MiDnIgHt chapter 2

 Chapter 2

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Kane Blackwood

I can't believe it's my final year, finally I'll be able to make a name for myself away from my family, but it also means it's the last time I'll play with the guys on the same team. Looking at the cap in my hands it feels cold. My fingers trace the team's logo on the cap as a sudden weight pressed onto my chest, eating up all the warmth from the thrill of being in my final year. A shaky breath leaving my lungs. This is actually my final year.

Pushing myself up from my bed and picking up my duffle bag, my eyes scan my room for the final time, looking for anything I might've forgotten or missed to pack, confirming I've packed everything I'll need, taking in one final breath, a comforting scent fills up my nose, I can almost taste the warmth in the room. Closing the door behind me, my duffle bag bounces as I move down the stairs, my shoes hitting the final staircase with a loud thud.

Just as I'm about to pick up my truck's key off the table, the hairs on my hands rise, his scent fills the room, commanding. I swallow hard, sweat breaking on my face, despite the fact that I just showered. He hasn't said a word yet but his presence alone makes me stop. Looking over my shoulder my father's eyes pin me on the spot. There's no room for any argument.

“Kane, my office. Now!”

“Yes, Father.” 

My fingers tighten on the keys in my hand making them bite into my palm, enough to leave a red bruise.

He exhales slowly as if wanting to say something but resigned not to. He never does. Placing the keys back on the table, my duffle bag hits the floor as I follow him across the living room to his office. He walks through the door and takes his seat at the end of the couch in his office. My heart starts pounding erratically, my ears start ringing, the room feels so big, the air getting tight I tug on the collar of my shirt to help. I know he can tell something is wrong from my scent. Even if he does pick up on it, he doesn't comment on it.

“Calm yourself first and close the door.”

My hands move before my brain can make out what I'm doing and close the door.

“Son, breathe, breathe with me, hold it in then breathe out slowly.”

Following his instructions, my heart stops feeling tight as a warm earthy scent fills the room. The room goes quiet for a second as my breathing steadies, my hands finding my thighs as I sink on the couch next to him.

“I'm okay.”

I try reassuring him despite my hands trembling on my thighs.

“Do you have an Omega, son?”

What? This is what he wanted to ask me? Couldn't he just ask during all those quiet dinners we had together alone. What do I even say? What answer won't piss him off? Lately that's the only thing I'm scared of doing.

“Nope, I don't. Not yet, it's not that I haven't tried, I'm just waiting for that one scent and I guess I'll just know.”

He rubs his temples and looks up. His eyes are sad. He inhales sharply and taps his fingers on the edge of the couch.

“Well this makes it easier. The Reynards and the Blackwoods are entering into a merger and they're a traditional family.”

The business world doesn't concern me, he's well aware of that, that's why he agreed to me taking the course that I am doing. So why is he telling me this?

“We decided on a marriage alliance, you have a fiancee, an Omega your age. He also goes to the same college you're in.”

“What?”

My voice comes out quiet. A ringing noise pierces my ears, my mouth feels tasteless.

“He wouldn't agree to it. Papa wouldn't want this for me.”

 I don't know where the courage came from but before I knew it the words were already out of my mouth. He sinks back into himself. His whole face goes blank, his scent glooms over, he's like a hurt puppy in the rain. He doesn't lash out or get angry. That's what makes it even more hurtful. He stands up and closes the distance between us. His hand finds my shoulder and squeezes it, a crease appearing on his forehead. There it is again, he's contemplating what to say but doesn't.

“It's final, son. He's also going to be your roommate. This way it will be easier.”

His voice comes out less commanding and more pleading. His hand leaves my shoulder and with it takes the little warmth I could get from him.

He walks out the door without looking back and I'm left with the fact that now I have a new roommate who's also my fiance.

My drive back to school is quiet, normally loud music would be blaring off my truck but right now, I don't even know what to do. Why didn't they discuss this with me? I'm not ready to get married, I don't even know what it means to be an Alpha to an Omega. I'm still young, my life is just starting, there are so many things that I'd like to do but now they won't happen because I'll be tied down to another person. Does the Omega I'm engaged to even want to get married? Did they already know about all this arrangement? 

What's wrong with adults always ruining our life just for their benefit. Running away isn't an option, I just wish something would be different. Why can't he just let me live my own life. Why won't the car in front of me move, my hands press on the horn. My teeth grind together as I wait for the person in front of me to move, my knuckles are turning a white shade as they tighten on the steering wheel.

“Fuuckk!”

The car in front moves and I'm left alone in the road, my feelings all jumbled up. My head falls on the steering wheel. 

My hands dig into my pocket where they find my phone. Looks like I won't be on the same floor as my teammates. The coach sent a text with the dorm room number I'll be in with my fiance. 

By the time my car pulls up at the parking lot, I'm dreading meeting my fiance, or even getting to my new room. Plastered with a happy smile on my face, I move through the student registry to take my new key and give in the old one. The process is too quick for my liking, it's like everything was already arranged beforehand and I'm just a puppet being pulled by strings by a puppet master.

“I'm sure you know where the dorms are. Now rules please don't make noise and don't have a party in your dorms please.”

The lady at the registry points out the rules behind the registry, they're not new rules it's not like anyone follows them anyways.

She sighs before giving me my new room keys and goes back to reading her magazine. I stop by the vending machine on the way to my room and pick out every packet of junk I can get my hands on. Hoping at least the Omega likes at least one of them. Trying to make a great impression on the first meeting so that our life could be bearable in the future. My father didn't even tell me anything about the Omega, no name, nothing just the fact that we go to the same campus.

Taking my cap off, I unlock the doors and my breath gets caught in my throat, I've seen those eyes before. He's always in our cafe. My eyes find his arms, are those tattoos real? Wait, he's an Omega? He looks like an Alpha. My nostrils flair up as I try picking his scent from the air. Probably shouldn't have with the way he's looking at me.

“You must be Reynard.”

My hand shoots up for a handshake, he looks at it then continues studying me. I'm tempted to flex my muscles a bit. This is my room right, peeking out the door, just to confirm I'm in the right room. The number on the door frame is the right one.

He doesn't reach for the handshake. Trying to break the awkwardness I try cracking a joke.

“So I guess we are now fiancées.”

He either doesn't pick up on the joke or I'm just not funny.

He picks up his duffel bag on the floor and leaves not before saying he's taking the left room. He shuts his door with a loud thud before it goes quiet.

Dropping my duffel bag down, I try to catch my breath from all the running I did. My body needs to get into shape before practice today.

The guys sent a text on the group chat that they want us to meet at our usual spot to get together and come up with a way to escape the coach's extensive training on day one. Opening my duffel bag, the snacks come pouring out of it onto my bed. They were supposed to be a peace offering of sorts and now they're just staring at me, looking like I'll just keep them in my room. Quickly, I step into the bathroom to take a shower before meeting my friends and teammates.

It doesn't take long to spot them on the cafe's entrance. Zain was leaning on the window scrolling on his phone, Luke was biting his nails, staring aimlessly at a paper in his hands and Mason was standing apart staring inside the cafe with his backpack on one of his shoulders.

Zain looked up first. “There he is, did you stick with training at home too or are you like these guys?”

I stopped a few steps squinting my eyes, making sure my eyes weren't tricking me. Shit he's here? 

“Ah yeah I did.”

Luke balled up the paper in his hands and grinned.

“Doesn't matter, the coach has new drills already out, I'm sure he wants us dead.” He held up the balled paper and threw it in the bin.

Mason stopped staring at the window and clapped his hand over my shoulder.

“He's just pissed off because the coach saw how our captain didn't spend time practicing at home.”

I turned and looked at Luke, we were all thinking it. Being the Captain and the Coach's neighbor we thought he'd be doing drills over the break.

Luke nudged me slightly with an elbow, “let's go get our regular drinks for the day, Coach wants to meet us before the day ends.”

When we entered the Cafe every eye towards us, this is our spot in the whole campus. As soon as we sat my eyes found him again talking to his friend. I've seen them together a couple of times, I always assumed he was an Alpha taking Culinary arts but I guess not.

My head whips around when it picks up on  an irritated ash scent. The conversation has gone quiet at our table. Mason is looking at me with the most calm face yet his scent is radiating his feelings.

Propping my hands over the seat, I stared directly into his face, “Why are you irritated?”

Mason rubs his hands together and looks down at the table as if it's the most fascinating thing, his jaw is clenched as if keeping himself in check.

 “I'm not irritated.”

Luke moves the menu from his face and looks at him, scoffing, “yeah tell that to your scent. Reign yourself in Mason. I'm not babysitting anyone this semester.”

Zain just chuckles and points at the table where he is. That earns him a glare from Mason.

“It's the silver haired girl isn't it? Kane, were you staring at that table?” 

“What I wasn't…That's not even close. I was just wondering, did you guys know that the guy she hangs around is an Omega, Reynard?”

From the looks on their faces it is clear that neither of them knew.

Mason's hand shoots and grabs my shoulder, his scent calming down from his irritated spike. “Are you sure he's an Omega? He doesn't look like one.”

“Easy on my shoulder, and yeah he's an Omega, I think. I'm not sure though.”

 

Luke drops the menu and stares at me, “Why do you think he's an Omega?”

Before I can answer, Zain cuts in,

“Is he your new roommate?”

I nod looking at where he's sat. Something just doesn't feel right. 

“The thing is, aren't Omegas and Alphas not supposed to room with each other?”

The guys just look at each other as if agreeing internally with what I just said.

“You know you could just seek out his scent. It's easier unless he puts on perfume.” Luke offers eyeing the table Reynard is at.

“That's the thing,” I whisper, “I couldn't pick up on his scent earlier today when I tried to."

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