"Something is coming."

🌚

"I thought you were asleep." Mani mumbles as he looks back at Teddy, who even though his mouth was covered, could tell he was smirking under the sheets.

"Can't I look at my mate? You're mine after all." Teddy says, now pulling down the bedding to indeed reveal a smile plastered over his face.

"I am not yours Teddy. Are you just saying that to wind me up?" Mani bites back.

Teddy lets out a heavy sigh as he rolls onto his back, gazing up at the ceiling, watching the shadows dance upon it from the moonlit window. "Can't blame me for trying Mani." He looks to his left at the omega still looking at him. "Your shower gel does shit to mask your scent by the way. You just smell sexy and clean now. I want to come over there and touch you so badly."

Mani finds himself blushing at Teddy's confession. It wasn't like his body didn't want that as well. His body was crying out to be touched by Teddy's. It would be so easy right now to give in to instinct. He now mirrors the alpha's actions by rolling onto his back. "This isn't easy for me either y'know. I desire you too…"

"Then just let me come over!" Teddy interrupts.

"No…and don't ask why because I've already told you why." Mani says through gritted teeth, trying his best not to shout.

"Aww. Poor little omega, being oppressed by his rank, powerless to make any choices." Teddy mocks. "One minute whilst I get my violin…"

He begins to pretend play the instrument.

"You just don't understand…"Mani begins, but is again cut off as Teddy now leans on his side, resting on his elbow.

"You think you have it bad huh?" Teddy smacks his bare chest with his opened palm. It makes Mani turn to look at him. "I'm an alpha. You know what that means right?"

Mani rolls his eyes as he looks back up at the ceiling. "That you have power."

"Wrong." Teddy says, now sitting further up in the bed.

Mani looks back at Teddy in confusion. "You have power Teddy, An alpha has the power!"

"You omegas are all the same. You think we alpha's have it easy." Teddy now gets out of his bed and begins to pace the floor.

"Well, don't you?" Mani raises an eyebrow at the pacing man. "You get to make your own decisions…"

"Decisions about the fate of my pack." Teddy concludes. He stops, only to sit on the end of Mani's bed, making him pull his legs back and sit up. "Yes, I have power within my pack but did I ask for it?"

Mani looks at Teddy's eyes before looking down onto the bedding. "I guess not."

Teddy sighs, staring at the same point on the blanket as Mani before looking back up. "Have you heard of Montgomery Tate?"

Mani looks up at Teddy. "He's the Alpha of the Ashen Pack." Mani says without surprise. "Everyone knows the Ashen Pack, famous for their fearless wolfkind and snow white fur…" Mani suddenly holds his words. Teddy smiles as he sees the penny drop in Mani's mind. "You're…"

"Theodore Tate, firstborn and if my father dies…"

"You will be the leader of the Ashen pack." Mani deduces. "But your pack are fierce fighters, you have fought and won many territorial wars."

"Yes, true, but how much of that was out of necessity, out of duty? My father has to make huge decisions almost every day which not only affect him but every member of his pack and one day, I will have to do the same. So tell me. Where is my choice?"

"I'm sorry, I never thought…I just hate being forced into things out of my control. I guess we do have something in common after all." Mani says smiling.

Teddy smiles back, before letting out a chuckle. "I know why we are destined, you and I."

"And why is that?" Mani says, doing his best not to sound flirtatious but failing miserably.

"You are Emmanuel Blake from the Onyx pack. Your pack is known for their heelers."

Mani lets out a sadistic laugh. "Figures I guess. "You go fight your battles, I make you all better. I kind of knew. Damn my instincts."

Without warning, Teddy suddenly takes Mani's hand in his. It causes Mani to shiver with a strange thrill through his body. "I need you Mani. Something is coming. Vampires are out there and we are both far from home."

"Vampires." Mani repeats. He had almost forgotten, so wrapped in his own quest for liberty.

"Look I get you may not like me or whatever I get it. And maybe I wouldn't look at you twice if you didn't smell so damn hot." Teddy again flares his nostrils to inhale the omega before him." But we need each other right now, because if vampires are coming into human territory, there are gonna be deaths."

"But you said there was only one." Mani says. "What can one vampire do?"

"They can spread like a virus. There may be one right now, but tomorrow? Who knows."

"Tyler." Mani suddenly says.

"Who?" Teddy asks in confusion.

"My roommate. You met him in the shower, well tried to seduce him." Mani raises an eyebrow, with Teddy wanting to look anywhere but at the omega to hide his embarrassment. "He had blood on his collar." Mani recalls.

"You think he's been bitten?" Teddy goes wide eyed. "Shit. It's starting already."

"Look, I don't know? I mean, he didn't smell anything other than human." Mani tries to appease Teddy.

"We can't take any chances. That's settled, you're staying here with me." Teddy now stands up, towering over Mani's smaller frame.

"What? No! I just said this is for one night!" Mani now gets out of bed, trying to match Teddy's height, but failing miserably.

"What don't you understand? This is bigger than you or me! Douse yourself in anti mate spray for all I care, unlike you, I have to put others first!" Teddy pushes past Mani, his broad shoulder barging into him, as he gets back into his bed.

Mani looks as the alpha huffs as he tries to get settled once again in the sheets. It pained him to admit it, but Teddy was making sense. He clambers back into his own bed, not before adding. "I'm getting that spray."