Touch Me

1. What kind of alpha are you?

Damien gazes at the sleeping omega on his hotel bed, the weight of Jude's words making his heart heavier with each passing second. He knows he's made a grave mistake. Sage looks like he's been through hell and back, his fragile form an obvious sign of the pain he's endured in the past days.

Damien never thought of himself as selfish; he prided himself on being rational. But now, for the first time, he's consumed by regret. His hands are trembling and he can't bear to look at his mate, the one person he's hurt the most.

What could he possibly say to justify what he did?

Can an apology erase the pain he's caused the omega? If it can, Damien will apologize a million times. And he feels like it's the only thing he can do at the moment.

The futility of his situation silences him. Damien paces around the hotel room, his anxiety manifesting in the nervous biting of his nails.

The sound of Sage waking up makes him freeze and he stares at the omega with wide eyes and a racing heart.

Damien can't even breathe. His mind is blank except for one thing ringing repeatedly in there like a mantra: "Apologize to him,"

But what does he even say? The words are stuck in his throat like a lump of regret.

Sage sits up slowly, his hands trembling as he tries to gain his balance. The omega's appearance is a shocking testament to the damage Damien has inflicted, and the weight of his mistakes crashes down on him like an avalanche, suffocating him with the realization that he's only made things worse instead of making it better like he promised.

"S-Sage," The name escapes Damien's lips before he can help it. Sage's gaze snaps towards his mate, and Damien feels like he's been engulfed in flames.

The omega's eyes are filled with emotions - hurt, anger, and sadness swirling together in a heartbreaking mixture. With a Herculean effort, Sage leans back against the headboard and heaves a sigh. He just blankly stares ahead after that, a gloomy aura taking over him. Even though the omega is silent, Damien could see everything he felt in his eyes.

Sage's eyes have always been expressive.

The weight of Sage's gaze is crushing and it makes the alpha feel like he's carrying around a mountain of guilt and regret on his chest.

Damien knows he can't just stand by and let things get worse. He needs to do something to make it right.

With a heavy sigh, he runs a hand through his hair and closes his eyes as he collects his thoughts. The alpha tries his best to calm his racing heart and gather the courage to face his mate again.

Sage looks like a ghost of what he had been and it's just unsettling to see the once snarky omega go all quiet.

"Sage?" Damien's voice is soft and cautious as he calls him, not wanting to startle him. The omega's lack of response sends a chill down Damien's spine. Sage's eyes remain fixed, unblinking, and his stillness is a little unnerving. Damien's concern grows with each passing moment, his voice laced with a hint of desperation as he calls again. "Sage?"

The omega's breath hitches, his hand darting to the mark as if drawn by an invisible force. His scratching starts nervously, but it soon escalates into frantic clawing.

Damien jumps into action before he could even think, grasping the omega's wrists to restrain him. "Sage, what are you doing?!" he pants out, his voice laced with alarm. He stares at the red, inflamed skin on Sage's neck with wide eyes.

Damien can't believe it.

Did he just-Did he just try to claw it off his skin?

Sage struggles to free himself from the alpha's tight grip but Damien's hold only tightens. "L-Let go!" he stammers, his voice trembling.