crowd as they saw sweaters were being given, and shoes. It only took minutes to get rid of two weeks" worth of hard knitting and sewing.

"Jules, Lucien, come with me," Halian ordered. "There"s someone I want you to meet." He began walking for the cathedral.

Jules had to admire the building. It was enormous, arches everywhere, and warmer than it should be for its size. "I love these colored windows," Jules whispered, thinking of the ones Hal had made for the manor.

"Stained gla.s.s," Lucien whispered back. "I used to know how it"s made, but I"ve forgotten. I think I drank a lot of my brains away."

Jules smiled at him. "Really?"
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Lucien nodded with a wry smirk on his lips. "I"m not proud of it, but I can"t remember much of the last seven years."

"How old are you?" Jules asked.

"Twenty-two," Lucien informed. "Yes. I started drinking at fifteen. Disgusting, huh?"

"You"ll do better," Jules told him. "You already are."

Hal stopped them. "Father Henry?" He called out.

"Here," A man"s voice called out, and the man himself exited an oddly constructed little cubicle of some kind. "Oh, h.e.l.lo, Master Novar!" He walked toward them, moving fast for an older guy.

Hal smiled very warmly at the white-haired man. "Father, I"d like you to meet my bonded, Jules Remington, and my brother, Lucien."

"Pleased," Father Henry said, bowing his head to each of them. Jules could smell no scent on him, and figured him for a beta.

"Father Henry organizes worship and charity," Halian explained to them. "He lives here so that the church can be open all the time. He is a very good man, and I wanted you both to know his face. If you are ever in need of shelter, if something dire happens, you may always find help here, with Father Henry."

Father Henry smiled. "You"ll give me an ego," he chided mildly. "I"m happy to dedicate myself to helping the unfortunate. There is no greater cause."

Lucien nodded solemnly. "I"ve only just discovered this," he said lowly. "Would you be willing to allow me to aid you?"

"I would be very pleased," Father Henry said, smiling again. "I could use a young, strong alpha around here. You wouldn"t believe how heavy things have gotten for me over the years."

Lucien turned to Halian. "Brother, may I?"

"This will be hard, humbling work, Luc," Hal warned, his eyes serious. "Father Henry has a vineyard, a large garden for the community, keeps livestock, and does all of his own maintenance."

"I"m not afraid to work hard, not anymore," Lucien said lowly. "Let me work off some of my sins, ??????."

Halian nodded, and patted his brother on the shoulder. "I will send a bed here for you," he relented. "I"ll come back to see how you fare."

"Bring Jules when you come," Lucien said quickly. "Please," he added.

"I"ll come, too," Jules said.

Halian and Jules left. Jules took a last look back, watching Father Henry escorting Lucien toward the back of the cathedral. "Is he going to be okay, Hal? This is a huge change, and a quick one."

"My brother has found a cause, and I wish him every chance to explore it, worthy as it is," Halian said, taking Jules"s elbow. "He might find it difficult to have such privation, but I"m confident that if he truly means to help, he will."

They got on their cart and headed for home. Jules leaned on Hal, enjoying his warmth. He thought about Father Henry" weird clothes and collar. "What was he wearing?" He asked.

"Father Henry? It"s called a ca.s.sock," Halian explained. "When a priest puts on a ca.s.sock, it means he"s getting ready to do G.o.d"s work. Father Henry... I"ve never seen him wear anything else. I wonder if he sleeps in it, I truly do."

"It looked heavy. Good for winter." Jules commented. "Almost like wearing a blanket. Do they wear pants underneath, or is like a dress?"

Halian chuckled. "You know what? I have no idea."