Chapter 31: Chapter 31

“How can you ignore Alpha Commands? I had never seen an omega do that before you. I didn’t even think it was possible.”

Millan hesitates. He could easily answer the how and avoid the why, but he feels like Weston’s recent vulnerability deserves a similar response. He takes a deep breath.

“When I was younger, when I was still part of my pack… I had this uncle. Uriel. To put it lightly, he wasn’t a great person. Kind of a dick actually.”

Weston goes stiff at the mention of his uncle. Millan is confused since he hasn’t said anything about him yet but he lets it go.

“When I was younger, he would take pleasure in ordering me around. Alpha Commanding me to do things for him like fetch him water, make his bed, clean his dishes, things like that. He’d even make me do the dumbest things like touch my toes for fifteen minutes just for the kick of it. Just to show me who was calling the shots. And I couldn’t resist it, my omega just wanted to please. It was so frustrating. As I grew older, my uncle’s orders became less and less… trivial. He’d continue to command me to fetch him things or tie his shoes or stupid orders like that when we were in public. But when he caught me alone… He’d- He’d command me to do things to- To do things with him… Or he’d command me to stay still, to stay silent and he’d- he’d…” The words get caught in Millan's throat.

By the way Weston’s rubbing Millan's back, the way he engulfs him firmly in his arms and the way his jaw is set tightly, Millan was pretty sure the words don’t need to be spoken. Weston understands.

“I’m sorry, Mill.”

Millan allows himself a moment to let the lump in his throat dissipate. Weston’s peaceful smell slowly allows for the images of his uncle towering over him to evaporate.

“Anyway… I started training myself so that I could resist Alpha Commands. I’d ask my alpha friends to test it out on me. They didn’t really know why I was doing this. They knew my uncle was being a dick, but they didn’t know… the full extent of it. They were still happy to help.”

“You didn’t tell them about your uncle?”

“I told my father after my first heat. My uncle had… done something… during my first heat. My uncle…” Millan was surprised he still can’t talk about it.

It’s been years and yet, he can’t get his mouth to articulate the words, or rather the word.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to say it, Mill.”

Millan sighs, relieved.

“So yeah. I told my father but he laughed and told me to suck it up. That I was lucky any alpha was paying me any attention. I was young and still thought my father knew better, so I didn’t talk about it again. But I trained. Every day. For hours. Eventually, I was able to resist my friends, but they were young too and resisting a grown alpha was harder. It took me longer to resist my uncle but, one day, I did.”

Millan smiles at the memory.

“The day I told my uncle to fuck off and finally disobeyed. It was amazing. I mean I got a beating from my father for it but… I laughed the whole time through it, I was just so happy to know I could finally resist him, that he didn’t have any power over me anymore.”

Silence falls back on them and Weston’s lack of response worries Millan. Anger radiates through their bond.

Weston’s jaw is set tight. He stares at the ceiling as if he could drill holes in it with the power of his mind.

“Westy?” Millan tries to lighten the mood.

“I want to kill them, Millan. I want to kill them both.”

Millan's eyebrows shoot up in surprise and he gapes at Weston’s protectiveness. Weston is usually so kind and calm.

“West-“

Weston’s eyes snap to Millan's wide eyes.

“They deserve to suffer for what they did to you. I can’t believe they’re still breathing. I just can’t.”

“Weston. Please, it’s been a long time. I’m okay. And it made me stronger. I would have never known how to ignore Alpha Commands if it weren’t for my uncle.”

Weston’s expression softens but his hold on Millan doesn’t loosen.

“You’re amazing.”

Millan's heart swells. The emotion takes him by surprise and he hides his face in Weston’s chest.

He was afraid Weston would think of him as broken goods, as too much baggage to handle. He didn’t expect Weston to look at him like he hung the moon.

It’s a bit overwhelming.

“Come here.”

Weston pulls him up, a hand on his cheek, thumb brushing off a tear Millan hadn’t realized had escaped.

“I can’t believe you’re surprised that I think you're amazing. You’re really something else, Millan.”

It’s almost scary how good Weston is getting at reading Millan's emotions through their soul bond. And suddenly, they’re right back where they started. Inches apart, eyes darting to the other’s lips. Anticipation growing.

Millan licks his lips but doesn’t try to close the distance between them.

“Mill, can I kiss you?”

Millan rolls his eyes.

“Are you kidding me? Of course you can, you id-“

Weston’s lips effectively shut him up and they both smile into a soft and easy kiss.

A kiss that makes Millan feel like a kid again.

A kiss that almost makes him giggle like one.

Okay, not almost. Millan straight up giggles.

It’s embarrassing.

And he couldn’t care less.

*****

Making out with Weston is Millan's new favorite thing to do.

It’s hard to believe their synchronicity and Millan has the feeling that their bond is an ever evolving thing.

Last night, as he let his wolf instincts take over just a little bit, it’s as if every small movement Weston made contained an enormous amount of information. A tilt of his head, the pressure of his hands on Millan, a small sigh, a groan, they all pointed to what Weston wanted or needed exactly.

And it’s obvious the connection goes both ways when Weston acts precisely the way Millan needs even before he knows it himself.

He’d wanted to go further, to explore their bond fully, but Weston would stop him every time. Millan had been too scared of the answer to ask why.

Maybe Millan is mistaken. Maybe the connection wasn’t so mutual.

It would probably be healthier to talk about it, but when has Millan done the healthy thing?

For now, Weston is snoring softly and Millan is smiling like an idiot.

Who knew another person sleeping could be so interesting to look at?

It’s nothing special really, Weston’s even drooling a little. It’s simultaneously disgusting and the cutest thing Millan has ever seen.

Time is a foreign concept and he has no idea how much of it has passed when Weston finally stirs. As Weston is getting more and more conscious, something was screaming at him to stop staring, to maybe fake being asleep or just waking up, to do anything but stare.

But Weston stirring awake is as interesting to look at as Weston sleeping. His hair fall onto his face and he tries to brush them off with his eyes still closed, failing miserably.

Millan snorts. At the sound, Weston opens one eye, the rest of his face buried in his pillow.

“Mornin’”

It’s only one word. Not even articulated right, but it’s one of the best moments of Millan's life so far.

Weston’s raspy morning voice, the first daily rays of sun illuminating the bedroom with a soft yellow glow, the smiles they both share, this feeling of safety Millan is definitely not used to.

It’s simple. It isn’t much, but it’s everything to Millan.

“Morning, Westy.” His voice is barely audible when he finally answers and he’s pretty sure Weston fell back to sleep until he opens his eyes again.

“Were you staring at me sleep?”

Millan bites his lip.

“No.”

Weston laughs quietly.

“I can tell when you lie.”

“Oh.”

That’s new information. He’ll have to be careful and avoid straight up lies in the future. Although it would probably be healthier to avoid lying at all.

But again, when has Millan done the healthy thing?

“And I didn’t even need our soul bond for that one.”

Millan rolls his eyes, grabs his pillow and throws it at Weston’s face. The latter laughs, unbothered.

Yeah. It’s definitely one of the best moments in Millan's life so far.

He carefully saves the memory somewhere in his mind to look back at if it all goes south.

WHEN it all goes south.