Touch Me

"Are you okay?" the alpha asks, cautiously eyeing the persistent pout on his mate's lips.

"Thinking about that lady makes me so mad. I hope she never eats artichoke hearts ever again," he huffs, putting the pickles on the shelf.

"You still haven't let that go?" the alpha chuckles, shaking his head.

"Of course not. It's not an easy thing to let go. You should've seen the way she talked to me. She called me names so casually, like I wasn't even human. Like it was normal. I hate it. I wish I could've said something back or even sued her, but there's nothing protecting us from verbal hate speech in public," he grumbles, causing Damien to frown.

"You're right. It's ridiculous."

"The law needs to change."

"Yes, it does." Damien frowns, crossing his arms.

The omega raises a brow, noticing the thoughtful expression on his mate's face. "What are you thinking?" he asks, assuming the alpha had something else on his mind.

"I'm thinking about whether we should try to change the law," Damien says with a shrug.

"What? Are you making fun of me?" The omega frowns, prompting his mate to mirror the expression. Damien quickly jumps to  defends himself, a hint of panic in his voice.

"No, I'm being serious. I don't understand why this hasn't happened yet."

"Because it's not easy to change or make a law. And we're considered second-class citizens anyway." The omega sighs deeply and purses his lips.

"You're right. It's not easy, but it's not impossible either. And when you have money, connections, and resources, everything becomes a little more easier." Damien shrugs.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that it wouldn't be hard for me to get someone to start researching incidents like these and gather evidence. We could build public support through campaigns. I can get a team of lawyers and activists to review the current anti-discrimination laws and find the gaps. Then we propose a new law or an amendment," the alpha explains while his mate stares at him with wide eyes. "And if we get a politician to sponsor it, which isn't hard, the law could come into existence in a few years."

"A-Are you for real?"

Damien tilts his head, confusion settling across his features. "Sage, I'm not joking. I didn't realize how bad this was until now. I'm honestly surprised there isn't already a law protecting male omegas from hate speech."

A small smile forms on the omega's face, his eyes dropping to the kitchen counter as he chuckles. "That's nice. I really would like to see that law come into existence. Since we're low in numbers, we never really got the support we needed. But if you can help, I'm sure it'll make life a little better for all the male omegas in the country."

"I'll try my best," Damien says with a smile, picking up the snacks he bought. "How about we watch a movie after dinner tonight?" he suggests, thinking it might help take the omega's mind off Jude being at the hospital.

"Sounds like a good idea."

——

"Damien! Help!"

The alpha sprints like the wind when he hears his mate's distressed cries coming from the bathroom. He's knocking on the door within seconds. "Sage, what's wrong?!" he pants, just as the omega opens the door with trembling lips.

"I'm sorry—I'm sorry but there's a big—there's a really big moth in here and it's—it's flying around," Sage breathes out, chest rising and falling rapidly, his lips quivering. "I'm sorry—I'm—"