Higher Than The Alpha (#Wattys2014) »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-THREE – Surrender [Victoria]

Spinning, I saw a white haired, electric blue eyed man who was nearly as tall as Lex. But although his hair was white, he looked to be around the same age as I was. But then, all were's looked young, JJ was an easy example of that. As I thought about JJ's age, I wondered how old Christopher was.

I stayed silent. What the hell was I supposed to say to the guy? Yea, I am, now back off because our freaking me out? Yeah, that probably wouldn't go over well. But he was freaking me out. Where I felt safe with Lusan, I didn't with this guy.

I stilled as the guy pushed off the wall he'd been leaning against and came closer.

As he came closer, I felt my cat pick herself up and snarl at him mentally. I scolded her, but then she showed me why she was weary. He was a threat to Lex's place in her heart. And no-one would take that place, they'd have to go through us first.

He cocked his head at me as the door next to me opened. "What's wrong, little Omega?"

A snarl ripped through the hall then. The next thing I knew was that there was ripped fabric scattered around the floor and a white tiger was attacking a... a snow leopard?

I blinked at the snow leopard. It was the first were I'd seen in it's other form that wasn't a wolf or tiger. He looked just like another snow leopard. The snow leopards eyes fixed on me for a moment before he swiped back at the tiger. And then with a pounce, he was over me. But he didn't attack. No, he was standing to defend me.

Lex growled at the leopard.

Lex!

I only got a growl in response.

Shifting – weird how it was quicker this time than the others, guess my tiger really wanted out – I stepped around the leopard, much to his shock, and rubbed myself against Lex. I let him bite the mark on my neck. Claiming me again in front of a group of people who had appeared when Lex and the leopard had started fighting.

The leopard suddenly seemed to realise that defending me was pointless. That and he seemed to understand why Lex had attacked him.

Lex growled as he licked my new wound as the leopard shifted. Then he made me turn my head to look towards where the group of people stood watching as the leopard changed. A couple chuckle at Lex's want for me to not see the leopard naked in human form.

"I didn't know that the Omega was mated," the leopard said.

Lex growled at him.

Looking from the corner of my eye, I saw the leopard raised his hands as though in surrender.

"I apologise," the leopard continued. "I only want to meet her. And then she seemed afraid, so I wondered why."

Lex growled low and deep at the leopard.

I felt my cat purr out loud as Lex stood over us. Loving the fact that he'd proven to the others that he was ours and we were his.

At my purr, Lex turned back to me, and rubbed against my fur, making a point, once again, that I was his and he was mine.

It was kind of strange to remember that a week ago, Lex had been dating Morgan, I'd never known about there were's in the world, right now, I'd be hanging out with Charlie. Thoughts of Charlie reminded me why we came back to the house.

Lex, I just ripped my only pair of clothes here, and I need to go home.

You can borrow something of mine, Lex said. Dad? I'm taking Vic home.

Christopher pushed his way through the crowd. "Taking her home?"

I heard grumbles from the crowd.

Her mum will worry.

Christopher eyed us. Standing, I went over to him and butted his hand with my head. He sighed. "I'm just worried is all."

I gave him a purr.

"Promise to come here tomorrow after school?"

I gave a purr as a "yes".

"All right," he said. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"You're letting her leave here?" a were from the crowd demanded.

I growled at him and he immediately shut up.

Knowing that Lex would hate what I was about to do, I shifted to human. Lex growled and snarled at the crowd. The crowd, and those that were now behind me, looked anywhere but at me, but at the same time, I knew I held their attention. A shirt was being handed to me from Ink, who was now standing in just his jeans, not looking at me.

It was quiet funny, I knew exactly when someone went to try and look at me because Lex growled. I pulled on the shirt and counted two growls from Lex.

"You can look now," I told them. As they turned to look back, I couldn't help but feel intimidated. I felt Lex brush up against my leg, letting me know that he was there. And it also helped knowing that I had the entire family of gigantic tigers on my side as well.

"I am going home tonight because after the weekend I've just had..." I flinched thinking about the room, making growls rise. As I flinched more from the growls, I felt someone step up behind me.

It's only Lusan, Lex soothed me.

I continued. "Because after everything this weekend, I need some normal, and my mum needs me there so that she knows I'm okay. She doesn't know about all this," I waved my hands in the air gesturing everything. "She doesn't know the truth about the attack, she doesn't know about werecats, werewolves, and werebirds. She doesn't know that I'm a weretiger. She just thinks that I was ill and here all weekend. So if I don't go home, she'll want to know what the hell is going on. Think how you would feel in her shoes!" I growled the last.

None of them were looking at me after my growl. Then I remembered what Ink had said Lusan and Layke had been doing during their day.

"And if any of you are around or near my house tonight..." It was an empty threat, because I couldn't actually do anything, but they didn't know that.

Actually, I noticed some of them glancing at Lusan after my empty threat. I realised that with Lusan behind me, I'd actually just threatened them with death. Crap. But I wasn't about to take it back. Not if it worked. I didn't want my street to become a jungle.

Turning on my heel, I headed back for the room where I'd been over the weekend. Once Lex had followed me in, I closed the door.

Say something, I nearly begged him.

They all think you're going to send Lusan after them if they go against you.

I know... I didn't mean it, it was an empty threat. I forgot Lusan was behind me.

Lex chuckled. You forgot he was behind you?

I frowned at him. Yea.

I swore that Lex's cat face at the biggest grin. I also had the feeling that if Lex had been in human form, he'd be rolling around on the ground, crying with laughter.

What?

Vic, you know Lusan can hide in a corner and suddenly appear?

Yea... so what?

As you were speaking, he was doing the opposite. Then you made the threat, forgetting he was behind you, I heard his mental laugh this time.

I don't get what's so funny.

He sighed. Lusan can be "invisible" or he can make his presence fill a room. He was filling a room, and you didn't even notice.

Oh.

He chuckled again. Come on, let's get you some clothes.

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