Psychopathic (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 25

It was very clear to Eli that Alec was seething.

As much as he tried to hide that fact, it was just too obvious for Eli to ignore, and it just made him feel even more tense than usual. Alec's whole body was tense, and he didn't say much the whole time they were together. It wasn't like Eli couldn't think of the reason his mate was so irritable right now, but he still hoped that it was something else no matter how wishful that idea was.

Eli tentatively reached for Alec's arm grabbing his attention and leaned closer to him looking up at him with concern.

"What's on your mind?"

When Alec let out a heavy breath, he almost regretted he said anything. It seemed like it just made him even more annoyed, but that wasn't the case. Alec was just dealing with so much and purposefully didn't tell Eli just how much he was dealing with. However, the current issue occupying his mind was not something he was eager to discuss, especially not with Eli. He knew his mate wouldn't be happy about it, and every time he brought it up Eli would be upset.

But that still didn't mean that it wasn't a serious problem.

"I almost lost you." He told Eli with gritted teeth and that made Eli furrow his eyebrows as he leaned back with a sour look on his face. The last thing Alec wanted was to make Eli upset, but he still continued speaking despite Eli not wanting to hear it. "Don't look at me like that, you know it's true."

"Why are we talking about this again?"

"Because you refuse to stay away from him." Alec told him sounding frustrated, but he was only frustrated because he was scared. "What if he really bit you? What would I do then?"

"He didn't. I don't think he was going to." Eli argued stubbornly as he recalled that day at the party. That stupid heat had to come so suddenly, and he wished Cassie hadn't involved Ari just because of this whole mess it caused, but nothing that happened then was Ari's fault. None of it. That was his main issue.

If there's anyone to blame, it was him.

Unsurprisingly, Alec didn't seem the least bit convinced by that. After all, he had witnessed the whole debacle and everything went downhill from there.

"You weren't bitten because we were there on time." The frustration was very palpable in his voice as he pulled Eli closer to him pleading for him to understand. It wasn't like Eli didn't get it or understand the severity of the whole situation, but he refused to think that Ari would ever do anything like that to him.

He just wouldn't believe it.

"There are still bits I remember from that day," He told Alec who simmered down a little to listen to what he had to say. "I was uncomfortably hot and it was painful, so I reached out for Ari because he made me feel better."

He wasn't sure it was wise to admit that, and he wished he could take it back when he saw the unhappy look in Alec's face, but that was the truth. During his heat all he needed was someone to hold on to. Everything was hot, scary, and it made him feel alone.

But the feeling of someone just there pressing against him made it all go away.

"You weren't thinking clearly." Alec's words came out flat and annoyed, but Eli didn't find it in himself to care much about it.

"Don't you get it? Doesn't anybody?" Eli huffed pushing himself away from Alec not feeling like he wanted to keep the close proximity no matter how comforting it was. Maybe he was acting like an unreasonable spoiled child, but what right did anyone have to keep him away from his friend. "He's special to me. I love him. He was there for me so many times, and he was the one who helped Cassie take me to that room when I had my heat."

His words only seemed to make Alec feel worse.

"You love him."

An amused sigh involuntarily escaped Eli who nodded his head. "Yes, I do." He confirmed looking entertained at how easy it was to make his mate jealous. He guessed he'd be jealous, too, if Alec ever told him he loved someone else. So he grinned up teasingly at Alec who was looking at him dryly. "Alec, he isn't my mate and I never saw him as anything but a friend. The only person I'd love like that is you. You know that."

"You better not." Alec mumbled trying his best to not show how happy he was hearing it, but he failed miserably making Eli's grin widen. "It's not that I don't trust you, and I don't have a problem with Ari, but he's still an unmated beta and your heats are irregular."

Eli's grin disappeared.

"And you're an unmated alpha, aren't you? You could go into rut at any time and put him at risk, isn't that so? But he was still your friend."

"My ruts aren't irregular, and I can manage around betas."

"Then maybe betas can manage around me." Eli bit back not liking the fact that Alec's concerns were completely justified. It was him being irrational, but something told him that it was fine to be. He was just sick of sacrificing so much just because he was an omega. "You're the one who's most likely to lose control around me."

Yeah, maybe he should have thought before he spoke, but he didn't want to tackle that. Not now when he's mad at everything, especially at himself.

That's why he quickly got on his feet and didn't look back at the kind of expression Alec had on his face. He didn't want to see, and he didn't want to know. He just wanted to walk away and cool off. Maybe think about the fact that people around him might be right. That being with Ari, no matter how great it feels, is actually a bad idea.

And then maybe he should apologize to Alec for saying those harsh words, but he wondered if Alec actually remembered the time he almost lost control when they were alone. Did he even notice that Eli was being careful not to be alone with him?

It's all a mess.

"What got you looking so down?" A familiar voice asked him making him look up from the ground in confusion and disbelief. This wasn't someone he had expected to see as he was greeted by a warm smile and a wave. "Hello, Eli. Good to see you again."

"Cassie! What are you doing here?" He smiled back at her feeling his anger dissipate and be replaced with excitement. She was such a welcome sight after everything that has happened. He couldn't believe that she was really here, this was really unexpected.

"It's not every day I meet an omega, which is why I decided to come here." She told him looking around as he giddily approached her. "How are you and Ari?"

The way he deflated when she mentioned Ari was obvious.

"Things could've been better." He told her honestly as she placed a hand on his shoulder regarding him with concern.

"Did something happen?"

Nodding his head, Eli sighed heavily as she squeezed his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I feel like everything happening is my fault. The way they're treating Ari, because of me, is just so... unfair." He told her clenching his fists looking down at the ground once again. "They think it's dangerous for me to be around him because he was about to bite me that day."

Cassie let her hand fall from his shoulder as her whole body slumped. "Oh, that. I was afraid that this might happen."

"Well, it did." He shrugged sounding very unhappy about it before he looked up at her hopefully. "Do you really think it is impossible for us to stay friends?"

Cassie gave him a smile as she shook her head. "We can't be friends with unmated betas."

"But-"

"That's how it is, Eli." She told him honestly. "But maybe I can help you two with that."

Puzzled, Eli nodded his head not fully hating what she just said before he accepted the invitation to link their arms as she asked him a few things while she led him aimlessly.

The first thing she asked about was where to find Ari.