Episode 3

The Alpha stared at him for a few moments, gauging whether what he said held truth. He inhaled deeply a couple of times, but detected no scent at all, and so he relaxed.

He said nothing more and focused his gaze on his glass of liquor.

Eley couldn't help but watch him for a few more seconds, struck by his beauty, and then mentally chastised himself to snap out of it. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes for a moment. He attempted to rise to his feet, but then his legs failed to support him. He saw the ground rushing up towards his face, yet it never made contact. Blinking a couple of times, he then realized his right arm was being grasped. It wasn't harsh nor gentle, but simply matter-of-fact. Looking up, he met his attentive eyes.

"Are you okay?" asked the Alpha.

His body couldn't ignore the fact of the touch. The hand was large and his arm was slender, practically encircling it without any difficulty.

"Sorry, there's a lot of smoke in the air."

"Yeah, they fail to realize that some people don't enjoy smoking."

Eley said nothing. He just remained quiet, noticing the graver tone in his voice from the annoyance. He saw him clench his jaw tightly but he didn't use that strength to keep gripping his arm.

"Are you from the downtown university?"

"Yes."

"Really?" asked the Alpha, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

The Omega just nodded.

"That's strange, I've never seen you around, and I've been there two years."

"I'm... it's my first year," he whispered.

The other man nodded and went back to sipping from his glass.

"I'm Lukyan, and you?"

"Eley, but I have to go now," he announced, standing up.

He moved swiftly. All the way to the door, he felt the Alpha's gaze on him and he wasn't wrong. Lukyan had been watching the whole time, curious about everything. Not just the fact that he was at the same university, but also that he was too cute to be a Beta. He'd met many Betas in his life, both girls and boys, and none had been like him. His red hair looked soft at a glance, as did his skin. His body was slender, and he was shorter, with Lukyan nearing six-foot-three.

He downed the rest of his drink and ordered another, continuing to imbibe while ignoring the discussions about him. He began breathing through his mouth only, finding the pheromones in the environment revolting.

Eley stopped at the corner because his heart was racing. He pressed his hand against his chest to feel its rapid pulse. Short of breath and feeling dizzy, he thought how the Alpha hadn't done anything yet somehow his mere presence had caused so much turmoil within him. He swallowed and continued walking. At the red light, he stopped to message Jerley to say he'd waited but couldn't anymore due to a last-minute issue. There was no reply to his messages.

He stood waiting for a taxi; it was too late for buses to still be running. Seating himself, he thrust hands into his pockets as the cold began to set in. He thought of calling Alay or Ilay, his twin brothers, for a pickup but decided it wasn't that serious. A taxi ride wouldn't be the end of the world and he sat, patient. When he saw a taxi come by, he stood up, but it was full and didn't stop.

With a sigh, he sat back down.

"It's hard to get them to stop," he heard a voice behind him and looked over his shoulder.

On seeing him, Eley stood abruptly and stepped back.

He stared for a few seconds, but the other man did nothing except lean casually against the corner with his arms crossed over his chest. Eley swallowed, trying to appear calm though it was an effort. The man wore an open black coat, a sweater underneath, combat boots, and jeans.

"Yes, I've noticed. I think I better walk."

He moved past him, the scent of his cologne briefly raising goosebumps on his skin.

"Am I frightening you?" he heard him ask and stopped.

He knew he had to appear strong and resolute.

"Why would you frighten me? It's not like you could force me to have sex with you," he said, turning with a smile to add, "or could you?"

The Alpha watched him for a few gravely seconds, a silent reminder that he was a Beta and didn't care about Alpha status.

"You're right," said Lukyan. "So, may I walk with you? I'm headed that way too."

"Sure, but don't think about trying anything. I'm not interested in Alphas. Especially ones like you."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Like me?"

"Yes, egotistical and... dominant. I prefer Omegas."

"Well, I loathe Omegas," the Alpha released, his voice laced with unmistakable distaste.

Eley maintained his composure, saying nothing more, simply nodding and turning on his heel to walk on. Hands in pockets, he stepped out, not bothering to look back but heard the Alpha's footsteps drawing close.

Walking alongside him, the disparity in their height was apparent. He thought of running away, yet kept calm and walked normally. However, in his mind, he couldn't stop replaying the way the last words were said with palpable vitriol, not mere dislike. Those words carried sheer disgust, and the earnestness in his expression affirmed it was no joke. Lukyan detested Omegas, as much as he scorned Alphas.

They walked two blocks in silence, simply one beside the other, slowly and at ease, until Lukyan spoke:

"What's your area of study?"

"Telecommunications and yours?"

"Economics," he replied, stopping at another traffic light.

"Great, sounds like you'll have a secure job and nothing to worry about."

"Actually, no. I'm studying it out of necessity, not desire."

Eley gave him a quick glance and tipped his head back due to his height, observing a face shadowed by those words.

"Why? To study something you dislike seems torturous."

"Because my family wanted it, and I live to please them," he replied, turning his face away.

The Omega saw his heterochromatic eyes, felt their danger, and his own smallness, so he slowly lowered his gaze to the ground.

"I see. Sorry about that. Alphas often have to carry on the family legacy. A burdensome task."

Lukyan said nothing, though he agreed, but found it odd that a Beta would say that as if he knew the weight of it. Curiosity piqued, he glanced at him. His clothing wasn't cheap yet not extremely expensive either. He deduced he might be a Beta from an Alpha family. A gust stirred his red hair, and the aroma of his cologne joined the scent of his shampoo and soap, sweet yet distinctive.

"You said it, not me."

Eley just nodded.

"So why don't you like Omegas?"

"A long and tedious story, not fit for tonight," he said.

"Yes, you're right. Besides, I'm a stranger. Sometimes I ask things without thinking, sorry."

"Then, so as to become more than strangers, we'll have to keep talking, don't you think?"

Eley lifted his gaze. He saw the other man watching him with a smile, blinked several times, feeling his heart race again. For a moment, he thought he could drown in that smile.

He then remembered the tale his grandmother used to tell of finding one's fated Alpha, that his heart would race first to show he was the one awaited. And he thought his heart must be mistaken, for it could not choose an Alpha who despised Omegas.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***