Someone Who Loves Me

Chapter 18

"You haven't lost that sharp tongue, have you?"

That deep, husky voice pulls Pete back from the subspace he was trapped in. Staring at the bottle in his hand while twirling the liquid inside, he's plotting the best course of action to solve the problem between Pokphand's group and the Minor clan.

The enemy wants him.

Vegas doesn't want him.

Isn't it obvious by now what's the best option? Wasn't like Pete had a lot to choose from anyways.

"Two days. And I'll take care of Pokphand." He glances at Vegas through his lashes waiting for his reaction.

"I am the leader of the clan. Only I get to decide how to resolve any conflict." Vegas tilts his head to his right, pissed and disappointed. Easy to tell who snitched the information to Pete, and taking a mental note to deal with him later.

"In case you forgot, it's me they're after." Pete clicks his tongue and sneers at the man with eyes already burning him alive.

"And you are under the minor clan. You Are Mine." The last three words were stressed heavily, sending the omega a tingling sensation to the pit of his stomach. It confuses him for a second but he tries to dismiss whatever it is, pushing it to the back of his head.

"I do what I do. You don't - "

Vegas cocked him an eyebrow. "That is insubordination. Do you get happiness from being punished?" His tone was laced with amusement.

"I'll resign." Pete said, his eyes unfaltering.

"You get out, you die. That is how this business works."

"I am aware." Pete whispered, thinking he would rather die in the hands of the Theerapanyakul than on the enemy's if he had a choice. But it doesn't matter, isn't it? Death is death. He'll surely go to hell.

Vegas remained silent, on with his fifth bottle of beer.

"Live. And this time, live only for yourself." As if it was only yesterday when Vegas said those words the first time he sacrificed his life for the Theerapanyakul. He held it close to his heart until now despite Vegas forgetting his existence.

And that is why some stupid part of him still hopes that maybe one day Vegas would look at Pete and allow him to stay by his side. Even if he could not love him, he would realize that being with Pete isn't as awful as he thought.

But Vegas deserves better, and Pete knows that he is too broken, too damaged to be fixed, unworthy of love, that the guilt for ruining his chance of happiness is slowly killing him from the inside.

He fears to be abandoned again. But if it meant making someone happy, by all means, he'd be happy to leave and never come back.

"I'm sorry you were caught up in an uncomfortable situation with me. I want to make everything right. So I - " Pete starts, then cuts himself off with a shuddering breath, "I'm setting you free." It was soft, a sad smile carving on his face as his eyes met Vegas' confused gaze.

"Good night, Khun Vegas." With that, Pete turns to leave but stops at the doorway.

"I know it's impossible to like me. But at least don't hate me." He said as his voice fades to a whisper. His chest weighed so heavily that Pete could barely make himself take another step. But he won't cry. Just two days, he will never allow himself to wallow and grieve.

"Stay."

Pete shook his head and for a moment, his brain tried to cope with the difference between reality and wishful thinking.

Then he let out a deep sigh, smiling bitterly. Because the Vegas Theerapanyakul he knew would never ask him to stay. No one would ever want him to stay. He's had enough with his mind playing tricks on him and he just wants to shut it off so there is no more to think about.

"Pete." That voice again. And so he clutches his ears, covering them to block any sound, as he takes long strides away from the place.

Hand about to twist open the doorknob in his bedroom when he finds Vegas unsteady on his feet walking fast towards him intently staring.

"Why are you here? Go sleep, Vegas. I'm tired of arguing with you." Pete said, letting go of the doorknob, pressing his back to the door before closing his eyes. It was the first time all night that he's been able to catch a breath, and the wood felt cool against his aching back

"We're not done talking."

"The end. Now we're done." Pete shifts to get inside his room. But Vegas was quick to reach for his shoulder pushing him back to lean once again on the door.

"Can't you just shut up for a second? You listen!" A domineering alpha making Pete swallowed audibly, and then he shivered, on the verge of falling to submit.

"Five minutes." He gave an ultimatum or his sanity might lose inhaling Vegas pheromones longer than that.

"You don't get to threaten me with time. Shit!" The Alpha seems to be in an inner turmoil, fighting the storm that's brewing inside of him while rubbing his face with both hands that Pete starts to feel the distress in the air.

"Four minutes and 30 seconds." Pete reminds him, hoping to dispel the intense air clogging up the space between them. It however seems to have the opposite effect as Vegas looks up immediately. His eyes seem to darken and an emotion Pete can't quite put a name flits through.

"Why can't I smell you?" Out of nowhere Vegas asked.

"What?" Pete blinks once, then twice, trying to understand what drunk Vegas is up to.

"I haven't smelled your scent ever since you came back. It's making me mad." Vegas complained, brows furrowed, resembling that of a child wanting something he shouldn't have.

"That - I uhm - I am using scent blockers ", he whispered while he reached to rub it off from his body.

And the smell of amber wafted through the air mixing with Vegas' oud scent that made him growl, as if in pain.

"You smell so good." Vegas is slurring his words and to Pete's surprise, he nuzzles into Pete's neck, sniffing and scenting him.

~°~

Umm, what just happened? 😅