Dominant Enemies… and mates

Stronger

{ Kingsley }

{ 12 years old }

My mother holds me on her shoulders as I cry, but I can't stop. My chest keeps rising and falling with the force of my sobs.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my whole entire life," my mommy says, kissing my stupid white hair. I know she's lying, "That kid's a fücking punk. Don't listen to him, he's just a bully. I told you. I'm going to complain to the principal again, I'm going to make sure there will be repercussions against him this time. He can't keep saving himself from everything because of his last name."

His last name is Taffy and they run the clan. That's why Laurent is so mean. He never gets in trouble. His dad is the head of security, his uncle is the Alpha representative of the clan, his grandfather is the mayor and his other dad works in government. There is no way to win against them. They are evil.

It doesn't even bother me that he threw me on the floor in front of everyone because that just gives me more proof in case something worse happens, but I can't stand it when he calls me ugly and he knows it.

He can smell how much that hurts me. He's been calling me ugly for years and every time it hurts just as much.

In fact, I think it hurts more and more every time.

Every day I look in the mirror and I see a normal kid my age... but then his voice pops into my head and I start looking at all my imperfections until I feel like the most horribly disgusting boy who ever lived. It's unbearable and sometimes when I start crying I can't stop and my mommy has to come and calm me down because I can't do it by myself.

I hate Laurent Taffy. I hate him.

The next day at school I do my best to ignore him again, but today is Tuesday.

As time went by Alpha and I came up with a plan to play together. So as not to bother Laurie too much, we only play on Tuesdays and Thursdays for half an hour after lunch.

But with each passing year we play less and less and the time we spend together feels different. We sit together and sometimes we just stare into each other's eyes for the whole time. And even though I hate Laurie more and more, being with his wolf still feels like the best thing in the world. I don't know why.

But today I'm still affected by his words from yesterday so when it's lunchtime I just sit with my friends at the table instead of going over to Laurie. I'm completely done with him. And with Alpha, as much as that hurts.

I'm talking to my friends when everyone suddenly goes silent and looks down.

"Hey," someone says behind me. My body tenses, but I turn to look at him. Laurie has wavy black hair, soft and silky that falls on his forehead, over his eyebrows. His face still looks the same as it did when he was four, like a cute baby, but his body is getting bigger and bigger. I'm getting more and more afraid to fight him, "It's time."

"No. Not today," I reply and turn back around, calling the conversation over. But Laurie doesn't leave and my friends still look scared so I let out a sigh and turn around again, "I said no."

"What do you mean no?" he asks, his lip lifting like when he's angry, his hands fidgeting nervously, "He's waiting for you. You started this."

"And now it's over. Tell him that..." I love him. I love spending time with my beautiful wolf, my Alpha. But I can't do it anymore, "...that it's over. Find someone else to play with."

I can see Laurie doesn't know what to say, he's still standing where he is, his hands clasped and his face angry, as always. I think he's seriously not going to leave, so I opt to get up.

"Come on, guys," I say. All my friends jump at the chance to run away from Laurie's heavy presence. I hope he understands and I hope he stops mistreating me now. I’m done ‘forcing him to play’ which is always been his issue with me, so I hope he’s happy now. I'll settle for him ignoring me completely.

"Wow, you seriously dared to do that?" my friend Alimon asks as soon as we’re outside the cafeteria, looking at me with eyes full of admiration, "Laurent is super scary. And he hates you especially."

"You're so brave," Lisa says next to me, squeezing my hand tightly. She more than anyone knows how much Laurie has tormented me for years and how much it means to break this cycle, even though Laurie might still hate me, at least I'm not just going to accept him continuing to treat me like this.

I do my best for the rest of the week and month to disappear as soon as I leave safe places like the classroom or the cafeteria.

I can see Laurie waiting for me in various places. He wants me to fall into his trap so we'll fight again one way or another or maybe he’s waiting for me to crack and ask for his wolf to come out, but this time I actually manage to ignore him. It's not that hard because I just have to keep my gaze at the normal level and that means I only see his chest. Never his face. No. Because in his face I see my alpha reflected and then I can't deny how much I miss him.

Having free time means I've been doing new activities and the best of them is dancing. I've always loved dancing, but when Lisa proposed that we join the dance team last year I thought it was stupid. I'm a boy and I would be the only boy on the team... but this year is different because my body isn't that boyish anymore. And I think my designation is becoming clear, so when I walk into the danceroom no one questions it and I go through my tryout like all the girls.

"I told you!" Lisa exclaims as we walk out of the danceroom after both of us have been accepted to the team.

I still can't believe it, but I squeeze my best friend's hand and let myself feel excited.

As soon as I get home I tell my moms and they both congratulate me.

"Sounds perfect to me, you've always loved dancing," my mom congratulates me, kissing my head before leaving the last plate on the table and sitting down to start eating. My mom lifts my hand to leave a delicate kiss there.

"What about the uniform?" She asks right after kissing my hand as a frown forms on her face, as if the idea has suddenly crept into her, "I've seen the dance team uniforms, King, they're dresses. Are you... are you comfortable in those?"

"It's not a dress this year, it's shorts and a shirt," I reply looking down at my food for a second before returning my gaze to my mother, "The shorts are short, you might not like them much, but... I don't care. I think we all know I look like an omega anyway."

"I'll have to look at those shorts and decide then," my mother says with a frown and I roll my eyes. Sometimes she's too old fashioned, "But you have the ultimate decision on what you want to wear or how you want to present yourself. You know that, right? Even if you don't end up being an omega."

"Thanks, I know," I reply and mentally thank her for wanting to make me feel better in case I end up being a beta.

{ Laurent }

[ 13 years old ]

I walk inside my grandparents' house where my whole family is heavy footed and looking miserable, I know this because my dad pinches my arm and gives me a look that promises death before walking away from me to go hug his mom.

I wave to everyone trying to control my temper and when I'm done I stand in the backyard, waiting for Alex and Rio to arrive so I can complain about everything that's going on in my life.

"What's wrong with you?" asks my cousin Phoenix, appearing beside me, "Why do you look so sad?"

"It's nothing, Phi. Go with the girls," I tell him, rolling my eyes. Phoenix loves being with us, but he's only 9. I can't say the same things to him that I say to the twins and I can't risk him running to the whole family to tell my private stuff, but my cousin stays right where he is, "Leave, now!"

"Don't be rude to your cousin," a powerful voice scolds me behind me and makes me stand still in fear, "Go inside, Phoenix, I need to talk to Laurent."

Just what I need. Another adult in my business, as if they understand what I'm going through.

"What's the matter, Laurie? You've been someone completely different these past few weeks," my grandfather comments, walking to stand next to me. I can only take a big breath and shrug, "Something must have happened, this is not the sweet boy I know. You've been fighting with everyone, you even yelled at your little sister the other day. You've been disrespectful to your parents. There must be something."

"It's stupid and even I don't understand it," I mutter, because I can't refuse to speak under my grandfather's eyes. He has a power to draw out information, "I just hate someone, so much that I wish they would disappear. But now that I can't take out my hate on him, it comes out with everyone else."

"You hate that boy you're always fighting with, don't you? Kingsley?" he asks and just hearing his stupid name makes my blood pump harder with the intensity of my dislike for him. I have nothing left to do but nod, "Why can't you keep taking out your hate on him specifically?"

"Because he won't let me, he's ignoring me every damn day," I blurt out and my hand gets so tight on the water bottle I was holding that it breaks and I have to throw it to the ground. Useless thing, "It's so annoying."

"Yeah, it's always annoying when your enemy ignores you," he mutters and it sounds like he's teasing me, so I turn to look at him with narrowed eyes and he's just looking at me with amusement, "Laurie, you're still too young to feel this way. Try to ignore him, too."

"And if I can't?"

"Try harder, because I don't think I can defend you anymore if you do anything else to that little boy." He warns and I nod.

Logically, I know I have to calm down and stop bothering King. At first when we fought no one cared much because we were just two kids, but the older we get the more unfair it becomes in people's eyes.

Suddenly it's like an alpha is abusing an omega and no one likes that, although they don't know how much King deserves it when I go against him.

Alex and Rio arrive then and I can finally take them out into the middle of the woods to complain freely about that damn kid who bothers me so much, except that my two cousins just listen to my story doubtfully and when I'm done, they look at each other.

"What?" I ask, frowning.

"All this time you've been complaining that Kingsley does nothing but harass you, forcing you to play with him, haven't you? Or did I miss something?" Rio asks, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I don't know where he's going with this, but I nod, "So why are you complaining now that he finally stopped?"

"Ugh, you guys don't get it either," I complain, throwing my head back, "I'd rather that ïdiot had stayed in Asia forever, but I’m not the problem here. It’s my wolf. Kingsley befriended my wolf years ago and what they do together has nothing to do with me. Nothing, not one bit, but I'm the one who has to deal with that wolf all fücking day crying and complaining that Kingsley is ignoring him. Kingsley forced my wolf to want to be with him and now he's sending him to hell. That's cruel. And no one cares."

"Oh," Alex blurts out, looking down when he understands, "I'm sorry. Sometimes we forget that your relationship with your wolf is different. Mine never talks, only when he wants to go for a run."

"Yeah, sorry," Rio mumbles too, but still looks curious, "Laurie, don't you think... don't you think maybe you like Kingsley? Not your wolf, but you?"

"What?" I ask, pulling back, shaking my head, my face starting to feel hot, "No, no... no, of course not."

"Okay," Alex mutters after meeting his brother's gaze again, "If you say so."