𝐃𝐞́𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐫 || 𝐒𝐞𝐨𝐤𝐒𝐨𝐨

Chapter 7

Seokmin thought they were out of luck when Joshua balked on realizing Duke was an alpha. It had never occurred to him that it might be a problem, so it was a relief when Joshua moved past his initial reservations. The omega stepped back into the kitchen, his shoulders squared. Seokmin followed more slowly, prepared to take on the role of observer and let this play out the way it needed to.

“Sorry about that, Duke. Seokmin just hadn’t made your situation clear.”

Joshua gestured to the table. “Shall we sit down and get started?”

Duke took a seat on one side, Joshua opposite, and Seokmin sat between them at the head of the table, deliberately pushing his chair back to put him out of their immediate line of sight.

He watched Joshua take out a tablet and a pen, setting them down on the table in front of him.

“Is it alright if I take notes as we talk?” Joshua asked.

Duke nodded readily, looking apprehensive but hopeful.

“Great. First things first. Your full name?”

“Duncan Smith.”

“Then Duke is a nickname?”

“It’s hard to escape those in the army,” Duke said with a shrug.

That got Joshua’s attention, his gaze flitting between Duke and Seokmin.

“Are you in active service?”

“No. Got my discharge papers two months back.”

“Honorable discharge?” Joshua pressed, looking down at his notes.

“Of course.” Duke shot Seokmin a confused look. Seokmin just shrugged. It seemed like a valid question, if a little on the nose.

Joshua put down his pen and sat back, looking between the two of them.

“Is there a reason you’re not pursuing this case through military channels? This recently discharged, you’d have access to legal advice, to a lawyer of your own. A military legal advocate. What am I missing here?”

Duke floundered, so Seokmin stepped in.

“What you’re missing is that Duke returned to base the week of his discharge to find his omega mate gone, his son missing, and their house cleared out. He had to learn from a disinterested third party that they’d left for another state. There’s one military lawyer covering the jurisdiction, and he’s overloaded with cases. The soonest we’ll see the inside of a courtroom is six months from now. And Duke called him the day he got home and realized his son was gone.”

“Have you tried to find your own legal representation?” Joshua said.

“Sure, we’ve tried,” Duke told him. “But funds are low, and as soon as they hear another alpha is involved, the price of their retainer triples.”

Joshua picked up his pen again, his expression hardening.

“Alright, let’s go back to the start. And I mean the very start. You and your omega mate, from the beginning, in your own words and in your own time, Duke.”.

Seokmin sat back and listened to the familiar story, told haltingly by Duke.

He’d met Corin toward the end of his first tour, while on a week of leave near the base with nothing much to do. Sure, things had moved a little fast, but that was how it happened when you were on active duty, assigned overseas at the stroke of a pen. They’d officially mated a year later. A year after that, Corin was pregnant. The two had their ups and down, Duke struggling with being so far away from Corin so often, the omega finding living on base isolating at times. Then little Jack had been born. Duke got a few days of leave to go see him. Even then, he hadn’t suspected anything was amiss with Corin.