Ethan woke up, his face throbbed with pain, he didn’t know how long he had been out but he felt he was alone now. He had been moved off the chair and was now pressed against a wall, his hands handcuffed behind him. There seemed to be something extremely sticky that held him up on to the wall, it felt like one of those glue traps they had used to catch mice but thicker. He tried to pull himself free but his hair and feathers were stuck firmly into it, as well as his skin. He listened carefully tilting his head the little that he could to figure out if he was alone or not. There were no other sounds other than the distant sound of cars passing by outside. This had to be his only chance, if he didn’t get out of here now he might never see his Alpha, and his kitten might never be born. Sudden panic hit him and he looked down at his growing belly and only saw some bruising around his chest and the several thin lines of dried blood, but it was clear he’d not been cut too deeply. He could make out two brown stains in the top of his pants where he had been stabbed. At least he hadn’t attempted to assault him or harm him more while he was out. He took several sharp and painful breaths gathering up his courage and in one painful moment he ripped himself free of the sticky wall. He screamed in pain and saw stars for a moment as he ripped his hair and feather’s out and probably ripped some skin off as well. He whimpered laying on the floor as it burned and tears escaped his eyes. He also listened, nothing changed, no one came rushing in. He moved carefully to get his hands in front of him, they’d be more useful that way. He slowly stood, he could deal with this pain if it meant he could go home.

He walked to the door and gently touched it, it opened easily. He guessed his old boss never expected him to pull himself free. The next part of the room was a nightmare bottle littered the ground, a filthy mattress in one corner, a dilapidated couch pushed against the far wall with a table in front of it made of broken glass. He stepped gingerly through the room and to the door, it was locked but from the inside, he easily let himself out. Closing the door behind him he made his way to the stairwell, the building reeked of piss and decay. The only light came from the Exit sign glowing red. He slowly took the steps one at a time holding tightly onto the rail, not because it was decaying, they were probably the most solid thing in the building, no, he just didn’t want to slip on something and fall. He was almost to the bottom when he stepped on the little glass bottle he hadn’t seen, the glass shattered under his foot and cut into it. He let out a yelp of pain as it did then sat there holding his foot up. Quietly he looked down at it, it wasn’t bad there were only a few shards of glass in it. He whimpered as he shakily pulled them out. Blood ran out of the wounds, he was going to leave a bloody trail but he didn’t care the door was right there, he was almost out of there. Standing up and careful of the now broken glass he slowly limped his way to the bottom floor, to his right was an emergency exit that swung free and the cool September and freedom to the left a long hallway. Once outside he didn’t recognize where he was, how could he? He didn’t have his glasses. He just looked left and then right and then went left as it led to the street. Once he got to the street he looked left and right again squinting in the dark, it looked like there were more occupied buildings to his right but he could hear people to his left, one of them sounded like the secretary that used to work for his boss. Scared he went right moving quickly ignoring the sharp pain in his foot and the harsh roughness of the concrete. He was scared, he didn’t know what to do, all he knew was he needed to get away from that place, and he needed his mate. He needed Leon’s warmth to wrap around him and tell him he was brave and now everything would be alright. Soon the only sound he could hear was the slapping of his feet on the ground.

He didn’t know how long he had been walking, it could have been minutes, it could have been hours. Whenever he saw someone in the distance they either quickly dashed off or he became scared and he ran down another street. He kept seeing his old boss around every corner, even when no one was there. It wasn’t until the police car came up behind him that he finally felt relieved. They lit up the lights as they saw him, unsure if he was in trouble or just a homeless person wandering about.

“Sir, are you in need of assistance?” One of the officers asked as he got out of the car, he was an Alpha horse, his ears alert and twitching.

“Yes please help me. I was kidnapped. My name is Ethan Plum, I'm an Omega Avian.” He told him in a horse voice holding back a sob.

“Thomas, I'm going to need you to call an ambulance.” He said to his partner. “We found the missing Omega this afternoon.” He added as he walked over slowly. “Make that a rush order on the ambulance.” He said seeing the blood from the cuts and the growing roundness of his belly. “Come here, you look cold, we’re going to get you to the hospital and have you checked out.” He told him as he gingerly ushered him to the car. Thomas got him a blanket as the other officer took the handcuffs off him. Ethan broke down sobbing sitting on the back seat wrapped in the blanket.

“I want my mate, I need my Leon.” He sobbed, unable to help himself any more.

“The hospital will get him for you, we’ve been on the look out for you all day, can you tell me where you were?” He asked, holding a recorder. Ethan sniffled and nodded.

“There’s an old abandoned building that way, he held me there in one of the rooms, but he left me there thinking I’d not escape, but I had to escape because he was threatening me and my baby.” He told him they could hear the ambulance sirens in the distance quickly approaching.

“I think I know the building, it’s quite a ways down the road.” Thomas told the Alpha horse, he was also a horse but a Beta. 

“We’ll look into it once the ambulance gets here.” He told Thomas. “You’re very brave Ethan, escaping like you did.” He told him. 

The Ambulance pulled up a moment later they carefully got him onto the gurney, inside the hooked him up to a monitor and then cut off his pants seeing the large fresh blood stain, it had run down his whole leg, they also checked his foot and found it glass free but it was all dirty. Ethan looked to the monitor distracting himself as he saw his own heartbeat but he also saw another fainter one that was being quite steady. His baby was alright, they were both going to be alright. Exhaustion hit him and knowing he was safe he let himself pass out once more.

When Ethan awoke again he was in a hospital room, he didn’t know how long he was out but the first thing he’d noticed was the warm hand around his own and the strong scent of his mate. Leon had fallen asleep in the chair next to him holding his hand, he could make out his ears and his orange hair and it made him happy. He took in his condition, he was lying on his side uncomfortably, the back of his shoulders and back of his head throbbed, it hurt to take in deep breaths, his foot felt comfortably numb and his thigh was bandaged up. Looking to the monitor in the room he could see the two distinct and steady heartbeats.

“Leon?” He said a bit horsley. His throat hurt perhaps from all that screaming. 

Leon’s head snapped up hearing his mate’s voice. “Hey my brave little Birdy. How are you feeling?” He asked, reaching out and caressing his face, his eyes were slightly red and he looked tired.

“Soar, thirsty…” He said, nuzzling his hand. “I’m sorry.” 

“No need for you to be sorry, love.” He fumbled to get him to sit up and then get him water with his free hand. “Everything is going to be alright, here slowly drink this.” He said

Ethan slowly drank it, it was cool and wet and exactly what he wanted right now. He let Leon fuss over him making sure he was comfortable, a nurse came in and checked his vitals and then the wounds, he had six stitches in his thigh, another three in his foot, he had been lucky there. He had pulled a significant amount of feathers and hair from his back and he had a cracked rib. They had shaved his head from the top of his ear feather’s down to check for any other severe injuries. He didn’t mind, it looked fine, not that he cared about it. Leon was upset that his neck was so exposed, but he couldn’t wear a collar because it might impact the new growth of his feathers. That was going to be a pain. He didn't have to grow in this many feathers since he was ten and they’d first started to grow. The doctor okayed him to go home the next morning. He on the other hand was ready to go home now, he didn’t want to be there, there were too many strange people right now for him to feel comfortable. Leon promised not to leave his side and if he had to, the nurse would stay with him or the door would be closed. The only reason he stayed was simply that the doctor wanted one more night to monitor the baby to make sure everything was alright.

The next morning they were downstairs, Ethan was in a wheelchair and Leon was finishing taking care of the medical fees as well as picking up his medication. There was still worry of infection from his foot even though they had cleaned it well. Something drew his attention to the door where he saw a very familiar face stroll in. It looked almost exactly like his but with long hair pulled into a neat ponytail, a body that was healthy, and a swagger like he was the greatest thing put on this planet. This was his own twin brother Evan whom he wished he never would have to see again, and yet here he was. He tried to not draw attention to himself, but it was too late he’d noticed him and was walking over. He squeezed Leon’s hand as he got the bag of medication.

“Well, I guess this makes it easier to find you.” He said walking over.

“Well you saw me now you can go back home.” Ethan snapped. Leon was surprised he’d never heard Ethan sound angry or scared and it seemed he was both. Turning he looked to see the nearly clone of his mate, no his mate was more beautiful and cute, this was his twin brother.

“Is that all you have to say to your brother you haven’t seen in years?” He asked, his voice was different but as he talked it seemed to imitate Ethan’s voice.

“I’d prefer if I didn’t have to see you ever again Evan.” He squeezed Leon’s hand tighter. “So please leave me alone, you’re better at that.” 

“I came all the way here to see you though, well maybe I’m not just here to see you but also this amazing Alpha you managed to snag here.” He looked Leon up and down with an appraising eye. Ethan’s ear feathers flared out in anger, he was trying to puff himself up to look bigger. It wasn’t working but, it was adorable that he was trying. “You look like you could use someone more useful at your side, maybe someone who isn’t as stupid who only knows how to bend over for anyone willing to pay him.” He said poking at Ethan.

“Who’s the one who put me into that position?” Ethan snapped. Leon held him in the chair as he started to lunge at him, he didn’t want him to hurt himself more.

“You did, you went into heat and instantly started to beg anyone to screw you, you’re just like our mother.” He said back in a calm manner. “He’s going to be useless to you after he gives birth, that was the only thing our mother was good for, when she found out she couldn’t any more she took her own life.” He told him. 

A memory came back Ethan had only been eleven or twelve, he was looking for his mother when he opened his parents door and saw his father hanging her by the ceiling. He remembered it clearly, his father was hanging her already dead body up not taking her down like he said he was. He felt sick and turned to promptly puke onto the floor.

“I’m Sorry I’m so sorry.” He whispered shapely to the Nurse who came rushing over. “I’m Okay I just…”

“We have no need for you.” He snapped as he turned his attention to Ethan and gently caressed his lower back, careful of his shoulders. “Ethan baby, let me take you home now.” He purred to him trying to sooth him and calm himself down.

“Oh come now, I’m telling you the truth. After all, I know Ethan the best. I am his twin brother.” He pointed out even though he didn’t need to.

“But you are not him, Ethan is my mate and no one will ever change that.” 

“You’re Alpha, you could always have more than one.” he pointed out

“I don’t want anyone else even if you are twins, Ethan is clearly different from you and there is no way I’d ever leave him.” Leon said. He lifted Ethan up bridal style, getting a surprised squeak from him, then pulled his head into his chest in a protective manner and walked out to the waiting car. Mark had been waiting with Felicia, whom he hadn’t been able to shake since his hospital visit. Ethan wrapped his arms around him and held on feeling comfort in his mates words and in his strong arms around him.

“You’re going to regret it!” His brother called out.

“I’ll never regret anything to do with Ethan, except for having met you.” He told Evan as he  slid into the back seat with his precious mate. Felicia glared at Evan who had approached the car, he paused and gave her a wink.

“Well aren’t you a cute one, perhaps you-“ Mark shot him a look that sent a clear signal to shut up. He then put the car into gear and drove off.

“Thank you Leon.” Ethan said softly. 

“You don’t have to thank me, why don’t you take a nap while we drive home. It's a long drive.” He said caressing his face.

“No, I don’t feel tired, I feel more hungry…” He said regretting having let himself be sick.

“Maybe we should go get some breakfast, what do you think?” He asked, caressing his face.

“Oh yes we could go out for a good breakfast, and forget about your stupid brother.” Felicia said from the front seat looking back at him. 

“I’d like pancakes with butter and fruit.” He nuzzled his hand. “And Bacon, juice, and more bacon. But I’d also like it somewhere quiet, or maybe we could bring it home?”

“Alright I know a place then.” Mark told him. “They have small rooms you can rent out so it should be okay.” He added. Ethan nodded as they continued to drive away leaving Evan behind just hoping that they never had  to see him again.