My parents live too far away to get here this fast, but they’ve got money and could hire someone to keep an eye on me until they’re here. I never know with them.
I’ve been living by myself for years, no matter how hard it has been sometimes, and they’ve always been very hands-off in their approach. I’ve always felt it was more because they were hoping that I’d ‘come back to my senses’ in the time away, than that it was out of the good of their heart. They wanted me to fail, break my spirit, let me know once and for all where my place in the world was.
Plus, I have no doubt that they’re using this whole mess to find the ‘best’ mate for me and once they’ve found someone, they’ll be coming for me immediately. They’re counting on me struggling so much by myself that I’ll gladly take whoever they offer me to. I also know that they will do everything in their power to keep ‘unworthy’ Alphas away from me, no matter the cost. And I don’t want to test what their ‘everything’ can include. Max, Liam, Zack and Spence do not deserve to have their lives ruined because of me, because I made a stupid mistake.
I open the door to the building, but instead of waiting outside, Max crowds me inside, closing the door behind him. “Hey!”
“Just trying to make sure you’re safely inside.” His voice is calm, like this is the most normal thing in the world.
“I’m safe here. Look around, there’s nobody here. I’m safe inside. You can go now.” I put my hand to his chest, his very well sculpted chest under that button-up, but he just covers it with his own hand, holding me there.
“I’m not leaving yet. Let’s go up.”
I look at his eyes, try to see if he’s influenced by my Omega pheromones or something, but he seems totally lucid. Which makes this even scarier, and more infuriating. “Max!”
“No.” He drops his voice, Alpha power coming from him in waves and even though I’m on meds, I feel my resistance to him slowly break. “We’re going upstairs, now. I’ll carry you if I need to.”
I glare at him, but he just waits, impatient. “No. You have to—” He can’t stay any longer, this isn’t good.
He lifts me up like I weigh nothing, cradling me against his chest, tender but tight enough to let me know he’s not going to let me go. Asshole. Strong and handsome, but still an asshole. “What floor do you live on?”
“Put me down. Put me down now. You can’t do this.”
“To the contrary. As you said yourself, I can do this. You’re my Omega and I’ve got every right to protect you at all costs.” He starts walking up the stairs. “Let me know when we’re on the right floor.” His voice is totally calm and that makes me even angrier.
Fucking hell. No fucking way. I thought he was different from the others. Somewhere, I’d hoped he was different.
But they’re all the same.
All Alphas are the fucking same. Assholes, every one of them. Telling Omegas what we can and can’t do. Just doing whatever they like with us. Forcing their will onto us.
Why did I expect anything else from him? Why do I feel so disappointed? I thought Max would be different, but he’s just better at pretending.
I push my tears down. I’m not going to cry. What else should I have expected? This is how Alphas are. This is how they all are. I knew it, but I still let my guard down around him, desperately wanting to believe he was different. But he just proved that they’re all the same.
Assholes.
“Pack a bag with clothes and your medication and whatever else you need.” Max puts me on my feet as soon as we’re inside my apartment. His voice is rough and he looks like he’s fighting to keep control of himself. Serves him right. Then I realise what he just told me to do.
“What?! No!”
“We’re taking you somewhere safe. Pack what you need, leave the rest.” He crosses his arms over his chest, his gaze hard, but my Omega scent has to be pretty rough on him here and he doesn’t seem to be that strong against it.
“No. I have my own life. I have my own life here. I’m not leaving just because of some gossip.” I’d momentarily forgotten what was going on with my parents and stuff because of how he was acting, but I can’t let him do this, not anymore. It ends here.
Why would he put himself in danger? It would be so much easier for him to just dump me here and leave, so much easier. He wouldn’t be in danger from my parents or in danger from others who might want me. It’s like he’s purposefully inserting himself into the mess, staying when he could just leave and be free.
I’m the one people are interested in, he’s just one of the Alphas, but I’m the one that people are most focused on. I’m the one they want, the life they want to ruin.
It’s not like I can escape my parents anyway. I don’t have a passport, I don’t have anything. My parents will find me eventually and they’ll have me mate whoever they want. I won’t be able to get around that. Especially not now my parents know that I was spotted with four Alphas, four Alphas way below their standard...
My parents will ruin them. They’ll run the guys’ lives, their companies, their families, all of it. My parents will do anything to get me back. That’s why I’ve been hiding, to prevent something like this from ever happening, that they couldn’t ruin even more lives...
I don’t want to mate whoever my parents choose for me, but I know that they won’t let me mate someone that I want, so the only way out is not
