Chapter Nineteen: Chapter Twenty [Bambi's Omega Adventures In A Post Apocalyptic World]

Chapter Nineteen: Bambi Has A Serious Talk With Cleo

It was a quiet night in their small town, and the only sound that could be heard was the clink of silverware against plates as Cleo, Alex’s mother, and Bambi sat down for dinner. The two of them had been enjoying Cleo’s homemade spaghetti bolognese and sweet potato and peanut curry, along with a bottle of wine that she had been saving for a special occasion.

“The food's really good,” Bambi, the beautiful Omega boy, complimented as he took another bite of the curry. It was a rare treat for him, as he was used to scavenging for whatever scraps he could find while constantly running away from Mutant Walkers and Apollo, the Alpha leader of a nearby cove.

Cleo merely nodded in response, her face remaining impassive. She wasn’t one for small talk or acknowledging compliments, but Bambi didn’t seem to mind. He continued to talk, asking about the recipe for the spaghetti and the curry, and Cleo gave short, detailed answers, surprising even herself at how much she was willing to share.

It’s been a while since she actually used some good ingredients to cook, especially since she’d been saving them up for a good day.

She looked at Bambi’s bright eyes as he ate her food like a little goblin. But well, it wasn’t bad to splurge a bit, time and again.

“This is seriously amazing,” Bambi said. “You’re a really good cook.”

Cleo didn’t want to admit it, but she did indeed reveal a little bit when praised. After all, that’s what she was before shit went down. A cook. A chef.

And, now she was an Alpha.

Cleo began to talk about the recipe she had used for the spaghetti and curry, going into detail about the ingredients and techniques she had used. Bambi listened attentively, asking questions and making notes in his mind, eager to try and replicate the dishes on his own someday, but if Apollo was still somewhere out there, he probably wouldn’t have the chance.

After a while, Bambi fell silent and Cleo noticed a slight frown on his face. Sensing that there was something he wanted to talk about, she decided to break the silence.

“You’re worried,” Cleo stated, as if she knew exactly what was going on in Bambi’s mind.

Bambi hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up. “I was just wondering… are you going to keep my Trait a secret?”

Cleo placed her fork down gracefully, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before replying. “Yes, I will,” she said firmly. “Why, do I look like someone who breaks her promises?”

“No, no. It’s just,”  Bambi let out a sigh. “I just wouldn’t know what to do if my secret got leaked. Please, I’m already in deep shit with one Alpha hunting me down. I don’t need another-”

“Ah, ah,” Cleo tutted. “One difference.”

“What?” Bambi asked.

“If I wanted to hunt you down, you wouldn’t be able to run.”

A slight chill went down Bambi’s back. He remembered her overpowered barriers and how they’d squashed a bunch of Wolves into meat paste. “. . .Right.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

“But, my daughter, Alex… she will probably want to know why she’s not sick anymore. The only reason she didn’t ask this afternoon was because of the flower field we visited,” she continued. “What do you plan to do with that?”

Bambi quickly raised his hands. “I’m not going to hurt your daughter or something if that’s what you’re implying. I don’t think I can, even if she’s young and naive still.”

“She’ll probably run off to the moon, before I can even think of attempting something,” Bambi smiled wryly. “I don’t mind letting the little one know.”

Cleo raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think she doesn’t already know?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bambi paused, recalling that Alex was a genius and could have easily put the pieces together. He sighed, realizing that he had again underestimated the young Alpha. He let out a small laugh. “Right. I guess she already does,” he admitted.

Cleo nodded in agreement. “She’s very perceptive, just like her father,” she said, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice.

The room was left in silence again. “What happened to-”

“So, one year in, and already, two people know about your secret,” Cleo tapped her fingers on the table.

Bambi ignored the fact that Cleo tried to change the conversation. She must still feel sensitive about her ex-husband. “Three.”

Cleo’s expression turned serious as she listened to Bambi’s words. She had suspected that Apollo had been targeting Bambi because of his unique ability, and now her suspicions were confirmed. Cleo looked at him, her gaze unflinching. “So, that warmongering Alpha is also in the know, as I suspected.”

Bambi nodded, shuddering at the thought of Apollo getting his hands on him. “That’s why he’s been hunting me all this time. He wants my healing to himself,” he said, a hint of fear in his voice.

“He wants more than your healing,” Cleo said.

“What do you mean?” Bambi asked, quizzically.

Cleo’s lips curled ever so slightly. This was her way of smirking, or rather, showing emotions. Then, her eyes curled downwards Bambi’s body, hidden behind his oversized T-shirt, and baggy pants.

Immediately, Bambi shivered. The thought of being controlled and used by someone like Apollo sending a chill down his spine. “That sick bastard,” he muttered, his fists clenching.

Cleo just snorted. “If only you knew half the things that he did.”

Bambi rubbed his knuckles, before going back to his spaghetti. “Oh yeah, just a side note, I saw a bite mark on his hand. The thing was already purple. Must be from a mutant.”

“He’s been bitten?,” Cleo’s eyes widened slightly.

“I think so, but he’s been hiding it well,” Bambi said. “Another reason why he wants me so bad, I guess.”

Now, Cleo’s eyes were completely wide. “Your healing reaches even the bitten?”

Bambi lowered his fork with the meatball. “Huh? I thought that was normal?”