CW for language

It had been another long and wearying day. Dante had back-to-back therapy appointments all afternoon, after which he spent several hours immersed in catching up on some overdue paperwork. He was still working when he heard a soft knock at his office door. 

“Yes, what is it?”

The door opened and Miguel stuck his head in. “Hey, boss. I figured you might have missed supper again, so I thought I’d bring you a plate.”

Dante glanced over at his phone to check the time. It was nearly 8:00. “Wow, thank you. I didn’t realize it was so late.”

Miguel chucked, “Yeah, I figured.” He opened the door fully and stepped inside, then laid a wrapped plate and some utensils down on Dante’s desk. “Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables tonight. Make sure you actually eat it this time.”

Dante smiled at him warmly. “What would I do without you?”

“Starve, obviously,” Miguel scoffed at him. “Anyway, I’m about to head out for the evening. Did you need anything else from me before I go?”

“No, nothing I can think of.” Dante paused, considering. “Actually, no. I did want to ask you about how Raf has been doing. I’ve been so preoccupied over the last few days that I’ve barely had any time to check in with him. Has he been getting along okay?”

“Yeah, he’s doing fine,” Miguel nodded. “The kid’s a quick study, and he’s been a huge help to me in the kitchen. It’s also been nice to have someone taking over repairs and maintenance and such. I’ve noticed a lot of the appliances around the Center have been working better lately. Even the flickering light in the front hall looks like it finally got replaced.”

“Does it seem like he’s getting on okay with the residents?”

“You should probably ask him that yourself, but from what I can tell, there haven’t been any major incidents.” He shot Dante a pointed look. “It certainly helps that Trevor seems to be keeping his distance.”

“Mmhmm, I’m glad to hear that.” Dante nodded distractedly as his eyes unconsciously slid back towards his unfinished paperwork. Damn it, there was still so much to do. He’d be lucky if he got home before midnight tonight. “Let me know if anything changes. And thanks again for the food.”

Dante turned back to his work, but stopped when he realized that Miguel was still hovering by his desk. He looked up again. “Sorry, was there something else?”

“I was just wondering if you’d heard from Thomas recently. Any idea when he plans to be back?”

“Well, he was originally planning to start back this week, but Angelica has been going through a rough sleep regression. He asked me if I’d mind if he delayed it by a bit.”

“How much is ‘a bit’?”

“Another week or two. Why do you ask?”

Miguel looked uncomfortable. “No reason. I just was wondering.”

Dante narrowed his eyes. “Do you have concerns with the way I’ve been running things, Miguel?”

Miguel’s eyes widened. “No, of course not! But... you’ve been doing the work of at least three people for months now, Dante. You look tired all the time, and I know you haven’t been eating. I’m worried you’ll burn out.”

Dante grimaced. He knew Miguel wasn't wrong, and it certainly sounded bad, when put that way. Still, everyone at the Center was relying on him. He couldn’t afford to let them all down.

“I can handle it,” he muttered, crossing his arms defensively across his chest. “Sure, it’s been a bit challenging lately, but it’s just a little longer, and--”

He stopped abruptly as the emergency lights out in the hallway began to flash a bright blue. He and Miguel looked at each other in alarm, their disagreement instantly forgotten.

“Someone must have hit the panic button.” Dante stood up hurriedly and rushed out the door and down the hall, Miguel close on his heels. As he rounded a corner, Dante nearly tripped over a pair of terrified-looking Omegas huddled up against the wall.

“Dante, what’s happening?” one of them asked, her voice high with terror.

“Don’t worry, Rachel,” he said, keeping his voice deliberately calm. “This is a Code Blue alert, so I’m going to need the two of you to get to the nearest secure area and lock yourselves in as soon as possible. There should be a closet back down the hall we just came from that you can hide in. I will make an announcement over the PA as soon as we have an All Clear.”

“But what--”

“Quickly, now,” Dante was already pushing past them toward the security suite. He needed to get to the camera feed, so he could figure out what the hell was going on…

“Dante!” Another voice shouted from behind him. He whirled around to find Christina running full tilt towards him.

“Christina, it’s a Code Blue,” he began. “I need you to--”

“It’s Raf!” She grabbed his wrist and started pulling him back in the direction of the front entrance. 

Dante instantly dug in his heels, grabbed her by the arms, and spun her around. “Christina, slow down! What’s happening? Where is Raf?”

“Raf and I were talking outside and all of a sudden Robert showed up,” Christina said hurriedly. “I don’t know how he found me, but he did, and he's definitely drunk, and he was in a really bad mood. Raf held him off so I could get inside, but he and Robert are still out there.” She seemed near tears. “I’m so afraid that Robert is going to hurt him. We have to go help him now!”

Dante took a breath, thinking quickly. “They’re outside the front entrance?”

“Yes, we have to go--”

“No, we don’t want to go that way. It’s too much of a security risk. The doors lock automatically, so without an electronic key fob, there’s no way for Robert to get inside. The last thing we want to do is have someone go and open the door for him.”

He turned to the Beta beside him. “Miguel,” he said, “you and Christina head to the security suite and call the police. Keep an eye on the feeds so you can give them updates on what’s happening. I’ll go out the side door and check on Raf.”

“But, you--”

“Now!” Dante began sprinting towards the side entrance. 

His heart was pounding in his chest. This was bad. Christina and the other Omegas were safe enough indoors, but Raf was likely not equipped to handle someone like Robert. 

Christina had told him a great deal about her estranged mate during their therapy sessions. As he recalled, Robert had both a considerable amount of combat training, and an extremely nasty temper. He needed to get out there and de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible, before Raf got seriously injured.

Hang in there, Raf, he prayed silently. I’m on my way.

-------

When Dante arrived on the scene, Raf was already sprawled out on the pavement, while Robert had turned his full attention and fury on the steel-reinforced front door, which stubbornly refused to yield to his shouts or pounding. Dante stealthily approached Raf and crouched down beside him. A quick visual inspection revealed that he was beaten and bruised, and there was blood streaming from his nose. However, he was conscious and alert, and none of his injuries appeared life threatening.

He gave a quick sigh of relief, then rose and began to walk toward Robert, but was yanked back when Raf grabbed at his hand.

“Dante, don’t go near him, please,” he begged. “That man is really dangerous. I’ve been in fights with other Alphas before, but the way he moves is like a professional. I don’t want him to hurt you, too.”

Dante gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to fight him. It will be okay. Trust me.”

“But, Dante--”

Dante crouched back down, and took Raf’s trembling hand in both of his own. “Trust me,” he repeated softly.

Raf bit his lip, and then nodded reluctantly. “...Okay.”

“I’ll be right back.” Dante let go of Raf’s hand, then stood and walked slowly over to the base of the stairs. He looked up at the entranceway, where Robert was still cursing up a storm. He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath.

“Mr. Stephenson,” he said loudly to the man’s back. Robert whirled around, his fists already up. As he looked down and took in Dante, his face morphed into a malevolent sneer. Dante looked back up at him evenly, refusing to be cowed. 

“Sir, I must insist that you leave our premises. You are trespassing.”

“Trespassing?” The word was almost a screech. Robert’s eyes blazed. “I’m here for my mate and my daughter, you little shit. I’m here to claim what’s mine. You have no right to stop me!”

“I’m afraid I do,” Dante replied calmly, folding his arms across his chest. “St. Margaret’s is a registered Safe Haven site. As long as your mate and daughter are on our property, you have no legal standing to reclaim them. We have notified the police; they will be here shortly. I must once again ask you to leave, or you will be removed.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Robert snarled, but Dante noticed that he looked slightly nervous. He probably doesn't know about the Safe Haven law. He’s wondering whether or not I’m bluffing.

“I assure you that I am not,” Dante said cooly, then added for good measure, “...Sir.” Silence hung in the air between them for a long moment, and then Robert turned back around and started screaming up at the building.

“Christina! Christina, you bitch! I know you can hear me! Come out here and face me! You think you can just hide in there, but you can’t stay there forever! One way or another, I’m going to take you home, and if not you, then I’ll at least get Cameron! You think you can keep me away from my own daughter? Over my dead body! I’ll see you in court, you fucking whore!”

Dante waited impassively until it seemed like Robert had finally tired himself out. Drunk and enraged though he was, there was no way for him to force the door open, and Dante could tell it was slowly dawning on him that he wouldn’t be getting what he wanted tonight. With a final curse, Robert spit on the ground in front of the door, and then stomped down the stairs with all the remaining dignity he could muster. He stopped in front of Dante and glowered down at him.

“This isn’t over, you little Omega bastard.”

Dante didn’t reply, but held his gaze until the Alpha clicked his tongue and stalked off. 

Dante watched him until he had disappeared from view, and then waited another full minute before he finally let out a relieved exhale and relaxed his shoulders. He heard a heavy grunt behind him and turned back to Raf, who had finally managed to push himself off the ground. Dante hurried over to him and gingerly pulled Raf's arm over his shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get you inside and get those injuries taken care of.”

Raf nodded, too worn out to argue. Together, they hobbled up the stairs, into the building, and out of the cold.