A Vampires Alpha [BOOK FIVE]

11.

**Leif**

I remember the first time I ever cried.
My father beat me nearly half to death for being an emotional child.
But as you get older, no one ever warns you how painful it is to fall down, just to try and make yourself get up again.
I was broken from the moment I was born, my mom tried many ways to kill me, to save herself from the burden of calling me her son.
She hated looking at me.
She hated knowing she gave birth to a child with the ability to control the weather.

So the day my father chose to beat me, was also the day a storm came out of nowhere and nearly took out the whole town.

I never knew how powerful I was, until he was constantly cramming it down my throat.
His son was a weapon.
A tool he could use to take out his enemies.

But the moment I told him I didn't want to hurt anyone with this ability.
I was beaten a second time.

That same night was when my mom tried drowning me in the tub, and when my dad ripped me out.
He tried killing her on the spot, until I begged him to stop.

Days later, when he was gone, my mom had a light switch go off because she was running away with me.
Not only did I have scars from the abuse and attempted murder, I also had trauma.
But that was the same day it stormed and my mom was leaving me at an orphanage.

I remember standing there.
Wondering what I did so wrong to be treated this way.
To be abandoned by my parents.
To be all alone.

I could feel myself suffocating.
Was I dying?
Everything felt fuzzy as I floated, my lungs were burning and it hurt to breathe.
All I could taste was water.

"Wake up, Leif."
"Come back to me!"

I sat up fast choking and coughing out the water that was stuck in my throat, the thing that had made it feel like I was suffocating.
It was hard for me to focus as the rain came down hard around us.
It looked like we were on a bank as I tried to find Felix before my eyes finally found his and in seconds.

I was wrapping my arms around the alpha, terrified out of my mind from what just happened.

"F-Felix, who-"
"I don't know, it happened too fast for me to see who shoved you. I'm hoping Asher or Quin saw who it was." Felix frowned deeply.
"Where are we?" I questioned.
Felix could only shrug as he made himself stand up while holding me.

"Y-You don't have to hold me." I cried.
Felix only held me closer.
"Until you stop crying I do, I'll find a way out of this, and once I find out who did this. I'll deal with them-"
"Don't." I cried into the others chest.
"What? Leif, they tried to kill you! If I hadn't jumped in after you..." I could see the pain in his eyes as I frowned at him.

"You don't have to be on their level, you are better than whoever did this.. I don't want you to get in trouble, so p-please.. don't fight anyone." I buried my face into his chest as he let out a low growl in response but stopped at the sound of sirens.

My eyes were wide looking straight ahead at the flashing red and blue lights.
"Someone called the police." I looked at Felix who seemed relieved.
"Good." He adjusted his hold on me as he walked through the woods.
I felt tired and cold, I wanted to sleep more.
But I knew I needed to stay awake.
------
When we made it out to the road, there were three police cars and an ambulance out by the parking lot.
I was scared seeing my parents with Quin and Asher who both looked worried sick.
Before dad turned and saw me in Felix's arms.

"Oh my god, Leif!" Dad nearly collapsed as they all ran over to us.
Even some of the kids from the party were gathering over with worry.

"I-I'm okay." I tried reassuring the two as papa gently took me from Felix before my parents were both hugging me tightly.

"When Quin called us freaking out that some kid shoved you off the cliff, I was so scared, oh my god baby, are you sure you're okay?" Dad asked caressing my cheeks with tears in his eyes.
My brows were knitted but I nodded.
"I'm okay, if it wasn't for Felix-"

"Thank you." Papa cut me off looking at Felix who didn't hesitate to nod in response.
"There's no need to thank me sir, the moment I saw him fall was the moment I was throwing myself over that cliff. Leif means the world to me, and I know you are his parents who are meant to protect him. But it's also my job to keep him safe." Felix told the two.

Papa studied him before smiling softly.
"You are quite the alpha for our son, I don't think there's anyone else I would want Leif with. You have proven yourself time and time again that you are worth his love, and I could not agree more." He told Felix who blinked as his eyes slightly widened but he smiled.
"Thank you for that, I plan to keep working hard for your approval and respect." He replied.

Our attention fell on the police officer who walked over with  his arms crossed.
"There has been no sign of the one who pushed your son, but I assure you we will find whoever it was-"

"They weren't a student." 

I pushed myself into Felix who glared softly the moment Ricky walked over with Briar Ross.
The brunet looked at the officer.

"They were a vampire but it was hard to get a glimpse of their facial features, I know it's none of our business, but it looked like they were paid to do that." Briar spoke up with crossed arms.
The officer turned his attention to my parents but his eyes were on me.

"Does your son or either of you have any enemies that would go as far as endangering your children?" He asked.
My parents seemed not only thrown off by the question but also guilty.

"Enemies we dealt with years ago, but there should be no reason to come back targeting our children." Papa spoke up with crossed arms.
The officer frowned.
"I see, well for now all we can do is be on the look out, but without a description of the attacker, it may take some time." He said.

Papa frowned.
"So if by chance we come across the attacker first-"
"Keep it to yourself and do not broadcast your actions, I'll turn a blind eye to this, only because I know your reputation. Magna Grimes." The officer smirked softly at papa who blinked confused before his eyes slightly widened.

"You are Nick Combs, Jackie's cousin." He said.
The blond grinned softly.
"I honestly thought you guys forgot about me."
Papa shook his head.
"No way, Jackie will get a laugh knowing his cousin is a police officer though, and in our town of all places." Papa grinned at Nick who grinned back.
"I'm sure he will, but back to business, I'll leave this issue in your hands unless I come across something first." Nick told him.

Papa nodded.
"Sounds good." He offered his hand to the other.
"It was good seeing you, Nicky." He said teasing the vampire who groaned.
"Uh huh, like wise." He said waving everyone off before walking back to his car.

I stood against Felix frowning, his eyes were on Ricky and Briar who were fixing to walk away but stopped when my dad approached the two.

"Thank you." He spoke up as confusion appeared on Ricky's face first before Briar looked at the omega.
"You don't need to thank us-"
"You are right, I don't need to, especially when that one next to you has been bullying my son." I watched the color leave Ricky's face as he frowned deeply at my dad who frowned at the other.

"But regardless of that, you still came over here, exposing yourselves in front of his parents and told the officer it wasn't a student. If you hadn't said anything, the whole school would have been pulled into this, but now it won't, so thank you for being mature enough to speak up." Dad was praising them but at the same time, you could tell he was also scolding them.

"Now, you should get home, it's late and I'm sure you wouldn't want your guardians worrying about you, would you?" Dad asked them.
They both shook their heads.
That seemed to make dad smile softly.
"Then I suggest you get going before you do worry them." He told the two.

I was scared but the minute Ricky turned his back to me, I was leaving Felix's side and approaching the two.

"W-Wait." I called out to them before Ricky paused, he didn't fully turn as he looked over his shoulder to me.
"What is it?" He asked, finally speaking up as my brows knitted.
"Why did you speak up?" I asked him.

Ricky looked to Briar then back to me.
"Just because I bully you at school, doesn't mean I'd bully you outside of school, plus." He fully turned around to face me, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.
"I don't hate you enough to shove you off a cliff like that, I can admit that I know I'm a major jackass, but I'm not the type to take a life over jealous rage." He told me as my eyes slightly widened.

"D-Do you think Carmen-"
"I don't know." Ricky cut me off, turning away now.
"She's a massive bitch who thinks she's all that just because shes a hot omega, it wouldn't surprise me if she paid someone to hurt you, but at the same time? There was fear in her eyes when you fell from that cliff, whether she planned it or not." He told me.

I stood there before looking over my shoulder as Felix approached us, frowning deeply at Ricky who glared in response to the others presence.

"Anyway, see ya later virgin." Ricky smirked teasingly before walking off with Briar who said nothing in response.
I just stood there blushing before I looked at Felix who kissed the top of my head.

"Let's get you home." He told me.
------
When we walked through the front door, I was nearly knocked off my feet when Omega and Amber practically pounced on me.
Iggy and Jinx stood at the door worried as Omega looked at me.

"Dad told us you fell off the cliff, are you hurt?" He asked me.
I blinked still trying to adjust to others trying to comfort me, before I managed a nod.
"Mhm, just really cold." I answered as the two got off of me before Omega was helping me to my feet.

"Who did it?" Amber asked with crossed arms looking at our parents who walked in behind us.
"We're not sure, it wasn't a student which is honestly a huge relief, but someone still did try to kill Leif tonight." Dad responded frowning softly.

My throat was dry as the guilt tried eating me alive just standing there.
Felix looked to me confused.
"What's wrong?" He asked me as the attention turned back on us.
Tears were burning my eyes as I tried to blink them away but they only fell before I looked at everyone.

"I-I might have an idea who it was." I said as my parents eyes grew wide.
"Why didn't you say anything to the police officer?" Dad demanded as I flinched and there was instant regret in the others eyes.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, but baby." He walked up to me.
"Why didn't you say anything?" He asked me in a softer tone now.

I looked at the other.
"B-Because he's like me, I don't know his name, but he said he was being paid to find a lost treasure... he was referring to me, b-but I don't know anyone who would pay someone to come and find me." I frowned deeply as the tears slipped.

"I-I'm sorry I kept it from you, I was just scared and I don't want anyone to get hurt, especially when you've been so k-kind to me, I don't want to be thrown away again. E-Everyone here is the best thing I've ever been given, and I don't want to l-lose anyone." I cried harder standing there.

"Leif, look at me."
I didn't want to but I knew I had to as my eyes met my dads who stood there, tears in his own eyes as he brought me into a tight embrace.
"First of all, no one is throwing anyone away and I can promise you right now? You are not going to lose anyone, we are a family who love you and that kind of secret you wanted to keep to yourself to keep us safe? Proves you love us too, and that's the best kind of thing a parent wants from their child is love. So baby," he pulled back and caressed my cheek looking at me.

"You're stuck with us." He told me.

It scared me but at the same time.
I felt happy.

For the first time in my life.

I finally knew what love felt like.

And every part of me?

Did not want to lose this feeling.