Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/13639068.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Major_Character_Death, Rape/Non-Con,
      Underage
  Category:
      F/M, M/M, Multi
  Fandom:
      Shingeki_no_Kyojin_|_Attack_on_Titan
  Relationship:
      Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin)/Original_Female_Character(s), Levi/Mike
      Zacharias, Mike_Zacharias/Original_Female_Character(s), Levi/OC/Mike
      Zacharias, Levi/Reader, Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin)/Reader, Levi/Mike
      Zacharias/Reader, Mike_Zacharias/Reader, Hange_Zoë/Erwin_Smith, Erwin
      Smith/Original_Female_Character(s), Minor_or_Background_Relationship(s),
      Original_Female_Character/Original_Male_Character
  Character:
      Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin), Mike_Zacharias, Original_Characters, Erwin
      Smith, Hange_Zoë, Eren_Yeager, Armin_Arlert, Mikasa_Ackerman, Jean
      Kirstein, Marco_Bott, 104th_Training_Corps, Special_Operations_Squad_|
      Squad_Levi
  Additional Tags:
      Alternate_Universe_-_Modern_Setting, Omega_Verse, Non-Traditional_Alpha/
      Beta/Omega_Dynamics, Vampire_Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin), Vampire_Original
      Character, Explicit_Sexual_Content, Blood_Drinking, Knotting, Bonding,
      Alternate_Universe_-_Vampire, Alternate_Universe_-_Mob, Eventual_Smut,
      Suspense, Threesome_-_F/M/M, POV_Multiple
  Stats:
      Published: 2018-02-11 Updated: 2018-03-03 Chapters: 3/? Words: 17181
****** Find a Way ******
by Xilianr
Summary
     Everyone believed in a soulmate, a destined one true love, at one
     time or another. Some never gave up the dream, forever hoping for The
     One to appear before them. The majority of people outgrew fairy tales
     of destiny around the time they stopped believing in monsters or
     boogymen under their bed.
     What they did not realize was that monsters were real, even if they
     did not live under the bed.
     Levi knew monsters were real, he was one after all. He also knew
     soulmates were real, he had one. He also knew that Destiny was a
     bastard, the shit storm of Levi's life proved that.
     But Fate works in mysterious ways and Destiny should never be
     mistaken for simple, especially when it involves love.
***** A Reason to Hate Destiny *****
Chapter Notes
     As a heads up this involves an alias being used by what may be
     considered as a Reader character. The story was just too confusing to
     read as an insert so I will sadly need to use my OC, Dominique
     Mesman, for this story instead. I do intend to leave her descriptions
     vague creating a more Reader styled character so that if the insert
     format is more appealing this story will still work. Just replace
     Dominique's eventual revealing of her real name with (Y/N)...
     Regardless, I hope everyone can enjoy the story!
     This idea was heavily inspired by the story Private Dancer (an A/B/O:
     Erwin/Levi fic) by Xenobia. Hopefully I will keep my story wide and
     clear of any significant overlap but I feel obligated to mention this
     since Private Dancer is SO well done and I don't want to accidentally
     offend.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
He was only five. He was too young to ask about it. It was beyond him that
parents could die. Even without ever having a father he felt the power of his
mother to be infallible. He held his mother’s hand tighter looking at the teary
eyed girl before him. His new neighbors were like him and his mom, his mother
had said. They had to look out for each other.
The older woman let go of the hand of the little girl and Levi acted without
thinking. His free hand went out to her, reaching to take her abandoned
fingers. Before new tears could be summoned she gave a toothy smile to him. His
mother led them back into the small single window apartment they called home.
It seemed the little girl, Dominique, was to stay with them while her Nana was
out. At first Levi only showed her his favorite toys until he realized that she
was able to really play with him. They started to play “avoid the sun” by
diving as close to the warm beam coming in the window as they could without
entering it. After the sun stopped being a viable play thing they took to
clambering around on the furniture in an imagined mountain expedition. When it
came time for her to leave for her home just next door Levi felt his own eyes
well up like hers. He walked with her, hands held tightly all the way to her
door. When they were told they could play again tomorrow it still did nothing
to calm the frantic feeling in his chest.
“I want to see you tomorrow for sure. You... you will come over right?” Levi
never liked playing with the other kids in the building. They all smelled and
he had to play “gently” with them. Not her though. She was like him.
She smiled that big goofy smile and wiped away the building tears. “I will! I
promise!”
She kept her promise. She always kept her promises to him. It was more than
pride for her, more than just keeping her word. It was like it would actually
harm her to break a promise to him.
 
At seven, Levi’s mother took ill. It was Nana that helped too look after him.
When his uncle Kenny arrived to try and help out it was too little too late.
Kuchel passed away silently during the night, leaving Levi with no one but an
uncle he had only just met. The man knew nothing about raising a kid and pity
knew he was not even really sure how to take care of himself at times. Nana
came in with her mother hen attitude and organized Kenny getting the apartment
transferred to him, so she could help them. Deep down Kenny only wanted to do
right by Levi, he just had no idea how to do that.
 
When Levi was eleven he had kissed Dominique behind the honeysuckle bushes at
school. The other kids all teased them that they were bonded already. He had
liked that idea. Everyone else seemed stupid compared to her. He was told by
the grownups that he had a crush on her, they called it cute. He was sure it
was not something so stupid. He loved her. If this feeling was only a simple
crush, he would never survive love.
 
When he was thirteen and she was still twelve for a month yet, she had her
first heat. It was awful for her, he could tell. Kenny sent Levi over with one
of Kenny’s dirty tee-shirts and it helped a little but she was obviously still
in pain. Levi hated that. Nana left to get suppressants for her while Levi was
charged with watching her, not letting anyone in, especially any alphas.
Levi pulled her under a big blanket with him, snuggled on the couch, and they
watched daytime tv. Kenny had called him out from school since the man knew
better than to try and force Levi to abandon her. She was fidgeting
uncomfortably, dressed in only the old teeshirt of Kenny’s and her underwear.
She kept rubbing her thighs together, whimpering from time to time. He hated
feeling so powerless.
He pulled her tighter to him, his arms wrapping around her waist. She mumbled
grumpily as she once again wiped away some slick that had trailed down her leg.
“Sorry, this must be so gross. Eeemm!” Her face winced as another set of cramps
ripped into her. “It’s the worst empty ache.” Her breathing was heaving as she
screwed her eyes shut in pain.
“Empty?” Levi had some understanding of what a heat was. The school had given
them a very simple explanation of alpha, beta and omega puberties. Still this
seemed worse.
“Like I’m hollowed out, or hollowing out? Like something is missing, something
important.” Levi just clicked his tongue and poked her in the forehead.
“An alpha’s knot. Idiot.” Levi didn’t want to think about someone else helping
her with this issue. She giggle softly before wincing again.
“No, it’s not just that. It’s not just my ...body... but my heart aches. I feel
so empty, lonely, like I’m cold. So cold and no matter how close I am to you I
can’t get warm.” She had grabbed his shirt, clinging to him, knuckles white in
effort.
Levi’s eyes widened at that. He was right there, she should have a sense of
belonging, being with HIM, not feeling alone. He kissed her neck licking at her
pulse. He let his fangs down to brush them along her skin.
“I can force you to feel me.” He spoke it into her neck, lips and fangs
tickling her sweet skin. She was breathing fast. They had never bitten each
other before. When she finally nodded he almost lost his nerve.
He had never fed without an adult watching over him. Kenny had also never let
him have anything that might ‘be noticed’ as he put it. She trembled though,
soft whimper of pain more than Levi could ignore. He bit down, fangs piercing
skin and rich hot blood filling his mouth in an instant.
Almost immediately he ran his tongue over his own fang, cutting it in habit so
he could lick the wound to hasten it’s healing. She probably could have healed
just as quick without, but he didn’t want to risk it. Without fangs in the
wound it could take only minutes for a person to bleed out thanks to the
anticoagulant quality to their saliva. They would use a bit of their blood to
hasten the healing as a countermeasure.
By the time he leaned back to inspect the mark left behind, she was healed. All
that remained was a slightly pink pair of spots that would completely vanish in
the next half hour. She had completely relaxed though, limp body collapsed
against him. He pulled her tighter and nuzzled into her a little more.
“Did it help?” He hoped the lack of twitching muscles under his hands was a
good sign.
“Yeah, a lot. Thank you.” Her voice was sleep laced. The relaxing of her
muscles was letting her finally have a rest.
“I can do that as much as you want. I might not have a knot, but-“
“Yet.” She whispered it. They both hoped it. It made sense that they felt this
way about each other because they were destined to be a bonded pair. Her being
an omega only made Levi more convinced he would be an alpha. Her alpha.
 
On her birthday Levi had a notion to try something he had heard about in
school. Branding. He wanted to bite her and leave a mark that would last. A
light brand from an alpha would normally last for several months, with the more
forceful lasting over a year. He knew with their healing that a brand might not
last long on her, but he wanted to try. Only an alpha could make a brand and
only on an omega. If he could brand her, he was bound to be an alpha, her
alpha.
They were sitting in Levi’s living room, his arm over her shoulder as they
watched tv. At a commercial he leaned in and started kissing her neck.
“Happy birthday.” He whispered just before he bit down. Now he kept his fangs
back. Instead he pulled on all the passion he felt when he thought of her as
his. He tried to push that need into a warmth in his mouth as he willed his
body to do in instinct what he hoped was his destiny.
He had felt this warmth when kissing her. He also felt it sometimes when he was
snarling at Kenny over anything. This was the fire that let him force even
grown alphas away from his girl, his home. He was sure it was his power as an
alpha slowly blooming.
Levi pulled away cautiously to inspect what he had done. They both were
breathing heavy, her scent was stronger too. The red marks from his teeth were
clearly visible. They were slightly raised, like they were done by something
that had burned her. His eyes widened. He had been unsure if this could even
work without his having presented yet but now looking at the successful act of
branding his girl he wondered if he should have asked first.
Her fingers came up and touched the lifted flesh softly. Her own eyes widened
and she jumped up. She dashed into the bathroom, door slamming shut behind her.
“Shit.” Levi got up and padded over to the door. He knocked softly. “Dee? I’m
sorry. I should have asked. Please don’t be-“
Before he could finish his apology the door flew open and her body collided
with his. Her limbs were wrapped around him. As she pepper kisses on his
cheeks, before claiming his lips, Levi glimpsed her glowing smile. She had so
much joy radiating from her, he knew he did not need to apologize.
“Best present ever.” She all but purred.
It was seven months before the brand faded. He gave her a new one at six
though. He couldn’t stand the idea of her not looking like she had him. It
seemed to help her heats be less difficult as well.
 
That was until they were fifteen. After an especially dense bloom of several
omegas having their first heats and more than a couple alphas having their
first ruts, the whole school was running thick with pheromones. When her
monthly heat came even Levi’s branding her paired with feeding on her was
hardly helping. For the first time since her first heat Levi was holding her
while she whimpered in pain.
Nana had left them to go and find some better cleaners to try and clear the
smell from the area. She had noticed a few alphas pausing too long as they
passed by the building. Levi knew Kenny had left the building entirely because
of the smell.
Once again they were in a tangle of blanket, her in only Kenny’s alpha stank
tee-shirt and her underwear. Since Levi still did not have a strong scent mark
of his own, needing to present to have the alpha qualities enter his scent, he
tolerated Kenny’s smell protecting her. They were curled together on the couch,
movie being ignored as Levi tried to will her body into calming. She was once
again rubbing her leg together to make a bit of stimulation. Her fingers
sometimes trailed down to between her legs but her body had no interest in
letting her release the tension herself.
“Eemmm.” Her eyes scrunched shut as another wave of cramps hit her. He couldn’t
let this keep going. If her body needed an alpha to fix this, it would be him.
He twisted them around in the covering and situated her so that she was
straddling his lap. The blanket worked as a bit of a net, trapping her tight
against him. He was sure that he could feel her slick soaking through his
pants. He had expected such a feeling to disgust him but he was most definitely
not repulsed. He was completely aroused by the feeling. She was panting softly,
the friction of her legs rubbing together replaced by his body.
He rocked up with his hips and she took in a sharp breath. She whimpered softly
and his hind brain knew exactly what that sound implored for. He pushed her
back a little and undid his pants. Pulling himself free, he adjusted her back
onto him. He rocked again into her slick damp panties and they both moaned.
They were virgins. They had played around some but sex had been something Levi
had placed at the horizon, far off in the future for them. She rocked against
him harder. It was obvious what her body wanted.
He was sucking and licking her neck, teeth running over her skin with care. He
wanted to make her feel good and she already had three fresh brands and near a
dozen bites from him. He snaked his hand under her panties and slid one of his
fingers inside her. She shuddered on him, pleased groan enough to make Levi
confident despite his having no clue what he was doing.
He made a small motion pushing into her then pulling a little free. He did this
a while, mesmerized by her body tightening around his finger. The way her face
would change was all he could focus on. He didn’t think she could be more
attractive before this and yet here she was, stealing his very breath.
She moaned softly as he slid in a second finger. He hoped that his being inside
her, the smell and feel of him would maybe be enough to stop the pain. He kept
working his fingers into her, trying to find the motion that would make her
relax. The feel of her, along with the expressions she was making, kept pulling
his focus however. She was so very hot and tight on his fingers, it kept
distracting him from his ministrations.
Finally she nuzzled her face into his neck a little. She was relaxing as she
was trying to catch her breath. He stopped moving his digits wondering if that
had been enough to satisfy her need. He thought to maybe remove them but she
started to move instead. He kept his fingers still as her hips rocked and
shifted on him.
He twisted his neck to try and discern if she was still in pain. He could only
watch her face in silent awe. She looked so beautiful as she used him. She was
letting her instincts lead her movements as she rode his fingers. He felt it
then, the walls of her insides tightened and she winced again as her body
complained that his fingers were not enough. Her pleading whimper was enough to
stall Levi's heart.
He pulled out his fingers and pushed her panties to the side. He took the head
of his penis and pressed gently at the entrance of her. He had to fight her a
little to keep the motion slow, her own muscles seemed to want him to go much
faster. He stayed slow, willpower alone keeping him from acting with a much
more primal urgency. Once he was fully inside her he was panting for air
himself. Her body loosened a little, the twisting muscles under his hands
seemed to settle as she was given what had been demanded. He started to pull
then push in a slow rhythm. As she started to relax more the thrusts picked up
pace. He had a rapid rhythm going by the time her body began to tremble around
him.
“Ah, Levi, Levi I think I’m-“
“Come for me.” He gave it like an order and she obeyed. Her whole being was
shaking for him. He felt his own impending release but stayed deep in her as
she broke apart for him. They were coming together is a sweaty tangle only to
have her collapse on his chest.
She was limp in her euphoria as it occurred to him that they were in the living
room were they could be walked in on at any time. Without pulling free he
lifted her and the wrap of blanket to walk them to her bedroom.
He managed to kick the door closed before toppling them to her bed. He moaned
as the fall made him move inside her. His own body seemed to be willing to stay
like this indefinitely. He rolled and shifted the bedding under them until she
was on top of him again, now safely hidden under the covers of her bed.
He must have drifted off because he was suddenly aware that the body atop him
was moving. The feeling was a very pleasant one. He was more than happy to go
again after the short rest.
That was how he started helping her with her heats. They knew they were being
reckless about it. He was sure they were both on the same page even if they
weren’t saying it. They were hoping for her heat to spark his first rut. They
were secretly, intentionally, setting up for his accidentally bonding her.
He could bond her once they had both presented. It was reasonable to suspect
his first rut would probably be while he was having sex. His knot would latch
him in her and that would be it. He would take her flesh and she would take his
as they properly mated and the bond would click into place. It was going to be
perfect. They were meant for each other after all.
 
Sixteen was a massive setback in that dream though. Kenny had started leaving
the building during Dominique’s heats, freeing the apartment for use. While no
one openly said it, it was clear Nana suspected what they were up to as well.
In the middle of helping her during her heat Levi felt more slick collecting
under him than normal. As he rolled them he noticed slick still collecting
under her more than usual.
When the first bloom of heat hit his gut he tried not to focus on it. He was
close but not close enough. If he was going to rut it would be to trap him
inside her. Once the fire spread all the way to his skin he was sure any second
a sensation would tell him his first ever knot was happening. The cramp ripping
through his gut was not what he expected.
As she wrapped her arms tighter around him, he made a soft noise. He recognized
that noise. It was the sound an omega made in heat. It was an involuntary sound
really. He knew because his girl would make it sometimes without meaning to.
When he made the sound again he wanted to die. A twist of muscles in his gut
spasmed, leaving him gasping into her neck. When her fingers slid easily inside
him due to his own slick, he was too ashamed to look at her.
She was moving in him with a skill he had lacked his first time helping her.
When she managed to find a matching rhythm with her hips he knew she was just
pure magic. He was hardly able to keep from screaming as his release smashed
into him. It was the strongest orgasm he had ever had and he had no doubt it
was because of his being with her.
Unlike previous times he felt a swift renewal and immediately started his hips
moving again. She was right there with him. The normal pause between times was
unnecessary. He had a slight recollection that heats in male omegas were
potentially similar to rutting for alphas. They might have lasting erections
and multiple orgasms during a heat.
It was a strange feeling having her fingers pull from him only to have them
replace by her other hand. She was less confident in her movements now, this
not being her dominant hand. He smirked as she yet again brought him strong
even without her similar practice.
He was lost in his enjoyment of her. They were no longer slowing down as they
stayed entangled. One climax simply spurred on the chase of the next. They were
only slowing enough to adjust position but there was no stopping. They both
lost track of time. It was hours later that hunger finally stopped what
threatened to be a very passion filled day.
They ate but only barely managed to finish the meal before their bodies’
demands got unmanageable. Once Levi’s heat ebbed Dominique’s heat seemed to
relax as well. Twenty-eight days later they once again found any attempts at
stopping to be near impossible without other basic needs helping to
remind them.
It was like this that they finally had to face a problem. While it was not
impossible to bond as omegas, it was unconventional. Certainly the bond could
be broken if it was not meant to be. However, if even one of them were to hang
on during the removal it could go all too wrong.
It was possible to break a bond if both were willing. A pair that grew to loath
each other was relatively safe to separate no matter the strength of the bond.
A destined bond would more than likely not be removed, possibly healing back
even after being carved out, even for a weak bond. The stronger bonds between a
caring but doomed couple was were there was the most danger, breaking those
could potentially kill one or both of the pair. Supposedly it was the same
quality that could make a bonded pair both drop dead when only one of them was
fatally injured. The sudden collapse of the connection causing a system failure
as it were. That or maybe just the knowledge that the other was gone, Levi
could understand that. Losing her would be the end of him.
Anyone could bond with anyone. It was not uncommon in youths to make these
mistakes. It normally could be dealt with with minimal risk. Two alphas had
accidentally bonded a few months back when one had their first rut while on a
date. They were young and the bond fresh so it was easy enough to cut the marks
off and separate them. It had been obvious that it hurt them though. The pair
were still in the hospital since the injuries from removing a bond always
healed exceptionally slow. Rumor had it the bond had been pretty weak too, with
them only having the vaguest awareness of each other.
Levi had been dreaming of the day he would have Dominique’s very voice reaching
him over any distance. A strong bond would share sensation, emotion, even
thoughts. He had been waiting for the day he would be able to show her just how
deeply he loved her, beyond any doubt. She would know it as clearly as her own
heartbeat.
He had been so sure of his being her destined alpha that it was a bit confusing
to be an omega. He knew not everyone believed in soulmates, but he did. He
loved her so much. So much so that he was unwilling to bond her if she might
have an alpha out there just for her. He had no idea how he could have an
alpha, but there were more issues than just his expectations.
The most obvious being the brands he had been leaving on her. How had he
branded her? Omegas or betas could not brand, only alphas. This was as true for
vampires as anyone. The marks lasted so long when even fang marks vanished from
her within minutes. They had to be proper brands. Also there was no doubt his
senses were far more interested in her than any alphas. He could sometimes
smell her heats coming before even she would notice. More over he behaved as an
alpha in most situations. He had even cowed a fair number of Kenny’s alpha
friends, intimidating them clear out of the building on occasion. He was losing
only to Kenny on the regular and since they were family it was to be expected.
He thought it must be some mistake, he couldn’t actually be an omega.
 
They hid their situation for as long as they could. Levi endured never having
the help of any medications for pain even when it was pointed out to him that
she could get extras and just let him take them. It was only when a heat hit
her while they were at school that the truth came out.
The pair of them went to the nurse to get signed out and sent home. It was
normal at this point for him to just get sent with her but this time they were
not quick enough. This time his own heat hit him like a truck. He was in need
of suppressants just to get the cramping to ebb enough to get home. He had not
done the needed blood work to know his specific suppressant classification so
he was given a broad spectrum suppressant that meant his guardian had to be
called and warned. Levi did not envy anyone needing to tell Kenny his asshole
of a nephew was actually an omega.
When they got home Kenny was not in the apartment but Nana was. She looked like
she had been crying. In hindsight Levi sometimes wished he had acted on his
instincts and grabbed Dominique’s hand and ran. Nana told Levi that he had to
see a doctor once his heat had finished to get his suppressant figured out.
Broad spectrum should only be used in an emergency and never more than one heat
a year. Any more than that and serious damage could be done to even a vampire’s
organs.
Nana also took this as a time to warn them both of the danger of feeding while
in a heat. They had never realized the danger since they were so overly alert
to never harming each other. Seemed the danger of them ripping each other’s
throats out was supposed to be a real concern.
Levi had to swallow a growl when they were told that it was dangerous for them
both as omegas to be alone together when in heat. The apartment next door had
enough of Kenny’s scent that it would have worked as a deterrent for a while
but in the long term they would be in danger.
“Tell me, are you two bonded already? Don’t you lie about this. Not this, not
to me.”
“Not yet, Nana.” Levi looked at Dominique. ‘Yet’? She was still thinking it
would be him?
“Were you intending to bond this time?” Levi snapped his gaze to the old woman.
What business was it of hers?
“I’m not bonding her until I’m sure she doesn’t have an alpha soulmate.” Levi
mumbled this, his own heat starting to rekindle in his veins. The suppressant
would keep his urges manageable, keep his muscles from cramping too badly, not
to quell his heat entirely. She was clinging to his hand, her own grip
tightening at his words.
“Nana, my heat, our... We aren’t really good to be talking for long. I need, I
NEED him. Please?” She was making a face Levi did not recognize. She looked
sad, so incredibly sad.
“You understand don’t you honey?” Nana was asking something Levi was meant to
be kept out of. He could understand that easily enough. When Dominique only
nodded, Levi was startled by how hard she was gripping his hand. A human’s
bones would have given under the pressure. Nana walked out, a soft sad glance
given to Levi before shutting the door behind her.
“She won’t be able to keep letting us go on like this, you know.”
Levi nodded. Kenny would no doubt want it stopped as well. It was just too
risky having an alpha drawn in just to have Levi overreact to the trespass.
Even worse one of them might get forcibly bonded. Fresh bonds, unintended
bonds, could be removed safely since they would be weaker. The longer a bond
was present the more dangerous it might be to break. A bond would become
stronger as it lingered, a strong enough bond and they might die from the
sudden feeling of it breaking. If one or both of them were taken... Levi would
never let someone force a bond on her. Not him, not anyone.
The kiss that followed felt strangely sad, like a goodbye kiss almost. Or maybe
that was hindsight as well. Regardless it melted into something better. It
pushed then sucked only to swallow up every thought in Levi’s head. They did
not bother trying to get to a bed, they had already been caught.
They fed on each other as well, the earlier warning being tested. Levi could
feel an urge to take a chunk of her but not in a blood frenzy sort of way. He
wanted to bond her. For years later he wished he would have. Instead they kept
taking tastes of each other and started anew. Despite the suppressant hampering
him they were insatiable, even skipping on eating. Somehow this felt like the
last time, that if they stopped, it was all over. Or maybe that was the mocking
of hindsight, too.
Their heats passed and a heady sleep covered them. This was deeper than usual
because of them not stopping to eat or rest even once. When Levi woke he was
disoriented. He was in the back of Kenny’s car. The alpha was not driving
slowly either. It was like he was fleeing something.
“Forget her, kid. Do yourself a favor and just forget her.” The man was talking
like he had been saying that for awhile. Like he was trying to get it into
Levi’s subconscious. Kenny was spouting nonsense, Levi felt. He could never
forget.
 
Only after Levi was seventeen did he finally successfully slip away from Kenny
to look for her. Both apartments now held new tenants, none of whom had even
met her. He was able to find a storage locker that held the abandoned items of
their apartments. Levi had no idea why such things would be stored but he was
glad as he took the old blanket that still had her lingering scent.
 
At eighteen Levi started working in the same line as Kenny. He worked mostly
minorly illegal odd jobs that would have been too risky for a human. His
superhuman speed and strength being used to do impossible tasks. He mostly only
engaged in thefts but on a rare occasion a hit would be worth the risk. He
often found he was only taking hits to feed. Kenny never stopped him but it was
obvious the pushy bastard wanted Levi in a similar line of work to him, not as
a fanged hitman.
They stayed under the radar of the other vampire families but Levi had heard
the rumors. Several of the most feared families in the criminal underworld had
enforcers of impossible skill. He knew these families were long running vampire
bloodlines. Of all of them, The Demon of the Mikado family was the most feared.
Everyone knew of The Demon, even when no one knew anything about The Demon.
This was what inspired Levi in his engaging in assassinations. Levi hoped to
earn his own notoriety as a hitman just so his girl might find him.
Levi rebelled against Kenny’s interests in favor of his goal for as long as he
could. Levi had successfully made a name for himself, a little ironically,
NoName. He had kept hidden many identifying details but he had let slip some
rumors. NoName was said to be an omega, stronger than normal, born in poverty
and, much as it annoyed him, short even for an omega. All of that might catch
her ear, but he had one rumor going that would let her know it was him. NoName
was an omega who could actually intimidate like an alpha. He was sure that
would be the whisper to bring her to him.
Kenny was obviously trying to keep the rumors quiet but Levi was sure he would
be found. Kenny kept hounding him to give up on being a petty crook
moonlighting as master assassin for stable business. The ideas his uncle would
pitch were all thoroughly illegal but had reliably legal foundations. It was
only once the worst happened, a hit gone horribly wrong, that Levi gave in. At
twenty-two Levi completed a hit that left him rattled to the core. He
immediately looked to the only family he had for help. Levi was still reeling
when he acquiesced to Kenny and together they invested in a night club, The
Scout's Reprieve.
It was a high volume dance club with gogo dancers on stages and balconies for
parties or high rollers. They also ran some less legal dealings in the back
rooms. The gogo dancers being available for private dances, private and less
clothed dances, for example. If the price was right a room could be rented for
anything by anyone, or as a few clients requested, no one. Here Levi acted as
middle-man for the procurement of any number of goods or services. Levi and his
people also kept the peace letting the venue earn a bit of a name as a haven.
The club became a go to for freelancers and those who could use outside
security. This was how he finally found her again.
 
At twenty-four Levi had an information broker that was also his friend tell him
where she was. Farlan Church had been looking for over a year, constantly
coming up short until he stumbled across a guarded secret involving the up-and-
coming Cole family.
It was too late. She was engaged. She was going to marry some beta mob boss. It
was like a slap to the face that she was not wedding an alpha. He was only some
damn beta. Levi stopped wanting to hear about her then. He did want her happy,
more than anything, but that did not mean he had to hear about why.
Farlan knew Levi still cared, knew he still needed to know she was safe. It
became habit for the beta to give Levi a small envelope on his birthday. Inside
would be a card with a photo of her and a note that simply read: She is safe.
Chapter End Notes
     As a warning this story is more than anything the fruits of my Muse
     getting sidetracked by Mike distracting from my other writings.
     Postings for this will be sporadic at best as I try to finish up some
     other projects and a few obligations. Thanks for the patients! Thanks
     for reading! Also if any of the insert lingo got missed let me know
     so I can fix it XD.
***** A Reason to Hate Love *****
Chapter Notes
     Sorry for the OC heavy chapter. You will be glad I used OCs in the
     end though...
She woke in a room that was familiar but foreign. It was like a dream long
forgotten but suddenly remembered. Her room. She hadn’t been in this room since
she was five. She wrapped her arms around a long abandoned stuffed toy and
cried. He was gone and they would never let her go back to him. Now that they
had brought her back home, she could never get away unnoticed.
She had been born into a wealthy family, a family worth being named for. She
had siblings, parents, and most importantly safety. They were connected to
other blooded families and other powerful families of the organized crime
variety. Having a secret like being a vampire made it strangely logical to make
friends with those who also had secrets, like illegal business dealings.
Secrets were mostly unspoken, especially since vampires were myths, not real to
most of society. Still her family had a reputation and dealings in the world of
crime going back for generations.
She had play dates with a pair of twins from a mob family that had real promise
of a future. While they were a human family, they had been told about vampires
after a business venture had gone awry. There was also two nightwalker families
that had children worth introducing her to. It was not uncommon for the small
crew of children to be lumped into one place for easier watching. Security was
both nanny and thug in this world and while it was not needed for all of the
children some were blood donors as well.
When she was five it all ended. The assassination of her parents had her placed
in the care of a nanny that had no public ties to any of the families. She was
no longer a viable heir and the power of her line could not be furthered by
her. Families of their kind knew that losing a line of daywalkers as powerful
as her would be a tragedy but there just were no other options. The assault
that had ended with her parents dead and her bleeding out on the floor had left
her damaged. She would never be able to carry a child to term.
When she was ten and the doctors were sure she would never heal enough to ever
carry a child safely they had gone through with a procedure to remove any
chance of her becoming pregnant. There had been hope but once it was gone, her
life was prioritized. Even with her exceptionally potent healing abilities the
damage was just too severe.
This was one of the reasons they never stopped her from taking an interest in
some boy from a no name bloodline. He was like them, and would not be regarded
as a threat in most circles because her secrets were his as well. It had not
been planned, them being next door to each other, becoming enamored, but once
it happened it had played into the plans just fine. That was until he was an
omega as well. That she could have been manipulated by someone controlling not
her but her heart, was not an acceptable risk.
Now she was back in this world of crime and secrets even more dangerous. She
was a little excited to see the others, though most of them were all out of
high school, off in their respective colleges or even moved on from that.
Everything that she loved was gone. Even Nana had been sent away, separating
her once again from her past. She still held an alias, Dominique Mesman,
keeping her safe from threats for as long as possible. Even her alias afforded
her prestige though. Her fake name had her protectively tethered as a branch
family to one of the most notorious families in both worlds, the Mikado family.
Even with ties worth fearing, school was hell. She did nothing to make it
easier, either. The twins that had been her playmates before she left were in
her grade at least. She had never disliked them, even if they had smelt funny
and she had to be careful of hurting them. She had all but forgotten them when
Levi swallowed her heart. Now they were the only people that let her be lost in
her past, reaching for someone she was never meant to see again. They stood by
her, keeping others away, but never forcing her to be with them either.
Dominik and Oliver Cole, sons and presumable heirs to the Cole family empire.
It was a constant hum around them that they should be vying for power over the
family and yet the pair were never bickering. Dominik had presented alpha at
fourteen and, despite the cost, blood work was done to confirm Oliver was a
beta.
Dominik (often shortened to Dom, never Nik. Niki and Domi leading to a brawl)
was the doting big brother with his being 7 whole minutes older. Oliver (only
ever Oliver, Oli earning a tongue lashing with potential for fisticuff) was a
smart, driven, beta that supported his brother’s goals with solid planning and
focused troubleshooting. The pair were devoted to each other, close enough that
there were rumors of them being too close even.
They had an intentionally similar appearance, both having their mother’s golden
highlights in their chestnut hair with the same cool blue eyes as their father.
Also like their father they were tall and lean with puberty promising more
muscle as time went on. Dominik was a bit further along having filled out in
his chest more and his broader shoulders making him look notably larger than
his brother. Oliver had more of a swimmer’s body with lean muscle leaving him
much more lithe than his twin. How they styled themselves was distinctly unique
but had similar through lines because of the amusement it brought them. Dominik
had a bit of a soldier’s polish while Oliver seemed more of an aged scholar.
There was an alertness in Oliver’s eyes that, if noticed, would make people
wonder which was actually the older. Somehow there was always someone new to
surprise with the fact that there was only minutes between them, not years.
It was that uniqueness of them that spurred on whispers of favorite for future
head of the family. It was also their devotion to each other that caused doubts
about who would lead. The family never named one over the other in speculation
of heir since they knew it would, in essence, end up being the pair. They would
defer to one another when the other’s skillset was better suited without a
course word. They helped each other without hesitation or normal brotherly
infighting. It was almost unnatural how well they got along.
This was the dynamic that made them perfect for her. Dominik was clear about
his not wanting to force the girl he thought of as family into anything. Oliver
had been holding a bit of a torch for her for years after her leaving. Now that
she was back, it was all he could do to not make a fool of himself around her.
Thus the pair found themselves as her only companions in the ocean of students
in their school.
When she first arrived she still had Levi’s brand easily spotted on her neck.
It was months until all the brands faded enough for anyone to risk approaching
her. The poor sods were chased off by a snarled reprimand as she felt no reason
to hide her disinterest. Once the final lingering scent faded from her though,
every alpha in the school started to notice her.
It had come to many people’s attention that she was a friend to some of the
most powerful families in the criminal world. She had pedigree, connections,
and was an omega, what more could an up and coming alpha ask for? In her case,
it would be a muzzle and restraints. She met every advance with a sharp tongued
dismissal and if that was not enough to deter a suitor she used an elbow to the
temple just as easily. Even after an alpha classmate was put in a cast with a
broken arm the idiots still kept trying.
It was Oliver that had the idea. He started saying he was seeing her. He would
chase off most with a sharp command to have them get away from his girlfriend
and that was that. Still a few would push. This was were Dominik and his alpha
credentials would come into play. He would get in anyone’s face that gave his
twin a hard time. That it also helped their girl was beside the point.
She never led Oliver on, and Dominik knew the truth as well. She was still in
love with ‘him’. She never told them his name. It was better that way. They
knew better than to even hint at him. It was only in words whispered in ears
that she would even acknowledge his existence. The three of them knew it was
safer for him, for everyone, if he was never mentioned. Especially his
significance to her. It was best to pretend to forget, but the pair knew she
never would.
 
Oliver’s system worked well until the last months of senior year. That was when
complications started cropping up.
The three of them would go to the diner across from the school for lunch,
senior privilege enjoyed to its fullest. On one such afternoon a half drunk
alpha decided to try and help himself to the unmarked omega that just happened
to be near by. Oliver had put himself between them, knowing damn well the woman
at his back would be more than able to break the drunkard in half if need be.
Still it would be better if no one got hurt.
Dominik came out of the bathroom to see the drunk toss his brother into a table
and away from their girl. As the intoxicated man took a menacing step toward
her it was Dominik’s alpha command that stopped him.
“Get away from our girl or so help me I will rip your balls off and cram them
down your worthless throat!” He snarled the order in a way that stopped the guy
dead in his tracks. Oliver was even a little staggered by the command. Most
alphas had that authoritative voice that could influence, some having a shout
that could demand, but it was rare to actually hear an alpha snarl out a
command and have anyone that heard it want to drop to their knees and offer
their lives in submission. Certainly part of it was that society had made
progress in civility but also it was just an uncommon level of power for even
an alpha to hold.
The drunk scurried away like the rat he was but Oliver had to relinquish his
normal spot in their booth so his brother could sit at her side. Dominik was
breathing hard and his posture was so tense he looked on the verge of a
breakdown. After several minutes of awkward silence Oliver engaged Dominique in
a conversation over their coming English exams and in no time they were
debating which books to get for the reading assignment. This led to the tension
of the table dropping steadily.
She and Oliver ignored the way Dominik kept staring at her, at her neck. When
Dominik let his chin drop to rest on her shoulder she let him. When he started
inhaling her scent, pressing his nose into her neck, they kept talking like he
wasn’t even there. It was not unusual to her.
Levi had done this, especially after he had chased off other alphas. He would
nuzzle into her neck, even kiss and lick over her scent glands to be sure there
was no trace of them on her. Dominik had never done anything like that before,
but that did not make any of this unusual to her. Her “alpha” had done it, it
was just what alphas did.
When Dominik’s lips pressed on her skin the conversation stopped. Oliver was
slack jawed while her eyes went wide in surprise. When Dominik bit her, teeth
making a brand on her skin for the first time in over a year, for the first
time since Levi, no one moved. When tears started to trail down her cheeks the
only sound from their table was the crack of a fist meeting face. One hit and
Oliver had toppled his brother to the floor. Dominik just laid there, sprawled
on the floor, while their world seemed to stand still. He was panting hard
until his eyes slowly focused back in on the diner, on where he actually was.
Only then did he register what he had done.
“Oh my... fuck. Fuuuuuck. I am so, so sorry. Fuck.” He was looking from one to
the other as betrayal looked down on him from the table. He stayed on the
floor, his own guilt making him want to crawl away to die.
He knew, damnit. He knew his twin more than just fancied her, knew he had done
something his brother could never but wish to do. He bloody well knew! He knew
she was in love with someone else, missed him and his brand on her skin. He
knew that it was something he was entrusted with, these secrets of the two
people he loved most in the world. He knew and yet he had acted.
“You had better not think I’ll ever let you knot me, you stupid fuck.” She was
looking at him with a sorrow that Dominik could only guess at. Her fingers were
tracing the brand with an almost delicate touch.
Oliver simply stood up and left to vent the full tempest outside. He was
speaking to himself, shouting things that the diner’s windows kept garbled but
the excessive hand gestures, the apparent rage, made clear. Oliver was livid
with his brother, but didn’t want to say it until he had worked through it.
Oliver was just like that. He would start to lose his temper and would just
walk off. Dominik had learned to just let him. Oliver would talk to himself,
pacing around, arguing both sides as he played his own devil’s advocate.
Considering the volume of his voice, he was going to be out there a while.
“I shouldn’t have done that, Dee. I’m so sorry.” Dominik tried again to
apologize for what he knew could never really be forgiven.
“It feels the same. I really figured it... I just really expected I must not
have been getting branded by him.” She was tracing her thumb over the brand
like it would vanish if she stopped touching it. “Smells wrong though. I mean,
it’s not bad. You don’t smell bad Domi. I just... you don’t smell like him.”
She had more tears streaming paths down her cheeks though her expression was
mostly just thoughtful. It was as if she did not know she was crying. Almost
like her eyes were the only part of her that remembered how to be sad anymore
and soon even they might forget.
Dominik had his heart in his throat. He hated when anyone called him that,
hated that anyone would make her cry. He had every reason to be feeling guilt,
anger, some type of frustration. Instead he wanted to kiss her. He wanted her
to only ever call him that, wanted to make her remember how to smile by giving
her anything, everything, him. A blur of motion out the window kept him on the
floor though. Oliver was roaring something at the heavens.
This was the moment that changed what Dominik would ever be able to be for her.
This was the moment Dominik picked his brother over ever being her alpha.
Oliver eventually came back in, swift kick to his brother still sitting on the
floor the gesture that finally gave him permission to return to sitting in the
booth. The three of them played hooky that day. They instead went to the beach.
They charged over sand dunes to dance on the edge of the water. They yelled
teasing challenges at each other until all three ended up drenched, tumbling
over each other in the waves. Dominik bought everyone towels when they
finished. He then got snacks and drinks for them. He even found a few small
bobbles to give them. He needed them to know he was sorry.
As the sun set into the sea they still lingered. They sat in the sand
whispering secrets to each other. They had to find one another again. The
betrayal needed healing. It was Oliver confiding to them how jealous he was
that he would never be able to brand a woman he loved. It was Dominik admitting
he was completely intimidated about taking over the family, he felt he just was
not intelligent enough.
“I still miss him. I miss his brand, his touch, his jokes. I miss him so much.
I feel like I’m losing my mind... it’s his scent I miss the most. During my
heats, it is this screaming sort of ache I have from missing him.” The brothers
only looked at her sadly.
Oliver remembered it though, the smell. He had noticed it because it wasn’t
hers. He remembered her smell all those years, because he loved her, he was
sure. When she came back, ‘he’ was all over her. There had been brands he
couldn’t see, not just the one on her neck, of that he was certain. That smell
was all over her and, much as Oliver hated it, he hated the first day he didn’t
smell it more. That day she had been crying, so incredibly sad. It had been
impossible to do anything for it, it was a very real grieving she was enduring.
It was losing him all over again.
“Why?” Dominik looked so sad despite the anger in his voice. “Why the hell did
they take you from him? It’s obvious they shouldn’t have. No alpha on the
planet can get your attention except him. He was your destined alpha. Why did
they do this to you? Bloodline bull shit?” He was growling a whisper that
echoed between them as if he had yelled.
Oliver’s eyes held the same frustration. Even with his jealousy over this other
alpha getting her, he wanted her happy more than he wanted her himself.
“He’s an omega. A daywalker like me, but omega. Had he bonded me they would
have left us alone but we weren’t and they couldn’t risk that some line or
another wouldn’t come and snatch me up until I met my ‘actual destined’.” The
way she said ‘actual destined’ held such venom.
Dominik was busy trying to understand vampire branding rules when Oliver asked
the obvious.
“Have you looked for him?” Oliver sounded sad asking but they all knew why. She
knew how Oliver felt. It was plan as day.
“He has an uncle that I’m pretty sure is hiding him. Also I think my own family
is trying to hide him as well. Not from me, exactly, but I expect that is
welcome side effect.”
It was at this moment that Oliver chose her happiness over every other dream in
his life. He loved her, his heartbroken girl. He loved her so he would fix
this. Even when it meant losing her.
“You’ll find him eventually. If we can ever help, we will. Don’t hesitate to
ask.” Dominik was looking at his twin in shock. Oliver was speaking with an
adamance that he recognized as unwavering resolve. His brother meant it. He
would help the woman of his dreams find this other man.
It was this promise that Oliver made that gave him the one thing no one could
have ever hoped. She loved him for it. Not as much as her destined, but enough.
She didn’t know that yet. No one would ever hear her admit it. This was when
she fell in love with Oliver.
 
The brand Dominik gave her was more trouble than any of them could have
predicted. Her very next heat had her on sedatives as well as suppressants to
try and stop her body from tearing itself apart. They were doing everything
they could and still she was screaming from the pain. Dominik was curled around
her but it was like dumping a glass of water on a forest fire. He gave her
another brand and it helped for an hour almost but still the muscle convulsions
returned.
Oliver left them to go and find one of two things: her destined or something
that smelled like him. The first he had no clue how to even begin, the second
he had an idea for.
If one had the funds a perfume could be constructed to emulate the scent of
another. This service was mostly used by those wanting to mask their
infidelities. Others commonly used it to attract a specific type or as a balm
after a loss. Sometimes it was also used by those with the resources to help
them during a heat or rut without their bonded. Oliver went to a shop and spent
the next few hours trying to help them make the perfect smell. A bottle of
‘his’ scent, just for her. At a point they were so close he was frustrated that
he could not figure out why it was off. He was going over the list again and
again and just couldn’t place why it smelt undeniably wrong. Then he remembered
the smell he was crafting was of an omega. The apothecary had used the aroma
equivalent of alpha for the base since Oliver had said it was to help an omega
in heat. He had them change it in a new batch and he proudly took the finished
product to her.
At first he tried dabbing a bit on her. This had her stir but the struggling
muscles did not ease. He dabbed a little on his brother but the overpowering
smell of alpha pressed through. When he took a small bit and warmed it on his
wrist his own weaker beta scent was masked by the perfume. When he wrapped his
arms around her, she nuzzled into him immediately. The three of them lay
tangled in the bedsheets, twins whispering about anything to pass the time and
her finally resting as her body stopped calling for the one she was missing.
A new process started then. They started spending her heats wrapped up in her
bedding. A new brand was granted by Dominik and Oliver used the smell of
another to hold her securely in his arms. Oliver was even louder about his
being her guy and Dominik was only branding her at his behest. This started
every type of rumor about the three of them. At a point she felt awful for her
acting as this wall to them finding romance of their own. How was Oliver ever
going to move on from her if he was constantly saying he was with her?
 
At prom they went through the expected motions. Dominik danced with a few
omegas only to get bored and find the two people he preferred to dance with
instead. Oliver only danced with her and she only danced with Oliver. Dominik
would join them but it was obvious he was the odd man out. Someone spiked the
punch and as expected of a dance in a hotel full of wealthy entitled drunk
teens many rooms got rented out. The three of them did as well.
Dominik playfully complained about how he was ruined for other omegas now. He
loved how feisty she was and that she was so independent around him. He was
rattling off more reasons that other omegas were all dumb and when he got to
the others all stinking they all started laughing. Oliver found a good movie on
tv and they were enjoying their decadent room service orders when Oliver said
it.
“We should keep this rumor about the three of us going through college. I mean,
just until we find ‘him’. Or until Dominik finds an omega that doesn’t actually
stink.” Oliver playfully elbowed his twin in the ribs. He sported a wicked grin
as Dominik’s counter jab missed by miles. They never agreed to that but still
they seemed to all be on that page. They kept the rumor alive, never actually
confirming or denying it.
This carried on once they all went on to university. The three of them lived in
a loft together. Three bedrooms and no attendants to witness the lack of sex
happening kept the lies alive.
They stuck together, the three of them against the world. 
 
When they were nineteen Oliver was named as heir to the family empire. This
started a whole mess of issues for them. Multiple members of the family, both
related and employed, started to want to see Oliver with their woman on his arm
or Dominik’s, not one shared between them. At one such gathering of voices
Oliver did the only thing he could think to silence all the comments.
He said that he was already engaged with her. The engagement had been secret,
only known to the three of them. No rings, no notes, just a promise. A promise
to get married at twenty-five when they were far enough through life that it
was certain that she would not be finding a destined alpha. They would marry
and become bonded on their honeymoon. This silenced all the complaints around
Oliver, but Dominik started getting a louder earful about needing an omega.
Dominik was pretty sure his brother would end up dead when he told her about
the lie he had used to quell the rabble. When she didn’t kill Oliver on the
spot but instead look to Dominik blankly, like it must be a joke, he wanted to
run. Dominik could only fidget under her emotionless gaze as his brother
continued.
“I’m never going to bond you. I’m no idiot. I know you are still in love with
‘him’. We just won’t tell anyone. Or rather we will tell people we are when we
aren’t. We will have a huge wedding, we will have to get married. There will be
a nullification clause though, that you are freed from any responsibilities of
the union the second we find ‘him’. This will all be for show.” Oliver was
speaking with a certainty that the plan would work just the way he said.
Dominik was the one she had her eyes locked on however.
“He is the one talking! It’s his stupid plan, I just went with his idiotic plot
because I didn’t know how not to!” Dominik was pointing to his brother with the
same expression he would have had as a five year old.
“You won’t bond me? Ever?” She turned to Oliver, the answer here being of the
utmost importance to her.
Oliver hesitated. “You know you are my only love don’t you?” Oliver was looking
at her with an easy smile, a sadness hidden in his eyes that only the people in
that room could recognize.
“Yes.” She let the word hold her own pain at the understanding of what her
loving someone else did to him. She did love them, with all her heart. She just
loved Levi more.
“If you loved me, if you were willing to be mine, I’d bond you in a heartbeat.
I’d bond you right now if you wanted it. I. Only. Love. You.” Oliver spoke with
a conviction that twisted her heart.
“But you love him. You are his destined. I don’t know why no one else saw it,
but you are. I am just the fool that fell in love with someone else’s destined.
I could never hurt you by taking that from you. If you find him. If it did turn
out that...” Oliver paused, his confidence in surviving the next sentence
genuinely faltering. “If he has found his alpha, if he is bonded to another.”
He winced as she took in a pained breath. When he saw her own fears of that
being all she would find he felt his determination return. “Only. Only if he is
not your destined. I hope you might consider bonding with me. Trying to love...
me.” He held out his hand and in it was a box. Dominik was completely
surprised. What he had thought was slapped together on the fly was in fact his
brother’s fully thought out plan.
She collapsed to the ground when he opened the box to a simple band of etched
metal and inlaid stones. She had never liked the fancy wedding rings, the
layers of diamonds. She had said on more than an occasion that she would ‘just
say no to a fool that brought her some show ring that was ten times more
expensive than it was boring. And they were all boring.’
This was perfect. This was the ring she was meant to receive from her destined.
The only thing she noticed that was off were the stones. The light blue lapis
was beautiful but not-
“I figure I can’t give you the ring ‘he’ is meant to give you. The lapis is
lovely though. It’ll let you remember my eyes, once you are his, again. I’d
hope you’d still want to remember me.” He was wrapping his arms around her.
Holding her tightly. He kissed her cheek and waited. He waited for the tears
she was holding back to spill. He waited for her to scold him for saying
anything about it potentially being a hopeless love. He waited for her as he
had always and would always wait for her.
She turned and kissed him. This time it was not the normal light kiss to the
cheek. She found his lips with hers and let slip the hold she used to keep
everyone out but Levi. In this world it was easier to find away to settle than
it was to find destined love. She knew that the one she loved more than
anything was possibly at that very moment loving someone else. She kissed
Oliver for the first time, accepting his proposal for marriage and, more over,
a promise for a happy future.
 
At twenty-one, on the twins birthday, they did the traditional ‘getting so
drunk that a hangover was promised’. Oliver woke up to the three of them in bed
in various stages of undress. She had a half dozen new brands, Dominik had a
black eye, and Oliver could not remember which, if either of them, gave it to
him. He drank one of the bottles of water that was sitting in a cooler by the
bed. He did not remember how that got there either.
He staggered to the bathroom and stripped off a torn shirt, one boot, two
socks, his pants and his underwear, to take a shower. He smirked while climbing
into the shower, he’d caught a glimpse of his shoulder in the mirror. The
slightly pink pair of dots he did remember getting. She had fed on them, both
him and his brother. They had been curious and she was a little buzzed so she
finally caved in and let them experience getting bitten.
Dominik had lost his virginity on his first rut at fourteen as a gift from one
the business parters of the family. Dominik then had peer pressured Oliver into
getting deflowered by fifteen. Oliver had held no belief that the first time he
would have sex would feel special but rather that the first time with ‘the one’
would be so he want along with it. Getting bitten had felt better than any way
he could even imagine sex. The way her sucking his skin had felt was beyond
orgasmic. He was mostly sure he had started with a climax and just kept coming
until she stopped. The after sex high had been there as well. If it weren’t for
the fact that he was in his pants and a boot still when he woke he would have
wondered if they had actually had sex.
A loud thud similar to a knock or maybe just a head resting on the door a
little too roughly brought Oliver from his recollection. “You the one in the
shower, Oliver?”
“Yeah.” He answered to his brother over the patter of the water.
The door opened and a few moments later a totally naked Dominik climbed into
the shower with him.
“What the hell, let me finish first, dick.” Oliver had not shared a bath with
his brother since kindergarten. Despite the rumors they did not commonly see
each other in the buff. His brother ignored him and pushed his way to be all
the way under the warm water. There was a pair of pink marks on his shoulder as
well. Oliver could not clearly remember watching Dominik being fed on, but he
recalled blurry bits.
“Smell me.” Dominik commanded his brother. Oliver was not at all okay with the
current situation. His brother was not a person he wanted to smell while naked
in the shower thinking about what had happened last night with the only girl he
had ever wanted.
All the same he pressed his nose to his brothers damp neck and took in a deep
breath. He smelled like Dominik. There was something that was probably the
residual of the drinking to much to the smell of him but mostly he just smelled
like Dominik. Underneath all that though, there was a faint, very faint scent.
Her. Underneath his brother’s normal smells was the smell of their girl. It was
never there before, not like this. Not even after her heats did her scent
linger like this.
Oliver was shocked. She had been the least dressed of all of them but she was
not naked. Their was no denying the fact under his nose though. Dominik smelled
like he had sex last night with their girl, no, Oliver’s fiancée.
“Are you fucking serious?” Oliver was too shocked to be angry. Without
answering Dominik thrust his own nose to the scent gland at his twin’s throat.
A few soft huffs later Dominik finally said something.
“Oh thank fuck. I think it’s just because she fed on us. I woke up freaking
out. It felt so good. I mean. Sooooo good. But even that drunk I didn’t want to
have... she is yours. I know I branded her a bunch but that is not the same
as... you know.”
Oliver blinked at his brother. He brought his own wrist to his nose and took in
a breath. He smelled her on his skin, her scent mingling with his as it would
if they had been together. A light rap on the door had them both looking at it,
startled.
“Guys, unless you intend to try and trick even me into thinking we are some
sort of incesty threesome get out here and have breakfast with me. You’ve been
in there way too long.” She had a soft laugh to her voice.
Quickly they got out of the shower, slight awkwardness from being caught in
that weird situation on both their faces. She just smirked. As the twins sat in
their seats a glass was placed in front of each of them. The glasses were
filled with a deep red liquid. They both simultaneously looked up to each other
then looked over to her to see her sporting a wicked grin, fangs included.
“What were you both doing in the shower?” Her voice was playful, like she knew
she was in a position of power over them. Oliver was the one to respond to the
thrown mischievous gauntlet.
“Did you fuck us last night?” Oliver kept his expression innocent as he waited
for her answer. Dominik just stared in shock. He was way too hungover to take
part in this game.
She was smiling again fangs showing openly as if testing to see if they would
panic. She shook her head no. Pressing her tongue carefully to the side of one
fang she paused to scrutinize the twin’s expressions. She licked her lips
before trapping her bottom lip between her teeth. She was biting her lip, her
fangs peaking out, looking at Oliver like she wasn’t sure if she should fuck
him or eat him. To be honest Oliver was unsure which option he wanted her to
pick as well.
“It smells like you fucked us.” Oliver did not give an inch in the game they
were playing. This was a new level of flirting for them. Dominik was more
immune as he did not want to be the asshole that slept with his future sister-
in-law. He took a sip of the red drink then quickly took a large gulp more.
“Is there celery?” Dominik like celery in his bloody marys. She did not pull
her gaze off Oliver but pointed to the counter.
“There is pickled asparagus and carrots too, if you want those.” The tension
was slowly building as the staring contest continued.
Dominik dropped one of each in his drink and dropped three asparagus spears in
his brothers glass. He knew his brother’s tastes. He also knew that she had
known what to get for both of them. Dominik sometimes really did worry he would
never be able to find love, these two were spoiling him to the point of ruin.
“Thanks Dom.” Oliver was bright in addressing his brother. “Are you hoping for
seconds?” Oliver still kept his gaze locked with hers. The challenging grin he
had was one drop of malice away from a bearing of teeth.
“Are you offering?” She was looking as innocent as a person with fangs peaking
out between their lips could look.
“Will it smell more like I fucked you?” Oliver was trying not to let his hoping
the answer was yes to be too apparent.
When she nodded, Oliver felt his throat go dry. He might never know what it was
to lay with her but this, this might be enough.
“We need to eat, Oliver. Your drink is going warm and our food is going cold so
let’s just put a pin in that and eat. Food. Not each other.” Dominik did not
want to ruin his meal just so they could revel in this new stage of flirting.
She got up and served out the three plates of food. A breakfast fit for two
hungover kings.
“So, who hit you Dom?” Oliver jumped to the next most obvious topic. Dominik
looked over his plate, jaw gaping, bite of food falling from his fork. She just
laughed. A little too hard in Oliver’s opinion.
“You did! How the hell do you not remember that?” Dominik was glaring at his
twin.
After that the rumor that they were both sleeping with her only got stronger.
She said the scent was meant to let other vampires know they were her food. It
was just like the way the scent would linger on someone after sex, proof of
connection. The ties between them were stronger than ever after this.
 
When she was twenty-two and the brothers were still twenty-one for a few months
yet, Oliver had a surprise for her. The three of them went to a small hole in
the wall club. Once inside Oliver disappeared only to reappear with a waitress
in tow. She was not exactly pretty but she looked like she thought she was
prettier than everyone else. When her hand ran down Oliver’s chest to stop on
his hip, it was Dominik’s grabbing Dominique at the waist and pulling her to
his lap that saved the waitress’ life.
A man came out of the back with a black shirt or the like and handed it to
Oliver. Oliver hadn’t even brought it up to his nose when his eyes widened in
delight. He brought the item to her, cat with the canary smile on his face.
“Here my Only. This is yours now. We are close. So close. I almost found him
before they moved again.” He was beaming so proudly, one could almost miss the
sorrow in his eyes. The inhabitants of the table did not.
“All?” She was reaching her hand out slowly, hoping his was saying what she
thought he was saying.
Dominik had missed when it happened but it was just the way of it now. Oliver
was calling her Only and she had started using All as her pet name for him.
Dominik had thought at first it was just her saying Ol, shortening his name,
but he saw a note she had left for him, it was All. He didn’t know what she
meant but he knew what Only meant to Oliver.
Dominik was pulled from his reflection on their fresh blooming, sickeningly
cute behavior by her tears running down her face. She had buried her nose and
mouth in the handfuls of dark fabric.
“So it is ‘his’?” Oliver had pride radiating from him. She nodded, eyes
shutting as she started to cry, really cry, for the first time since she was
sixteen.
They never got that close again. Something had happened that had their target
going to ground or just dropping off the map. Oliver kept looking. He would
make her happy. One way or another.
 
By twenty-three the rumors about them became half truths. They still had three
bedrooms, still slept most nights in their own beds, but from time to time
Dominik caught her slipping into Oliver’s room. He was happy for his brother,
even when he feared it would be a fleeting joy. It was still ‘his’ scent she
needed to get through a heat, still the promise of finding him that kept her
from drowning in despair. Still, Oliver deserved this happiness, no matter how
brief, his brother felt.
 
They were having lunch the day after her twenty-fifth birthday. It was a nice
cafe with huge windows and ample outdoor seating. It was a beautiful sunny day
and even with the deadline of the marriage looming she and Oliver were happy.
In a movie there would have been ominous music, an ill fated comment, something
to warn that today was not like any normal day. Instead they were laughing
about something stupid that she couldn’t even remember hours later, and how she
tried to remember.
The ring of the first shots was lost in the sound of the glass collapsing. As
the hail of bullets started ripping through innocent and criminal alike it was
only her superior speed and strength that got the heavy metal table flipped on
its side and Oliver pulled behind it. The tires peeled out seconds later and
the shooters were gone. No one was left standing. Shelter from the shots was
not available for anyone else and even she had taken a few hits. It would take
more than a few bullet holes to kill even the weakest vampire but not the
humans filling the crowded cafe.
Not Oliver.
He was bleeding heavily. There were too many wounds to hope and heal them all
before he bled out. That didn’t stop her from trying. She ripped a hole in her
palm and smeared her blood over his wounds. When he saw the panic in her face,
he knew it was not going to work.
“Only, it’s ok Only. Just be with me. Talk to me.” He looked so calm, he always
looked so calm, even under pressure.
“I don’t know what to say.” She was searching his eyes. Memorizing them.
“Tell me. Did you-“ he coughed, red painting his lips. “Did you ever love me
most, even for an instant?” He looked so accepting as his sand started to run
out, his life’s hourglass broken and spilling in a sickening red. The blood
that had come to smell like passion and strangely of home now smelt horrible to
her. Too much, there was too much of it, like spilt perfume. Still, she took in
deep breaths, desperate to burn the smell into her mind.
She could not lie to him. This was the last conversation they would ever have,
she would not lie. He would know it if she did anyways.
“I love you so much, All. I want what you promised me. I want to marry you in
front of everyone. I want to grow old with you as we watch the world change
together. I want to be buried next to you, as your wife. I want the happiness
you promised me, my All. So don’t… don’t go.” She had tears filling her vision
but she wiped them away. She would not let her last moments with him be blurry.
“That’s not the same, Only.” He was smiling that confident smile he always
used. The one that said he had caught his prey, just as he planned. “Find him.
He had better love you. He had better make you happy until the end of your
days. If he breaks you heart, I swear I am haunting his ass.” He chuckled
softly. She smiled through her breaking heart when his joy even reached his
eyes. “I love you, my only ever love.”
“I love you, my Always. Forever.” She pressed her lips to his for the last
time.
They were warm, and soft, and ever so slightly chapped.
 
 
It was no secret that her marriage to Oliver being reduced to ruination was a
negative to most of the families. Dominique’s personal ties to the Mikado
family had been nearly forgotten over the years.  Since her entry into college,
she had been thought of more in her relevance to the Cole family than as a
Mesman. When she became a CEO and main go to for all legal business dealings
for the Mikado family, everyone saw the hand they had been stacking. It would
have been a powerhouse marriage and solidified business ventures for nearly
every one, legal and illegal alike. The Mikado family felt the worst of it
though, the sting from this lost gambit.
No one knew what happened to the shooters. It was made clear to every family
that while the whereabouts and condition of the ones involved in and
responsible for Oliver Cole’s death remain unknown publicly, they had been
dealt with. It was also common knowledge to those involved with such elements
that it was the Mikado family’s enforcer, called The Demon by those in the
loop, that was responsible for carrying out the punishment.
Dominik moved to his own place when they graduated. After that the remaining
pair grew distant. The truth was, after trying for so long not to fall in love
with his brother’s girl, he could not stop seeing her as just that. No part of
Dominik could look at her and not see the one true love of his brother’s life.
It also was not lost on him that despite their differences, they had been
twins. All too often Dominik would be like a ghost of her dead fiancé. It was
small solace to him that there was a ring on her right ring finger that seemed
to never come off. It’s inlay of lapis was treated with care when the band had
been professionally cleaned. She needed the smell of his blood off it if she
was to keep wearing it. She wanted to keep it, to remember his eyes, remember
his loving her. To remember him, always.
***** A Reason to Hate Hope *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
“Happy Birthday, old man.” Mike looked at the man in the mirror, focusing on
his own eyes, while straightening his tie. He practiced his good natured smile
for the coming bombardment, the benevolent warmth eventually reached his eyes.
First a bit of business then they would be using his birthday as a cover for
loitering in the venue. As the head of security it was normal for him to be the
one busting balls and barking orders but today he had a bullseye painted on his
forehead. He was celebrating his thirty-eighth lap around the sun and it was
not a joyous occasion to him.
The tall man did not actually mind getting older. In his profession it was not
uncommon to die young. Mike knew how lucky he was to survive all the times he
had been shot, stabbed... thrown from moving vehicles. Living this long spoke
volumes to his prowess as a bodyguard and strength as an alpha. No, what had
Mike looking at his reflection, practicing his hiding the disappointment in his
eyes, was his heart.
Mike was one of the rare few left still hoping to find a destined one true
love. He had a low bar for his soulmate: omega, breathing, his. He had never
been too picky but somehow he still had trouble holding down a relationship.
The lonely sting of another year passing without them appearing in his life, it
made his hopes of finding them feel like poison. He sighed as he concluded his
mask was as solid as it would get. Time for work.
Mike left the bathroom, scanning the dance floor as he went, to go stand by his
boss. Erwin Smith, up and coming kingpin of the territory, had been Mike’s
charge for the last twenty some years. It was unusual to use an alpha as a
security head, but Erwin was no stickler for normalcy. Mike had forged a
friendship with Erwin as they had gone up through school together. When the
time came for Erwin to entrust his life to a guard, he had asked Mike to be
that guard. Mike counted the alpha among his closet friends, not just his
employer.
Erwin was only here to size up the venue, not for any significant business. He
was playing up a casual bemusement over the scene as he stood confidently to
the side of the dancing masses. He swirled his drink while watching the crowd
sway and gyrate to the music. Erwin had undone the buttons to the coat of his
slate blue three piece suit, flashing his holster to anyone that knew what to
look for. Mike huffed through his nose and moved in to remind Erwin of the
extra precautions they should be taking.
The word around town was that The Scout’s Reprieve was a safe venue for any
number of business dealings. They catered to everything from formal business
entertainment to rooms for the darkest parts of Mike’s profession. The place
had been going strong for over a decade and, with Smith’s ambitious enterprises
trying to expand peacefully, a neutral ground needed to be sourced. Still Mike
distrusted anyplace he had not done the security for personally. There were too
many shady corners and high perches for gunmen. If Mike could not control who
was coming and going, he could not guarantee his boss’ safety. That he did not
like.
Mike also did not like how hard it was to vet the place. He had looked into
every company that could even claim a cocktail napkin of the place and yet he
had no idea who the owner was. He had found a spiderweb of companies and
subsidiaries but he had no named person in charge. The one in charge was the
one they would be meeting tonight. Mike respected any one that could keep even
him from finding out their identity but that did not translate to trust.
“Erwin, you are showing your hand to our enemies.” Mike had no reason for
overly cryptic comments but also did not want to outright say ‘stop flashing
your gun to the normals’. No sooner had Mike made it to Erwin’s heel than he
had his bodyguard’s intuition tensing his body over of an encroaching possible
threat.
The man that was rolling up had a scummy sort of smirk on his mouth. He was in
a slightly thread worn brown suit and used a broad brimmed hat to keep the
masses from looking too long at his face. He had a smugness to him that left
Mike straining to keep from getting between the approacher and Erwin. Mike
could tell the man coming up had the rooms security watching his back. This was
no doubt the man they were here to meet.
“Hello, hello, hello. Erwin Smith, a pleasure to meet’cha.” The greeting had a
carnival barker lilt to it. The man offered his hand and Mike had to stifle a
snort. The alpha had a thick stink to him, as if he were trying to prove his
being the biggest baddest alpha on the block by scent alone. The man was
probably around the same height as Erwin but he looked more like a disheveled
pimp than boss of a building notorious throughout the underworld. Mike was used
to not getting in the faces of anyone trying to do business with his boss,
still this guy had him bristled.
“I must admit, this is the first time my people were unable to tell me the name
of who I was meeting. Normally they would have told me about you, your family,
your childhood dog’s family... I am impressed by your ability to keep a
secret.” Erwin had swallowed down his own ego. It was a practiced sort of calm
that the blonde alpha was using to shroud his reaction. Mike caught it though.
Erwin wanted to knock the man down a peg.
“Name’s Kenny. You’d be wise to keep that to yourself. The one you will be
dealing with is my nephew, Levi. You’ll want to keep that under wraps as well.”
Kenny had a tone that made clear he had every confidence those names would stay
secret, one way or another.
“Oi! Shit-head! Are you trying to piss all over my night?” Mike felt the bite
of enraged alpha piercing the words. Clubbers parted as the seas for the
shortest alpha Mike had ever seen. The man was barely over five feet, black
hair done in an undercut, looking neat from the black on black three piece suit
down to the fresh polish of his patent leather shoes. The new arrival was the
polar opposite to the man he was addressing.
“Levi, that’s no way to speak on the dance floor. It‘ll upset the guests.” His
calm tone was not fooling anyone, even if Kenny did seem used to the spitfire
attitude being thrown his way.
“Don’t pull that shit with me. We have seven bookings and five rooms. What
exactly is so fucking hard about that math? Am I really the idiot for expecting
you to know how to count to ten? Shit, just manage getting to five and I
wouldn’t have this fucking migraine.” Both Erwin and Mike stepped back, the ire
rolling off the smaller man was near palpable. Kenny was unmoved. He was
clearly seasoned in weathering these storms.
“They’re not booked for the same times. Have some’a the gogos clean up and its
good as gold.” Kenny had his smarmy smirk twisting into more of a snarl than a
grin.
The smaller man simply looked up blankly. In the long pause of the two men
glaring, Mike had his mind accidentally drift. Maybe he was still being too
picky. Maybe he could reduce the list to breathing, and his. This alpha was
strikingly attractive. One slow, controlled, blink and Mike could almost hear
the ravenette’s patience snap.
“That would be a possibility if Jaeger were here. Or that new brat Krista.
Fuck, if the bartender’s fuck buddy were here I’d use her. But no. I have Sasha
and Hitch right now. Sasha. And bloody fucking Hitch.”
“What’s wrong with using Petra? You suddenly playing favorites?” The way Kenny
said those words made Mike want to slug him. Mike had no idea why he wanted to
lay the larger alpha out over some comment that exclusively by tone told Mike
it was an insult, but boy did he ever. The low growl in Mikes throat threatened
to turn into a snarl if he did not stifle it.
The petite alpha had no need for a salvo from Mike though. Viper fast hands had
the lapels of Kenny’s coat, bending him to force his eyes to level. “That omega
is nothing special to me, and if you start spreading those lies I will not
think twice of running this shit hole... without you.”
Mike widened his eyes at the brazenness of making a threat of that nature.
Doing so in front of individuals like Erwin and him no less. He was either
stupidly arrogant or a type of dangerous that Mike needed to keep a constant
eye on. Mike gave a snort over the rising conflict they were standing at the
edge of, trying to clear his senses. Mike realized then that he had made a
mistake.
The world suddenly just stopped for Mike. The overpowering stink of Kenny had
hidden the smell at first, and would probably have gone unnoticed by most. He
had to take another deep breath in through his trained nose to be sure. The
smaller man was an omega. He was a lithe, handsome, unbranded, fury breathing,
omega. What first triggered a deep want was quickly tempered with leeriness.
There were rumors, old rumors from over a decade ago of an omega hitman. Those
rumors fit the man before him, perfectly.
“You need to move on eventually, Levi. If you can’t stand getting an alpha you
need to start looking at other... options, kiddo.” This had the sound of an old
conversation.
“Oh? It’s been eighteen years and still no one comes close to her. Maybe that
means YOU are a dumb fuck for separating us.” Levi was spiting the insults into
his uncle’s face.
Mike tried to get his romantic’s heart under thumb. This omega was still hung
up on his ex from eighteen years ago. He was not interested in moving on. He
would not want to meet some random alpha even if it was said alpha’s birthday.
Even using logic he failed to stymie the fluttering of his pulse.
“Damn it, Levi. This is not the time. Are you thick? I am trying to do some
business right now. Or do you intend to just take on this task too?” The alpha
was giving up on saving face and simply let the fight go at a draw to try and
get back to the tasks of the night.
Levi released his uncle to look to the two men standing at the fringe of his
chewing Kenny out. The man on the forefront was executive chic with a darkness
to his eyes that left him looking like every other alpha mob boss under the
sun. This was Erwin Smith, boss of a criminal family that was using legitimate
business to spearhead the acquisition of new territory. Levi was not impressed.
Looking to the heel of the alpha Levi expected to see the all so common beta
head bodyguard. The security here was instead a giant of an alpha. He had to be
multiple inches over his own uncle. Levi had a small twitch of muscles in his
neck make him want to snarl. He had started to offer up his scent to the aqua
eyed alpha. Levi’s jaw clenched as he bit back his conditioned flaring of
temper. His fingers itched with a want to grab a fist full of that shaggy
blonde hair and force him to his knees. When his mind also considered
physically inspecting that scruff of a mustache and goatee once he was forced
to level, Levi mentally squirmed.
He looked back to his uncle, ready to continue his fight if the prick so much
as thought of saying something. His only family just looked at him, sparing a
flicker of what Levi would have called pity had it been anyone else. Kenny
would not pity him now, not after all this time.
“Tch, I thought this was a simple meet and greet. Buy them a round and call the
job done.” Levi tried to play off his reaction to the huge alpha as annoyance
at his uncle. When the largest of the party cleared his throat to speak, Levi
could not prevent his flinching.
“Actually since it’s my birthday, most of our crew will be coming in for a bit
of a celebration. We decided to use your venue for the party.” He was rubbing
the back of his neck awkwardly, eyes dropped even with his being an alpha. Levi
raised an eyebrow at the absence of demand from the birthday boy. When was the
last time Levi had seen an alpha not act entitled around him? 
“You know what? We still have a balcony available for the night. You all can
use that.” Levi was trying not to move closer to the alpha. He was completely
baffled by his reaction to this man. Sure he had been hit by pheromones before,
had his share of flings to let off some steam, but this was strange. He wanted
to give something to this alpha, something nice for his birthday.
Mike was speechless. This was not what his heart was searching for, it was just
good business. It was not the omega trying to dote. Mike felt his cheeks
getting warm all the same. Embarrassed by his heart’s misassumption, he tried
to hide the reaction but only blushed worse when he saw the omega’s smug smirk
as he stared at him. The omega had noticed Mike’s reddening face even in the
club’s low light. When Levi proudly squared his shoulders, Mike was beyond
flustered. This omega was enjoying the impact he was having on Mike.
Erwin could also see the uncommon reaction from his head of security. He gave a
simpering smile over the need to work always taking priority in Mike’s life.
Erwin simply thanked them for their generosity and bid farewell. Mike stayed at
his heel out of practice more than focused effort. Erwin had never seen an
alpha have this sort of impact on Mike before.
“What in the world has gotten into you? What happened there? I know you get
overly sensitive on your birthday, but an alpha?” Erwin tried to keep from
sounding too surprised by the idea.
“He is an omega. Levi is a firebrand of an omega.” Mike was shaking his head in
disappointment over his losing face in front of potential adversaries. 
Erwin merely widened his eyes at the realization that Levi was perfectly Mike’s
type. Any other day Erwin would have ribbed his surprisingly shy friend into
talking with the omega. It had been eight years since the last time Erwin had
heard Mike so much as voice interest in finding his life’s mate. Having known
the man through most of their lives, he knew how much finding The One meant to
Mike. Mike had been vocal of his expectation of it happening by thirty. When
fate had yet to give even a promising relationship by the expected deadline,
Erwin noticed Mike’s new aversion to talking about it. Tonight might be the
best birthday Mike had in a long time ...or worst. That would be up to Levi.
 
 
Levi was looking to the group in the balcony from his office window. The night
was slowing down, with a significant number of the party having left already.
Levi watched as the birthday boy once more went down to the bar. Levi went down
to meet the alpha, opportunity to give him another gift something he could not
pass up now that the night was nearly over. When he overheard Mike asking about
coffee Levi rolled his eyes.
“Tch. Coffee? It is four AM. Have herbal tea.” Levi caught how his voice had
the towering alpha go still. He could not help but smirk.
“What...” Mike cleared his throat, then tried again. “Can you recommend a good
choice? I’m way too drunk to make decisions right now.” 
Levi nodded softly as he took the opening. Levi slid behind the bar and shooed
away the bartender. He sourced out the tin of his favorite herbal blend and
crafted a pot for the birthday boy. Levi felt those aqua eyes watching his
every move. Only once the task was completed and Levi had pot, cup and saucer
in hand did he let himself look back to the alpha. Mike was watching him with
an intentness that had nothing to do with thirst.
Mike managed to focus enough to offer the now crumpled bills he had gotten out
to pay for the coffee. Levi waved away the money. It was his own tea and he
wanted to give the alpha more gifts. When Mike blushed deeply, Levi felt paid
in full.
While Mike started in on the beverage, Levi walked back around to the patron’s
side to lean on the bar beside the alpha. As the cup was drained then filled
just to be finished again, Levi beamed in pride. The alpha liked his gift.
“I don’t have to worry about you or one of your drunk friends trying to drive
you home do I?” Levi toyed with the idea of offering a ride himself but he did
not have his spare helmet and he was unwilling to ride his motorcycle with an
oversized drunk on the back. In a wreak he would be able to keep them both from
harm but that was an explanation he did not want to give. 
“Erwin assigned me a driver. He is a caring boss. I’m sure he would have
settled down by now if he would just stop working for five seconds.” Mike was
smiling as he thought about the beta in their employ that was quite smitten
with the Boss. If Erwin would only notice, they would be perfect for each
other.
“What has an alpha like you here without a date? Or am I at risk of making some
beta jealous?” Levi had moved closer so he caught the flicker of sorrow that
crossed those blue-green eyes. Mike had perfected his hiding the tells from
everyone else, but Levi caught it, even in the dim lights of the club. Levi
instantly regretted his phrasing. He knew nothing about this alpha, his story
could hold any number of tragedies. “Sorry, that is none of my business. Didn’t
mean to offend you on your day.”
Mike was startled by Levi not only noticing but then seeming so bothered by the
unexpected reaction. Mike knew what the man had been fishing for, it was
obvious. The bitter twist in his heart was only from so many hopes left to
fester for all these years. Mike chose to tell this man the truth, embarrassing
as it was.
“This will sound stupid, I know, but I really hoped to find my soulmate, my
intended omega. I’ve been looking for so long. I just thought-“ Mike was
interrupted by lips suddenly pressing to his. His drunk mind took a moment to
understand that the omega had taken a fistful of his hair and pulled him down
so that his lips could reach. It was fierce and rough and when Mike finally had
enough sense to move it was too late. The kiss ended as suddenly as it started,
with Levi pulling away first. He licked over Mike’s scent gland, playfully
nipping at the sensitive spot before flitting just out of Mike’s reach.
“You’ll find them. Romantics like you always find your true loves. The fates
created soulmates because of people like you, after all. Happy Birthday alpha.
Be seeing you.” Levi turned on a dime and started ordering around the staff.
The club was closing, or rather Mike was the last to get the hint that they
were closed.
Mike was left speechless as the omega vanished into the bustle of closing out
the club for the night. Mike hated to admit it, but he had enjoyed this
birthday. Everything said and done, the best gift of the night had been meeting
the omega who’s scent was sticking to Mike in the best way. Tonight, for what
it was worth, Mike would let himself once again dream of having a soulmate. His
soulmate, a burning souled omega with raven’s wing hair and icicle eyes.
Chapter End Notes
     Thank you SO much for reading! I only just posted this and so it is
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