Chapter 27: Facing Paye
I sat down beside my brother. Paye hadn’t said anything since I entered. He just folded his arms and gave me a sneered look. His eyes stayed on me the whole time, sharp and cold.
With us was Kaye, busy drinking his juice box. The straw made a small slurping sound every few seconds. He sat beside Paye on the hospital bed, swinging his legs like nothing serious was happening in the room.
The air felt heavy.
"Paye, I know you are mad at me, but say something please," I cried out, begging for a word.
My voice came out weaker than I wanted. I hated begging him, but the silence was worse. The way he looked at me without speaking made my stomach twist.
"Kaye, tell Faye I don’t want to hear her voice." Finally he spoke, but he was doing that thing when he didn’t want to talk to me. He talked through someone else. His eyes never left mine.
Kaye, who was used to this, did not bother. He just rolled his eyes and kept sipping his juice.
"I can’t believe her. I gave her one rule. Stay away from Alphas. They are not good. Do not mingle with them. They are dangerous. Now she’s having an Alpha’s pup, not just any Alpha... a Kings." He said, still giving me that stare.
The way he said Kings sounded like a curse. My fingers curled together in my lap.
"I did... I even hate this one. But Malo gave me some crescent-like pills and I went into heat. I don’t even know how I ended up with her," I defended myself.
The words came out fast. I could hear how desperate I sounded. Paye didn’t react. His jaw tightened slightly.
"Kaye, tell her not to speak to me."
"Okay, I am out of here. I am not doing this," Kaye said, jumping down from the bed.
His feet hit the floor with a small thud.
"Kaye, where are you going?" Paye voiced out.
"I’m going to get another juice, bye."
He was already halfway to the door.
"With which money, young man?" Paye said.
Kaye stopped. Slowly. Then he turned around with a proud grin.
"Adam gave me 1000 dollars. I’m going to use it to buy all the juice boxes in this hospital," Kaye said proudly.
My head snapped toward him.
"You collected money from a stranger," I said.
"You collected a bag from Princess on your first day here, and Adam is my friend. He is Dina’s big uncle," he boasted.
"Hey, you give me the money," Paye said.
"But it’s my money."
Kaye hugged his pocket like someone might steal it.
Paye didn’t move. He just gave him a look. A quiet look. The kind that said everything without words.
With just a look, the poor boy had to quickly bring out the 1000 dollar cash and give it to Paye.
"Pup-pup, listen to me. I don’t want to see you near Alpha Adam again. He is not your friend. Repeat after me. Adam Kings is not my friend," Paye said.
His tone was calm, but firm. Kaye puffed his cheeks.
"Adam Kings is not my friend," Kaye repeated.
"Good pup. Now you are going to return this money the next time you see him."
Kaye’s shoulders dropped.
"I want Guru. I want to go back to Redwood. Nanna is being mean," Kaye said, about to cry.
His voice cracked near the end..Paye sighed and pulled him into a hug.
The anger on his face softened immediately.
"Hey... hey..." Paye muttered quietly.
Kaye buried his face in his chest. The room became quiet again..Paye rubbed his back slowly until Kaye calmed down.
Then his eyes lifted. And landed on me.
I couldn’t believe him.
He was less worried that I was pregnant than that I got pregnant by an Alpha.
What was his fucking deal with Alphas?
I stared at him back.
I didn’t like the fact that he was not angry or worried.
Not really. Just... disappointed.
After some time, Kaye calmed down and Paye gave him money from his pocket to go buy juice.
This time Kaye ran out of the room happily. The door clicked shut behind him. I was helping Paye peel an apple. The knife scraped softly against the skin.
"So, are you getting married to Princess?" he said, forgetting that he was not talking to me.
I paused. The apple peel hung from my fingers.
"No, I’m not. I won’t. We agreed to co-parent. I’m going to find a job so you won’t get all the burden."
"What burden are you talking about, Faye?"
"The burden of you getting to train another child."
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Or should I say children.
Damn. Every time I think about it. My hand rested on my stomach for a second.
"You are not a burden, Faye. I never thought that you would be having a child this soon, but you are my family. There is nothing you are going to do that is a burden."
His voice was steady. Calm.
"The only thing I am worried about is that you and that Alpha girl... What did she say when you told her that you were carrying her pup?"
I looked down at the apple slices in my hand.
"I thought she was not going to want this, but she surprised me. She wants to be part of it. Even telling her brother and thinking about marriage," I said.
The word marriage felt strange in my mouth.
Some people abandon and disappear when this kind of thing happens.
Leaving the pregnant one to care for the pup all by themselves. They either deny it. Or ghost them completely. I had seen it happen before. Heard stories. Even a victim, Our father was one of them..
I was shocked when Princess did not deny it. She just accepted it. Just like that.
"Puppy, I’m with you. Just don’t trust a Kings, mostly their words," he said while eating the apple.
I also took some to eat. The fruit tasted sweeter than usual.
After spending time with my brother, I decided to go to the mall to check on my phone. Weeks without that phone had gotten me into so much trouble. Too much trouble.
Inside the shop, the smell of plastic and electronics filled the air. The worker recognized me immediately. I walked up to the counter.
"Is the screen here yet?" I asked.
He checked again. And again. Then shook his head.
Again the screen had not arrived..I didn’t understand why.
Was the moon goddess forbidding me from having my phone back?
I really needed my phone.
My shoulders dropped as I turned away from the counter. Then a voice spoke behind me.
"Looks like we are meeting twice today, Omega."
