Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Millan. Is. Annoyed.

The floral scent is killing his nostrils, so much so that he can’t even tell if Jace is following them.

He was right, the guy is a major pain in the ass and he’s still debating if he wants to stay civil or not.

To Dax’s defense though, he’s extremely talkative and that is something Millan can easily turn to his advantage.

It’s not even midday and Millan has learned the names and functions of every member on the Council, exactly how impressive their pack military is and, most importantly, he’s learned that the camera system in the hardware store is almost non existent and that they have no alarm whatsoever.

Dax was so distracted by the sound of his own voice that he was absolutely oblivious when Millan shoved a couple of tools in his pockets as they visited the hardware store.

But now, he’s gotten all the information he could possibly want from Dax and he’s still chewing his ears off and as he’s slowly taking Millan through the gardens.

Millan seriously considers pushing him on a fountain mid sentence. Instead, Millan takes a deep breath through his mouth and tries to think of an excuse to ditch him without resorting to verbal or physical violence.

That’s when he spots a familiar beta on a bench.

Reading. Of course.

“And so that’s why they decided on lilies instead of roses. Which, talking of roses, did you know th-”

“Well, thank you, Dax, for this lovely tour, but I’m afraid I need to cut it short. I told my friend I would meet her here and I’m already late so.”

“Oh well. I’ll wait for your friend here with you.”

“No need, she’s right there. I’ll see you around.”

Dax goes to protest but Millan doesn’t give him time. He pats him on the shoulder and makes a beeline for Maddie.

She’s so absorbed in her book, she doesn’t notice him until Millan grabs her arm gently and makes her stand up.

“Hey Millan, what’s up?”

Ignoring her question, he puts an arm around her shoulders and starts walking away from the overpowering floral scent.

“Just keep walking, Maddie. We’ve almost made it.”

“What?” Maddie looks back over her shoulder to see what or who Millan is fleeing.

“Don’t look back Maddie or he’ll sense the hesitation. We’re almost safe.”

Maddie laughs.

“What are you on about?”

Millan looks back.

Dax is out of eyesight and his scent is gone. He takes Madelyn into a coffee shop just to be certain.

“Will you tell me who we were walking away from?”

“Dax.”

“Oh. Yeah, he’s annoying.” Madelyn nods in understanding as she dog ears the page she was reading.

Millan likes her. She’s not an ass like Dax, but she also says what she thinks which is refreshing from the rest of the pack’s overwhelming kindness.

They end up grabbing coffee and talking about Maddie’s current book. It’s no surprise to Millan that she’s much more pleasant company than Dax.

Even though he is having a good time now, somewhere, in the back of his mind, he thinks of Weston and weirdly feels anxious for him, like the Alpha is distraught and he wants to comfort him.

How very omega of me, he thought disappointed.

As Maddie tries to explain why she thinks poems aren’t the most boring thing in the world like Millan had suggested, he tears up napkin after napkin in tiny little pieces, trying to occupy his hands instead of rushing over to Weston to see if the gold eyed alpha is all right.

*****

Millan punches his pillow and sighs frustratedly.

Why is he even bothering with trying to sleep anyway?

It’s pointless.

He’s been working on his boat prototype for the better part of the night. It’s now close to three in the morning and he’s trying to get some rest before dawn.

Problem is, this whole journey into the Blayne Territory is bringing up memories he thought he’d successfully buried deep into his mind.

Strangely, the way he’s been accepted here has only highlighted how shitty his own pack was and now he’s just tossing and turning, remembering...

(Flashback)

Millan is buzzing with nerves.

His father has finally let him be part of a military meeting- something he’s been asking since he was six. Now five years later, Travis has finally caved.

Granted, his mother is there too along with other omega officials and he’s been told not to intervene in any way at any time.

But he’s still part of it. And for him, that is the most important part, makes him feel like he actually belong and fit in.

Usually he has to eavesdrop without getting caught.

Now his own father, Alpha Caelan has invited him, his omega son to assist one of the most important military meetings of the year.

He has to stop himself from bouncing on his chair excitedly, instead, forcing his posture to stay still, forcing himself to look as composed and assured as his father always looks, wanting him to be proud.

They’ve only been discussing for half an hour and the debate is getting intense.

Millan is absorbing every word and that’s when his uncle, Uriel Caelan turns to face him, smirking.

“Omega, get me a glass of water.”

The alpha command is an unnecessary show of power but his uncle has never addressed him differently, loving the way Millan scrambles to his feet, rushing to fulfill the command as fast as possible.

Uriel is a right prick, not bothering to hide the excitement he gets from ordering Millan around and Millan hates it, hates alpha commands with a passion.

He’s been trying to resist them, asking Aaron and Caleb to try it on him as he fights the omega urge to please.

He’s been getting better at it. But his friends are eleven years old, like him.

Uriel is four times older and stronger making resisting that much harder. Furthermore, trying to resist the alpha commands seem to only feed his uncle’s excitement.

And so that’s how the meeting goes.

Every time an interesting debate arises, Uriel alpha commands Millan to do the most ridiculous of tasks.

He’s made to fetch food and drinks for everyone, get a pillow for the Elder’s back, adjust the tent’s straps, Uriel even orders Millan to lace his shoes, smirking maliciously the whole time Millan does so.

Millan has never wanted to punch someone as much as he wants to punch his uncle now. He’s missed whole conversations, important ones, because of this.

When he sits back on his chair, all he wants now is for the meeting to be over.

He doesn’t want to play fetch anymore, completely humiliated.

When Uriel turns to him again, Millan decides he’ll do his best to ignore it this time.

Maybe if he can convince his wolf he hasn’t heard it… maybe he can ignore the alpha command.

Maybe…

“You’ve laced my shoes too tight, do it again.”

Millan's blood is boiling with rage.

There’s no way he’s bending over in front of his uncle again.

No.

But alpha has demanded it.

No. He’s not doing it.

It’s the omega’s duty to-

Millan shuts his wolf down internally.

Surprising himself when he sits up straighter and ignores the command completely.

His uncle is fuming at the blatant disobedience. He’s about to repeat the command when he’s pulled back into the conversation.

The meeting is ending and Millan thinks that’ll be the end of that. That his uncle will let it go.

Millan is naive.

As soon as the meeting is over, Uriel corners him outside the tent, away from prying eyes…

(End of Flashback)

Millan shakes his head and gets up, refusing to let his mind wonder to that particular evening.

Accepting he might not get any sleep tonight, he rummages through his backpack, trying to find a distraction from his racing thoughts.

His hands go straight for Weston’s hoodie and he inhales the comforting scent instantly calming him down. Without thinking, he puts it on, letting the scent engulf him, the reassurance of Weston keeping the undesirable memories at bay.

He considers going back to bed, thinking Weston’s scent might be enough to let him sleep peacefully but he’s immediately flooded with images of his uncle, how he pressed himself onto Millan that night.

How he trapped his wrists in his hands, how he ordered him to stay silent.

Millan shudders and hastily leaves his bedroom, walking aimlessly through the maze of the main house.

He ends up in front of a big wooden door on the upper floor. He hasn’t been there yet but, somehow, he knows where that door leads.

It smells like rain and sun combined.

Weston’s room. No doubt.

He hesitates for a second, hand on the doorknob.

What is he even doing?

Still, slowly, careful not to make any sound, he pushes the door open, just a crack. Just enough to let him in.

Weston is sleeping, breaths even, hair all over the place. The duvet is tangled around him like he’s been tossing and turning too.

Millan smiles fondly at that thought without really understanding why. He is now standing right beside Weston’s sleeping face dumbly, clearly not himself and not knowing why he’s been so bold as to enter the Head Alpha’s bedroom- Weston’s bedroom.

Instead of being alert or unnerved, instead of fearing his awakeness, Millan wishes for it.

He wishes he could just curl up next to Weston, basking in his scent, comforted and content. He wouldn’t do that though. He’d be thrown out of the room for sure, maybe even thrown out of the territory.

Entering an Alpha’s room at night without permission is an offense Millan wouldn’t be able to explain. It would certainly cross a line.

Instead, he settles for curling up on the floor next to the bed, still engulfed in Weston’s hoodie.

The hard floor doesn’t even bother him as he is lulled by Weston’s reassuring presence.

He’ll just take a small nap here, wake up before Weston and leave without him ever realizing he was there in the first place.

Yeah.

That seems like a good plan.