"In the morning, there was no buzz about this, but then in the afternoon, someone in the employee dashboard shared a public photo of you declaring you as an Omega. It was deleted after a while, and then a picture of you with-" Tanya was speaking anxiously, but I stopped listening.
My mind was reeling from the shock. What is going on? Me being an Omega is not known to anyone in the hotel or the resort except Chef Samuel and Tanya then how could this news possibly leak out?!
"Tony? Tony? Are you listening to me? Hello?"
I came to my senses on hearing Tanya's tensed voice.
"Ye-yeah. It might just be some rumor." I tried to assure myself more than her.
"Are you okay? You don't sound well," Tanya said softly.
"I am sure it will die down soon." I forced myself to believe the words as I tried to convince Tanya.
"I hope so too. But-" she paused as if not sure whether to speak or not.
"What is it?" I said, feeling a sense of foreboding.
"Tony, I would suggest that you come a bit mentally prepared after your leave. You know how it is with male Omegas," she said hesitatingly. "Don't worry, I'll be there for you if you need any help." she quickly added to try to make the truth more bearable.
"Thank you, Tanya!" I said, smiling in spite of myself. She is really a good friend.
I had just hung up the call when it rang again. It was Robbie this time. I stared at the caller Id contemplating whether to pick or not but ended up picking anyway. A concerned voice sounded at the other end,
"Tony?"
"What is it?" I asked. For no reason, my heart skipped a beat.
"I was wondering if-if you're okay?" Robbie asked, sounding embarrassed as well as anxious.
I remembered last night's horrible situation and turned beet-red.
"You left a hickey on me!" came out of my mouth before I could stop myself.
"Oh," Robbie exclaimed in surprise, "I-I am really sorry for losing control like that. Your-your pheromones are much stronger than before."
Of course, they are. I am his bonded Omega. My pheromones are only going to affect him, and the effect was 100 times stronger than any normal unbonded Omega. I wanted to say that but stopped myself and simply sighed,
"Did you call to justify your action?"
"Huh? Oh no, that's not-" Robbie paused, then suddenly busted, "Did you by any chance mention it to someone that you are an Omega?"
I remained quiet. I did mention it to four people: Tanya, Samuel, Fred, and Jenny. However, I fully trust that they will not expose me. They have had years to do it. Why would they suddenly turn against me for no rhyme or reason?
"I have mentioned it to some very close friends of mine but am confident that they would never expose me," I said, expressing my full confidence.
"So, you are already aware of the situation?" Robbie enquired.
"Tanya just informed me a while back," I replied.
"I see. I am not sure how the word got out. Can it be someone from your quarters?" Robbie asked.
I shook my head but quickly realized that Robbie can't see me. So, I answered, "That's not possible. No one I know stays in the quarter, and we barely ever see each other. I doubt that any of us even know each other, let alone knowing my sub-gender."
"But Twen-"Robbie had just begun when I interrupted,
"Robbie, did you mention it to someone? Why are so sure that it is someone from my end?"
Robbie went silent on this. I knew he was contemplating my words but finally said in a firm voice,
"My mom, but my mom would never do something like this. I am confident of that," Robbie assured me.
"I have never met Robbie's mom, and I was not sure what kind of lady she was. However, Robbie's confidence in her made me feel that I will offend him if I refute. Hence, I chose to simply agree.
"Don't worry, I will find the true culprit. However, you have-" Robbie was about to say something when Fred entered my room, speaking in his booming voice,
"Tony, I am really sorry to butt in your personal life. You don't need to avoid me."
I looked at Fred, whose eyes had a sorry look, and his muscles and shoulders looked tense. I suddenly remembered the reason for hurrying into my room leaving Fred on his own and then Tanya's call totally made me forget about Fred's presence. I didn't think what Fred might be thinking after I left like that. I quickly replied,
"NO, I AM SORRY. I got busy with calls from my workplace," Fred squinted at the cell phone on my ear. His tense shoulder relaxed and he smiled.
"Who's that?" came the inquiring and slightly irritated tone of Robbie.
"Friend of mine," I replied shortly.
"Friend?" Robbie insisted.
"I'll talk to you later. I'll deal with the current situation however it comes. Goodbye!" I said, ending the conversation and hanging the call.
I heard a sound like he was about to say something, but I didn't wait. How did this situation occur? Doesn't matter. It has already happened, so I have to deal with it. It is just a rumor. There can't be any solid source to it. People must be guessing depending on something they have heard or seen. I quietly consoled myself. I took a deep breath to relax and then looked at Fred, who was looking at me questioningly,
"Is there any problem?"
"Sort of. Nothing very serious," I forced a smile.
"Are you sure? It does not look like the issue is small. If there's anything I can help with-"
"Fred, chill!" I said as we made our way to the drawing room.
"If - If you say so! I was worried that you are arguing with your boyfriend because of the hickey," Fred said awkwardly.
I was stumped for a while. I forgot to come up with an excuse. The truth of me being Omega getting leaked weighed so heavily in my mind. What to do! Should I be honest? Maybe...Maybe I should tell the partial truth,
"I don't have any boyfriend. This-well-this was an accident."
"Accident? How can someone accidentally give you a hickey?" Fred asked, blinking in surprise.
I had no idea what to answer. I bit my lips wondering if I should let him know about Robbie.
"Th-that's...well...you see my heat pheromones...well..."
Fred's face darkened. Midway, he turned and held my shoulder and looked me in the eyes as he asked,
"Your heat pheromones can only affect your Alpha. Don't tell me that bastard dared to show his face after abandoning you."
It is true that Robbie hasn't done something praiseworthy, and neither am I such a forgiving soul to forget his deed. But still, it was somehow weird to hear someone, especially a friend, speak about him in such blatant disgust.
"Fred, it's all in past," I said.
"Are you telling me that you're going to forgive him? Are you going to forget all these years of your hardship? And what about champ?" Fred asked, now looking somewhere between anger and disappointment.
It was really uncomfortable speaking about this matter. Fred has always cared for and cherished me. He had always felt it unfair that my Alpha left me after bonding with me. However, currently, my situation with Robbie is quite complicated. I didn't want to explain all the complexities of my relationship with Robbie's, so I changed the topic by saying,
"Would you like another cup of coffee? I made some sandwiches in the morning. It's still there. Would you like some?"
Putting his hand away, I hurried to the coffee table, picked up both our mugs and went to the kitchen. I couldn't look Fred in the eye. He understood that I am not willing to pursue the topic further, so he didn't force me, but his mood got extremely gloomy. I got him coffee and a sandwich which he quietly swallowed down.
I tried to lighten the mood by talking about the food he could include in his menu. I suggested some popular dishes and some side dishes. I also gave him some ideas about including some special Italian desserts. In spite of his improved mood and the fact that he wrote down all the points, he still wore a sour expression.
As he was leaving, I urged him to put his mind at ease, but he instead looked at me and grabbed my hand. He spoke softly, totally unlike his usual nature,
"You don't need to keep everything to yourself. I know you don't find me reliable, and I also know that last time it was because of your concern for me and my dad's relationship that you stayed away, but this time, I truly want to be of help. I am here if you need me."
He didn't let me reply and instead put his arms around me and hugged me gently, burying his head on my shoulder. I was slightly taken aback. I stood motionless with my thoughts muddled. I couldn't bear to take this affection of his. He is way too kind to me even after all the hurt I caused him. I was about to ask him to move back when I heard an irritated yet nervous call of a familiar voice,
"Tony??"