Miguel stormed down the stone steps, eyes darting towards the De La Cruz tower.
He needed to get in there, no matter what.
As he headed in that direction, the wheels in his head whirring as he desperately thought up a plan as to how to get in, he heard a familiar whining and barking from behind him.
"Dante! Go away!"
Dante ignored him, biting at the Alpha's jean cuffs in an attempt to get him to turn around.
"Dante, stop it! They can't help me!"
This time, Dante managed to get Miguel's hoodie sleeve, the sudden movement causing his hood to fall down.
"Dante! Get off me!" Miguel tugged his arm free of the sleeve, revealing the fleshy upper arm, "Leave me alone! You're not a spirit guide! You're just a DUMB DOG! Get away!"
Dante shrank back, hurt evident in his eyes as the Alpha shouted at him, before storming away, leaving him cowering in the streets.
"It's him! It's the living boy!"
Realising that people had spotted the fleshy part of his arm, Miguel quickly straightened his hoodie and rushing off, narrowly avoiding being hit by a train as he went down a level. However, as he raced off, a large, winged cat suddenly dropped down in front of him and roared, causing him to scream in fear and alarm.
"This nonsense ends now Miguel!" Mama Imelda yelled from on top of the guide, "I am giving you my blessing, and you are going home!"
"I don't want your blessing!" Racing towards a narrow alleyway, which he knew the guide wouldn't be able to get through, he pulled open a door and ran up the stairs.
"Miguel! STOP!"
The guide roared again.
"COME BACK! MIGUEL!"
Stumbling and racing up the stairs, Miguel snarled in anger as he ran into a locked gate, managing to slip his body through the bars easily… the guitar was another matter.
"I am trying to save your life!"
As he managed to pull the guitar through, he growled at the approaching Alpha. "You're trying to ruin my life!"
"What?!"
Mama Imelda reached the bars, staring up at Miguel in shock as he continued to walk away.
"Music is the only thing that makes me happy!" Miguel desperately explained, "And you… you want to take that away! You'll never understand!"
As he turned to walk away once again, something stopped him in his tracks… something haunting.
"Y aunque la vida me cuesta llorona
No dejare de quererte"
Slowly, he turned back to Mama Imelda, frowning at the despondent look on her face. "I-I thought you hated music?"
"Oh…" She pressed a hand against her ribcage, over where he heart would have been, "… I used to love it. I can still remember that feeling… I used to work as a bar-maid you know. A poor job for an Alpha, but I loved it. Towards the end of the night, I'd get up on the tables and sing and dance for the last few people…. I felt so free."
A small smile spread across her face, "That's how I met him you know… my gorgeous omega. I was singing one night, and he… just started playing his guitar. He looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen."
She shook her head, "I remember the look on his face when he'd play his guitar…. How happy it made him when I sang and danced along. Nothing else mattered in the world, it was just me and him…. And then he fell pregnant with Coco, and the true meaning of being an Alpha was clear to me. There was something more important in my life…. More important than music."
Sighing wearily, a frown flashed across her face, "I wanted to put down roots…. Raise a family, maybe give Coco some siblings. Set up a business that I could be proud of…. But he just wanted to dance around and play for the world. In the end, we each made a sacrifice to get what we wanted…. Now you must make a choice!"
"But…" Miguel shook his head, "… I don't wanna pick sides…. Why can't you be on my side?! That's what family is meant to be like, what they're supposed to do! Support each other…" he sniffed, tears building up in his eyes, "… but you never will."
And then he ran, leaving a stunned Imelda behind.
….
Alpha!
He knew that voice.
It had to be his Alpha!
Nobody paid him any attention as he headed towards the alleyway, and eager smile on his face.
"Well, lookie what we found."
A large hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks and turning him around. A well-dressed beta stared at him, a sly smile on his face.
"And here I thought we'd never find you…" The man cooed, clearly trying to sound reassuring but failing miserably, "… come on. We know someone who'd love to meet you."
As another hand grabbed him, the omega realised that there was no point in struggling.
Even as they pulled him away.
…..
After failing to persuade the bodyguard that he was the great great grandson of one of Ernesto De La Cruz's men, and that he was definitely invited to the party, Miguel used a different tactic.
"Thanks guys!" he beamed at the brass band who had smuggled him past the guard in the tuba, allowing him to get on the train that would take him up towards the De La Cruz tower.
As soon as he laid eyes on it, he couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
It was just… so amazing!
As he and the band left the train, he almost stumbled up the steps, unwilling to take his eyes off of the main tower of the building.
He still couldn't believe his great, great grandfather was living here!
As he followed the crowd inside, he struggled to push his way through the mass of people that swarmed all around him. He had to find his great, great grandfather, and to do that, he needed to find Ernesto de la Cruz.
"Senor De La Cruz!" he called out, hoping that the other Alpha might hear him over the loud music, and the multiple different films that were playing all around the room, "Senor De La Cruz!"
Nothing.
Growling to himself in frustration, getting confused with all the different scents that threatened to suffocate him, Miguel fought his way to the edge of the room, taking several deep breaths and turning his attention to the screen opposite.
It was his favourite film… Ernesto De La Cruz as a priest who just wanted to save his town through music. He flew as well, which was just awesome!
"He will not listen Father!" The nun pleaded on the screen, as De La Cruz straightened up, pulling his guitar closer.
"He will listen to music!"
And then it hit Miguel…. He knew exactly what he had to do.
Making sure the guitar was still safe, he raced back up the stairs, climbing on top of the bannister…. Before letting out the loudest gritto in his life.
Instantly, everything seemed to fall silent, aside from the films on the screens.
"Señoras y señores
Buenas tardes, buenas noches
Buenas tardes, buenas noches
Señoritas y señores"
Walking down the stairs, he knew he was flushing at the attention he was getting.
To be here with you tonight brings me joy, que alegria
For this music is my language, and the world es mi familia
For this music is my language, and the world es mi familia"
Ernesto De La Cruz was staring right at him.
For this music is my language
And the world es mi familia
For this music is my language..."
Before he could finish however, he narrowly avoided falling in the pool, feet slipping along the ground as his song was cut off. Thankfully, he quickly managed to regain his footing, a blush spreading across his face as he smiled sheepishly.
The blush only increased in intensity as Ernesto De La Cruz moved forwards, clapping his hands together in appreciation.
"Bravo! Bravo!" the Alpha called out, "A true fan of my work I see!" He then slapped a hand on Miguel's shoulder, "You have great potential!"
"T-Thank you senor…" Miguel stammered out, "…. I-I-I was hoping to speak to you actually, I- "
"- Of course you were! What young Alpha with your talent wouldn't be?!"
Before Miguel could say anything, Ernesto took his arm and started leading him through the party, introducing him to everyone who was anyone.
None of them appeared to be a special friend of De La Cruz's…. none of them seemed to be Miguel's great great grandfather.
….
He didn't want to go to the Tower.
The blinding lights and the crowds didn't bother him.
But he was there…. The mean man.
He didn't want to go there.
"Stop struggling omega…" one of the men holding him growled, giving him a firm shake, "…. Just walk will ya?"
"He doesn't understand." The other guard sneered, "Just pick him up, it'll take less time."
He kicked, and he tried to protest…. But it had no effect.
There was nothing he could do except whine and hope that his Alpha was close enough to hear it.
…
Imelda felt like she'd aged about fifty years since this night began.
Her Alpha great great grandson was trapped in the Land of the Dead, refusing to take her blessing, and making her question everything that she ever believed.
Hector did love her…. She knew this. So if he did run away with Ernesto, then why didn't she ever see him with the Alpha on tour, or in those films?
Why did her omega seem to disappear off of the face of the earth?
Why was there no sign of him in the Land of the Dead?
Until today anyway…. She was sure that she'd heard Hector's voice during that music competition, happy and gleeful, just how she remembered him.
As she was pondering this, preparing to get back on Pepita and find the rest of her family before heading to De La Cruz's tower to try and find Miguel, she suddenly felt Pepita tense up as though she'd heard something…. And then she was off.
"Pepita? PEPITA!"
….
Mistresses' Omega in trouble…. Must save the omega.