Whiskey, Winter, and Worst Case Scenario 2
He leaned leisurely against the far end of the wooden fence, half-shadowed by the yellow garden lights. A cigarette burned lazily between his fingers, the ember flaring as he took a slow, unhurried drag.
The smoke curled past his lips, dissipating into the cold air like a ghost slipping through the cracks of reality. It was a haunting sight. Like I'd met the devil during his smoke break.
His hoodie was pushed back slightly, his dark hair stark against the night. He looked untouched by the cold as if winter had decided he was too untouchable, too distant to claim.
I had no idea how long he’d been standing there. Watching. His black eyes flicked to me, amused yet seemingly unbothered like he was expecting this.
Something sharp and ugly twisted in my stomach. Fate was being cruel bringing us together. That was another messed up manifestation of our bond. Mates will always find a way to meet. It applied even when I didn't want to.
Higan exhaled another slow breath of smoke before finally speaking. “…Still chasing people who don’t want you, huh?”
The words sliced through me like a blade and I bled. My fingers twitched at my sides. My breath came too slow, too shallow.
“Are you following me?“ I shot the question, hotter than I wanted. My nerves were buzzing under my skin as I stared at him. At that moment, it felt awfully hot.
I hated how much space he occupied in my mind and how even now, my body tensed like it remembered what it meant to stand in front of him.
Higan tilted his head. “I would ask you the same thing, Mate,” he retorted with a half grin that lit up his face in a menacing manner.
My stomach twisted in knots that wriggled my last meal in uncomfortable ways. “Don't call me that,” I muttered under my breath, curling my nails into my palm as I clenched my fists.
I needed to leave the garden fast before I lost my voice. He still unnerved me, that was clear to see. I side-glanced at the route I walked from, letting my ears travel through the wind as I sought any wave that sounded like Tyler or Khalid. Nothing.
“I should go,” I uttered, stepping back slowly.
“You should stay,” he urged, throwing his finished cigarette in the snow before stepping on it. The snow crunched under his shoe.
“When hell itself freezes over,” I whispered under my breath.
The pulse of the party swallowed everything else and the walls of sound kept me trapped out here with him. The further I strained my hearing, the harsher the ache behind my eyes grew and it hurt my head.
It was quite clear that I'd strayed too far from them.
“I didn't quite catch that,” he whispered, right in front of me.
My breath stalled. I hadn’t seen him move. I only felt his breath fan my face, startling me. I staggered back in speed that felt all too familiar. My muscles reacted before my mind caught up.
The distance between us tripled in a blink, my feet digging into the frost-covered ground as I steadied myself. My heart continued to thump aggressively in my chest, almost choking me with its harsh rhythm.
Higan stopped short, blinking. His eyes widened a fraction, mouth agape as his brows furrowed. His amused demeanor slipped, replaced by something sharper.
But then his face broke into his condescending smile like a snake slithering back into place. “Well, well, Harlyn. That’s some speed coming from a pitiful little omega.” he probed.
The hair on my skin stood straight but I refused to bite his bait.
His smirk widened at my silence. “Pray tell, what's an ordinary omega doing with all that strength?“ His tone was casual, but there was a glint in his eyes like he already knew an answer.
He had a theory. Something in the meeting with his dad must have birthed one. And that meant, he was searching for confirmation.
Whatever he thought he knew was starting to look like a problem. It couldn't be anything remotely close to my actual situation. But, was his idea enough for him to torment me over?
I flexed my fingers, ignoring the chill creeping under my skin. My breath came out in puffs as I exhaled. “What do you want, Higan?” I stuttered against my will. My facade was slipping.
He hummed with his eyes scrutinizing my body like a scanner. “You,” he suddenly announced, his voice dropping an octave lower.
A breath caught in my throat. Not from shock but from disgust. His declaration felt like a threat and I felt threatened. I stepped back slowly, my body already recoiling, preparing for a chance to bolt.
His smirk deepened. “What, no witty comeback? No clever little insult? Come on, a comment at least. You always had something to say to Adolph.“
He just confessed to his probing. I let my expression settle into something cold but my blood boiled with discomfort. Everything in my body wanted me to leave. “I’m not interested in whatever you’re playing at right now”
Higan’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second. He took a step forward, hands sliding into the pockets of his coat. “Who said I'm playing?”
I held my ground. “It is always like that with you.”
He burst into a quiet chuckle, shaking his head as he shuffled on his feet. “That’s where you’re wrong, Mate.” He let the word drag, testing my patience. “If this was a game, you’d have lost.”
My jaw locked as I glared up at him. I wrapped my hand around my body. The unease only continued to grow. “I told you not to call me that.” I snappishly spat.
“Fine,” he mused, taking another step. “Would you rather I call you something else?" He taunted. "Or are you still figuring that out?”
Heat pricked at my skin, anger curling around my ribs.
He was baiting me again. He wanted to know something and he was hoping to have me spit it out blindly.
His plan was working but I couldn’t tell if the sweat on my palms was from fear or fury. He made me feel weak and I hated that. I needed to calm down. “Why are you here?”
Higan’s smirk thinned. “Because I like watching you squirm.”
I forced a breath through my nose, refusing to react.
His amusement flickered into something else. Something quieter. “And because I want to know what you are now.”
I stared at him, the weight of his words sinking in. He wasn’t just playing with me anymore. He was desperately curious. No. He was Wary. And that meant he didn’t know anything.
Good. I let my lips curl into something mirroring his usual smirk. “Too bad. I have nothing to say to you.“
Higan stilled. For the first time, he looked at me like he didn’t recognize what he was seeing. Something in my chest tightened because I knew how he got when he felt like things were out of his control.
I should have expected his reaction But I didn’t have time to process it before he moved. He launched himself to where I stood, leaving a flurry of snow in his wake. He slammed into me, knocking me back.
Still flustered, I couldn't find enough time to react, he'd caught me and pulled me flush against his chest to look at his fury-reddened face.
“Who do you think you are?“ He bellowed, tightening his hold to the point my ribs hurt.
I wanted to struggle, to push him away, but my fears had caught up my throat and my body had surrendered to his presence.
“You are nothing!“ He continued his aggressive screaming as tears streamed down my face. “That's what you are!“