Healer For Alpha

You Can’t See

The first two hours of our trip to Toronto pass in awkward silence because I'm still feeling a little sad, but Rio manages to bring me out of that fog little by little by being his usual annoying self. He pushes me until I have no choice but to laugh, plays music to start singing horribly and thus makes the trip start to be enjoyable.

I'm okay now. I'm going to be fine. I'll enjoy my life for as long as it lasts and that's it. That's all we can ask for, isn't it? I could die at any time anyway, we could be in a horrible accident at this very moment. We're all going to die.

With those pessimistic thoughts, I manage to snap out of the depressive moment and enjoy the ride, except Rio's phone keeps disconnecting the music because someone keeps calling him like crazy.

"Okay, I'm starting to get annoyed. Why aren't you answering the calls?" I ask Rio when I'm fed up.

"It's my cousin, but I don't want to talk to him," he replies, suddenly frowning. That intrigues me because I know they're super close, but before I can ask him what happened (because I know he'll tell me everything in great detail) another call comes in.

"This is your dad," I tell him when I see the caller ID.

"Oh," he says, slowing down a bit and immediately picks up the phone to answer the call. I've heard him talking to his dad before and I know he's always extra sweet to him, so I'm not surprised when he says, "Hi, daddy."

"Hi, baby, how are you?" his daddy asks. His voice soft and gentle, "Everything okay? Is there anything new you want to talk to me about?"

Obviously from his tone and his questions, he knows something and wants Rio to tell him, but Rio doesn't realize that.

"Nope, nothing new. Everything's fine, why?"

"Just asking. We haven't talked in a couple of days," he replies. I keep thinking he knows something, "So what, when are you coming home? Laurie told me this morning when I saw him that you'll be back in Tallahide soon."

Rio's face transforms, his brow furrows and he looks angry. Just as he did with me, I put a hand on his leg to make him feel better. Rio turns to meet my gaze and shakes his head. I know he wants to say something, but he stops himself.

"I told Laurie I'm thinking about coming back soon, I never said I'd be back right away," he spits, trying to control his voice, but he sounds very clearly annoyed, "Actually, I'm going on a road trip for a few days, so I have no idea when I'll be back."

"Oh, yeah?" his dad asks. I have an inclination that he already knew, "Where are you going?"

"Yep. I'm going to Laptidan," he answers immediately, I don’t know where that is. Rio is a very good liar, but I don't think that’ll work at this point, especially by the sound his dad makes. He totally knows. I don't know how, maybe with omega superpowers, but he knows that is not true.

"Laptidan? But you're not driving towards Laptidan, in fact, you're driving the opposite way," his father replies, completely sure of his words, "I appreciate you slowing down when you got the call, by the way."

"Dad?! Are you tracking me right now?"

"Yes," he answers without any remorse. I have no idea what it's like to have a controlling biological dad like that or if it’s normal, but Rio doesn't even look surprised, just mildly annoyed, "You can lie to everyone, except for me. So tell me the truth now: where are you going? And why?"

"Okay. I'm going to Toronto for a while, I hear the city is a lot of fun," he admits, still not mentioning anything about me. And I'm still not even breathing loud because I know they might hear me, "I don't want to go back yet, I'm mad at Laurie. That's why I'm deciding to travel some more."

"What? Why are you mad at L..."

"That sounds like so much fun," says suddenly a deeper voice, a female voice. His mom, "Sooo fun and cool, I really hope you have a looot of fun. I mean, you deserve it, don't you? You work like, so hard, you deserve a vacation."

She's making fun of his voice and the way he talks and Rio is not happy about it at all. His mother always manages to piss him off.

"Why are you both spying on me?"

"Because we can. This little adventure has to end now, Rio," she spits, "You need to come back. The new academy cycle will start next week and you need to be here. You already applied, you need to take responsibility."

"What?! When the fück did I apply to the academy?"

"Well, I don't know, but your name came up on the applications. I'm taking over the academy in Tallahide for a while, I want to make sure the new alphas are up to part. If you didn't apply, I venture to guess that Laurie did it for you or something, considering he'll be taking some classes as well. Either way, you need to be here."

"That fücking ässhole,” Rio spits through his teeth and I've never heard him sound really angry towards his cousin or anyone in his family, not even his mother, "Why the fück would he make that decision for me? I don't want to work for security, Mom. I don't want to."

"And what do you want? You want to travel all over the country with Laurie's money? Because you're going to bankrupt Tallahide if that's what you're planning."

"Just because you decided to leave me poor! God, just give me a fücking break," he complains, clenching his hands on the steering wheel, "I want to be a baker."

"What?" his mom asks and then starts laughing, making him even madder, "That's the dumbest shït I've ever heard. No, you're not going to be a baker. You need to be in Tallahide next Monday or I swear to Mother Nature I'm coming to Toronto to beat your dumb fücking äss. Stop acting like a pup and be a man, it's about time."

"Fück you, mom. Really. Fück you," he explodes.

"Yeah, yeah, fück you too," she replies without any emotion in her voice, "Come back soon, pup. I love you.”

"I love you too, but I'm not coming back next Monday to be a security alpha. That's not for me," Rio assures and ends the call before looking at me, "You like my cookies, right?"

"Totally, they're delicious," I admit and I'm not lying, "Your mom sounds controlling. Your dad, too."

"My dad is fine, but my mom? She gets on my fücking nerves," he grumbles with a growl, "But fück her. What's she gonna do? Beat my äss? I can take it. I'll take the beating gladly because then she'll be in trouble with my daddy and she hates that."

"How many times has she 'beaten your äss'?" I ask, a little worried. I'm trying to decipher if his mom is abusing him or something.

"Since I've been alpha she's done it three or four times. Ah, but Alex? No, she wouldn’t dare touch a hair on his delicate little head," he blurts out with complete venom, making me laugh, "You too?"

"Sorry, it's funny," I admit and grab his free hand to bring it to my legs and hold it there, "But I'm on your side. If you want to open a bakery, you should do it."

"Yeah. I'll open a bakery in Tall... well, no. Maybe in Fallonmore. My grandfather will totally take my side."

"He's nice?"

"Yeah, he's awesome. And he's always supportive, so I know I'll be fine."

{ Rio }

We arrive in Toronto eight hours later and I drive straight downtown, hating my life for another hour while we're stuck in traffic.

Once we get to our room I kick off my shoes and walk over to throw myself onto my bed with a grunt and stretch out my body. I'm still at it when my phone starts vibrating in my butt once again and I grunt deeply.

Laurie seriously won’t stop, he’s relentless. He’s been calling and texting me all day, like he doesn't have a whole clan to worry about.

I don't answer his videocall, but I text him.

"Why the fück did you apply on my behalf to the academy, you fücking ässhole?! When did I say I wanted that?"

"God, I wanted to tell you myself," he texts back and I roll my eyes, "It's part of the thing I can't talk about yet. Just go with the flow, please."

"No. Fück off."

"Please, dude. Trust me."

"My mom wants me there this Monday to start the new academy cycle. I won't. I don't know what the fück you need to have me there for, but no. I won't help you at all if you want to keep me in the dark."

"I don't really need you here for that, actually. I just need you to pretend you'll be here," he replies. I frown, this makes less sense now, "I need you to lose this phone and buy another one so your dad stops tracking you. If your mom asks, I'll tell her you're here in Tallahide and you'll be starting your classes at the academy next to me. I know that's not what you want, so this plan benefits all of us. She'll leave you alone and then you're free to do whatever you want."

Huh. I still don't understand what is this secret and I can't make much sense of it, but I guess this isn't that bad.

"Okay then, I’ll buy a new phone. Bye."

"I love u :("