Unwanted Alpha (Book 1 of Alpha Series)

Chapter 6

It was Christmas Day, and I was excited. I had snuck out of my room and made my way to the stairs where Sam would be waiting for me.

She wanted to make breakfast for Mommy and Daddy, and she wanted me to help her.

Sam wanted me to get stuff for her because she was still too short to reach them.

She is just using you, the voice egged, and I frowned.

Not today, I begged, please, not today. It's Christmas.

Christmas or not, Sam doesn't care about you.

I quickened my pace wanting to get to Sam before it made me be mean to her again. I hated myself when I was mean to her, but some days the voice won.

During those days, I tried to stay away from Sam because I didn't want to hurt her verbally and sometimes by pushing her down until she landed on her butt.

However, Sam was too stubborn and wouldn't leave me alone. If I got too pushy for her liking, Sam would punch me, and somehow the punch made the voice go silent even for a little while. She had broken my nose a couple of times, but I didn't care because it helped me a lot.

Someone attacked me with a hug, and I almost tripped but didn't. Thankfully, I was able to stop myself before I ran them, probably Sam, over. "Merry Christmas," Sam said, sleepily. She yawned and buried her face into my stomach, and I could tell that she was scowling. "You are too tall. Come down here."

I knelt down and gave her a hug. "Merry Christmas," I whispered in her ear, and she giggled and moved her head away from my mouth. "Are you ready?"

Sam nodded. "Yes," she replied. "Ms. May is in there. She is getting ready for a bigger Christmas breakfast."

"But, she will let us do what you want to do, right?" I moved away from her, stood, and took her hand. I started to walk towards the kitchen with Sam beside me.

"Ya, she isn't happy about it, but she will keep some counter space open for us." She sounded upset, and I looked down at her worriedly.

I frowned when I saw her eyes filled with tears and pulled her to a stop, and reluctantly, she stopped. "What happened?" I asked, my voice turning colder. Protectiveness filled my voice, and I hated how upset that she was because of Ms. May. "What did she say?"

Sam blinked back tears and shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she replied. She forced a smile on her face and bounced on the balls of her feet. "Let's go," she complained and started to pull me towards the kitchen. "Before they wake up."

I smiled and nodded before following her as she made her way to the kitchen.

I prayed that everything would be perfect. I wanted Sam to smile that bright smile of hers and not be sad. She needed something happy to happen to her while we dealt with this cruel world.

And, boy, was I wrong.

***

"What's this?" I asked, looking at the last gift that was under the tree. I tried to find a name on it, but I couldn't. "Who's it for?"

"I don't know," Sam said, coming over to me. She sat down beside me and furrowed her brows as she looked at the box. She held her hands out for me to give her to the box so that she could look at it. "Can I see it?"

"No," I said, pulling it closer to me. I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips in disgust. "It's mine."

Sam furrowed her brows more and cocked her head. "But, you said you didn't know who it was for," she said.

"I don't care," I replied. "The box is mine, so move away from me." I pushed her arms away from me, and she fell backward. I didn't feel guilty. I knew that I should have when she sat up with a look of shock and hurt on her face, but I didn't.

"Thomas!" my father exclaimed, shocked and appalled at my behavior. "Apologize, now."

"No," I said. "She wants to take my gift away from me."

"I don't, Tommy," she said softly. "I want to help you find the name on it. Maybe it is somewhere under the tree." She moved away from me and started to search under the tree.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. I grabbed her by the back of her shirt and pulled her from underneath the tree, and she landed on her butt with a soft oomph. "Stop being stupid and looking for something that you can't find," I said. "I don't know why you want to be in the way."

"And I don't know why you are being such a dick right now," Sam sassed, "so shut up."

"Sam!" Mommy said, shocked. "That is not nice! Apologize."

Sam shook her head, no. "It's true," she insisted, and I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "He's being stupid. I am not going to apologize to him."

"Well, you should," I said. "You are in the wrong and not me."

Sam scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I only wanted to help you out," she said. "You are the one who is trying to see who it is for, not me."

"Well, you aren't that great of help, anyway," I said. A small bit of panic filled my body when I knew the next words that I would say would hurt her, but I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to. I wanted to stop myself, but it felt as if they were word vomit, coming out with no filter to stop them. "I mean, look at you still alive while your parents aren't. You sure helped them."

Sam looked at me with wide eyes, and her mouth dropped. Pain filled her eyes, but it did nothing to stop the voice that took over.

"Thomas!" my father boomed, and I flinched. Shock and anger filled his voice, and I knew that I was in trouble, but I did not know how much. "Look at me now!"

I didn't; I couldn't, even though I wanted to. I was focused only on Sam, watching as her eyes filled with tears while she closed her mouth.

"That is just so wrong on so many levels and so uncalled for," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She raised her hands and stopped me from talking. "Being controlled or whatever is no excuse." Her voice was soft and firm, and I flinched worse than I had with my dad. "Do not talk to me for the rest of the day. I don't want to see your face, Thomas." She shook her head, and tears filled her eyes. However, she didn't let them fall in front of me. "I am so disappointed in you, Thomas. You have no idea how much."

My heart broke when she said that; I tried to beg for her to stay and see who the present was for, but my mouth felt as if it was glued shut. I wanted to reach for her and hug her, but I couldn't.

I was rooted in one spot when she stood, her gaze solely on me.

"Thank you for the presents, Luna and Alpha," she said, her gaze still on me and didn't look at my parents. "I appreciate it. Now, if you'll excuse me..." She didn't wait for a response from either of them and walked away.

When she was out of sight, I was able to breathe and push the thing back. I looked at my parents, my tears the only thing stopping them from giving me a scolding.

"Help me," I begged, my bottom lip quivering. "I-I don't know what is wrong with me. I can't control myself. Please, help me."

My father didn't say a word and walked over to me. He pulled me into a hug, and I cried into his shoulder, my heart yearning for my best friend and a way to stop this madness.

Before it was too late...