Page 40 of Collateral Omega

“You know what’s sad?” Holi asked, taking a sip of the spirit.

“What?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get bonded to a wealthy alpha or otherwise. My father spent all our credit and his energy on getting me bonded. But he failed to see that we were playing dress up all along. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fit into their world.” Holi gulped down his drink and held out the glass.

“Is fitting in really that important?” Saki asked, pouring him another glass. “Anyone who can’t see your worth is blind.”

Holi laughed sadly. “I think you’re the one who’s blind. You see what you want to see. But the world out there humbled me.” Holi threw back his drink, finishing it in one go.

“Easy,” Saki said.

“No,” Holi said, waving his glass in the air. “Hit me.”

“Don’t regret this in the morning,” Saki said as she poured him another glass. They laughed and drank a whole bottle of Red Amber spirit. Holi could barely hold his head up. The room spun every time he tried to lift it. He dropped his head on the table, forehead first, and groaned. The sound echoed all around him loudly.

“Shhhh….shhhh….not so loud,” he loudly whispered.

“I’m not being loud. You’re the loud one,” Saki said. “You’re screaming. I think you’ve had enough. No more spirit for you.”

“No moreee.” Holi shoved to his feet suddenly. “I thinnnk I’mmm lrunk.”

“Yes, you are. Come, let’s get you to bed.” Saki laughed and wrapped an arm around him. She walked, well more like, half carried him while he slid his feet on the floor to his room. Holi dropped face first on his bed and sighed.

“Goodnight, Holi,” Saki said. Holi mumbled something unintelligible. Saki laughed, clearly understanding what he’d said. “Me too. I…” Holi didn’t hear the rest as he drifted away.

Holi winced at the sudden pounding in his head. He opened his eyes to stare blearily at the stream of light coming through the window. It was morning already. He groaned as the pounding continued, the jarring sound sending a splitting headache through his skull.

“Make it stop!” Holi cried, clutching his head. Who was making so much noise in the morning?

“Holi? Holi, wake up,” Saki rushed into his room. “There’s someone at the door.”

“What’s going on?” Holi growled loudly, ready to tell whoever was at the door to get lost. If only he could move - he rolled and crawled on the bed - his limps refusing to listen to him. He breathed hard, flopped down on the bed as his stomach roiled.

“Give me a minute. I think the spirit is trying to kill me from inside my stomach.”

“Hurry up, Holi. Before they break the door,” Saki said, walking out of the room.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Holi mumbled as he forced himself to get up and follow Saki.

He came to a screeching halt, sobering up, when he found five alphas and two betas standing at the front door.

What’s going on?

“Can I help you?” Saki said. “It’s a bit early for visitors. We are still grieving.”

“That’s why we’re all here. We heard that your father died, and we have a lot to discuss with you,” the alpha in front said, staring at Holi. Saki stepped in front of Holi and blocked him from view.

“Talk to him about what? He doesn’t have to talk to you.”

“He doesn’t have a choice. He must pay back all the credit his father borrowed. Everything,” the alpha said.

“What?” Holi stared at them in horror. “My father borrowed credit from all of you. That’s not possible. He might have misused credit, but he used my dad’s savings. He never borrowed credit.”

They all laughed at him.

“What savings? He didn’t have anything. Your alpha dad has been gone for years. How do you think you survived for all these years?”

No. That can’t be true.

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