Leo

Kayden was right. Everyone was right. I was the problem.

​The weight of it all pressed down on my chest. It was suffocating and heavy.

​Last night, when the walls had finally felt like they were crashing in on me, I had broken down. I had called my mother. She was the only person who truly understood what was happening to me, and I had cried. I had let all the armor I usually wore fall away.

​"He looked at me like I was a monster, Mum," I had choked out over the phone, my voice cracking into a sob I couldn’t suppress. "When he saw the news about the Enigma... when he realized what I was capable of... he looked at me with so much fear and disgust. He hates me, Mum. I know he does."

​"Oh, sweetheart," my mother’s gentle, soothing voice had echoed through the receiver, carrying a warmth I desperately needed. "Miller doesn’t hate you, son. He’s just terrified. Being an Enigma is not expected of anyone."

​"I want us to be happy," I whispered, burying my face in my hand as the tears kept falling. "God, I want it so badly, but I am so afraid. If I let him in, if I let my Enigma side completely take over, I’m terrified I’ll hurt him out of possessiveness. The instincts... they’re too strong, Mum. I love him so much, but what if my love ends up destroying him?"

​"Leo, listen to me," she had said firmly, her tone cutting through my panic. "Being an Enigma doesn’t make you a monster unless you choose to be one. Your possessiveness only becomes destructive if you hide behind it. You love him, and love requires vulnerability, not control. Stop running from him because you’re afraid of your own nature. Speak to him, let him see your fears, and give him the chance to choose you."

​Now, standing outside the apartment door after Kayden’s harsh but truthful words, my mother’s advice echoed in my head.

​Stop running.

​Maybe I should check up on Miller before I leave, I thought, even if it is just a glance. I wanted to make sure he was alright.

​Following the faint, intoxicating trace of his scent, I found my feet moving down the hallway toward the guest room. But as I drew closer, a sudden, paralyzing fear gripped me.

​I paused.

​I stopped myself dead in my tracks, my fist clenching at my side as I let out a deep, ragged sigh.

​What was I doing? I couldn’t face him like this—not looking this disheveled, not with my ego in tatters.

​I turned on my heel, forcing myself to walk back toward the exit.

​But luck wasn’t on my side. The guest room door clicked open, and I met Miller right there in the hallway.

​My eyes widened slightly in surprise, my heart violently hammering against my ribs. I quickly recovered, clearing my throat to mask my panic. "I... forgot my medical kit in the car. I was just heading out to grab it," I lied smoothly, avoiding his gaze as I immediately brushed past him, trying to make a quick escape.

​Before I could take a second step, a firm grip wrapped around my wrist.

​Miller’s hand was warm, and I had missed him holding me like that.

​Without saying a word, he yanked me backward and started pulling me aggressively toward the guest room.

​"What the hell is wrong with you? Let go of me!" I yelled, struggling against his grip, my dignity flaring up as I tried to pull my arm back. "Miller, I said let go!"

​Miller completely ignored my shouting. He dragged me inside the room and slammed the door behind us. Before I could even voice another protest, he lunged at me.

​His mouth crashed against mine in a kiss that was rough, desperate, and utterly crazy.

​There was no gentleness in it; it was a bruising collision of teeth and lips, a chaotic release of all the unspoken anger, fear, and desire that had been building between us. He gripped my jacket, pulling me impossibly closer as if trying to consume me, his tongue forcing its way inside, demanding a response.

​For a split second, my Enigma instincts almost took over, wanting to give in and dominate the kiss completely, but then I feared that I might lose control, and that snapped me back to reality.

​Bracing my hands against his chest, I used every ounce of my strength to push him away. I shoved him back, panting heavily as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, my chest heaving as I stared at him in shock.

​"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, my voice trembling with rage. "Have you gone insane? We shouldn’t be doing this. My Enigma is..."

​Miller raised a hand, cutting me off before I could even finish the sentence. "Oh, stop this! Why the hell are you acting like you would attack me or something? Stop putting those words into your head and pushing me away."

​I opened my mouth to argue, but Miller stopped me again, taking a step closer. "I am not finished," he said, his chest heaving as the veins in his neck popped out from the force of his emotion. "I allowed us to be apart last night because I wanted you to have some space to think, but I have been completely miserable. I don’t think I can part with you anymore. I was unable to sleep a single wink last night. I don’t know if you got any good sleep, but I definitely didn’t."

​I let out a bitter, breathless chuckle, shaking my head. "You think that I had a great night? You make it sound like I am being selfish, like what I did last night was because I wanted to. I was trying to protect you from what I might do to you, Miller! I saw the way you looked at Jace, and I saw the look you gave me right after. You made it seem like I am a monster!"

​Miller’s eyes widened in shock, but he didn’t deny it. Seeing that look on his face only confirmed everything I had observed last night.

​I let out a sharp scoff, raising a hand to rub my throbbing forehead.

​"I didn’t sleep either," I confessed, the exhaustion finally bleeding into my voice. "I spent the entire night thinking about what would become of my fate. Thinking about us. Don’t make me seem like I am being selfish when I am not. I would do absolutely everything to protect you if I can—including breaking us apart."

​"Breaking us apart?" he finally responded, his voice dropping into a dangerous, disbelieving register. "Well, I do not want us to break apart! I never asked for that, so why the hell do you think it is left to you to break us apart when I didn’t ask for it?!" he yelled.

​Before I could step back, Miller slammed his hand against the wall right beside my head, trapping me between his body and the surface.

​"I am not some fragile omega who can’t keep you under control," he panted, his gaze locking onto mine with fierce intensity. "I am a True Alpha, and I would do anything to make sure you are protected no matter what. Which is why you shouldn’t treat me like this. And also..." He paused for a moment, catching his breath, his expression softening into something painfully vulnerable. "I am sorry for making you think that I see you as a monster. I don’t, Leo. And I never would. I was just completely overwhelmed by everything. But I won’t allow you to break us apart, no matter what."

​I heaved a deep sigh after hearing his words. The tight knot of panic in my chest began to loosen, but I still shook my head, fighting the urge to lean into him. "Listen, I am sorry for walking away too. I love you so much that I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I know you are a True Alpha, Miller, but Enigmas are stronger. I can hurt you. Jace’s Enigma..."

​"Stop projecting," he cut me off fiercely. "You are not him. You are Leo Ackerman, the most annoying doctor I know, and you care about everyone around you. Stop having this terrible perception of yourself just because you are different. You are you, and they are them."

​Slowly, I raised my head to face him, the sting of tears finally welling up in my eyes. "What makes you think that I am different?" I asked, my voice cracking as the first tear broke free and trailed down my face.

​Miller gently cupped my face with both hands, his thumbs wiping away the tear streaming down my cheek. "Because you are my annoying doctor, and I have spent more than enough time with you to know exactly who you are. You are different."

​"How sure are you?" I sniffled, my defenses completely crumbling.

​"Because you love me," Miller whispered, his eyes filled with absolute certainty. "I am sure because you love me."

​The words broke the final dam holding my emotions back.

​I burst into tears, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, burying my face into his shoulder.

​For only the second time since Miller and I had been together, I completely broke down and cried in his arms. The first time had been when I finally realized the depth of my feelings for him. And now, it was this time.

​"I love you so much, Miller," I sobbed against his skin, my hands clutching at his shirt. "And I am so, so sorry for how I acted."

​Miller pulled away just enough to look at my face, his fingers gently wiping the fresh tears from my eyes. "It’s okay. We will get through this together," he whispered. He pulled me back into his chest, wrapping his arms securely around me. "I missed you so much."

​"I missed you too," I muttered, letting out one final, quiet sigh as a lone, lingering tear slid down my face, finally feeling safe in his hold.

​Then we heard a meowing sound from the entrance of the room, and we both chuckled as Starlight walked in.