Chapter Text
Shane
Shane barely knew anything about his paternal grandparents. He used to visit his mom’s parents regularly until both of them had passed- his grandpa when he was 12 and his grandmother when he was 16. He still saw his aunt and cousins a few times a year. But he had never met his dad’s parents. He knew his paternal grandma died before Shane was even born, and that his grandfather and dad had no relationship. Shane’s dad never liked to talk about his family, but when Shane asked, he told him that his dad was disappointed when his only child presented as a Beta, and that he disapproved of David's choice of mate, so they went no contact. To be honest, Shane didn’t think much of it. He had his parents who loved him, and he had hockey. That was more than enough for him.
Until one summer, he got an unexpected phone call.
“Am I talking to Mr. Shane Hollander?” a very polite female voice asked.
“Yes, that’s me. How can I help you?” Shane asked.
“I’m Emily Kovacs. I’m sorry to inform you, Mr. Hollander, but your grandfather has passed away. My deepest condolences.”
Shane frowned, his mind immediately going to his mom’s father.
“I’m sorry, you must have the wrong person...”
“Aren’t you Henry Hollander’s grandson?”
“I...Yes.” Shane stuttered.
He had to sit down.
“I’m your grandfather’s lawyer, Mr. Hollander. I’m calling you to inform you that you are the late Mr. Hollander’s sole beneficiary.”
“But...What about my dad? I mean, shouldn’t he inherit it?”
“No, your grandfather was very clear when he made his will; he wanted you to be his beneficiary.”
“I see. Did you already call my dad?”
“No, Mr Hollander, although if you want me to, I can...”
“No, I’ll call him.”
His parents were away on vacation for another two weeks. They shouldn't get this kind of news from a stranger. Or maybe he should wait to let them know until they got back...
“Very well. So regarding the will, you’ve inherited his savings, his estate, and some personal belongings. If you could travel here sometime soon to inspect them and sign the papers, that would be great.”
“Travel...where?”
“Your grandfather’s estate is in Montana. I can text you the address.”
Shane checked his calendar, which was blissfully empty. It was the end of hockey season, and he wanted to give himself a few weeks to just relax. Well, so much about that.
“I can fly there in the next few days.”
“Excellent. Please let me know when you’ll arrive, so I can make myself available.”
“Okay.”
He booked a flight for the next day. He wavered between calling his parents and leaving without letting them know. In the end, he decided not to call them. They didn’t go on vacations that often, and it wasn’t like his dad was super close to his grandfather. He would tell them as soon as they came back.
Shane couldn’t sleep on the plane, and he didn’t get much rest at the hotel either. All he could think about was why his grandfather left everything to him and not his dad. They’ve never met, so it’s not as if he liked Shane more. Perhaps it was because Shane was an Alpha, just like his grandfather, who had hated that his only son presented as a Beta. Shane already loathed having to tell his dad about this. He knew that his dad didn’t care about the inheritance, but he would still be hurt because of the reason behind it.
He rented a car and drove to the address Mrs Kovacs gave him the next day. The estate lay deep inside a forest. Shane was driving for a good hour with nothing but trees surrounding him. It seemed his grandfather didn’t like company. A middle-sized house emerged between the trees, nicely built but in need of some renovations, Shane assessed. He parked the car in front of it and got out, only to be met with a woman in her late forties walking towards him. She was a Beta, Shane noticed as they shook hands.
“Thank you for coming all the way here, Mr. Hollander. I know you must be busy. I'm Amanda Kovacs. My condolences, once again.”
“Thank you,” Shane said awkwardly.
He didn’t feel any grief or sadness, but knew that Mrs Kovacs meant well.
“Let’s go over the papers,” she said, gesturing for Shane to go inside.
There wasn’t much to discuss. The will was clear about his grandfather’s assets, and that they were all meant for Shane. He had a savings account with some money tucked away, which Shane had no need for, an old Jeep, a few acres of the forest surrounding the house, and of course, the house itself.
“I’ll give you some time to mull it over, but if you want, I can help with selling the property.” Kovacs offered.
“I’ll think about it.”
“One more thing,” the Beta said, shuffling through the paperwork. “The late Mr. Hollander owned a slave.”
“A what?” Shane asked, dumbfounded.
“A male Omega slave, to be precise. Ah, here it is,” Kovacs picked up a file. “27-years-old. A bit old, but in good condition, I assure you. Due to your fast arrival, I thought it unnecessary to have him transported to a holding facility.”
“He’s here?!”
“Yes. Would you like to see him?”
Shane took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. A slave. It was illegal in Canada to own slaves, but he was aware that it was still legal in the States. He had just never given it much thought before. He had heard some of the players from opposite teams bragging about the Omega slaves waiting for them at home, but he had never paid much attention to it. And now he owned a slave.
“Uhm, yes please.”
“This way, Mr. Hollander.”
Mrs. Kovacs led him down the stairs. The skin prickled on the back of Shane’s neck as they arrived at the basement door. The Beta was rattling with the keyes, trying to find the right one before opening the door and turning on the lights. She let Shane go in first. He entered, but immediately recoiled.
The Omega was blinking, blinded by the sudden harsh light. He shuffled to his knees on the floor, hands behind his back, at least as much as the chains attached to his arms let him. He was only dressed in a pair of boxers, despite the chill of the basement. There was a ratty blanket by his side, and a bucket in the corner that smelled horrid, but nothing else. Even in the lamp light, Shane could see the bruises and welts covering his upper body. He felt nauseous, looking at the Omega.
“I understand that transporting him to Canada would be...difficult,” Mrs Kovacs said.
Difficult was one word. Downright illegal was a better one.
“So if you want, I can arrange his sale. It might take a few weeks, but I’m sure I could find a buyer. Or I can sell him directly to an auction house. Lower profit, but less hassle.”
That got the Omega’s attention. His head snapped out, just for a minute, wide and panicked blue eyes looking into Shane’s before he once again bowed his head.
“Is he...okay?” Shane asked, still staring at the bruises and welts. “He looks bad.”
His grandfather did that, he realised, and the thought made him nauseous. Mrs Kovacs raised an eyebrow.
“He was a bit dehydrated when he was discovered, but our doctor checked him over. No permanent injuries; he should heal up nicely on his own.”
“I, uhm. Need some time to think about this,” Shane said.
“Of course, Mr. Hollander. Take as much time as you need.”
They went back upstairs, and Shane signed the papers the Beta gave him, stating that he had received his inheritance. The Alpha was so upset, he barely read the documents, only signed them with shaking hands. Mrs Kovacs handed him a remote and a bunch of keys.
"This is for the main door, that's for the gate," she explained. "And these keys are for the Omega's shackles, although I would advise you against letting him out of the basement. If you still decide to, this is the remote for his collar. There are four levels, but it's inadvisable to use them for longer than ten seconds."
"Four levels of what?"
"Electro shock waves," the beta answered, as if it was obvious. "In case he misbehaves."
Shane just stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the remote.
“You have my number, Mr. Hollander,” Mrs. Kovacs said finally as she shook his hand. “Call me when you decide what should happen with your inheritance.”
“Thank you,” Shane said, letting her out and closing the door behind her.
Finally, he was alone in the house his dead grandfather had left, with a slave that he now owned. He was fucked.