The Alpha And The Omega 4

Chapter 5

Mitch was the first to speak on the car ride home, but he giggled before doing so. "I'm so excited to see all of you on pain medications. Makes you loopy." Scott hummed, and looked away. "Sorry to disappoint. You heard me tell the nurse that I wasn't going to take any meds." "But you'll be in pain if you don't." "It's really not that bad. I mean... What's a couple of sore ribs?" Avi laughed once, sarcastically. "Man, I wish there was a Beta here to sass you into next week." "Eh, I can do it." Travis turned in his seat to look at Scott. "Your rib cage protects your organs. It also helps you breathe. Which, among other things, is kind of important. Especially for someone who gets in physical fights relatively often." Scott just glanced over, and then looked away without speaking. Mitch gave Scott's hand a quick squeeze. "Alpha, please... Listen to him. It's important that you take care of yourself." "Why? I'm just going to get hurt again." Mitch's eyebrows came together a little. "Is that what this is about? You don't want to get hurt anymore?" "No. I've accepted that as what I'm good for. I protect all of you, taking any injuries in stride." "That isn't true. You're worth so much more than that."

Scott looked out the window. "Yeah, whatever." ********

Avi walked in the house slowly to be careful of his ankle, took one of his pain medications, and then walked into his bedroom without another word, to find Kirstie.

Kevin hurried out of the room, and closed the door behind him, hearing Avi lock it immediately. Travis walked into the house, just to grab his phone so he could head home. Todrick couldn't help but to walk over. "Excuse me? Alpha?" Travis turned, on his way out the door. "Yeah?" "I don't... Think it's wise of you to be driving if you're in a sling." "I don't have much of a choice, do I? Avi isn't going to want me in his house with his Omega in Heat." Todrick crossed his arms over his chest. "Travis, you can't drive. That's not safe." "Will you drive me home then?" "Aren't you like... Twenty minutes away? Or thirty? That's too far."

Travis sighed loudly. "Todrick, I know what you're doing. But I can't stay here." "Why not?" "I've stayed here plenty of times. I shouldn't even be around Alex at all, but then you guys all decided he was going to move in with me. Against his will. Did you even think about how hard that might be for him? Imagine if you'd told Mitch that he was going to have to take his Alpha and move in with Jamie. Scott would've killed someone." "This is different. You're not the same as Jamie. Which, as a quick note, doesn't make your actions acceptable at all. I'm just saying." "Then let me leave. What do you care if I'm safe or not?" Todrick tilted his head a little, much too tired to use his filter. "Just because I'm upset with you, doesn't mean I want you to die in a car accident. How dare you think so low of me?" Kevin hurried over, placing a hand on Todrick's shoulder. "Toddy... Babe, it's late. You're not thinking clearly." Todrick pointed at Travis accusingly. "Tell him he's not allowed to drive with only one functioning arm! Even Alphas aren't allowed to break the law, Travis!" Kevin pulled on his shoulder to pull his eye contact as well. "Todrick, why are you upset? Why are you yelling?" Todrick paused a moment, as he thought about that. "Because... Because I care about Alex."

"It's late, honey. You're not thinking. Let's just go to bed, okay?" Kevin suggested in a kind tone. Todrick frowned, but took a deep breath to calm himself. "Fine. Are you going to let him drive home?"

"I'll deal with that in a second. Would you go check on Grace for me? And when you come back, we'll go to bed." Todrick turned to do it immediately, not wanting to face either of them anymore. Jake came over to Kevin then, Alex's hand held tightly in his own. "Kev, I don't think... I don't know if this is an embarrassing thing to say. But I don't think Alex will get any sleep in the room next to Avi and Kirstie right now..." Kevin nodded slowly. "I can't make decisions right now. Both of you go upstairs, and wait with Scott." Jake nodded, taking Alex upstairs with him, Alex keeping his head down the whole time.

Kevin finally turned to Travis. "Stay the night. I'll drive you home in the morning, I promise. I'll wake you up as early as you want. Early enough for the others to not even notice that you've gone." "Kevin... I can't stay up there with Alex. It's not fair to him." "I'd tell you to stay in Alex and Jake's room since they're gone... But Kirstie would know you're there... And then Avi wouldn't be happy." Travis nodded once, taking that as confirmation to leave, and turned to face the door. Kevin grabbed his arm. "Alpha, wait. Let's go upstairs. You can stay in my room. A completely different room than Alex, I promise." Travis closed his eyes, and sighed loudly. "You'll drive me home before the sun is even up."

"Of course. Yes, Sir. I'll wake you up the moment I wake up." Travis was quiet for a second, and he looked to the ground. Kevin almost didn't think he was going to speak again. Travis finally spoke, very quietly. "I did a horrible thing, Kevin. A horrible, horrible thing... And I don't want to hurt him ever again." He paused a moment. "I know how long it took him to get past his fear of the other pack. And I don't want him to have to be afraid anymore. If seeing me, reminds him of that fear... I don't want to be around him. For his own sake." Kevin took a moment to process that, and then he pursed his lips once before giving Travis a sympathetic smile. "You're a good Alpha, Travis. You really are. You just... You let the Alpha out for longer than you should've. But you've done a good job repenting, and I truly believe that you're sorry. That's something that Alex's other Alphas don't have." "But that doesn't make it okay..."

"No. It doesn't. But it means you're not as horrible as they are. And... This isn't even relevant. Alex wouldn't want you to drive home and get yourself hurt either. You know that. I'm sure he'll understand your reason for staying the night." Travis ran a hand through his hair, and tossed his keys onto the table. "Fine. Tomorrow morning. And if Alex says anything about being uncomfortable with my presence, I'm leaving." "Deal." ********

Jake and Alex were gladly going to take the two couches in the upstairs room, near the small kitchen. But when Travis walked in, Scott offered for Alex to stay in his room. Jake agreed, wanting Alex to sleep on a nice bed rather than a couch. Scott then snuck into his bedroom, and smiled at Mitch. "Hey, Mitchie... We're taking Alex for the night. Put some pants on or something."

Alex giggled from behind him. "Is he naked?"

Scott didn't answer for a second. "Well... Not anymore." Mitch laughed too, somewhere Alex couldn't see him. "Alex wouldn't mind, Alpha. You're just being all possessive."

Scott rolled his eyes, walking into the room. "Oh, I'm possessive." He grumbled, and then spoke more clearly. "Why don't we all strip down, and then lay down to sleep? We'll see who gets possessive then."

Mitch was always up for a challenge, so he crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine. Let's do it." Alex closed the door behind himself quietly. "Guys... Please don't argue." Mitch was about to take his underwear off, meeting Alex's eyes. "We're not arguing. Take your pants off." Alex looked to Scott for help, eyes wide.

Scott wasn't looking though, as he stepped forward to grab Mitch's wrists to prevent the action. "Don't boss him around. He doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to do." Alex ran his hand through his hair awkwardly. "Why are we taking our pants off?" Mitch was the one to answer. "To prove that I'm not jealous or possessive." Alex was too tired to think it all the way through, and he didn't want to anyway. So he shrugged, and dropped his pants, still wearing more clothes than Mitch. Scott rolled his eyes again, and took his own pants off. "I'm not going to get naked, Mitch." "Because you know you're wrong." "You're kidding, right? You think that's what this is about?" Alex walked over to the bed and laid down, putting a pillow over his own head. Mitch crossed his arms. "Of course that's what this is about. I'm not going to get jealous. I don't get jealous." "Yes you do, Mitch. Not as often as you used to, but you do." Mitch squinted at him angrily. "Why don't you go sleep on the couch with the others? I wouldn't want you to have to sleep around a jealous mess like me." "That's not what I said, Mitchell. You're blowing this out of proportion. All I said was that I'm not going to get naked around Alex. That's it." Mitch rolled his eyes and turned away from him. "It wouldn't be the first time." Scott looked like he'd been slapped. "I beg your pardon?" "I said--" "I beg your f*****g pardon? Mitchell Grassi-Hoying, if you are suggesting that I cheated on you with Alex--" "You accused me of cheating once!" "So what? That was an accident. I apologized a hundred times, and you know it." "Why are you getting so defensive? Is it because you actually did it?! Did you and Alex--?!" "Mitch! Come on, of course I didn't. You know I wouldn't do that. I'm just sick of this argument. You bring it up like twice a week." "That should tell you something." "What? That I'm not allowed to go near any other human life forms that aren't you?" "You're not allowed to f**k them."

"I didn't! God, Mitch. What is the deal with you?"

Mitch clenched his jaw once, and then turned to Alex, grabbing the pillow and removing it from his face. "Did my Alpha f**k you? Did he put his--" Scott stormed over to him and grabbed his arm, yanking him away from Alex. "Knock it off, Mitchell. It's not funny anymore. Shut up, and go to sleep." Mitch pushed him away. "Don't grab me like I'm some kind of rag doll, you ass--!" "Mitch, I said shut up! I'm giving you a chance to pretend this didn't happen. Go. To. Sleep."

"Make me." Mitch snapped. ********