Kain Locke
Present
I shut my eyes exhaling as if that's enough to shut back the memories, but it just won't stop coming back.
That night, I had grabbed something to wear from the wardrobe in that room because mine was no better than a rag, and like Kael said, I had run, pathetically.
Only to realize a few weeks later that not only I escaped, but alongside Kael's baby which was unknown to me until I got sick and visited a hospital run by some secret organization. Of course in a disguise.
The doctor has advised me to get rid of it if I don't want the City's PCO (Procreation Compliance Officers) coming after me, an Omega without an Alpha who was in pregnancy. But I held onto him, I didn't want to let the baby go.
Given that I had lost all I have as a family in a single day, and the universe decided to give one to me in the most unexpected and dangerous way I knew would bring about the manifestation of a day like this, and maybe my destruction.
But I didn't want to get rid of an innocent child, my innocent little child, so I desperately held on, choosing the part of living the rest of my days on the run.
I know it's selfish, but looking back now, it was the best decision I've made so far, because seeing him everyday always brought me peace and happiness in a way I could never explain.
So whether Kael Draeven likes it or not, he's not taking my son away from me, and I don't mind dying to make sure he doesn't.
I stared at the man, then at Felix who was switching glances between us.
"Felix." Brian called in a small voice, clinging to his legs tighter. "Who is this? He has a very scary face." He said, sneaking a look at Kael.
Felix ruffled his hair and said, "How about you go play with some toys over there while I get you a glass of milk?"
He didn't speak, only nodding quietly before going over to the table, picking a few toys and heading in the opposite direction. Felix also made for the kitchen.
Kael on the other hand was still sitting on the couch like he belonged there, one leg crossed over the other.
He looked relaxed, almost smug, his eyes scanning the room as if he was memorizing every little detail, then his gaze landed on the toy truck on the coffee table,
"So, uh, you two know each other?" Felix asked from the kitchen doorway in a light tone with a glass of milk in his hand, but I could hear the confusion and maybe a little worry in his voice as he switched glances between us.
Obviously no, if only he knew the kind of trouble he let in through the door, but I couldn't blame him, it's not as though he knew Kael before. Even if he did, it really has nothing to do with opening the door for him or not, because he would come in, whether invited or not.
I was about to reply but was interrupted by Kael, "You could say that," he smiled slightly, leaning back against the couch.
Felix frowned, looking at me now. "Kain?"
I forced my lips to move. "Felix, can you… take Brian to your room for a few minutes?"
Felix hesitated, staring at my face. "Are you okay? Is everything okay?"
I nodded quickly, "Please, just do it."
Felix's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue, which I was really glad for at that moment. "Come on, buddy," he called softly, heading toward the little play area near the corner. Brian looked up from where he was stacking toy blocks and stood up, following Felix to the direction of his room with his favorite truck tucked under his arm.
The moment they were gone, Kael tilted his his head,
"For a minute there, I thought you're letting them stay. Although I intended to just talk, but, I also don't mind it turning into a party. However… I figured you haven't changed much, still very much the same, reckless and unbothered like a robot with no emotions," he said quietly. Picking up a toy from the table and staring at it for a moment it takes to blink, then he smiled slightly, placing it back, "But now you have something to lose."
"Why are you here?" I asked, swallowing my fear down to the pit of my stomach, though my hands betrayed me, still trembling faintly at my sides.
The moment I saw him walk in here I knew it was useless to put up walls and keep pretending I didn't know him. Kael had always been able to see through people, peeling away every defense like paper. So I knew pretending didn't matter anymore.
He didn't answer me right away.
His eyes only drifted toward the direction Brian and Felix had passed just a while ago, as the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk I knew too well, it wasn't just arrogance it was the kind of smile that said he could destroy it if he wanted to. Because he can. And he will.
"An Alpha?" he mused lightly instead of answering my question, "Interesting." He clicked his tongue.
My teeth pressed together so hard it sent a dull ache through my jaw. I couldn't afford to let anything slip, not worry, not anger, not even the smallest hint of fear. Kael was the kind of man who could smell weakness and weaponize it,
"Why are you here?" I asked again, deciding to ignore his remarks, like he did to my initial question.
However the mocking smirk on his lips suddenly vanished as if I had just flipped a switch. His eyes darkened, his whole posture shifting as his face hardened into something colder. "You don't get to ask me questions, Kain," he said like the low growl of thunder before a storm. But he wasn't done as he continued, "How long do you think you can keep this up anyway? A year? Ten years? Hundred? What's your plan really? Hiding underground? Or fleeing to some galaxy no one's ever heard of?"
My throat tightened, the words trapped somewhere between my lungs and my lips.
He took in a sharp breath, dragging a hand over his forehead, before exhaling like he was already bored of this conversation. "But contrary to my expectations, this dump," he said, gesturing lazily at the room around us, "this is where you've been hiding? Really? So bad you would've lived a better life if you successfully executed your plans, but I guess it turned out bad for you,"
He knew? My eyes widened as my heart drummed in my chest, I was certain that I never mentioned my plans to anyone so…
A little smile reappear on his lips, "But who could've thought you'd come up with such a backup plan, inducing your heat so i can get into rut, it does sounds intelligent actually, but what you don't understand is that you not only lose the game but failed your mission as well and I bet i don't have to explain the penalty for failing your mission."
Wait a minute… Kael wasn't the one that induced my heat?
I've always been bothered by this question in a way that the only conclusion I came to was his rut and pheromones had induced my heat… but now he's saying it, it really wasn't him, after all he wouldn't deny it if he did, which brought about the question. How did I end up in Kael's car that night in heat when I regularly take my suppressants? Just what happened between the warehouse and the car? Why can't I remember anything aside from passing out and waking up in the car?
"I'm not going with you," I said, forcing the words out through the lump in my throat.
He tilted his head slightly, his grin creeping back, slower this time, it looked more dangerous. "Not coming with me, huh?" He paused for a few seconds, "What's his name again? Felix, right?"
Every muscle in my body tensed at the mention of Felix.
He leaned back on the couch, his arms stretching along the top like he was lounging on a throne. "He looks like a nice kid," he said casually, as if we were discussing the weather. "Smart. Polite. But what a shame, really… Actually It'd be a waste to use a bullet on him. But on a second thought… maybe it'd be worth it. Imagine me pressing the cold metal to his skull, and pulling the trigger while you're here watching, all while knowing he died because you could've stopped it, but you choose not to."
A cold shiver ran down my spine imagining that scene, "You wouldn't dare!" The words exploded from me, my fists clenching so tightly my nails dug into my palms as I took a step forward before I could stop myself, my chest heaving with the effort to stay in control.
His chuckle was soft, almost affectionate, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Why not?" he said, "A sweet kid like that… you and I both know he doesn't belong in a world like this. It's not built for people like him, yet you dragged him into it by yourself."
"Leave Felix out of this," I said, although it was meant to sound firm, but I knew the crack in my voice betrayed me the very second it came out.
"I will. Like I said it will be a waste killing someone like him, but that doesn't guarantee I won't be doing it in the very next minute. So the choice is yours, either you go in there, take my child and follow me back, or you'll like to see the kind of blood he bleeds to his death."
I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out knowing fully well that from the moment I started planning my escape, I knew this had become a game, and unfortunately for me, I lost before I even began.
But I restarted the very moment I ran. And this is the point where I either win or lose, and I'm not about to lose this time around.