Dominant Enemies… and mates

Payback

{ Kingsley }

[ 17 years old ]

The first day Laurent skips school I’m relieved and glad I don't have to see him after fighting with his wolf last night.

My Alpha didn't like the fact that I locked my window for the first time in my entire life. He pounded on the window until I had to get up to confront him and then he left looking incredibly angry when he realized I didn't want to open my window at all.

The second day Laurent doesn't go to school also makes me happy. So does the third, fourth and fifth day... but on the sixth day I start to realize that this is not normal for him. Laurent always goes to school, he's always punctual and overall a goody two shoes, so why is he skipping so much? He even misses his football practice.

A week later I realize what happened when I wake up in the morning with my window wide open and a piece of paper resting next to me in my bed. How did my Alpha get my window open without me noticing?!

"Kingsley,

I didn't want to wake you up because I know you were just going to get mad at me, but I couldn't leave without seeing you one last time. Without scenting you one last time. And without letting you know what is going on with me, even though you might not care.

I'm going to go live for a year in Tallahide, only two hours away from you.

I'm going to miss you very much, but I think I really have to go away for a while, because if I stay around you I'll never be able to stop visiting and bothering you. I have to give you time and not push you as much as I have been pushing you lately. I don't want you to hate me when I love you so much.

I am going to keep you in my thoughts all the time. I will be counting down the days to January 19th, your birthday, and hopefully I will be able to come back as soon as that happens.

I will leave you my number in case you ever want to contact me. I hope you do and at least let me know from time to time if you are fine.

By the way, I’m sorry about your window, tell your mother to fix it immediately.

Always yours,

Laurent."

His number is written at the bottom and although I don't plan to call him, I grab my phone and save it in my contacts. Then I put the letter down and stare straight ahead not knowing what to do or how to feel.

Laurent is leaving and that's the best thing that has ever happened to me, the best news I've ever received. But that also means my Alpha will be leaving, too. My beautiful, handsome, mature Alpha that all the omegas want.

I don't like that.

And why is he even leaving? I know there has to be some specific reason, I know Oliver and I know he wouldn't let Laurent leave just because.

Damn alpha, why couldn't he explain things to me properly? This is the one time he should have actually woken me up to have a serious conversation.

I lie back in bed unable to stop thinking about him.

Today is Saturday so I have nothing else to do besides reading and re-reading the letter from my alpha, overthinking everything and admiring his strong handwriting… that is, until my mom bursts into my room a while later. I hide the letter immediately.

"What's up?"

"Go downstairs for breakfast and make it quick. We have to go get groceries,” she says and looks around my room judging everything with her eyes. I sigh and nod because I have no choice, "I'm glad you're not still sleeping naked, oiling your sheets like a hairless cat."

"Mom! Leave me alone," I whine but she just laughs before leaving. I quickly get up to dressed and... by some weird twist of fate I find the oversized shirt Laurent lent me that day in the showers. I stare at it and my hands move mindlessly, bringing it to my nose.

"Damn," I mumble when I realize it doesn't smell like him one bit since it was clean when he gave it to me, but I still decide to put it on and leave my room to go eat breakfast. Once I'm done go with my mom to do the grocery shopping.

"What's next on the list?" she asks as we walk down the cleaning aisle so I read what we need from here. Once we get out of this aisle, my mom gasps as she bumps into another cart, "I'm so sor... oh. Oliver. It’s you.”

Oh, no. My mom hates, absolutely hates and despises Oliver Taffy. Sometimes I think he doesn't deserve that amount of hate because he seems to be a cool and unique omega, one of the few male omegas in the clan that could be an example for me and that I'd like to meet... but then I remember that he gave birth to Laurent and then I hate him by association.

"Hello, Annalise," Oliver says with a very big smile, "Hello, Kingsley, you look cute today."

"Thank you," I murmur but then freeze as his green eyes travel down my body. On to what I'm wearing. His son's black shirt with the clan logo on it. His eyebrows immediately raise as if he knows it's his, but he has no way of knowing, right? Many people have clan clothes and wear the larger size, not just him.

"What are you doing here today? You do your grocery shopping on Monday. I do it on Saturday," my mom mutters, as if the super market is hers alone so I subtly pinch her arm to calm her down a bit.

"I know, but I forgot to come over last Monday so we've been food-less all week," he says and lets out a laugh that sounds a little nervous. I laugh too, but my mom doesn't think it's funny. I know she's judging him for not taking care of his alpha and his kids, "Besides, my son just left for Tallahide so things have been hectic around the house."

"Oh?" asks my mom, suddenly interested in what Oliver is saying, "Laurent left? Before the end of senior year?"

"Don't sound so sad about it," he mumbles sarcastically through his teeth with a fake smile, "But yeah. He'll finish school online, his grades are really good anyway. Laurie wanted to travel and find himself.”

"In Tallahide?" I ask with a frown, "No... Europe or South America?"

"Yes, he loooves Tallahide. And he wanted to still be near us," he says and again gives us that fake, practiced smile. He’s fücking lying, Laurie has never been to Tallahide before, how could he love it? I realize then that he's hiding something and my wolf nudges me to do something about it. He wants to demand answers, to get on Oliver’s face and force him to tell me why the hell he sent my Alpha to another clan, but I force myself to remain normal and just nod, "Well, I'll go about my business. It was good to see you both."

"Hmm, likewise," my mother lies and waits for Oliver to keep walking to continue on our way, "He's acting weird, more than usual. Why is he being so nice all of a sudden instead of his usual bitchy self?"

"Mom," I grumble with a laugh, hoping Oliver isn't so close that he can hear that, "I think Oliver is hiding something. This thing with Laurent is weird, he usually doesn't miss school at all, why would he leave in the middle of the year? Besides, he wouldn't leave on his own. I know that. They sent him away. But not that far away."

"Maybe he got in trouble with someone other than you for a change," she comments, "Whatever it is, I'm glad he's not here. Ever since he presented I've been tense, fearful. I thought he would do something to you."

"Yeah... me too," I lie, looking down. We stop gossiping when my mom runs into a friend of hers and a while later we head back home.

Lisa and the girls invite me to a party at Rachel's house, but I decline because I'm not in the mood. I feel... I feel like shït. I feel like I'm missing something.

I spend all day with that feeling in my chest until it's time to go to sleep, only to toss and turn for hours unable to fall asleep.

"Agh!" I groan stomping on my bed when I have to admit to myself that I want to see my Alpha. I want to talk to him, but since that's not possible... I want to at least smell his scent.

Obviously, I can't go to Tallahide, but what I could do is... go to his house. Intrude in his room just like he intrudes in mine. It’s only fair.

I make the decision and get up to change into pajama pants in addition to Laurie's shirt I'm still wearing. I leave my room and walk to the front door to put on my boots, jacket and hat.

And then I head to the Taffy's house.

Once I'm at their house I walk into the backyard, hoping they haven't changed anything since I used to come years ago and haven't started locking up.

They haven't.

I shake off the snow before entering and then proceed slowly, listening in case anyone is still awake at this hour. I approach and head upstairs... except once I'm there I realize I have no idea which room is Laurie's.

I have to approach every door sniffing like a dog and once I recognize Laurent's scent more prominently, I squeeze my eyes shut and open slowly in case I'm wrong.

But I'm not. This is his room.

I walk in and close the door behind me with my heart pumping and my curious eyes falling into every nook and cranny of this place.