The Alpha Who Waited__
Hill × Easter | True Blood Alpha × Omega | Fated Mates | Slow Burn | Angst & Romance
Easter
The worst thing about meeting your mate wasn't the bond.
It wasn't the scent.
It wasn't even the terrifying realisation that somewhere in the world, the Moon had chosen another person for you.
No.
The worst thing was that my Omega had apparently decided to fall in love with him before I could even learn his name.
Traitor.
Absolute traitor.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling of my dorm room, with a pillow pressed over my face.
It was almost midnight.
Dao had gone back to his room after spending nearly two hours making sure I was emotionally stable enough to be left alone. His final words had been, Don't do anything stupid, Ter.
As if I had the energy to do anything.
I couldn't even stop thinking.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing.
Dark eyes.
Broad shoulders.
Strong hands catching me before I fell.
And the way those hands had immediately released me when I became frightened.
I groaned into my pillow.
"Stop."
My Omega ignored me.
Mate.
"No."
Alpha.
"Shut up."
Ours.
I sat up so abruptly that my blanket fell to the floor.
"HE IS NOT OURS!"
Silence.
I stared at the wall.
Someone in the next room knocked.
"Keep it down!"
I slowly sank back onto my bed.
"Sorry!"
Wonderful.
Now the entire dormitory probably thought I was losing my mind.
Which, honestly, wasn't entirely inaccurate.
I picked up my phone.
There were three messages from Dao.
Dao: Did you eat dinner?
Dao: Ter?
Dao: If you're crying, I'm coming back.
I typed a reply.
Me: I'm fine.
His answer arrived immediately.
Dao: You are the worst liar I know.
I smiled despite myself.
Me: Go to sleep.
Dao: You first.
I put my phone down.
For a few minutes, I managed to think about something other than Hill.
Then I remembered his voice.
Especially because you're my mate.
I pressed a hand against my chest.
Why had he said it like that?
As though being my mate gave him more reasons to respect me instead of more reasons to claim me.
I hated how confused that made me.
I hated that a small, foolish part of me wanted to see him again.
And I hated my Omega most of all for the way it curled up inside me, carrying his scent in its memory like a precious treasure.
Peaches and milk.
Cedar and eucalyptus.
Two scents that should never have belonged together.
Yet somehow, they did.
I pulled my blanket over my head.
Tomorrow, I would attend class.
I would eat breakfast.
I would study veterinary medicine.
I would live my life as though nothing had happened.
I would not think about Hill.
I would not look for Hill.
And I absolutely would not fall in love with Hill.
Easy.
Perfectly easy.
I closed my eyes.
Mate.
"One more word," I whispered, "and I'm going to start drinking suppressants like water."
My Omega went quiet.
For approximately three seconds.
Then it let out a tiny, miserable whimper.
I sighed.
"Oh, don't you dare make me feel guilty."
But when I finally fell asleep, the last thing I remembered was the feeling of strong arms holding me safely upright.
And the terrible, unfamiliar thought that perhaps I hadn't been afraid of those arms at all.
Perhaps I had been afraid of wanting to stay in them.
---
Hill
"You're staring at your coffee."
"I'm drinking it."
"You've been staring at it for five minutes."
"Perhaps I'm appreciating it."
Tiger leaned back in his chair.
"Should we call a priest?"
I looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because Hill is appreciating coffee. Something is clearly wrong with the world."
Across the table, Arthit burst out laughing.
Johan didn't even bother hiding his smile.
Tonfah continued reading something on his tablet, looking like a man who had long ago accepted that his friends were a punishment sent by the universe.
We were at our usual café.
Same table.
Same people.
Same ridiculous conversations.
The only difference was that I had discovered the existence of one particular Omega, and my entire world had apparently decided to revolve around him.
I took a sip of coffee.
Cedar.
Eucalyptus.
Peaches.
Milk.
My wolf lifted its head inside me.
I nearly choked.
"What's wrong with you?" Johan asked.
"Nothing."
"You're making that face again."
"What face?"
"The face you made yesterday when Arthit showed you Easter's photograph."
Arthit immediately sat upright.
"Wait. You were making a face?"
"I wasn't."
"You absolutely were."
Tiger leaned forward.
"Describe it."
Johan considered the question.
"Like a man who had just discovered that the universe had given him something wonderful and then immediately threatened to take it away."
The table went silent.
I slowly put my cup down.
"Do you ever get tired of talking?"
"No," Johan answered.
"Unfortunately," Tonfah added.
Arthit grinned.
"Anyway, how is your future husband?"
I stared at him.
"Don't call him that."
"Future boyfriend?"
"No."
"Future mate?"
"Arthit."
"Future—"
"I will throw you out of this café."
He laughed so hard that Tiger nearly spilled his drink.
Johan, however, watched me carefully.
"Did you approach him again?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because he was frightened yesterday."
"That doesn't mean he'll be frightened today."
"It doesn't mean he won't be, either."
Johan nodded slowly.
He understood.
Unlike Arthit, who seemed to believe that every problem in the world could be solved by shouting at it until it surrendered.
"Do you know anything about him?" Tonfah asked.
"Easter. Veterinary student. Friends with North and Dao."
"And?"
"That's all."
Tiger raised an eyebrow.
"You found your mate, and you know three things about him."
"I know four things."
Everyone looked at me.
I hesitated.
"He likes peaches and milk."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Arthit fell sideways against Tiger, laughing.
"Oh, this is bad. This is REALLY bad."
I considered killing him.
Not seriously.
Probably.
Johan shook his head.
"You're going to have a difficult time."
"I know."
"No," he said quietly. "I don't think you do."
His tone made me look at him.
Johan set his cup down.
"We all know what a mate bond can do to an Alpha. Especially a True Blood. Your instincts will tell you to protect him, stay near him, and keep him safe. If he's frightened, you'll want to fix whatever caused it."
"I know."
"But Easter is not obligated to accept any of that."
"I know."
"And if you try to make decisions for him because you think you know what's best, you'll become another person he has to defend himself against."
The words settled heavily between us.
My wolf went still.
Because Johan was right.
I could overpower most Alphas without much difficulty. I could command a room without raising my voice. My instincts were strong enough to make ordinary wolves submit before they understood what was happening.
But none of that mattered if the person I wanted to protect felt unsafe around me.
"I won't force him," I said.
Johan studied me for another moment.
Then he nodded.
"Good."
Arthit, who had apparently recovered from his laughing fit, raised his hand.
"I have a question."
"No," I said.
"You don't even know what I'm going to ask."
"I know you."
"Fair."
He lowered his hand.
Then immediately raised it again.
"Can I tell North?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because Easter deserves to decide who knows about our bond."
Arthit stared at me.
For once, he appeared genuinely thoughtful.
Then he sighed.
"Fine."
I narrowed my eyes.
"You're not going to tell him?"
"No."
"Arthit."
"I said no!"
He crossed his arms.
"But if North finds out on his own, I'm not responsible."
I closed my eyes.
I was going to need a great deal of patience.
Apparently, fate had given me a mate and a group of friends who were determined to make the process as difficult as possible.
---
Easter
The next morning, I discovered that my friends were worse than my own thoughts.
"You're going to be late," Dao announced.
"I'm not."
"You've been standing in front of the mirror for ten minutes."
"I'm fixing my hair."
"You fixed it five minutes ago."
I glared at him through the mirror.
Dao smiled sweetly.
"Is this for someone special?"
"No."
"Someone with broad shoulders?"
I nearly dropped my comb.
Dao burst out laughing.
"I KNEW IT."
"Dao!"
"What? I'm just asking questions."
"You are enjoying this far too much."
"Of course I am. I've never seen you this flustered over an Alpha."
"I'm not flustered."
"Ter, yesterday you nearly ran away from a man who caught you before you fell."
I froze.
Dao's smile faded.
He immediately regretted the joke.
"Easter, I—"
"It's fine."
I turned away from the mirror.
He stepped closer.
"Hey."
I kept my eyes on the floor.
"I'm okay."
"Look at me."
I hesitated before lifting my head.
Dao's expression was gentle.
"You don't have to pretend with me."
Something tightened in my throat.
That was the problem with Dao.
He always knew when I was lying.
"I don't know what to do," I admitted.
He pulled me into a hug.
"You don't have to do anything."
"But he's my mate."
"That doesn't mean you owe him anything."
I closed my eyes.
"What if my Omega keeps wanting him?"
"Then we'll deal with that when it happens."
"What if I start wanting him too?"
Dao was quiet for a moment.
Then he rested his chin on my shoulder.
"Then we'll deal with that, too."
I let out a shaky breath.
"What if he turns out to be exactly like the others?"
Dao's arms tightened around me.
"Then we'll deal with that when it happens, too."
I wanted to believe him.
I really did.
But fear was an ugly thing.
It didn't care about logic.
It didn't care that Hill had released me when I flinched.
It didn't care that he had apologised for frightening me.
It remembered other things.
Things I had spent years trying to forget.
Dao pulled back and brushed a stray strand of hair away from my forehead.
"Come on. Breakfast."
I nodded.
Then he smiled mischievously.
"And if you happen to see your handsome Alpha today, try not to run into a wall."
I shoved him.
He laughed all the way out of the room.
---
The university cafeteria was crowded when we arrived.
North was already sitting at our usual table, waving at us with enough enthusiasm to attract the attention of half the room.
Beside him sat Phoon and Nao.
North immediately looked me up and down.
"Ter."
"What?"
"You look suspicious."
I stared at him.
"What does that even mean?"
"You look like someone who has a secret."
"I don't."
"Then why did you just look at the entrance?"
I turned toward the entrance again before I could stop myself.
North gasped.
Dao covered his face.
Phoon started laughing.
Nao quietly pushed a glass of water toward me, apparently anticipating my imminent need to drown myself.
"Oh my God," North whispered. "There IS someone."
"There is no one!"
"Is it an Alpha?"
"No."
"A Beta?"
"No."
"A mysterious stranger?"
I glared at him.
North's eyes widened.
"A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER!"
"North!"
He clapped both hands over his mouth.
For approximately two seconds.
Then he leaned across the table.
"Tell me everything."
"Nothing happened."
"Did he confess?"
"No."
"Did you confess?"
"Absolutely not."
"Did you kiss?"
I nearly inhaled my breakfast.
Dao started coughing from laughter.
Phoon slapped the table.
Nao looked toward the ceiling as though silently asking the universe for strength.
North beamed.
"Oh, this is wonderful."
"This is a nightmare," I muttered.
North tilted his head.
Then, unexpectedly, his expression softened.
"Hey. Seriously, though. Are you okay?"
I looked at him.
He was still smiling, but there was genuine concern in his eyes.
I nodded.
"I'm okay."
"Good."
He reached across the table and squeezed my hand.
"Whatever happened, you can tell us when you're ready."
My chest warmed.
Perhaps I had been too quick to assume that telling my friends would make everything worse.
Then North added, "But if he's handsome, I reserve the right to demand photographs."
I kicked him under the table.
He yelped.
The others burst out laughing.
And for a little while, I managed to forget about the Alpha whose scent had followed me into my dreams.
Almost.
---
Hill
I saw Easter at eleven forty-seven in the morning.
I knew the exact time because I looked at my watch immediately afterward, as though the numbers might somehow explain why my heart had started beating like an idiot.
He was standing outside the veterinary faculty building with four other Omegas.
North was among them.
Of course he was.
I had been walking toward the administration building when the scent reached me.
Peaches.
Milk.
My wolf lifted its head.
Mate.
I stopped walking.
Across the courtyard, Easter was laughing at something one of his friends had said.
Actually laughing.
His eyes crinkled at the corners, and his entire face transformed.
For one brief moment, I forgot how to breathe.
Beautiful.
The word came to me so naturally that I almost resented it.
I had met attractive people before.
I had dated before.
I had never been the sort of Alpha who became distracted by a pretty face.
Yet here I was, standing in the middle of a university courtyard, staring at an Omega who hadn't even agreed to speak to me.
Pathetic.
Absolutely pathetic.
Easter turned his head.
Our eyes met.
His smile disappeared.
My wolf immediately became alert.
I forced myself to relax.
Don't approach him.
Don't corner him.
Let him decide.
Easter looked away.
For a moment, I thought he would leave.
Instead, he said something to North, who glanced in my direction.
North's eyes widened.
Then he looked at Easter.
Then at me.
Then back at Easter.
I could practically see the questions multiplying inside his head.
Wonderful.
Arthit's younger brother was about to become involved.
I was doomed.
Easter hesitated.
Then he took one small step toward me.
My wolf surged.
I held it back.
Another step.
His friends had gone quiet behind him.
I remained exactly where I was.
When Easter finally stopped a few feet away, I could see the tension in his shoulders.
He was nervous.
So was I, although I would rather have swallowed glass than admit it.
"Hello," he said.
His voice was soft.
"Hello, Easter."
His eyes widened.
I realised my mistake immediately.
He hadn't told me his name.
He looked at me with sudden suspicion.
"How do you know my name?"
"Arthit showed me a photograph."
"Arthit?"
"Your friend North's older brother."
"Oh."
He looked down.
I could almost see him processing the information.
Then he asked, "You know North?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
I hesitated.
There were several possible answers.
Because North is friends with my friends.
Because Arthit never stops talking about his younger brother.
Because I found out you were his friend after meeting you.
Because you're my mate, and I would recognise your scent in a crowded stadium.
I chose the least alarming answer.
"Our friend groups overlap."
Easter nodded slowly.
Silence settled between us.
I had spoken in front of hundreds of people without difficulty.
I had handled emergencies, difficult patients, and conversations that would have made most people uncomfortable.
Yet I couldn't think of a single normal thing to say to the Omega standing in front of me.
Finally, Easter looked up.
"You're Hill, right?"
My heart did something ridiculous.
He remembered.
"Yes."
He swallowed.
"I wanted to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
His fingers tightened around the strap of his bag.
"What if I never accept you?"
The question struck harder than I expected.
My wolf recoiled.
For one painful second, instinct demanded that I reject the possibility.
No. Mate. Ours.
I silenced it.
Easter wasn't asking what my wolf wanted.
He was asking whether I would respect him if his answer was no.
I looked directly into his eyes.
"Then I won't make you."
He stared at me.
I continued before I could lose my nerve.
"You don't owe me a relationship because we have a mate bond. You don't owe me your time, your affection, or your trust."
His expression changed slightly.
I couldn't tell whether he believed me.
"What if I never want to be marked?"
"Then I won't mark you."
"What if I never love you?"
That one hurt.
I would be lying if I said otherwise.
Somewhere inside me, my wolf let out a low, unhappy sound.
But Easter didn't need to know how much the possibility frightened me.
He needed to know that his answer would remain his own.
"Then I'll respect that, too."
He looked down at his hands.
I waited.
Finally, he whispered, "You're strange."
I almost smiled.
"I've been told."
His lips twitched.
It wasn't quite a smile.
But it was close enough to make my entire morning worthwhile.
Then his expression grew serious again.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
I considered the question.
Because you're my mate.
Because every instinct inside me wants to protect you.
Because something in your eyes makes me want to spend the rest of my life proving that you don't have to be afraid of me.
But those answers would have been too much.
So I told him the simplest truth.
"Because you deserve to be treated kindly, Easter. Regardless of whether you ever choose me."
He went very still.
For a moment, I thought I had said something wrong.
Then I noticed the way his fingers trembled.
His scent shifted.
Peaches and milk, suddenly threaded with something painfully sad.
My wolf stirred.
Protect.
I stayed where I was.
Easter drew a shaky breath.
"I should go."
"Okay."
He looked surprised that I didn't try to stop him.
I stepped aside, leaving the pathway open.
He passed me slowly.
Then, after taking three steps, he stopped.
Without turning around, he said, "Thank you."
My throat tightened.
"You're welcome."
He walked away.
I watched until he disappeared inside the building.
My wolf whined.
I closed my eyes.
"I know."
It wasn't enough.
Not for the part of me that wanted to follow him, learn everything about him, and make certain nothing ever frightened him again.
But it was enough for today.
Because Easter had approached me of his own free will.
And when he left, he hadn't been running.
---
Easter
I didn't understand him.
That was the problem.
If Hill had demanded something from me, I would have known what to do.
If he had ordered me to accept the bond, I could have hated him.
If he had told me that I belonged to him, I could have walked away and never looked back.
But he hadn't done any of those things.
He had simply listened.
He had answered my questions.
And when I told him I might never love him, he hadn't tried to change my mind.
I sat down on a bench outside the veterinary building and pressed my palms against my eyes.
My Omega was practically purring.
Kind Alpha.
"Don't."
Our mate.
"Please stop."
He waited.
I froze.
That was the part I couldn't stop thinking about.
He had waited.
He hadn't followed me yesterday.
He hadn't tried to force another meeting.
Even when we stood face-to-face today, he had given me enough space to leave whenever I wanted.
I had spent so long believing that an Alpha's power inevitably came with the desire to control that I didn't know what to do with someone who chose not to.
A shadow fell across the bench.
I looked up.
Dao stood in front of me, holding two iced coffees.
He studied my face.
"Well?"
I blinked.
"Well, what?"
"Did you meet him?"
I stared.
"How did you know?"
"North sent me approximately forty-seven messages."
I groaned.
"Of course he did."
Dao sat beside me and handed me a coffee.
"So?"
I looked at the cup.
Then at the courtyard where Hill had been standing.
"He was nice."
Dao waited.
I sighed.
"Annoyingly nice."
Dao's lips twitched.
"That sounds terrible."
"It is."
"Should I be concerned?"
"I don't know."
He studied me for a moment.
Then he asked, "Did you feel safe?"
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
Because the answer wasn't as simple as I wanted it to be.
I hadn't felt completely safe.
I was still frightened.
My hands had trembled, and my heart had raced.
But Hill hadn't made the fear worse.
He hadn't demanded anything.
And for a few moments, while he listened to me, I hadn't felt trapped.
"I don't know," I admitted.
Dao nodded.
"That's okay."
I looked at him.
"Is it?"
"Of course. You don't have to decide everything today."
I lowered my gaze to my coffee.
Then, very quietly, I said, "I think I want to talk to him again."
Dao went silent.
I immediately regretted saying it aloud.
"Not because he's my mate," I added hurriedly. "I mean, obviously, that's part of it, but—"
"Easter."
I stopped.
Dao was smiling.
Not teasing.
Not laughing.
Just smiling.
"You want to talk to him again."
I swallowed.
"Maybe."
"Then maybe you will."
I stared at my coffee.
My Omega curled up inside me, warm and hopeful.
For the first time since meeting Hill, I didn't immediately tell it to be quiet.
I wasn't ready to trust him.
I wasn't ready to accept the bond.
I wasn't ready to let him close enough to discover the things I had spent years hiding.
But perhaps—
Perhaps I could allow myself one conversation at a time.
One moment at a time.
One choice at a time.
It was a small beginning.
And for now, that was all I could manage.
---
Hill
I was halfway to my car when my phone vibrated.
A message from Arthit.
Arthit: NORTH SAYS YOU MET EASTER.
I stared at the screen.
Another message arrived.
Arthit: WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HIM?
Then another.
Arthit: DID YOU CONFESS?
I typed a reply.
Me: No.
Arthit: DID HE CONFESS?
Me: No.
Arthit: DID YOU KISS?
I put my phone away.
It vibrated again.
I ignored it.
For once, I had more important things to think about.
Easter had asked me whether I would accept it if he never chose me.
And I had told him the truth.
I would.
Because loving someone couldn't mean taking away their freedom.
It had to mean giving them the freedom to leave, even when every part of you wanted them to stay.
I reached my car.
My phone vibrated once more.
This time, the number was unfamiliar.
I frowned and opened the message.
Unknown: Stay away from Easter.
My expression hardened.
A second message appeared.
Unknown: You don't know what he is capable of.
I stared at the screen.
My wolf went completely still.
Not calm.
Still.
I read the message again.
Then another arrived.
Unknown: You don't know what happened to him.
For several seconds, I didn't move.
The person who had sent these messages knew Easter.
Perhaps they knew his past.
Perhaps they were trying to protect him.
Or perhaps they were the reason he was afraid.
I typed a reply.
Me: Who is this?
The message showed as delivered.
No response came.
I called the number.
It was switched off.
My grip tightened around the phone.
I didn't know what had happened to Easter.
I didn't know who had hurt him.
And I certainly didn't know why someone believed he was dangerous.
But I knew one thing.
I wouldn't let my instincts make decisions for him.
I wouldn't chase him.
I wouldn't demand answers he wasn't ready to give.
And I wouldn't mistake being his mate for having the right to control his life.
If Easter wanted me to stay away, I would listen.
But if someone was threatening him—
I would find out why.
Not because the Moon had chosen him for me.
Not because my wolf considered him ours.
But because Easter deserved to be safe.
Even if he never chose me.
I looked at the messages one final time.
Then I saved the number.
Whoever you are, I thought, you had better hope you're trying to protect him.
Because if you're the reason he is afraid—
I will find you.
And this time, I won't be asking questions about fate.
I'll be asking questions about you.
End of Chapter 2.
