Alpha Mates (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 29.

"The best cook that lives here." he smiled.

"Ah. I am, aren't I?" I smirked. "Come on." I got up.

"But I can't cook, and you're so much better at multi-tasking –" Danté began.

"Feeding my ego isn't going to get me to do everything for you, Kiddo." Tamia couldn't help us because she was at her house with Ashton today.

"Don't call me that."

He jabbed his elbow hard into my ribs before running out of the room. I heard our parents chuckle behind me as I began to run after him but stopped outside of Karabo's room. I listened but didn't hear a sound and figured he was still asleep before I made my way down to the kitchen. I hoped he liked waffles and cookies for breakfast.

Danté and I made breakfast before our parents joined us downstairs and we all ate breakfast without a sound from my mate's room. Paps said to let him sleep but I was beginning to worry that he had left and somehow found a way to trick my pull into leading me to believe that he was still in his room. That was impossible, but this was weird and it filled my chest with a panic that I tried to ignore. I relaxed eventually when I heard the guest bathroom's shower turn on as Danté left for school and Paps decided to drive Dad to work leaving me to clean the mess in the kitchen. Nice.

Once I was finished cleaning up, I stacked two waffles and a few cookies onto a plate before adding a glass of milk onto a tray and carrying it upstairs. I opened Karabo's door without knocking and my shock stopped me once I saw him beside his bed.

"Karabo...?"

He was packing.

"Morning." He glanced at me, "That for me?" he added pausing.

"What are you doing?" I looked past him at the bag on the bed.

"I have to get back home," he shrugged, "Richard – My pack need me."

"I... know, but –" I stopped when he shook his head with a tight, sombre smile that quickly disappeared.

"I know you don't think of me as an Alpha... yet somehow you see me as a threat. Eli, I've never wanted your pack, just like how you've never wanted mine. You know... You're the only person I act the way I act around and towards because when I'm with you, I'm not an Alpha. I'm a different part of me. I'm a stupid kid with a mate that drives everything inside me crazy every time I so much as think of you because that's what you are to me: my mate. But to you... I'm a rival... Just another Alpha... Someone you can't trust, be honest with or... And-and I know, I know you've been through a lot that I don't – I can't understand and I'm sorry, Eli... but you're not letting me in at all and I can't be your punching bag anymore." He gave a dry chuckle, "I mean, I would be but I need to stay sane to lead my pack." he turned back to his luggage.

"What? No, Karabo, wait. Stop! I'm not gonna hurt you anymore. I'm gonna see someone, and I'll fix this. They'll make me strong again –" He turned back to me raising his hands.

"Strong? Eli, I don't care how strong you are. I know you're strong. I can fucking feel it. So am I. You just won't let me any deeper than that."

"It's hard," I admitted. He stared at me dumbfounded and I bit the inside of my cheek. Yeah, of course this was hard for him too. "Um... Small steps." I said more to myself than to him.

"What?" He asked.

"I... I need you to let me fix me before I can try... try to be with you." I explained.

"Of course," he nodded, "you know where to find me." I stared at him shocked and he gave a sigh. "Eli... If I had a choice there's nowhere I would rather be than with you but my pack needs me back at home."