21
It was about one in the morning, when Rafael and I left his party. His coat was draped over my shoulders as it was cool out this morning. Rafael was mildly agitated due to Carisi and I sharing a few more interests in art and theater. We were talking a bit more than usual.
"I can imagine he wants to be "besties" now so that you all can talk about Hamlet for over an hour." he said heatedly. I chuckled and stepped in front of him gripping his collar stopping him in his tracks, his eyes avoiding mine and a childish huff escaping him.
"I'm sorry darling. It was just nice getting to know your friends." I said. He glanced at me.
"More like coworkers." he mumbled. I leaned up on my tip toes and he looked at me closely.
"Yet you will always have my attention." I said and kissed him deeply. He replied almost immediately and wrapped his arms around my hips.
"Come on mami, let's get you home." he said against my lips. I agreed and we went home. After that night, things seemed mellow between us now there was a natural flow between us. I took down my twists and let my curls breathe. School was out for its winter break and Rafael still had to work, and so I was left at home mostly. The texts all stopped and that worried me more than anything. To past the time, I had taken up going to the gym in town. I made sure Rafael knew where I was going of course and I made a daily habit of going. I was there now, deep within my music. My body was on fire from the bit of walking I was doing now. God, I was out of shape.
I left after an hour and moved to my car which was parked in a nearby parking garage. Once I got there, I was stopped in my tracks and my eyes widened at what I was seeing. My windows were broken in and my tires were all slashed. I already felt like I was having a panic attack. I moved toward the driver's window noticing something raggedy sticking out of it. To my horror, it was a dead raccoon. My eyes widened and I yelped and jumped back. I looked around to notice how quiet and alone the area truly was. This was not good. I reached inside my pockets quickly for my cell phone. I needed to call Rafael- no the police first. I dialed 911 and hurried back into the gym where there were numerous people present. Within a few minutes the gym was visited by two cop cars and I led them down to the parking garage.
I was giving a report to the officer at the scene. He was asking if I had any idea about who would do this.
"I- I don't know I just came down and saw it like this!" I said.
"Aurora!" I heard Rafael's frantic tone. I turned toward the crowd that had formed to see Rafael moving through them with Olivia and Finn right behind him. A cop tried to stop them, but Olivia flashed her badge, where Rafael just moved right past him. I moved over to him and was embraced immediately.
"Are you alright?" he asked pulling back to look at me, and I nodded,
"Yes, I'm fine." I said and now he looked at the car. A cop was bagging the dead racoon when he winced and looked at me.
"AntiDom?" he asked. I shook my head with exhaustion.
"Or the Aryan Aces." I said. Olivia placed her hand on my back.
"We need to get her out of her and down to the precinct." she said and Rafael shook his head.
"No I need to take her home." he said.
"Detectives." A cop called getting our attention and we looked over at one of the cops and saw him holding up a plastic bag and inside it was my necklace from AntiDom that had apparently been cut. I was now paralyzed with fear as I looked at Rafael.
"I took that off weeks ago and placed it in a drawer in our room. It has to be Orion. He's Albert's second in command Rafael, they've been in our house." I said frantically and Rafael looked at Olivia and she just nodded.
"We will have you both escorted to the precinct, Carisi and I will go with a squad car and search your house ourselves." she said. Rafael nodded taking my hand now and pulling out his phone.
"I'm calling to have the locks changed and alarms installed." he said and now I was being pulled from the scene. I couldn't believe this was happening.
"It's their calling card. They have seen my actions as an act of betrayal. I have seen it before. They will come for me." I said quickly and Rafael looked at me and shook his head.
"Everything will be okay. I promise." he said softly.
"OH LOOK THE BETA BITCH IS GETTING WHAT SHE DESERVES!" we heard a holler. We both looked toward the crowd to see a group of men in leather black vests and bandanas screaming at us.
"YOU KEEP TRYING TO TAKE OUR BETAS AWAY AND PEOPLE GET HURT YOU BETA CUNT"" someone else yelled and more yelling came afterword causing more panic to overtake make. Rafael held me close and we were escorted into a squad car and were leaving the garage. I just shook my head hiding my face in my hands.
"Baby, don't listen to them." Rafael said soothingly, his hand lightly touching my shoulder, but I recoiled from him causing his eyes to widen.
"Don't. You wanted this." I said acidly and his eyes popped almost in shock.
"Me? I wanted us both to be happy!" he said and I shook my head.
"No you wanted to be alpha at any cost and this is what happened. You are not a victim and you are not being blamed for this. I AM!" I said and Rafael shook his head.
"Aurora, I know this all seems bad now, but I can get a warrant out for Orion for vandalizing and the dead raccoon-"
"Just don't!" I snapped again silencing him. I shook my head. "Stop helping. This is what me betraying everything I stood for for you. This was the price for giving up my life." I said and he shook his head now glaring.
"Oh no. I didn't make you join AntiDom. I didn't brain wash you into thinking every alpha in the world was bad. If you are so afraid now, then we were right to assume AntiDom to be a terrorist group, because it's a sign that the group is violent and doesn't take kindly to its members leaving them." he said. I just shook my head not saying anything else and now he just sighed. "It's obvious you can't stop them so let me and my coworkers do it."
I didn't respond. I just didn't want to be here anymore. I wanted to go home to my parent's house. That's when I remembered my parents.
"We need to make sure my parents are safe. AntiDom knows where I live." I said and Rafael nodded.
"I'll have Olivia send a car over there right now." he said getting on the phone once more. I just closed my eyes and buried my face into my hands.