The day had been so enjoyable that Milles had completely forgotten what had happened in the morning. As he walked home, the boy read the notes he had borrowed from Theodore about the first team they would play against at regionals.
He was still amazed at the rich detail of the blond omega, and it seemed that the pregnancy had accentuated his perception. Milles had been completely flabbergasted to notice that the player he would score from was good. And apparently tall.
Passing the gate of the house, the alpha turned the page still reading the notes with genuine interest. He had barely noticed, when he had passed the door, the pairs of eyes that rose in his direction as if awaiting his arrival.
― Finally he arrived, the other problem boy.
The intense alpha voice had made Miles stop walking and turn towards the living room where his parents were looking at him with their arms folded. Then he remembered that they were supposed to be back from the parents' meeting at school. A shiver had run down his spine as he realised that his father was using his alpha presence to make him obey.
― Me? What did I do?
― What did you do? Caused trouble at school, of course.
Confused, Milles had gone into the living room to look at his parents noticing Sadie sitting with her back to herself. Had she lied and said he was the one who had broken into the headmaster's office? It wouldn't be possible... If the headmaster had the security camera footage, there was no way Sadie would lie.
― I didn't do shit.
― Moderate your language, Milles. ― His father had said, moving his eyes to the upholstery to signal him to sit down. Milles had done so by standing next to his sister. ― I have never felt so ashamed in all my life. Do you two realize what you have done today? This could tarnish the reputation of our family, which we have built with such zeal. And for what? An omega? An omega boy?
Milles had raised his eyes to his father, as serious and as feline as he had ever been able to make them.
― Why should I listen to this? I'm not the one who broke into the headmaster's office and didn't make all this fuss.
― You should have kept quiet then. ― Milles rolled his eyes with a nasalized laugh. ―Take off your shirt.
― What?
― Take off your shirt, Miles. ― Dad said slowly.
― What for?
― Because I'm telling you to.
He knew it.
He knew Miles had been bitten.
Who would have told? Sadie? The headmistress? Or had he heard it from the students?
The menacing presence of an alpha had been felt, directed at the eldest son who until then had not moved a finger. The sensation was similar to gravity acting according to his will, keeping his head down like an obedient brat. Removing his backpack from his shoulders and his blouse, the alpha took off his shirt showing his parents the only mark present on his body. Reddened and scarred, well marked on his right shoulder.
The bite Nicolas had given himself.
His parents widened their eyes in astonishment, his mother even covering her mouth in astonishment. The redness of rage rose up his father's neck and took over his whole face.
― Bitten! My son, he's been bitten by a scoundrel! ― Cried his mother in tears.
― Is this what you wanted? I let you fool around with your girls to end up being bitten? And by a shameless brat?
― Don't talk about him like that. ― growled Milles between his teeth.
― Are you bit too, Sadie?
― No, Dad. ― said the girl, keeping her head down and unable to face the father figure.
Turning to his firstborn, the father stared angrily at the bite again. He sighed, stroked his forehead trying to think better, but nothing seemed to be enough. Words were lacking.
Milles knew very well that he had managed to annoy his father now. From the moment he had entered high school he and his father had easily fallen out. All because the alpha didn't want to follow his plans. He wanted to live free.
A smile appeared on the blond alpha's face, leaving his father perplexed to notice it.
― What is it? Don't you want to take a closer look? No need to be embarrassed.
― Are you proud of that? Don't tell me you let this kind of thing happen just to take me on, Miles.
Putting his shirt back on, Miles felt his bite tingle. He was probably sensing his anger and sending him some kind of reminder to keep his cool. Which would be rather ironic if it was coming from Nicolas, since he was the first one to roll up his sleeves and fight with someone.
― Whatever. I had nothing to do with what happened today. Then I'm going to my room.
― Sit down now!
The thick alpha voice made Miles' ears ring to the point where his head throbbed. Needing to sit up, the boy stared angrily at his father, covering his ear as if to stop that deafening sound from returning.
Damn him for using his alpha instinct to keep power over his son.
― What do you want from me?
― You're going to end this unscrupulous relationship and go to college in the States. Far enough away from this freak.
Laughing mockingly, Miles got up from the couch again. This time keeping his head up in confrontation with the father figure.
― You're not going to make it. Because I bit him too.
The slap that had been given on his face had not been able to silence the stifled cries of the two women present. The burning on his face seemed more real than the idea of the slap. It would be the first time he had ever received a slap from his father, and enough to make Milles even angrier.
- How dare you? Is this how you repay all the dedication this family has given to you? Food, a bed to sleep in, good studies to become someone in life... All thrown away because of a hustler?
The caramel eyes widened as his father grabbed the collar of his shirt. His mother had intervened trying to separate, but the strength of that alpha wasn't so small to be separated. Milles clenched his fists furiously, though there was no courage in directing them at that person.
― He is not that.
― Has you learned nothing from what happened to your cousin? That class is disgusting, a humiliation to omegas.
― Wipe your mouth before you talk about him! ― thundered Miles, pushing his father hard enough to release his grip. Now he was the one turning red with rage.
― What has this boy done to you, my son? ― cried the mother, helping her husband to pull himself together. ― What you are feeling doesn't belong to you, it's the bite. You don't like him as much as you would like...
― What can a woman who hasn't even been bitten by her husband say? ― Milles laughed looking at his mother. ― When this shit happened you weren't there. You were never there to help. You only remember you have kids when you need them.
― Measure your words!
― Measure your attitudes! ― growled the alpha. ― No one will take my omega away from me. No one!
― Then make your choice. Either him or our family. ― Said the mother suddenly, excitedly waiting for her son to choose the family.
― He don't have to make a choice. You are going to the United States to go to college and start expanding our work there.
He was being cornered. Milles ran his fingers through his hair, tossing it back, taking a deep breath. It would be obvious that he would choose his family, they were the ones who brought him into the world and gave him a great life.
But that would mean leaving behind everything he loved. To live like a puppet that only knows how to follow the commands of its owner. Someone manipulable who will be the laughing stock when someone sees his strings. His parents really believed that Milles would go to a college that would help him become a respectable adult. That when he finished school, he would become a person worthy of inheriting the family business.
Only that was not what Milles wanted. Even his sister helped him by trying to get rid of these ties, because she would like to inherit while he only wanted to play volleyball.
Staying in that house was like entering a vicious and unhealthy cycle. Milles was tired. And frustrated, as he noticed that hiding his relationship with Nicolas was just pushing the situation under the table. Now that it had exploded for good, shouldn't he put an end to it?
― And if I refuse? ― His father had taken a few steps in his direction, only to be stopped by his whimpering wife.
― You will follow the same path as that person. This family has no room for people who let themselves be dominated by omegas.
― So the answer is pretty obvious.
Grabbing his backpack and his shirt, the alpha left the living room to march to the second floor where his bedroom was. The first thing he did was grab a large sports bag and stuff some clothes in it. The first ones he saw, the most necessary.
Was he really doing that?
Choosing to leave the family rather than stay in it?
It would be far better if they just accepted that relationship. That the omega would be his partner for the rest of his life. Everything would be kept peaceful, everyone happy going on with their lives. But no, they insisted on mutilating every bit of happiness Milles had.
They wanted to take away volleyball.
His future.
And now Nicolas.
He wouldn't allow that.
― Milles, please ....
― Go away.
― I know you're angry with me...
― Angry? ― Laughed Milles turning to his sister standing in the doorway. ― You know what's most ironic? You have done worse things, and they didn't care. It was you who made all this mess, but in the end it's me who gets screwed.
As he picked up his things again, Milles noticed Sadie approaching, looking at him sadly. As she always did. This time he wouldn't let himself be shaken by that emotional blackmail.
― I already got my punishment, I just obeyed them. If you did the same you wouldn't be in this kind of situation.
― I'm in this situation because of you. ― he growled, closing his bag. ― I told you to stay as you are. To forget about Gabriel, to move on with your life. But no, you wanted to create confusion. Congratulations Sadie, thanks to your selfishness I'm leaving the family.
― I only did it for the sake of people, why doesn't anyone understand that?
― Because you don't understand people either. ― Milles muttered, staring at his bag. ― Get down from your damn throne and look at people as equals, and then you'll realize that the planet doesn't revolve around your navel.
Tears rolled down the girl's face as she hugged her big brother's arm.
― Please, not you too, Miles. I-I can fix it. Just admit that damn bastard seduced you...
Milles had covered his sister's mouth, his eyes glazed over hers and his alpha presence as menacing as before.
― That bastard's name is Nicolas, and he's my omega. My soul mate. He didn't seduce me, I was the one who ran after him until he admitted to liking me. Never speak of him again, understood?
Turning his back to the girl, the alpha went to his desk to get his papers and stuff them in his trousers pocket. The girl blinked in astonishment, remaining in the older man's wake.
― How could you like him? It doesn't make any sense, Miles!
― While you're thinking in your own little world, life is going on, Sadie. Did my smell stink when I used to get pissed off at you for bad-mouthing the guy I was into in front of me?
Stopping crying, the girl's eyes widened as the information came back to her. She remembered all the times she entered her brother's room and felt the strong smell of alpha, and the furious looks he threw at her when she spoke ill of Nicolas.
Especially from the first day of the qualifiers when she had gone to find Gabriel to have lunch together. Milles was sitting watching the omega sleep. He had shouted at herself saying that he was the one looking after his captain and not his assistant.
Shaking her head not wanting to believe it, Sadie continued to cry.
― It was because of the bite. You feel that way because of the bite. That time at the gym, when we had lunch together... You were under the influence of the bite, weren't you?
Opening a wide smile, Milles turned to his sister and denied it with his head.
― He hadn't bitten me yet.
Walking past her to leave the bedroom, Sadie turned around grabbing her brother's waist desperately. She had cried again, clinging to her last thread of hope.
― Please, Milles! Don't go, you're my brother...
― Let me go, Sadie.
― No! I don't want you to go away either. Please, Milles...
Looking over his shoulder, Milles had to find the strength to force Sadie to let him go so he could leave the room, hearing the girl crying all the way down the hall. It hurt too much to see the little girl he had grown up with crying like that. However, there was another person in his life who also asked for his protection and care. Different from the girl, that other person could only count on himself.
Passing through the room Milles hurried his steps without looking back, however his father had tried to use the alpha presence once again.
― You won't have any opportunities around here. If you go through that door, you'll have to deal with the consequences. This is your last chance, Miles.
Taking a deep breath, Miles looked at the walls that surrounded his house. He had some good times there, since it was where he had experienced the best phase of his life until then. But what filled his memories was the memory of a certain merry omega that climbed that smooth wall without any problem, and invaded his room to be together.
The same omega that in the midst of a generalized confusion, declared himself to him in front of everyone without any fear. And even challenged anyone who had the courage to go against him, and no one answered him.
That guy... How brave he was.
He remembered his back earlier, how he seemed too small for such courage.
Opening a wide smile, the alpha had looked at his parents.
― Good luck trying to stop me.
It was with his head held high in the cloak of courage that Miles had passed through the gates of the Mckenzie house, coming across Jake leaning against the car with his arms crossed looking in his direction with a smile on his lips. Was he waiting for him? He probably would have heard his father's screams and Sadie's crying.
Milles took a deep breath as he approached his cousin. He received a squeeze on his shoulder, which seemed to convey much more than words could.
― What were you doing here? I thought you were running the co-op.
― My cousin radar beeped wildly. ― Jake said after getting in his car and driving out of that street, through the small town. When he had stopped at the traffic light, he had stroked the blonde's hair. ― I said I would be your support when you needed it.
That evening Jake had gone out with Miles to talk and unwind. They even stopped at a coffee shop where they could clarify the situation. Milles then realized that no one could understand him better than his cousin.
It had been a good conversation, but Miles still hadn't understood what happened. Everything happened so fast that he hardly knew how to deal with the situation. He was pensive, trying to imagine what he could do next. His head throbbed and his shoulder tingled irritably.
As evening fell, Jake had received a call from his friend at the co-op. Milles had calmed him down by saying he was going to Nicolas' house, declining the invitation for a ride. He just wanted to walk through the night and clear his head.
A strange feeling was growing inside him. The fight went over and over in his mind, making him sick. The slap in his face had become a bitter memory. The thorny words turned his decision into a certainty.
Still...
Still...
Milles had gone to a park to sit on a swing where he could put his thoughts in order.
Was he acting crazy?
Had he really chosen to stay with Nicolas and denied his family?
Had he made the same choice as his cousin a year ago?
Staring up at the starry sky, Milles felt his head throbbing more and more. How tired he was. Was there any chance that it was all a dream? Fantasies created by his head, afraid of losing his happiness?
Who would have thought it.
After an hour sitting in the park just thinking, Miles finally stood up following the path he had memorized in the last months. Looking down still trying to unravel that strange feeling, the alpha wanted to vomit. He wanted every pebble he kicked in the street to be his problems, to be thrown as far away from him as possible.
Feeling the sweet smell, the alpha raised his head realizing he was on the street of Nicolas' house. He would have walked to that place without even realizing it. Nicolas and his mother were standing at the gate looking in his direction, as if they had been waiting for him for a long time.
Even though they were far away from each other, Milles had felt he was looking directly into the dark eyes of the short man.
For the first time he saw Nicolas running towards him. Running down the street and jumping into his arms hugging him tightly allowing himself to be held by the alpha. Milles inhaled that smell that had brought him calm. He felt that thin hand grabbing at his hair and arms tightening around his neck.
Holding the omega's body tightly and leaning down to rest his head on his shoulder, Milles had heard that sleepy voice greet him.
― I am with you and nothing will ever keep us apart.
They were the most sincere words he had heard that night. He could not say they were the most sincere of the day, for there were others that won his heart. However they were the ones that opened the doors for tears to stream down the alpha's face, finally freeing him from the anguish he felt.
Right there, Milles Mckenzie wept in the arms of his omega.