A/N: This is the second chapter in a double update. Did you read chapter 3? 

😉🐈‍⬛

POV: Luca Gray

My interview with Eli was on Monday. I wrote up my profile on him that night, fueled by nervous energy as I processed the fact that I had found my alpha. Not only had I found my alpha, but it was THE pack's alpha, and that was terrifying. I stayed hidden in my room in hopes I wouldn't accidentally blurt out that Eli Blackwood was my Goddess fricking fated mate. I was still processing the fact that I am going to be THE Luna. What in the world is that lady thinking? Why would she put me, the most fucked of omegas with an Alpha alpha? Girl, what?

The next day, I reread and revised my profile before sending it off to PPR. Now, it is Thursday, and I have spent the last couple of days balancing an inquisitive Alpha and dodging another blind date. Seriously, though, how do we have this many single alphas in this one pack?

Eli still hasn't said anything about us actually meeting up. I have no idea what to think. He has texted me every day. A simple "Good Morning" or "Good night" with some questions thrown in throughout the day. It's kinda sweet. I think. It could be a trap since he is a pack, tribal, and community leader. He has to watch his image.

My mom told me last night that she wanted to arrange another outing with a "handsome alpha in finance." I told her I couldn't, but she wouldn't get off my back. I'm really trying to avoid it. Even though I know if my parents push too hard, I will eventually have to give in, I am pretty sure Eli will be angry. He seemed really mad that I have been on dates. I told my parents that one of my headaches seemed to be building up and that I was just going to avoid the outside world.

Unfortunately, that didn't work in my favor.

"Luc!" Mom yelled as she came into my room. "Get dressed. We have guests coming in an hour."

I sat up in the little reading nest that I had been hiding in. Anxiety slithered its icy tendril over me. Heat crept up my neck as the tells of a panic I didn't know how to manage flooded my system.

"Mom! What did you do?" I screeched.

No, No, No, No. How do I get out of this without risking being mated off to Eli? Why would she bring an alpha when I said I wasn't feeling well? Why do they keep doing this to me? As a beta, Mom won't recognize that I am struggling as easily as an alpha would. Alphas can sense omegas in distress, which is distinctly different from just anxiety or even a regular wolf or human's distress.

"Luca, you will never find your mate hiding in the house." She snapped.

"Mom. I keep asking you to stop setting me up with alphas." I screamed, shuffling back and forth in my bedroom as I tried to come up with a plan.

This is a disaster. Something was off with me. I didn't understand if it was finding my alpha or just being pissed at my parents. The way my agitation was affecting me right now wasn't how I typically was when I was upset, and my parents upset me quite a lot recently.

"You are 23! It is past time you were mated. How is that not embarrassing to you?" Mother protested, further driving me into this madness I couldn't shake.

"Maybe because my life has never revolved around finding a mate, Mom. I am an omega, but this is a modern pack. I want to write. I want to work. Be my own person. If I am going to be with someone, I want it to be a mutual choice, not because the Goddess chose us and that, as an omega, I feel the uncontrollable need to jump on an alpha's dick." I snarked at her as I let out a huff of frustration.

She made a sour face, not liking what I said, but honestly, right now, I don't care. Why, at 23, did I need to be mated off to some fucking alpha? My head is spinning as I try to calm my breathing. Too many thoughts. There is just too much.

She would never get it. She was a beta who ended up being mated to an alpha, which is rare, so she felt so special. Mom still doesn't understand what it's like to be an omega. She understood that alphas could be "hot". She grasped the theory of alpha and omega relationships. She refuses to acknowledge that I might be different.

Mom loved being mated to an alpha who was a pack warrior. It had come with status and protection. She couldn't imagine why I didn't want that for myself when it was guaranteed as an omega for me to be cared for. My phone started buzzing incessantly. I looked down at the phone next to my nest. My eyes widened, but my mother took this distraction to end the conversation.

"Get dressed, Luca." She huffed angrily and walked out.

Fuck! I just stared at my phone until it went to voicemail, but he called again. Eli probably would keep calling, right? I took a deep breath before answering.

"Good evening, Alpha Eli," I said as sweetly as possible to cover my murderous mood.

"Luca, is everything alright?" He questioned.

"Yes, Alpha." I responded, "Everything is great." I chirped out.

Who was I kidding? I was stressed. My stomach was in knots, and I truly felt like I was going to be sick.

"Luca? I would prefer it if you were honest with me." He said, disappointment coating his words. "We haven't completed the bond, but I can still sense when you are having strong emotions. You are panicking or at least anxious. It's enough that I could tell. Is there something I can help you with? Are you safe?" He encouraged me with his low voice.

No, No. No, letting the Alpha soothe you right now, boy. You have stuff to figure out. The fact that I wanted to spill my soul had to be a mate bond thing. I couldn't risk it, though. The last thing I needed was to have angry alphas surrounding me. I can't believe my own emotions are betraying me.

"Don't fall into the Alpha voice."

"Yes, Eli. I'm safe." I assured him.

"But something is wrong?" Eli stressed.

"Well, it's definitely not right," I grumbled. "But I'll be ok, Eli. I can take care of myself." I tried my best to sound confident.

"I'm sure you can. It's my job, though, to check in at the very least. You can call me if you change your mind." Eli suggested.

"Thank you, Alpha," I said softly.

"Good night, Omega." Ugh, Why?

I hung up the phone. Okay. While I was on the phone with Alpha Eli, I calmed down. I have a much better idea for my plan. What I do know is that I am definitely not staying here.

First, I checked my planner. My heat was due. That could possibly explain why I am struggling a bit. Knowing my heat is coming only made my plan more terrifying, but a man's gotta do what a man has got to do, right? I'm even angrier because Mom has my heat written in her planner, and she still managed to plan a dinner.

I started gathering my stuff, shoving it into a bag. I turned off my phone's location sharing and the location setting on my browser. Then I arranged a rideshare to pick me up a few blocks away. That should give me enough time to get out and stop by the ATM to pull out the little bit of the funds I'd saved from my allowances and scholarship.

Phone. Laptop. Chargers. Heat stuff.

Ok, good to go. I opened my bedroom door and listened. Everyone was distracted in the rush to get ready, so I quickly slipped out the door, quietly running down our building hallway. I didn't even wait for the elevator. I just went straight down the stairs and left the building.

It wasn't dark yet, so it was still warm and a lot less scary. Quickly making my way to the corner store on the next block over, I took out as much cash as it would let me. I met my car and let the driver take me to a random building downtown, and then I walked to a motel that I had seen when I was here last week.

The man at the front was not the nicest, but I had a room for the week. I dropped off my stuff. As I headed back out to grab some food and such, my phone started going off. Back-to-back texts and calls from my mom and dad. I put my phone on silent and went into a shop I found. I grabbed some snacks and drinks to get me through the heat ahead. I would just lock myself in the room, and everything would be fine. At least I hoped it would. Downtown was far from the pack, so unless there are rouges around, it should be fine.

By the time I got back, I was exhausted. I showered and sat down with my tablet to read. At some point, my parents would have to learn that they can't just demand I do whatever they want.

~

I woke up the next morning and checked my phone. The last text from my parents was one from my mom berating me for embarrassing them. My father demanded I tell him where I was because I wasn't with any of my friends. I saw a couple of concerned texts from my friends and quickly replied. I was about to check my email when my phone started going off. Eli's contact popped up.

First thing? I slid the little green bar to answer.

"Alpha Eli? Good-"

"Where the fuck are you?" He snarled through the phone.

I sat up, fear gripping me as I fought my wolf to get it to stop reacting to our clearly displeased Alpha. I wasn't expecting that at all. My throat bobbed as I tried to get my breathing under control. An angry alpha was never a good sign.

"How did you know I wasn't home?" I asked, slightly baffled.

"I am your pack Alpha. Of course, if a pack member disappears, especially an omega, someone is going to tell me. My Delta just reported it to me, but by the time your parents called it in, your scent apparently disappeared. Luca, I asked you if you needed help, and you said no." He said, exasperated.

"Did they happen to say why I left?" I asked.

"No," He paused. "They just complained that you are emotional and being irrational. Luca, running away does seem to be a rather irrational choice."

I scoffed. Of course he would say that. He doesn't have people trying to make him mate.

"So I guess you would have preferred me to be on another date?" I said snidely.

I could tell I was being bratty, but I was honestly annoyed.

"Of course not! I would have preferred my mate to come to me if he needed help. I would prefer my mate home and safe." He said with a low growl.

"I was planning on moving out. I just hadn't told my parents yet. That's why I was trying to get a job, Eli." He sighed loudly, clearly frustrated by my choices.

"Luca, come stay at the pack house." He instructed.

"I can't," I said flatly as I registered the light cramps in my middle.

"Why not?" He asked, rising frustration evident in his voice.

"You won't just accept that I can't, will you?"

"No." He snapped.

"My heat is starting," I mumbled out. Eli was silent for a moment, and then he let out a loud groan.

"Luca, where are you? You can't be out alone during your heat." He was exasperated at this point.

"I am not out. I got a motel room." I explained.

"Omega, you know exactly what I mean." He growled, even over the phone.

His voice was scary and very threatening. I could imagine him sitting at his desk, pulling at his dark strands in frustration. I didn't mean to drive him mad. I just needed to get out of there. I needed to stop having everyone dictate everything for me.

"I would feel more comfortable here. Um, what if my heat- What if you-. I-" I stuttered until Eli cut me off.

"You are worried about the mate bond and your heat. You are worried about me?" He let out an angry sigh.

"Yes, Alpha," I said

"I understand that we are a long way off from that. I would take precautions." He tried to reassure me, but there was just so much to this.

"But then my parents will figure out that you know me. Then they will figure out you are my mate. I'm not ready for that." I confessed.

"I am their Alpha. They can't make me do anything." He said gruffly.

"Everyone else will care that I am the Luna and not normal. My parents will keep pushing. The pack elders will get involved." I was practically begging, and Eli let out another long, exhausted sigh.

"Fine. But let me know where you are. I'll send a couple of beta warriors to watch out for you. As soon as your heat breaks, let me know. I will be there so we can talk and figure out what we are going to do. The fact that you ran away from home and keep telling me you are concerned about your parents pushing into our relationship concerns me, Luca." I could hear the frustration, anger, and sincerity in his voice.

"I can do that, Eli," I replied.

"Do you need anything?" He asked

"Nope!"

"Okay. Okay. I'll leave you be, but call me if you need anything." He pushed.

"I will, Alpha." I hung up, laughing at his insistence.

Tumbling out of bed, I took a suppressant and pain pill to avoid the heat symptoms getting worse. I set up a pile of drinks and snacks on the bed and grabbed my laptop. I would write and sleep this heat away like I always do. 

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Hey, Bubbles and Butterflies,

 Drop comments to let me know what is confusing and what needs to be better.

If you have questions about asexuality, aromanticism, or mixed orientation relationships, drop a comment or find me on social media. I'll answer you back to the best of my ability. Please note that some of your questions may be answered on my socials as well. I won't use screen names if I post your question.

I will post on my Wattpad wall when the next chapter will be up. It depends on the Patreon schedule, but I should be able to get chapter five on Patreon by mid-June. Wattpad gets chapters at the earliest, one week after Patreon.