Chapter 66 (M)

Nobody noticed that his ankle was now free, and nobody even looked at him to realize that he was actually a lot happier than before.

It was so embarrassingly difficult to hide, but nobody could look him in the eye as they brought him food and asked him if he needed anything. They all knew that he had spent two nights with his assailant, and they all couldn't stomach the thought so they pretended it just wasn't happening. None of them could stop it, they all were powerless to help him no matter how much they wanted to.

They had to listen to their alpha.

Back then he would think that they didn't care, that he wasn't important enough, but now he could see that it was just what his mother drilled in him to believe.

It made Ari really see that not everyone was bad, and that Cassie is always right. Even if she was once evil and almost drowned Constantine as a kid, she's still right.

Not everyone deserved to die, not everything was bad no matter how hurt he was. If he had taken up Constantine on the offer, then he would have killed people who cared enough about him to be so uncomfortable like this. He was even sure that whoever was cooking his meals didn't place his favorite treats twice in a row by accident.

Everyone was extra attentive, it made him a little bit grateful.

And a little bit remorseful.

"Aurelius, dear." A familiar voice caught his attention making him turn around to see the same nurse standing there smiling at him, but she looked sad when she did so. "I'm here to check on you."

Ari nodded his head at her giving her a smile of his own.

Her smile brightened up at that as she approached him, and she told him to sit down so she could get on with her work. She didn't say anything, but her hands were clearly not as steady as they usually were. Some guilt swirled inside of him at the lies he kept telling, even when it was Constantine who made it seem like he truly was a victim.

And then Eli passed through his mind for just a moment.

"Why these checkups?" He asked just to break this silence and distract himself from his thoughts, and she was probably relived about it, too.

"I asked for permission to do it from the alpha, and he agreed. It's to study your heats and understand more about omegas." She told him as she took his temperature, and he nodded his head not thinking much of it. "It's also a lie. I lied."

Ari frowned. "You lied?"

The nurse laughed nervously as her eye gave a quick glance to the door before she wrote down his temperature. "Um, I did come here to understand your heats more." She told him letting go of his hand and her eyes fell on his shoulder where the mark was. "But I really wanted to see if you're okay."

He answered her too quickly, he couldn't believe he thought about killing the whole pack. "I'm okay."

"This whole thing, I don't agree with it." She continued not bothering to act professional anymore, but she still took out a clipboard from her bag and sighed. "I don't want to do this, but I have to ask you a few questions."

"It's okay." Ari told her wishing he could ease her worries by telling her the truth. "This'll help Eli, too."

The nurse nodded making her curls bob as well. "It will, I hope."

And Ari hoped so, too. There weren't many things he could fix, but he hoped he was taking a few steps in the right direction. Cassie told him he was going about this all wrong, and he decided to listen.

The nurse had asked him her questions, and he did add a few things to make sure that omegas like himself are understood even more, and when they nurse thought she got enough she gave him one last comforting squeeze to his knee.

"Thank you, this will help. A lot." She told him giving him one of her warm smiles and he returned it with one of his own. "I am sorry for all of this."

She didn't have to be. It wasn't her fault.

When she left, Ari found himself sitting there alone with the time going by at an agonizingly slow pace. Tonight was supposedly the last night Constantine would visit him, and when it finally came, he found himself looking at an impatient Constantine who was leaning on the wall across from him.

"Why aren't you letting me take you away?"

"I know you could." Ari mumbled bringing his knees closer to him, hugging them in an attempt to hide himself a little. "But I don't want people dying because of me."

"That's it?"

Ari nodded his head. "That's it."

"Idiot." Constantine breathed out with no real malice, but the frustration was evidently there. It almost made Ari change his words, he didn't like it when Constantine disapproved. But Constantine was his partner not his boss. "But sure, I'll listen."

He didn't voice out his suspicions at the tone Constantine was using, and he didn't say anything when he found himself letting go of his knees. He just found his feet to be leading him towards Constantine without much thought on his part. He just wanted to be closer.

And he smiled up at the taller man hugging him so close.

That's all he needed, really. The closeness was enough to make everything seem okay, and he was happy about the hands that ran through his hair before they held his face firmly.

Constantine's face was close when he spoke. "People will still die."

Those words weren't empty words.

"I know." The smile persisted on Ari's face as he took the chance of him leaning so close to wrap his arms around his neck. Every touch is just so warm against his skin, and he felt so hot all over. "Just not because of me, right?"

"Maybe."

His feet often found themselves not touching the floor whenever he's near Constantine, but he didn't mind it. Not when he got kisses that made him forget about everything else. Not when hands roamed around his back sending tingles and bouts of heat running through him.

And when he let out a shuddering breath, he knew what was happening, and he buried his head in the crook of Constantine's neck gulping down the want rising within him.

A frustrated groan came out of him. "Why now."

"Not complaining."

But Ari didn't say anything back because they were so close and it just made everything so much worse and so much better. Words failed to come out of him as he let out a whimper feeling like his energy is being sapped. He couldn't even speak even if he was able to form coherent words because a warm mouth was already against his own, and the only sounds that came out of Ari were involuntary and impure.

The wall felt so soothingly cold against his back and he didn't even realize he was pressed against it now.

It was so easy to get swept away like this as Ari found his fingers entangled in Constantin's hair while the other was still hugging him close, and there was no need for him to hold himself up because he was already being held up so easily.

Any other thoughts disappeared from his mind, and he allowed himself to just let himself enjoy all the sensations he felt letting his head drop back on Constantine's shoulder.

"I mean it-" Ari swallowed allowing for the intrusion, letting out a strained breath as he adjusted to it. "Don't kill for me."

"Mm." Came the seemingly dismissive response, and Ari couldn't help but get annoyed as his head spun. The way his back rubbed against the wall wasn't helping him become less annoyed, but the jolts of pleasure he was feeling made him unable to think clearly.

In a weak act of revenge, he let himself bite down Constantine's neck. The blood that seeped out made him spit out in disgust as he failed to find any enjoyment in that, only regret.

Unlike him, Constantine loved it and he wasted no time to retaliate doing the same thing pulling Ari by his hair to find access to his neck. The metallic taste suited him just fine. Bleeding because of Ari suited him just fine, too. It was seen as adorable rather than enraging.

Anyone else would have died.

It was like their own little playfight.

And honestly Ari was enjoying it until his vision cleared up a little for him to realize where he was. The big comfortable room greeted him, and it made him kick the air in frustration knowing that this night might not repeat itself tomorrow, and he wished he could just walk out and leave.

He could.

But if he didn't want anyone to die because of him, he had to wait.

"Get me out of here soon."

"I can right now." Constantine told him kissing him under the ear, leaving some stains of blood there as well. "If only you'd let me."

"Not if you kill to do it."

And that made Constantine sight again. "You're stupid."

Ari knew that, and hoped he wouldn't regret it as he let his arm hand lazily on Constantine's shoulder as he gave him an amused look. "You're actually listening."

"I am still killing."

But Ari knew that it wasn't because of him and it suited him just fine.