Page 83 of Collateral Omega

“Don’t listen to anything he says. He'll lie and cheat to save himself.” Holi heard his uncle say. He rushed out of the party hall and returned the serving bot to the makeshift cooking station.

“I’m taking a break,” he said to no one in particular. He walked back out and made his way to the garden he’d seen earlier when they arrived. Holi breathed in the fresh air. He shook out his arms, stretching his muscles. He thought he was immune to Uncle Isa’s mean words, but fuck he got him every time.

Holi stared up at the twin moons. He froze when he felt another presence. He knew that overwhelming and dominant presence. For a second, Holi allowed himself to feel him. Xaine’s scent followed as he got close. Holi bit off a moan. Five years later, he still felt the same about the alpha.

Holi opened his eyes to look at him. The alpha looked handsome as always.

“Hi,” Xaine said. His eyes glowed as they greedily took him in. “You look terrible,” he said.

“Thank you,” Holi said.

“I didn’t mean…” Xaine trailed off, shaking his head.

“I know what you meant. I lost weight and look pale. I know,” Holi said. He sometimes forgot to eat because he missed Xaine so much. Whenever he ate something, he remembered when Xaine used to feed him. And then the food turned to ash in his mouth. It was just better not to eat. “How are you?”

“Surviving,” he said. “I miss you like crazy.”

“Xaine…”

“No. I’m going to say everything I never said to you,” he said, getting closer. Holi’s body trembled. “I messed up when I let you go. I should have told you that I love you. I should have begged for your forgiveness for making you lose your jobs, bribing your alpha to treat you badly."

"What?"

"Yeah. I was a beast and I really did some stupid things. I'm sorry."

"The robbery. Was it you?"

"What robbery?"

"Nothing."

Xaine got closer. "I should have begged you to stay with me. But my guilt wouldn’t let me. I had to let you and wait for you to come back to me. But I’m tired of waiting. Baby, come back to me.”

Holi gasped.

“I love you. I want to bond with you.” Xaine said.

“I can’t. It took too long for me to feel normal again. I can't put myself through this again.”

“I’ll be good to you. I promise,” Xaine said. “Give me one more chance.”

Holi shook his head and ran away from him. He made his way back to the makeshift cooking station and got back to work. This time he avoided going to the party hall by all means necessary. The party ended around midnight. They cleaned up after themselves and returned to their current home. Tomorrow he might have to leave. Seeing Xaine again put him in flight mode.

“I saw Xaine Covus tonight,” Holi said as he lay in bed next to Blaine. The omega gasped.

“Are you alright?”

“Why would you ask that? I’m fine,” Holi said.

“I ask because I know you’re not over him,” Blaine said. He turned to his side to face him. “Do you want to go back to him?”

Holi was silent thinking of his question. “I do,” he said honestly. “But I’m scared.”

“You're scared of how much you love him?”

“Yes. I lost myself when I was with him,” Holi said. He rubbed his chest. “I know we believe that true mates don’t exist anymore, and its rare to meet one. I don’t even know what it would feel like if I met my true mate. But it feels like its fate. Something true mates would feel.”

“Then he’s your true mate,” Blaine said.

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