When I woke up, I screamed. Not because I found myself back in a parking lot, freezing and defenseless, but in my own bed, in my own apartment.
The pain in my now heavily bruised wrist and the number of small boxes on my nightstand made clear that this either hadn't been just a nightmare or hadn't ended quite yet. Whatever it was, had been here. And here, I couldn't escape.
However, the pain was too vivid. Too sharp. I held my arm, curling into myself like a hurt dog for multiple minutes. He was in my system. My bloodstream and the electronic devices that happened to be ever so present.
He was here. Knew about my life and uncovered my biggest lies.
Fuck.
Suddenly, I felt like all these cameras around me were spying on me. It should have been impossible, really. Not only because it was a severe crime to hack into a home system, something most people were unable to do or found themselves in prison for, but also because I enjoyed a few luxuries, such as an enhanced firewall in case something in court went wrong. Really wrong. This system was meant to protect me from exactly those things that were happening to me right now.
Maybe it was exactly that. Somebody that tried to bribe me in order to get a statement to his advantage. Something he could bring me to state in those little records, playing with the life of people I didn't even know. But there was no reason to. Not a single case of such importance. AsLaws as lowly as gammas weren't given those. I had rarely a case with any importance.
There was no reason to do those things to me. Even less one to take my blood.
How I yearned to make the security system call the emergency number. I was sure they would interfere.
Certain they would search the whole apartment. Aware there would be a lot of things I would have to explain.
Oh, this case, they would love.
Give all importance to. Armstrongs omega, that lived.
I bit my tongue, staring onto the ceiling like I would find the answer up there. And the next time I blinked, my alarm reminded me that it was morning again. Made me breathe out a heavy sigh.
And peeling myself out of bed, I grabbed towel and a bottle of water before changing into something less uncomfortable than my now ruined dress shirt. There was a generous amount of blood for something that should cause any damage.
But actually, the puncture inside my elbow wasn't looking too good. Was ripped to a cut. The stranger had no clue how to do it right.
I sighed, wrapping it up with a bandage I found in the first aid kit. Left it to be. Left my mind as well in order to search for a place that wasn't making me feel so claustrophobic.
Even when the gym wasn't one of my favorite places to be.
Because the moment I stepped into it, I felt like people were laughing at me. Stalking me like hawks, they knew more about my training then I did.
Knew that I enjoyed the training, just hated the attention. Lived for the thrill of overstepping limits, feeling my muscles arch and knowing that I was building myself a possibility of defense. That it was a useful tool and not something slowing me down. That people would see it. See me.
I pulled through two and a half hours. Having no work today, I wasn't really limitated in senses of time. My arm wasn't troubling me, at least not as bad as the lack of medication, sleep and a clear mind. The last rep I forced my arms to pull me up the power tower however, I could see a red spot forming in the bandage, bit my lip in frustration.
With the only way of hiding soiled in evidence, I wouldn't find another way to hide my bruised and broken skin.
“Hey, pretty guy, you're alright?” I kept myself from screaming at the man, the alpha, who was leaning against the wall next to me and raising an eyebrow “Had a small accident yesterday, it's fine” he hummed, walking up next to me.
“There's a first aid kit at the door. Maybe's not smart for such a small guy to be here. Even if you're quite a view” I never missed the constant stares. My ass, thighs, my face. Multiple sets off eyes were glued to me at all time. Confused ones, desiring ones “I'm fine, thanks” Thrre was a moment of time. One to make a turn and leave. I missed it.
I knew that once his hand laid down on my shoulder, thumb pressing against my throat. “I could help you, obviously you don't know how to care for it right. That's what an alpha is for, no?” he was too broad to just let me pass through the door. And I didn't feel like causing a scene happened to been an good idea.
“A friend of mine will manage. Thank. You.” The door was opened, I managed to get out. He to follow. The elevator found its way into my floor, all the way to my apartment, he his next to me in the cabin “I really mean no harm beauty. Have seen you quite s few times. Very impressing, at first I really thought you were an omega”
“I'm an AsLaw.” He laughed, grinning at me. “Good one. Just as funny as your friend that should be waiting for you” the elevator opened the moment he stepped closer and started cornering me.
And to my utter surprise, someone was waiting for me. A first calm and in less than a quick realization furious... Arnaxis?
“If you want to keep those hands I wouldn't use them to violate my boyfriend” boyfriend? A confused blink of mine and a strict stare of Arnaxis told me to stay quiet. God, he was scary if angry 'Crumble to the ground and beg the bone crushing beast for mercy' -scary.
But the moment the guy squeezed my ass, I wanted to jump into his arms, even when he let out an angered growl. “Aw, come on, you failed to take care of your little gamma” he showed him my arm, making Arnaxis only more angry.
“Keep the fuck away from him” Arnaxis was ready to jump upon him. And I had to act before the hormonal juice bag could cause serious damage.
So it was my knee that went up between his legs, making him gasp in shock. It was my arms that pushed him away, my palm that pushed the button, seconds before he managed to smack me in the face. “Slut” before he could say anything else, I had jumped out of the elevator and the doors closed.
Arnaxis whistled, smirked “Thought you could use a helping hand. You're a damn ninja Kyris” I wasn't interested in a conversation, rubbed my hurting cheek. I could use some ice for that “What are you doing here?”
He shrugged, smirking at me just to make my face flush red before it could even swell blue “Waiting for you” There was a weird way he was saying it. Meaningful.
The meds. He might have seen the meds. However, at the second glance not even I could find them. Of course. In my room. He wouldn't go there. Too well-mannered.
But there was something else in the apartment left to catch my eye. I saw a little teddy, carefully placed and unharmed, resting on my couch with his little head moved into my direction. Millows. He brought Millows back.
My heart skipped a beat, chest warmed up. Appollox. It was his. Now mine. I could feel tears in my eyes. Never I thought I would grow so happy having parts of him around.
But the surrounding chaos made me yearn for never changing things. Remember pain. Remember grief. And this old dusty bear, it meant a whole world now. “You brought him back” Another shrug of powerful shoulders, a bit more careful “I promised, right?”
Never before something of Appollox had been returned to me. Was given back to me, not even to mention undamaged. I would get to keep that part of him. And when I pressed the bear against my cheek, smelled the freshly fallen rain, I quickly sat him back with all care I could utter. Threw myself into an alphas arms just a moment later.
Maybe it was nothing but the little pulses of energy that went through my body that made him hesitate. The small electric shocks. Maybe he was feeling them too. I couldn't care less. “Thank you Arnaxis. Thank you so much” he managed to close his arms around me seconds later, even when he had to bend over.
Held me like I was something precious, a figure of glass he was trying to protect. Maybe he could. He had already eased a part of the anxiety the night left in my veins, even when I was too busy to notice “You're welcome. Early reparation for calling you my boyfriend” he chuckled, not bothering to push me away. Keeping me even closer.
There was no damage done by such a statement. Arnaxis only tried to help. “You just wanted to make him back off. It's fine. Not an insult, after all”
For a few seconds nobody said a word. I just told him I didn't mind being seen as his boyfriend. Being called his boyfriend. An alphas' boyfriend. A married alphas' boyfriend. What was wrong with me?
But he smiled once I freed myself, edges of his mouth pulled upwards just the slightest. For a moment I thought there were the fairest of dimples underneath the clean facial hair, comfort in button black eyes.
“How about a coffee for the stress then? Damari should have risen from his temporary death by now.” In some confused parts of my mind, those who weren't left in a state of shock, I started a chuckle, was close to giggling. In those, I started to imagine the genius sleeping like a stone.
And I really could. Even envied him from being able to. A bit. “Not much of a morning person?” Arnaxis scoffed “Like a bear woken before spring.”
A smile hushed on my face, before I grabbed my jacket, forcing it over my shoulders regardless of the pain and knotting the fabric belt tightly around my waist to close the bright trench coat. “I would kill for breakfast”
He chuckled, guiding me to his car. However, instead of Damaris love bug, he was driving a fancied red Silton. “You kicked 300 pounds effortless into the back of a tiny elevator. I won't doubt your ability to kill somebody, spitfire”
We settled down, him next to me. Spitfire. I rolled my eyes, smiled “We don't need to explain to the police that you beat up this guy because he tried to get into my pants. So much about staying hidden”
“You stopped me before something happened.” Yeah, for now. The moment this guy understood that something like me was way too lowly for Arnaxis, I would have him following me again “He's living in my building, big guy” and there was some psycho hacked into my own apartment.
“Always thought it was a lovely, quiet area” his lips were thin, stayed this way until we reached the fine Dastor District with all it luxuries, from fine cars to breathtaking skyscrapers, glossy people and glorious families.
Knowing just a few miles away people where hiding in alleys, desperately trying to survive, somehow took all its magic. Made it a place of abundance and waste.
I shrugged “Still preferring it” He smiled, watching out of the window onto the clean white sidewalks that reflected the cold sunlight thrown onto them “You're something Kyris” he was too. Really. They way he smiled and made everyone around him swoon. The calmness and tidiness, the honesty and loyalty. Yeah, I guess he was something.
And in the next moment, another one I spend in my thoughts, he bended over, dangerously close to my face “But you're a kinda bruised thing. The slap was hard, huh?” Arnaxis took my chin, brushing over the spot and making me yelp. Covering this with some make-up would definitely hurt like a son of a bitch.
“We should try to avoid Damari as soon as we get into the apartment. At least until he's calm enough” I wanted to see Damari. Talk to him. To utter shock and concern, I had missed him “Why?”
He raised an eyebrow “There's blood on your arm and a giant bruise in your face. Any idea how my husband reacts to that?”
I could imagine.
22.10.19 - 19:55
ns 172.70.127.120da2
and then Add to home screen.