Author's Notes
Hi all. I am re-reading each chapter and changing it up so it is not similar to the old Coded. Some things will stay in and then I will take out other parts and rewrite it!
3
After discussing plans to move out of my dorm at school, I gave my parents the dorm key and they left to move my things from there to their house. Mom gave me a jacket, kissed my cheek, and left with my dad. As I just stood in the hall way watching them leave, I began to wonder… Am I a traitor? Did I just give in to an alpha and let him decide my future? Albert, if he cared, he would have come right? Rafael was approaching now wearing a big coat on and a briefcase in his hand.
"Come on. It's supposed to get very cold tonight and we should get you moved in." he said with a polite smile on his face. I just nodded and let him lead.
"So I really have to move in with you?" I asked as he began to move through the building.
"Yes." he replied, and I tucked my hands in my jacket.
"Forever?" I added. He glanced at me as we reached a hall and stood in front of an elevator.
"You're not a prisoner you can go wherever you want as long as I have some knowledge of where you'll be." he replied. I scoffed silently.
"Of course you have to know my every move." I said, and he shook his head and looked down at me with a mild frown.
"Or I'd worry that you weren't safe." he said. I didn't say anything for a moment and just waited for the elevator doors to open. Once it did, I walked in and he followed. I stood in the middle of the elevator and he stood right beside me. The lights were dim, and it slowly began to move down. It was quiet, and I just wanted to close my eyes and be somewhere else. I could feel eyes on me, and I glanced over to see Rafael staring down at me.
"What?" I asked lowly, and he just shook his head and looked away.
"Hm? Nothing." he said. "Do you have a place you've been staying at? Like an apartment. You probably have stuff you'd like to bring?" I shook my head.
"My parents will have my stuff." I answered.
"Oh. Tell me about your parents." he said. I kept my hands tucked into my pockets and shrugged not wanting to be open about anything of my life.
"Dad is a deception researcher, and my mom's a teacher." I answered and walked out of the elevator. His eyes seemed interested now as he sped up to match my speed.
"I've heard about them. They watch and observe alphas to make sure they aren't lying about finding their betas!" he said and I nodded.
"That's correct." I replied. He then looked down at me.
"We've spoken for a moment when they got here. He believes I'm telling the truth?" he asked, and I inhaled some and nodded.
"Yes." I replied. He smiled some and looked ahead.
"So you believe me?" he asked. I stiffened some.
"You wouldn't do all of this if you weren't my alpha." I responded.
"So, do you drive, do you have a car, are you in school?" I nodded.
"Yes I can drive. No I don't have a car. Yes, I am a junior at Marymount University. Journalism." I said. Rafael looked at me with bright eyes.
"You like to write?" he asked opening the door of the building for me, and I exited.
"Yes. Luckily it's Saturday, so I won't miss classes." I said lowly. He nodded in agreement walking down some long steps.
"Good. Education is important, I am glad you have not decided to drop out like most kids do when in cults." he said. Now I stopped in my place and glared and he raised his hands. "Sorry." I rolled my eyes.
"It isn't a cult. Albert told us to never quit our jobs or leave school for AntiDom. He wanted us to think for ourselves. We hosted groups at specific times in certain locations so we could meet. Some betas ranted about their alphas while most of us spoke in fear of how horrible it will be when become taken." I said. By now we had stopped by a black expensive looking car, and Rafael suddenly put his arms on either side of me, causing me to lean back in mild shock. My body pressed against the car and he just trapped me there staring at me deeply. I was already intimidated by him. What would he do to me? Would he hurt me for speaking negatively about alphas?
"You have nothing to be afraid of when you are with me." he said. People were walking by not even paying much attention to us. I leaned back into the car trying to create more space between us.
"We will see." I said. He slowly nodded and leaned back up and opened the passenger's side of the car for me. I got in and sat on the leather seats. Rafael got in, started the car, and began to drive. I looked out the window hoping nobody I knew saw me. "So what about you? What were your parents like?" Rafael shook his head some.
"I don't talk about my dad. My mom wasn't his beta so he walked out when he found his." he said. I arched a brow.
"I see. Do you live in a big house?" I asked. He chuckled dryly.
"It's a decent size." he replied.
"What am I supposed to call you?" I asked. Alpha? Master? Sir? He winced and looked at me confused.
"Rafael." he said as if I just asked an awkward question. I kept my eyes forward not really responding just yet.
"What are the rules?" I asked. Alphas made rules all the time. He shrugged.
"You go to school, I go to work. I would like to have some knowledge of where you will be after school that's not at AntiDom should you plan be elsewhere. I would like for you to stay home and not work. I can take care of both of us. If you decide to work though, we can make it work." he said. I only nodded slowly.
"Do you want kids?" I asked quietly. His lips pierced together and he just cleared his throat.
"Yes, when we are both ready." he replied.
"What if I don't want kids?" I asked. He was still for a moment before looking down.
"Guess that'll be a conversation we can have later on down the road once we get to know each other more." he said glancing at me with a light smile.
"Albert says all alphas want to do is breed us. I mean it is expected of a beta, right?" I asked. His eyes hardened on me.
"No one should make you do anything you don't want to. You are still a human being and you have rights." he said.
"But if an alpha wants kids, his wants outweigh the needs of the beta?" I asked looking at him now. He nodded.
"Yes." he replied. I didn't believe that he actually believed that. There was just no way. "How do you get to school?" I looked ahead again having nothing to say.
"The bus, sometimes I walk." I answered. He shook his head now with disapproval.
"No that won't do. We can work on getting you a car." he said. I shook my head.
"I don't have the money right now. School is important and I am not working." I said.
"Well I do so I will." he replied. I just kept eyes forward and nodded. He glanced over at me and back on the road.
"So your hair… I hear that African Americans have to do a lot of maintenance to their hair." he said. I arched a brow and looked at him and he looked at me confused and unsure. "Is that true?" He sounded genuinely curious now.
"You don't have any black friends you can ask about that?" I asked. He gave an embarrassed shrug glancing at me and then back on the road.
"My black friends aren't my beta." he said. I shrugged in response thinking he got one point for at least asking about my hair even he wasn't really taking an interest in it.
"For some yes. I need to get a silk scarf, a satin bonnet, and a satin pillow case." I replied. He arched a brow.
"Why all of that?" he asked.
"My hair gets dry and can break on cotton. Even though I do relaxers on my hair I have to work twice as hard to keep my hair moisturized." I replied. Now there was silence as he nodded before squinting some and looking at me.
"And a relaxer is…?" he asked. I thought I would be annoyed at his questions, but honestly, I loved explaining to people about hair care, so I just looked at him.
"It's a chemical straightener. People get perms for curly hair others get relaxers to straighten their hair." I replied. He blinked a few times.
"Okay. We can get you those things that you need." he said. I looked at him now.
"I'll have to do that alone." I replied, and he tilted his head.
"Why?" he asked.
"A lot of people who know me in my community know that I don't have an alpha. If you're with me, they will know. Albert will find out and change a lot of his routines in the group. My knowledge can only go so far if he changes things." he said. He slowly nodded.
"You know I thought it would be difficult to get you to agree to do all this. You seem so willing to give up your people." he said. I hid my scowl.
"I'm not willing to do anything… but If it helps me avoid jail time, then it was my only option." I replied. Plus, I couldn't do that to my parents. I couldn't hurt them that way. I could hear him sighing with attitude.
"Great." he said. We were in a neighborhood now full of nice and big houses. I saw mostly white faces and just turned kept my head down. Now he pulled in to a white and brown two-story house. It was better than anywhere I have stayed. He cut off his engine and looked at me with a polite smile. "I've taken the entire weekend to get you settled in, so you tell me where to go and we'll go." I shook my head.
"No. You don't need to do that. I don't need a lot. I can get my things like clothes from my parents and that's all I need." I replied. He shook his head.
"You're not a guest in my home, this is going to be your home too, and I want you to be comfortable." he argued.
"That will take time." I nearly snapped. Rafael sighed and just leaned back in his seat, and I did the same. I placed my fingers on my forehead rubbing them slowly.
"It's my job to take care of you, like it or not. This is happening, so please just get used to it." he said looking at me. I gave a defiant stare for a second before sighing and looking away.
"Just take me to all the places you are familiar with shopping at. I don't want to be recognized." I said getting out of the car not noticing his victorious smile.