Remi rapidly blinked tears away as he exited out of the images.
“I’m going to email this to myself.” Was all Remi said before quickly doing just that. He stood and turned to leave, moving stiffly as he tried to hold it all together. He paused at the door and didn’t look back as he whispered a quiet, “Thank you.”
Remi walked out of his professor’s office, and for a moment was completely lost. He wasn’t sure where he wanted to go. He should go to class, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold himself together if he saw Aiden. The other omega was one of his closest friends, and if Remi saw him, his mask would slip. His mask would slip, and everyone would see him for what he was.Weak.
Remi wanted to go home. He wanted to curl up in his nest and die of shame and humiliation. The omega didn’t want to talk to anyone or be around anyone… except maybe Dimitrios. Remi remembered how gentle the alpha had been with him the previous night, and his kind words ran through Remi’s head.
“It’s not stupid if it’s making you so upset. I’m so sorry that you have to deal with that at school. I know how important your education is to you. But it’s okay for you to cry if you need to. You don’t have to be strong, not here with me. It’s okay if you want to let go.”
Remi didn’t want to be strong. He wanted to let go. He wanted Dimitrios to come get him and take him home. Remi wanted the alpha to make everything go away. The voices in his head were too loud, the emotions in his chest too intense, the shame in his belly too cold.
Remi could smell the smoky aroma of distress pouring off of him in waves. He could feel his mask cracking around the edges and he knew that he needed to leave. Remi started to walk quickly toward the exit, until his path was blocked by a familiar group.
Remi instantly felt his mask solidify as molten hot anger replaced the icy pool of shame in his gut. He stood straighter, breathed deeper and forced the distressed scent to stop. Remi secured all the tenuous little strings that were holding him together, and he walked up to them and stood, back straight and head held high. He was a picture of imperviousness as they all started to throw out little jabbing comments.
“Oh, well look who it is.”
“The prostitute.”
“The slut.”
“I see you have a new hickey. Did you fuck one of your clients last night?”
Remi didn’t reply, he just held himself in check and looked at them coldly.
“Your days here are numbered now. The administration knows all about your littlebusiness.”
They all pulled out their phones, and the photoshopped pictures flashed from many screens. Remi’s stomach turned, but again he didn’t react. His lack of response seemed to only make them more angry. They wanted the victory of seeing him cry. They wanted to break him, and Remi wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction. He met eyes withKnotbreakerand felt smug at the bruise on his cheek that was poorly covered with makeup.
“I’m surprised anyone wants him. I bet old men are the only ones desperate enough to fuck him.” Knotbreaker said with a sneer.
Remi felt a sliver of ice settle in his heart at those words. These idiots really thought they were something, but Remi could see right through them. They were all single, it was clear by their scents, each one independent and unmarked. Remi took a deep breath and caught Dimitrios' dark scent coming from his own body. Remi was currently bedding an alpha that made Cade Nash look like a callow, unworthy pup. If these motherfuckers ever saw Dimitrios Cirillo, they would probably pass out on the spot. Remi was so much better than this, he didn’t have to put up with them.
“I’m not fucking an old man. I have a boyfriend. He’s 35, and you are all pathetic losers who couldn’t catch the attention of an alpha if you danced naked in front of them with a sign that said‘Fuck Me’on it. I don’t have to resort to lowly, pathetic tactics to try and get the attention of someone who doesn’t want me. I have someone who wants me. So why don’t you spend a little time on yourselves and try to figure out why no one wants you, instead of trying to figure out why they want me?” Remi said, voice as cold as ice.
“Yeah right? Who would want you?” Knotbreaker retorted.
Remi looked at him with a smug expression as he replied, “Well, for one, I would say Cade Nash.”
Knotbreaker actually growled at him, and Remi just gave him a look that clearly said,‘Try it bitch’. He wasn’t in the mood for this. Remi didn’t want to be his strong self at the moment. He wanted Dimitrios. He wanted to go home. He wanted peace and quiet and privacy so he could cry out all his feelings until he was so exhausted he fell asleep.
More harsh words were thrown from the little group.
“You tricked him! He wouldn’t want you if he knew what you really were.”
“Lie all you want, but everyone knows now that you’re‘boyfriend’is some old man.”
“So how much exactly does the disgusting bastard pay you?”
Remi couldn’t help the reaction as his brows drew down and he pulled his lips back off his teeth in a growl. They could say whatever they wanted about him, but Dimitrios was off limits. It pleased his tormentors to realize that they had finally found a button to push that would get a reaction.
“Oho! You don’t like it when we talk about that piece of shit you’re fucking?”
“Wow, that’s pretty low even for you.”
Remi wanted to hold it in, but he felt the anger rising in him, the tide of pure hatred and fury that wanted to burst out of him like an erupting volcano. He was angry. More angry than he’d ever been in his entire life. Remi’s hands curled into fists and he trembled all over.
“What do you think Cade would think if he saw all these pictures of you? Maybe I’ll send them to him.”