“I always knew you’d be back.”

Arthuro chuckled as I was dropped off the car, my aching body hitting the ground.

“I still can’t believe you lasted that long with that sadistic pig!”

“He would have lasted longer if he didn’t kill Mr. Valdez,” said one of the thugs who dropped me off. “I guess he can’t take the fat bastard no more.”

He gave me a kick as he went back past me. I was too sick to complain.

“What? He actually killed Mr. Valdez?” asked Arthuro.

“Yeah, hid a steak knife and slit his throat while they were fucking,” said one of the thugs.

“Then he cut the boss to pieces and fed him to the dogs. We had to shoot the monsters to get to what was left of him.”

“Then, what’s he doin’ here?” Arthuro gasped. “Go send him to the cops! We don’t want no problems here!”

The thugs laugh.

“The missus has a soft spot for this bitch,” one of them said. “She stopped us half way when we were `bout to dispose of him. Said he prob’ly won’t last a night in jail, at least in here, he can just go back to bein’ a whore. She owes him one after all.”

“Yeah, the missus owns everything now, with the bastard dead and gone.”

Their laughs faded as they climbed back inside the car. I heard the door close and the engine start. All that’s left was the throbing pain and Arthuro’s irritating chuckle.

“So, what do we do with you now?” he asked, prodding me.

I simply close my eyes and wish to never wake again.

“Oh, good, you’re finally up.”

I open my eyes and see Morel in front of me.

“Where...”

“Back in the Red Raven, obviously.”

I looked at the side and saw Joselito looking down at me.

I couldn’t believe they were still alive.

“You were out for five days, but at least you’re awake now, and most of your wounds are starting to heal,” said Morel who seems to have grown a bit since I last saw him.

“I heard you killed your master?” Joselito grinned at me. He was missing a tooth.

“Don’t worry, boss said you can rest `til tomorrow,” Morel said positively.

“Yeah, Morel here’s been his favorite lately, he listens to what he says, as long as he gets a good blow job!” Morel turned red at what Joselito said while I sigh in resignation to my fate.

Arthuro was right.

I could never be more than a whore.

But even that was taken from me, when I lost the ability to make my omega clients happy.

I couldn’t get it up.

I guess three years of being used as a bottom did it.

In the end, I was treated as one of the useless omega whores in the Red Raven.

One of the dispensable ones who get sold until they drop dead.

I was about to do that one night, as I lay in the garbage pile at the back yard, dumped in the old hearse with the rest of the trash and soaked in the overflowing cesspit right after five omegas had their way with me.

I was looking at the old willow tree, wishing I could find enough strength to climb it one last time to plunge to my death, but I couldn’t move a finger. My bruised body had gone numb, and my backside leaked puss and shit that I could no longer hold back.

I was grateful that I didn’t, though, for that was the night when he came.

That was the night he saved me.

I thought at first that the bone white cherub had come to send me to hell, until I looked into his eyes and saw salvation instead of darkness.

They quickly sent me to the hospital after finding me half dead.

They were surprised to find out that I was a dominant alpha when I got well, and welcomed me into the academy when I told them that I wanted to join the police force.

And I owed it all to Dome.

That’s why I must be happy for him, now that Nathan has come.

That’s why I need to let him go.

“You still have no idea when Dome will return?”

Nathan asked as we spent Saturday afternoon at home. The kids asked him over to help them on a Science project, and we were having some snacks in the den when the doorbell rang.

“Still no news from Dr. Webb,” I answered when the kids rushed to the front door, “He should have arrived last week, but intelligence said they were being followed so they had to take some detours.”

“Pucha...” he said beneath his breath.

I stared at Nathan with distaste.

He ain’t someone you would easily like. Sometimes I wonder how Dome fell for him in the first place, but then again, if they were really fated pairs, then I guess he had no choice.

He’s very frank to the point of being rude and dresses sloppily. I find it hard to imagine him standin’ next to Dome who’s always dressed so smartly.

It’s a different story when it comes to the kids, though. They simply adored him! Nathan’s good with kids, as if he only acts civil with humans below a certain age.

This actually reminds me of myself, but at least I don’t discharge this aura of animosity towards grown men.

“You do know that we know what ‘puta’ means, right?” I told him, “I know you’ve got some issues with Dome, but please don’t use that kind of language in front of my kids.”

He glared at me.

“That’s why I said it while the kids were out of earshot,” he said.

“Even so, I would like it if you stop usin’ that word when we’re talkin’ `bout Dome.” I told him coldly.

We were still glaring at each other when someone suddenly barged inside the room.

“Nathan!” Dome cried with open arms as he entered the den.

I was surprised when Nathan stood up, turned around to faced Dome, and socked him straight in the face!

“Woah!”

I stared wide-eyed as Dome took a step back, his broken glasses hanging sideways on his face.

“Papa Berto!” Rico ran to his side.

Dome stared at Nathan.

“P-Professor Antonio?!”

“Ako nga. Tarantado ka. Ang tagal mo `ko pinaghintay!” Nathan shouted in Filipino.

(That’s right, you asshole! What took you so long?!”)

“W-what are you doing here?!” asked Dome, “W-where’s Nathan?!”

They started talking in their language while the kids and I stared at them, trying to understand what they were saying. They stayed that way, until Dome fell to the floor, defeated.

“Papa Berto, are you okay?” Rico asked him.

“What did you say to him?” Timo glared at Nathan.

“Can someone explain to me what’s goin’ on?” asked a huge guy who came inside the room with them.

“Just who the hell are you?!” Timo shouted at Nathan. He was about to attack him when I pulled him back.

“Dad, what’s going on?” asked Rico. “What is Nathan saying?”

“That’s not Del, that’s Prof. Antonio,” the big guy told us.

“Who’s Del, and who are you supposed to be?” I asked them both.

“Nathan Del Mirasol is my nephew and supposedly this bastard’s fated pair.” Mr. Antonio explained, spitting out every word with contempt. “He left my nephew because he couldn’t accept to himself that he’s in love with him.”

“Is that true, Dome?” the big guy asked Dome who slowly nodded.

I noticed Dome’s breathing getting ragged as he sat broken on the floor. He was about to go into heat.

“No, that’s not true!” Rico blurted out in Dome’s defense. “We know very well how much Papa Berto loved his fated pair,” he said. “We have seen how much he was suffering, even now, we still see him crying in his sleep while he calls out his name.”

Rico reached out both hands and gently touched Dome’s face.

“We know how much Papa Berto loves him because we love him too... and we get hurt everyday, knowing that he can’t be with his Nathan because of us.”

Rico cooled Dome down, using his dominant omega pheromones. Soon, Dome’s breathing was back to normal.

“Fuck.” We all look at Mr. Antonio who stared at Rico wide-eyed. “You’re like him, aren’t you?”

Timo quickly ran to his friend’s side.

“Hands off,” he said dangerously.

“So, this is why they sent for you?” he asked Dome, his aggressiveness, down a notch.

“Part of it,” Dome replied.

Mr. Antonio gave a deep sigh and looked back at me.

“I’m Eric Antonio, Nathan Del Mirasol’s maternal uncle. I was one of the original scientists who studied ‘Papa Berto’ on the DOME project,” he said sarcastically. “I was sent here by Dr. Webb, and now I think I know why.”

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