An Omegas Curse [BOOK FOUR]

03.

**Quin**

"I heard you collapsed during gym class, are you alright?" Beau questioned in the cafeteria as I sipped on my chocolate milk.
I stared at the other.
"I'm fine, I was just dehydrated apparently, nothing involving life or death." I told the other.
Beau blinked before grinning.
"Good, I'd hate to rip you out from the grave just to tell you we have plans to go to the lake tomorrow." He told me.
I arched a brow.
"But tomorrow is Friday, which is still school." I pointed out.
Beau stared.

"It's a good thing you're attractive, after school we have plans to go to the lake, whether it's for the night or weekend is up to us, but it's happening." He said with a grin.
Cody Collins who we called CC for short looked at us.
"It's still weird that school started back on a Thursday this year." He pointed out.

I shrugged.
"I don't care, it just means the weekend got here a lot sooner." I grinned.
Beau pointed at me with a grin.
"Exactly, but I thought it would be nice to get away from the soon to be drama headed our way, hey who did Ms.Waters assign as your partners? I know Kipper got Denver and Riley got Gemma, I won't even mention our headaches." He sighed.

Cody arched a brow.
"That bad?" He asked.
I looked to the blond.
"Beau got Mateo as a partner." I grinned.
"Oh I've had him before, he's not that bad, but he is a massive flirt." Cody frowned.

Beau rolled his eyes.
"Joy, now I really want to be partners with someone else." He commented.
"Who did you get partnered with?" Hazel Simmons asked looking at me.

I blinked but frowned.
"Asher-"
"Yikes." Hazel and Cody both said in unison as I gave a tight smile before taking another drink of my milk.

"Well I think me and Cody got lucky with ours, I'm partners with our cousin Dove, and Cody's partners with Ashby Cooke." Hazel told us.

"Yeah, you definitely got lucky." I sighed.

"Maybe it won't be that bad." Riley suggested as if trying to make light of the conversation.
I looked at her.
"It's Asher and I already overheard him and Mateo talking, he plans on making this time as partners a living hell for me, did I want his attention? Yes, but like this? Absolutely not." I frowned.

No one could say anything for reassurance because they all knew, I was screwed.
-------
I walked over to my locker and opened it before cautiously looking around, I really didn't need my hand getting smashed in the locker.

"Hey, Quin?"
I hated myself for it, but I jumped and turned around to be face to face with one of my cousins, I think her name was Lore.
"Oh hey." I greeted the alpha who seemed unsure before she looked at me with a frown.

"How is Iggy doing?" She asked me.
I blinked.
Oh yeah, last November her mom and my dad got into it over Iggy's relationship with three other people, ever since then, Lore's been strongly avoiding Iggy.
It's not like it was her fault her mom went crazy over something that wasn't even her business.

"He's okay, I mean I'm sure it would be okay to talk to him if you-"
"No." Lore cut me off with a frown, her arms were crossed with a troubled look.
"My mom embarrassed me that night and ever since then, my dad's barely wanted to look at her for causing such a scene over my cousins relationship. It made me realize how crappy I was as his cousin in the beginning and I know I have to apologize for that at some point, but I mostly just wanted to check in and see how he's been this whole time." She said looking at me.

I stared before rubbing the side of my neck.
"I say, when you think the time is right, that's when you should try to talk to Iggy. You know how easy he is to talk to, so I don't see why he wouldn't want to hear you out. Your mom may have disowned my dad and who knows who else, but Iggy never disowned you, he's not that type of person." I told her.

Lore stared but she smiled softly.
"Thanks Quin, from the short time you've been a part of our family, you've definitely found your place at belonging and knowing the right thing to say.. And you're right about Iggy, he's not that type of person, so I'll keep what you said in mind before I try talking to him, see you later and.. Thanks again." She smiled before walking away from me.

I stood there feeling this calmness washing over me before turning back around and that calmness was washed over with pure irritation.

"Well that was a sweet little moment you had, I wasn't aware street rats could be so sentimental about family, when all they know about are the streets and if they're getting their next meal." Asher spoke up leaning against the lockers as my eye twitched in response.
"Is there something you need?" I asked not even wanting to feed into his baited attack.

"Oh there's a lot of things I need street rat and you're not one of them, but unfortunately Ms.Waters has a sick sense of humor with picking her partners and there's no escaping that, so this is how things are going to go-"

"You know I've put a lot of thought into this and if you're going to act like a dick the whole time, I think I'd rather fail the project and deal with getting grounded." I cut the other off as Asher arched a brow.
"Excuse me?"
I stared.
"Yeah excuse you, just because you're an alpha does not mean you get to run the show by saying this is how things are going to go, we're either going to agree or we're not." I told him.

Asher did the bone chilling thing by smiling at me.
"You tend to forget a lot that you're just a little omega, street rat." He leaned in as I glared.
"If you use your pheromones again I won't hesitate to tell the principal." I warned him.
Asher arched a brow smirking at me.
"Oh? Did you do your research or something?" He asked.
I glared.
"Or something, you knew using your pheromones were against school rules but you used them anyway." I frowned.
Asher smirked at me.
"Because I don't give a shit about the rules, if I want to use my pheromones that's my call, but what isn't your call?" He grabbed me by the collar glaring.

"Is telling me to treat you like an equal when we're two different ranks, you want equality? Maybe in your next life you'll be born as a lowlife human." He told me.
I glared harshly.
"Yeah failing this project sounds pretty good right about now." I responded.
Asher studied me before smirking softly.
"Why would you want to fail it, when you're getting exactly what you want?" He leaned in dangerously close.
"My attention." He said and it made my stomach twist.

"If I can't drop out, you can't drop out either. I won't allow it, if I have to suffer I get to make you suffer just as much." He told me as my eye twitched staring at me.
"And one of the many ways I plan on making you suffer? Is by reminding you of your place in ranking, don't ever think you're above me street rat-"

"Get away from him."
My eyes grew wide at how fast Asher was shoved away from me and my wrist was being snatched by Jinx who glared harshly at Asher who was already glaring at Jinx.

"That was pretty rude, who goes around pushing students around that violently?" Asher asked as Jinx glared.
"I do when they're bullying my brother in such an open area, you're an alpha so your rankings don't apply to me when I say this, fuck off and stay away from Quin." Jinx growled at him pulling me away as I followed after the other teen until we were outside as the school bells rang for school to be over.

"Jinx, Jinx-"
I stopped walking the moment his palm connected to my cheek as he glared harshly.
"You are a massive pain in my ass, you piss me off so much but that guy in there? He isn't worth the abuse he wants to put you through, so stop acting like a fucking moron by acting like you actually like it, because we both know you're lying to yourself." His brows were furrowed looking at me as I stood there staring at him in shock.
My cheek was burning but I said nothing as I followed him to the car before Omega and Amber were joining us.
-------
"We're home!" Amber announced walking into the house as I followed after the three.
"Where's Iggy?" Papa asked looking for the other.
"Oh, he's going over to August's, the four of them have a project and want to share notes." Amber explained.
Papa blinked but nodded.

I walked into the kitchen not aware I was being followed before turning and papa was right there.
"Your dad told me you collapsed today, are you alright?" He asked me.
I blinked but nodded.
"I'm fine, I was just dehydrated.."
"Why is your cheek so red?" He questioned next.

I looked at him.
"Oh, it's nothing I-"

"I slapped him." Jinx walked in as papa's brows furrowed turning to the vampire.
"Why did you slap your brother?"
"Because he's an idiot." Jinx shrugged.
Papa frowned.
"Jackie and your uncle Joshua are also idiots, but do you see me going around slapping them?"

"I feel like Rocky and uncle Monty would kill you." Jinx arched a brow at our papa who blinked but smiled softly.
"You're probably right, even so, that doesn't give you the right to slap your brother." He said scolding the other now.
Jinx frowned.
"Then you talk some sense into him over his taste in people, he's going to get himself hurt." He growled before leaving the kitchen.

I stood there with crossed arms looking away from the adult who was already looking at me.
"I already know what you're going to say." I frowned.
"Oh?" Papa smiled softly with an arched brow.
"And what am I going to say, Quin?" He asked me.
I looked back at him with furrowed brows.
"That there are better alphas out there that are not Asher Woods." I frowned at him.

Papa frowned.
"Well I mean there are, you started school not even a year ago and somehow became attracted to the one alpha who has no issues treating others like crap, especially you Quin, and that isn't healthy-"
"I KNOW THAT!" I yelled but my face caught fire and tears surfaced to my eyes standing there.
I thought he was going to yell back at me, or even hit me for raising my voice at him.
It's exactly what would have happened in the past with those monsters.

But instead.
My whole body grew tense when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward, his arms wrapping around me as an embrace and just the feeling of comfort made more tears fall as I reached and clung to the adult.

"If you know it's not healthy, why do you do it, Quin?" His voice was soft and full of patience as I stood there trembling.
"Because it's what I'm used to, I wouldn't mind as long as it meant I had his attention." I responded frowning deeply as I said it.
"Look at me." He pulled back as my brows knitted with a flushed face, I didn't want to but I forced myself to look at him anyway.

"There is no man or woman out there good enough for your attention, and do you know why?" He asked me.
I looked at him confused but shook my head.
Papa looked at me before he reached and caressed my cheek.
"Because you are my son and because I said so, that's how it is with your siblings as well. There are days I don't think Lawless, August or Oakley are good enough for Iggy, but I see how happy those three make him and that's when I start to think they are good enough for him." He looked at me with this soft expression.

"But I don't see you happy with Asher, Quin, I don't see him good enough to make you happy like that and that's what breaks my heart as a parent to see my child hurting himself mentally into thinking, there might be this chance the two of you will work it out as long as he treats you like crap. You should want him to treat you with love, respect and where he'll cherish you like I do with your dad." Papa stepped back from me with his arms crossed.

"You're still a kid, one day you'll understand why we worry about you kids so much and the ones you choose to chase after, but for now?" He reached as I flinched but relaxed when he ruffled my hair.
"I want you to do what you think makes you happy, I just want you to be careful while you're doing it, as soon as you see the red flags that stick out the most? Promise me you'll run." He looked at me as I looked back at the other before sighing softly.

"I promise."